While the consumer market may have been buzzing to get their hands on the latest 3D printing hardware in time for Christmas, the 3D stock market segment has been reeling with several major players losing huge values off their stock prices in what has been a tumultuous 2015.
While many of you may question the relevance of this, with many new players coming to the market and the use of the technology being so proficient in hundreds of industries today, the impact could lead to a rapid decline in the advancement of the tech or the Western world losing its footing as the largest player to Asia where material and labour costs make it cheaper to run.
We have selected four of the largest floated companies on the New York Stock Exchange. 3D Systems, Stratasys, ExOne Co. and Voxeljet AG have been steadily declining for years but several are now seeing their lowest stock market valuations for nearly 5 years, recently floored further by 3D Systems’ exit from the consumer market.
3D Systems enjoyed a 52-week high of $33.97 on the New York Stock Exchange and saw its highest pricing ever this time 2 years ago at over $96, but now sits at a measly $9.07 having dropped another 0.5% this last day.
Stratasys has also seen a steadily decline from its high of $136.46 at the end of 2013 and started the year at over $80 a share, but a heavily-hitting year has seen them sitting just $2 off their 5-year November low, now at $24, and they too have lost another 2% today alone.
Another US entity, ExOne Co. has been a fortunate survivor this Festive period and while also hitting highs of $66 just 2 years ago, has seen its stock slip to just $11.24 recently. This however is a dramatic improvement on their all-time low of just over $6 per share in August this year, and a daily 1.25% rise paints a more positive picture than its market competitors can boast of.
Our final market player is actually based in Germany, yet it seems for Voxeljet AG that its locality does not exempt it from the NYSE beating. Having enjoyed highs of $58.99 in November 2013, it could only manage a 52-week best of $10.75 and currently finds itself sitting at a near all-time low of just $4.70 having fallen another 1.75% today.
So what does the future hold for 3D printing companies and their stock valuations? While end-consumers and commercial businesses may still be demanding strong output from the industry, these low pricings look set to stick for at least the short-term as the market waits to see how investors react to the discovery that demand hasn’t grown at the expected rate and how 3D Systems consumer-focussed exit of Cubify.com will impact on the future of the technology. But for traders and stock market players alike, 2016 could be a great year to invest in a market that is currently at its bottom.
