What happened
Shares of recent IPO and 3D-printing company Desktop Metal (DM -0.29%) were performing nicely in late afternoon trading Tuesday. The stock was up 6.3% as of 2:55 p.m. EST, and you can probably thank Wall Street for that.
So what
In twin analyst reports, investment bank Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage of the 3D-metal-printing stock with a buy rating and a $30 price target, and then Craig-Hallum followed up with a price target hike and positive commentary.
As TheFly.com reported this morning, Stifel sees Desktop Metal as being well funded after going public in a reverse-merger IPO late last year, and well positioned to profit from a "dramatic increase" in 3D-printed parts production over the next decade.
Craig-Hallum added that it sees attractions in Desktop Metal's acquisition of photopolymer 3D-printing company EnvisionTEC, announced last week. At the time, Desktop Metal described EnvisonTEC as a leader in the use of 3D-printing services for the dental and jewelry industries, and it also operates in the medical devices, automotive, aerospace, and biofabrication industies.
Image source: Getty Images.
Now what
Desktop Metal is new to the public markets, so it may take some time to see how this acquisition pans out, and how the company as a whole will perform. Stifel, however, predicts that Desktop Metal will be a strong generator of free cash flow, and predicts that it will turn positive as early as 2023.
In the meantime, analysts are forecasting strong revenue growth and progress toward GAAP profitability. Sales are expected to grow 286% this year alone, passing $71 million by the end of 2021. GAAP losses are expected to shrink, and according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data, the company could turn profitable the same year that free cash flow turns positive: 2023.
