Analysts and investors rightly place a great deal of emphasis on the U.S. employment rate, but the picture can be somewhat murky—while March 2026 saw unemployment fall to 4.3%, some other metrics, including job openings have signaled continued challenges. In the midst of this, many investors are likely wondering if a promised domestic manufacturing boom will actually materialize.
New data suggests that factory output may be increasing (especially in areas related to AI), which may bode well for some companies focused on automation or on-demand manufacturing. The companies below represent several industries—space and defense, factory-on-demand custom manufacturing, and precious metals or critical materials used in specialty projects—but each has the potential to thrive if manufacturing reshoring picks up.
Proto Labs Is a Custom Manufacturing Firm With Big Growth Plans
Proto Labs Inc. (NYSE: PRLB) is a jack-of-all-trades custom manufacturing firm that builds low-volume components and prototypes for customers across industries. The firm works with a host of manufacturers, using injection molding, 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication, and other approaches to build on-demand. The company had a fairly strong Q4 2025, including beats on both top and bottom lines with earnings per share (EPS) of 44 cents and revenue of $136.5 million, the latter up 12% year-over-year (YOY).
Computer numerical control (CNC) machining was a primary driver of this growth, with that segment growing by 35% YOY in the final quarter of 2025. This allowed Proto Labs to end the year in a healthy financial position with $142 million in cash and no debt.
Proto Labs is poised to expand and has an ambitious strategy that aims for $1 billion in annual revenue, nearly double what it reached last year. This will be a challenge if European revenue continues to decline (it fell by about 8.1% YOY in the last quarter of 2025). Gross margin pressure has also weighed on Proto Labs, due to tariffs. However, this also presents a unique opportunity for the firm to realign with a more domestic-centered approach.
Though Proto Labs has a high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 73X, its price-to-sales ratio of about 2.9X is more compelling—and analysts expect more than 17% in earnings growth in the year to come, which could bring the first of these figures down.
Rocket Lab Notes Domestic Wins With Space Systems Business and a Growing International Presence
One of the many space stocks likely to get a big boost from the anticipated SpaceX IPO, Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) has already seen its share price go stratospheric: RKLB shares are up about 370% in the last year, despite a dip early in 2026. The company's fast ascent is thanks to its dominance in the domestic launch industry.
While Rocket Lab is quickly becoming a go-to provider for general launch services, a manufacturing boom in the United States could help its space systems business in particular. This corner of Rocket Lab's portfolio includes its manufacturing of spaceships and components. In the last year, this segment climbed by more than a third, and its backlog continues to be robust.
It's also not just Rocket Lab's domestic business that could continue to expand, but with a list of new defense contracts in progress and the recent acquisition of German laser communication tech firm Mynaric, the company is also rapidly broadening to European markets as well. This may be part of the calculation for 11 out of 17 analysts who have rated RKLB a Buy.
Hecla's Overlooked Role in Manufacturing as a Key Metals Producer
Often overlooked in the process of manufacturing are the companies producing the essential resources used in that process, and Hecla Mining Co. (NYSE: HL) is a great example. This firm is not only one of the major producers of silver in North America, with some 17 million ounces produced in 2025 alone, but also a provider of gold, copper, lead, and zinc.
Silver, gold, and other precious metals have of course experienced a major rally in recent months, with the former up some 142% in the last year even despite a pullback. Silver in particular is a vital industrial metal with myriad applications in electrification applications, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, data centers, and more. All of these uses help to position Hecla as a potential beneficiary of a surge in manufacturing activity across industries.
Shares of HL have pulled back alongside silver in recent weeks, potentially providing a buy-in opportunity. On top of that, the company closed on the sale of select assets earlier in the year, with aims to repay some of its debt. This should help to make its fundamental performance, which already includes strong cash flows and profits, even more attractive.
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The article "If There's a Domestic Manufacturing Boom, These 3 Stocks Could Win" first appeared on MarketBeat.
