News

Shares of 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) leaped 23.4% higher through 11:50 a.m. ET on Wednesday after the company announced it's leaning into the expanding market for 3D-printed teeth and their alignment, protection, and repair.

The company has announced the signing of a contract worth as much as $250 million with an unnamed company to support "the indirect manufacturing process for clear aligners" through 2028.

Big news for 3D Systems

For a stock with $488 million in trailing-12-month revenue, this is a big deal. The multiyear purchase agreement, as 3D described it, will support the manufacture of about one million customized clear aligners per day. And the company said that its NextDent technology can also produce other dental equipment including surgical guides, dentures, orthodontic splints, retainers, crowns, and bridges.

3D says its latest dental products are individualized night guards to help patients avoid tooth-grinding, sleep apnea, and other difficulties -- a market the company says includes millions of people worldwide.

How big a deal is this for 3D Systems?

Citing industry research, management said the market for 3D-printed dental products could grow to $14.6 billion by 2032. It didn't say what share of this market it controls today or hopes to control by 2032 but did say that it already has the largest portfolio of dental 3D-printing materials on the market. This would seem to suggest that 3D Systems is well positioned to grab a sizable share of the market (if not necessarily all of it).

Even adding just the first $250 million to its current $488 million share over the next four years (about $60 million per year) implies at least 12% annualized sales growth. Whether that will be enough to turn the company profitable remains to be seen. 3D Systems has lost money in each of the last two years and is not expected to earn a profit this year, either.

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Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends 3d Systems. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.