Market roundup: A media frenzy for the big three

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This week has been a hive of media activity for our big three, but does this progress mean the troika has benefitted on the stock exchange across the board?

In fact, two of our terrific trio look set to end the week higher than it started out at open on Monday, while one has suffered a slight retreat.

But what stock-shifting news have ExOne (NASDAQ: XONE), Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) and 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) had to impart and why have they had such an impact on share prices?

ExOne

ExOne commenced trading today (April 12th) 3.3 per cent higher to $37.37 per unit. This is because the stock is riding on the crest of a media wave.

This week, Chief Executive of ExOne Kent Rockwell spoke to Reuters about his hopes for the company and its performance on the stock exchange after it went public in February.

Mr Rockwell said he expects ExOne's gross margin to exceed by 50 per cent within three years, catching up with its main competitors Stratasys and 3D Systems.

The company already has a market value of around $400 million (£260 million, €305 million) and this year plans to open three production services centres as part of its expansion into the emerging markets of Asia and South America. Mr Rockwell also noted that the company is aiming to raise its annual revenue to $100 million by 2016.

"If we get to the $100 million level of activity (annual revenue), we should probably by that time be able to sustain the 50 per cent margin level," the industry leader told Reuters.

As the week's trading draws to a close, ExOne looks set to rise from the $31 per unit it commanded on Monday to nearly $38 - which is no mean feat for a stock market newcomer.

Stratasys

Stratasys has broken its prolonged media silence by releasing a video demonstrating one of its customer's positive experiences - action that has served the company well on the NASDAQ index.

The 3D printing company released a case study explaining how UK-based Collcap Packaging have been using an Objet printer to create custom cosmetic packaging for their customers. The organisation purchased a Stratasys Objet 30 Pro due to its ability to print in a range of materials - including transparent materials.

Technical Manager Adam Smith commented: "Traditionally if you put a product in a customer's hand and they don't like it, to then make those changes would be a several week process - to change the designs, agree them again, do the modifications and tooling.

"By having a 3D printer what we're able to do is print the model, [and] put it in the customer's hand. If they want some changes, great! We can turn that around in a matter of days as opposed to a matter of weeks."

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Stratasys began the week at around $71 per unit, but has made considerable gains in the interim, peaking above $78 and relaxing to just over $77 in today's opening trading session, in which it has gained 0.22 per cent. Still, the progress from the beginning of the week was the biggest lift Stratasys has enjoyed since December.

3D Systems

3D printing powerhouse 3D Systems had the most active week of all, announcing that it has added Seiko-I Infotech to its network of resellers, with SIIT representing 3D Systems' complete portfolio of Projet 3D printers, full-colour ZPrinters and extensive range of print materials through its 11 Japanese locations.

3D Systems has also announced the immediate availability of Accura Xtreme White-200 plastic. The material is for use in 3D Systems' iPro SLA printers, which are the advanced manufacturing "gold standard" for part performance and accuracy.

And finally, today in the company's newsletter, the firm officially welcomed its new colleagues from Geomagic to the 3D Systems family.

President and Chief Executive Avi Reichental added some positive news, indicating growth and furthering the business's ever-expanding reach.

"We intend to expand the range of our 3D authoring solutions further into new manufacturing and consumer applications and concurrently maintain and enhance the existing Geomagic and Rapidform product lines," he stated.

3D Systems responded on the stock market accordingly, opening 1.18 per cent higher in New York today to $35.49 per unit, after starting the week at around $33.00 per unit.

This is 3D Systems' strongest rally in a month and could be the start of a greater rise for the industry juggernaut.