DDD vs HPQ: How DDD and HP Inc. Compare (2026)

Last updated July 2026

Short answer

HPQ is the larger of the two ($26.02B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (9.45x forward earnings, beta 1.21). DDD is the smaller challenger ($399.37M), priced similarly on forward earnings (-19.18x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.

DDD vs HPQ: the tie-breaker metrics

Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

MetricDDDHPQWhat it tells you
Market cap$399.37M$26.02BSize. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove.
Forward P/E-19.189.45Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up.
Trailing P/E5.5610.54Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price.
Beta2.701.21Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through.
Price vs 52-week range34% of range90% of rangeWhere today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why.

Before you buy: how DDD and HPQ affect your concentration

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. DDD and HPQ share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined DDD and HPQ exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

What does DDD (DDD) do?

3D Systems Corporation is one of the original additive manufacturing companies, offering a broad portfolio of 3D printers, print materials, software, and on-demand manufacturing services. It reports in two segments. Healthcare Solutions covers dental, medical devices, and regenerative technologies like bioprinting, and in Q1 2026 grew about 21% year over year (roughly $50 million) on strength in Dental and Med Tech, each up over 20%. Industrial Solutions serves aerospace, defense, and general manufacturing and grew more modestly (roughly $45 million). Total Q1 2026 revenue was about $95.5 million, up ~1% reported but ~11% excluding divestitures, and healthcare has grown to a scale that now rivals the industrial business.

Full DDD guide

What does HP Inc. (HPQ) do?

HP Inc. is one of the world's largest makers of personal computers and printers. It sells laptops, desktops, and workstations to consumers, businesses, and governments, and a wide range of printers along with the ink, toner, and supplies they consume. HP was created when the original Hewlett-Packard split in 2015 into HP Inc. (PCs and printing) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (servers and enterprise IT). HP makes money from hardware sales plus the recurring, higher-margin printing supplies business, which is a key profit engine. It has been expanding into peripherals, gaming, hybrid-work accessories, and services, and pushing subscription and contractual printing models to make revenue more recurring. The company is highly cash generative and returns substantial capital to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, HP is a mature, broadly held technology hardware company sensitive to the global PC and printing cycles.

Full HPQ guide

DDD vs HPQ: how do they differ?

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

  • DDD drivers: Healthcare as the growth engine; Margin recovery and cost discipline.
  • HPQ drivers: Printing supplies profit engine; PC refresh and AI PCs.

Which fits which kind of investor

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The central risk is that 3D Systems is a small, not-yet-consistently-profitable turnaround, so the thesis depends on execution that has not been fully proven. For HPQ, hP operates in mature, low-growth markets where PCs and printing are subject to long-term secular pressures, including the shift to digital and reduced office printing.

DDD or HPQ: which should you pick?

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick DDD if you believe its drivers more; HPQ if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the DDD and HPQ guides.

DDD vs HPQ: the full fundamentals

DDD. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. Because 3D Systems is not consistently GAAP-profitable, traditional earnings multiples are not very meaningful, and the stock trades more on revenue growth, margin trajectory, and cash burn than on a stable P/E. As a low-priced small cap it can be volatile and sensitive to a single quarter. Treat this as a turnaround valuation, where the key is whether improving margins and healthcare growth translate into durable free cash flow.

HPQ. HP trades at a low valuation typical of a mature hardware company in slow-growth markets, reflecting limited revenue growth, thin hardware margins, and secular pressure on PCs and printing. The market values it as a cash-return story: a low multiple, a meaningful dividend yield, and consistent buybacks rather than a growth premium. The valuation embeds skepticism about long-term unit demand.

Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): DDD shows revenue (q1 2026) ~$95.5 million, up ~1% reported (or ~11% excluding divestitures) year over year, segment mix Healthcare ~$50 million (up ~21%) roughly matched Industrial ~$45 million, gross margin (q1 2026, non-gaap) ~36%, up from ~30% a year earlier on richer product mix, profitability GAAP EPS loss narrowed to ~$(0.03); adjusted EBITDA slightly positive (~$2 million); HPQ shows revenue (ttm) ~$54 billion, operating margin ~7%, net income (ttm) ~$3 billion, p/e (ttm) ~11x.

The bottom line: DDD vs HPQ

DDD and HPQ are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined DDD and HPQ exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.

Investing in DDD with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how DDD fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What is the difference between DDD and HPQ?

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3D Systems Corporation is one of the original additive manufacturing companies, offering a broad portfolio of 3D printers, print materials, software, and on-demand manufacturing services. HP Inc. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.

Is DDD or HPQ the better stock?

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Neither is universally better. HPQ is the larger incumbent; DDD is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.

Which is cheaper, DDD or HPQ?

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On forward P/E (as of July 2026), DDD trades at -19.18x and HPQ at 9.45x, so DDD is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.

Should you own both DDD and HPQ?

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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.

What are the risks of DDD vs HPQ?

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DDD: The central risk is that 3D Systems is a small, not-yet-consistently-profitable turnaround, so the thesis depends on execution that has not been fully proven. Additive manufacturing demand, especially in industrial markets, is cyclical and can soften with capital-spending pullbacks, while healthcare growth must keep compensating for a slower industrial base. The company competes against larger and well-funded rivals, and pricing pressure could cap margin gains. Its history of losses, divestitures, and restructuring shows how hard sustained profitability has been. As a low-priced small cap, the stock is volatile and can move sharply on single quarters or news, and convertible notes plus any future capital raises create dilution risk. It pays no meaningful dividend, so returns rely entirely on the turnaround working. HPQ: HP operates in mature, low-growth markets where PCs and printing are subject to long-term secular pressures, including the shift to digital and reduced office printing. Both businesses are cyclical and sensitive to consumer and enterprise spending, and the PC market has seen demand swings. Competition is intense and often price-driven, pressuring margins. Third-party and refill ink erode the supplies annuity, and regulatory or consumer pushback on practices that lock customers to HP supplies is a risk. The company carries debt, and currency and component cost swings affect results. Growth is hard to come by, so the story leans heavily on cash returns rather than expansion.

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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell DDD or HPQ; figures are approximate and dated (as of July 2026). Verify current data before investing.

    DDD vs HPQ: How DDD and HP Inc. Compare (2026), Walnut