UPDATE: Stifel Initiates Coverage On Stratasys, Called 'Favorite Idea' In 3D

Stratasys' SSYS recent roll in the stock market got a nudge forward Friday when an analyst called the company his "favorite idea" in 3D printing.

Stifel's Patrick Newton initiated coverage on the company with a Buy rating and said the company should post annual growth of more than 30 percent from an array of products spanning consumer and industrial markets.

The company is a leader in the nascent consumer market and launched a pilot plan in September to sell two of its desktop products at about a dozen Home Depot stores priced at $1,375 and $2,899.

On the industrial side, "the only noticeable weakness is the company's lack of a metal printer offering," Newton said in a note establishing a target of $150.

Stratasys in June acquired MakerBot Industries for $403 million, following its agreements in April to buy Solid Concepts and Harvest Technologies.

Newton says those deals represent a strategic shift for Stratasys that may bode "additional aggressive acquisitions in the future."

Stratasys traded recently at $119.39, up 1.4 percent.