We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Stocks To Buy. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR) stands against the other 3D printing and additive manufacturing stocks.
The additive manufacturing industry is among the most revolutionary areas in the general manufacturing and industrial sectors. These days, 3D printing has become widely used in various fields, such as healthcare equipment manufacturing, metal fabrication, housing construction, and even dental operations. Considering the widespread use of 3D printing technology in various fields across the globe, the 3D printing and additive manufacturing industry has come to be considered as a high-growth area in manufacturing, with many investors keeping a close eye on 3D printing stocks and adding them to their portfolios. For instance, Cathie Wood, a reputable growth investor, operates a dedicated Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) that focuses solely on manufacturing technology and 3D printing stocks.
Growing Interest and Engagement in Additive Manufacturing
The impact and growth potential of the additive manufacturing industry is being felt not only in the markets, but on a federal government level as well. In 2022, the Biden Administration launched the Additive Manufacturing Forward initiative to promote the use of additive manufacturing and 3D printing in the US. The initiative was propelled forward by the profitable and attractive uses of 3D printing. For instance, the use of additively-manufactured fuel nozzles for commercial airplane engines by General Electric was cited by the White House as being the reason why its fuel nozzles achieved 30% cost savings while also being 25% lighter and five times more durable than regular fuel nozzles.
It’s not just the government that is taking an interest in 3D printing companies and technologies. Many tech companies have also been launching products in the 3D printing and additive manufacturing space to establish their presence in this area. Microsoft developed and launched a 3D Builder application, and also has its own 3D printers in the market. Autodesk is known for its Autodesk Fusion, a critical tool for preparing 3D models for printing. Finally, HP is known for its Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printing technology, among other products in this space.
Some may feel that the additive manufacturing industry is lagging behind other areas in the market. However, a closer look at the performance of individual stocks in this industry highlights the fact that many of them are fiscally performing well, and can be considered as good investments today.
Considering the high-growth potential of 3D printing stocks in today’s market, particularly in light of the growing use of additive manufacturing in various fields, we have compiled a list of the best 3D printing and additive manufacturing stocks to buy now. You can also take a look at the best 3D printing companies in the US and what happened to 3D printing stocks?.
Our Methodology
We selected the top holdings of Cathie Wood’s 3D Printing ETF and ranked them in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them. For this, we used Insider Monkey’s hedge fund data for the first quarter of 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
A computer programmer developing a software application for high-performance computing.
Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR) is an application software company based in Troy, Michigan. The company reported a successful second quarter, with total revenues rising to $148.8 million. Software revenues for the company came in at $135.4 million, representing a 10.6% year-over-year increase. Software revenue amounts to 91% of the company’s total revenue, a figure that underscores the importance of Altair Engineering Inc.’s (NASDAQ:ALTR) software operations.
Recently, Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR) has expanded its domination in the 3D printing market by acquiring Metrics Design Automation. The company also benefits from enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities in its Altair HyperWorks 2024 platform, making it a strong stock pick for investors today.
A total of 21 hedge funds were long Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR) in the first quarter, with a total stake value of $1.3 billion. ARK Investment Management was the largest stakeholder in the company at the end of the first quarter, holding 50,530 shares.
Conestoga Capital Advisors mentioned Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR) in its fourth-quarter 2023 investor letter:
“Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTR): ALTR, a leader in design and simulation software, reported strong earnings during the quarter, beating across all metrics. Adjusted EBITDA margins jumped almost 600 basis points year-over-year, leading to significantly higher profitability. ALTR is not seeing pressure from a softer macroeconomic environment domestically or in China, a dynamic some of their peers mentioned during their earnings calls. ALTR called out particular strength in the aerospace, auto and technology verticals.”
Overall ALTR ranks 7th on our list of the best 3D printing and additive stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Stocks To Buy to see the other 3D printing and additive stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential of ALTR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ALTR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
