Mesa Laboratories, Inc (NASDAQ:MLAB) Strengthens Cash Base Amid Leadership Transition

Mesa Laboratories shows operating resilience and positive momentum across key indicators while a planned CEO transition and recent insider activity create near-term event risk.

Recent News

On February 3, 2026 Mesa Labs released third-quarter fiscal 2026 results and published an investor presentation; the company also presented at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 14, 2026. On April 2, 2026 the Board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share. In March 2026 multiple insider purchases and institutional filings disclosed new or increased stakes (early–mid March filings). The company disclosed a CEO transition: Gary Owens’ departure as President and CEO effective on or about April 13, 2026 with a transition arrangement extending his service through June 22, 2026.

Technical Analysis

Directional indicators show an emerging trend: ADX at 23.85 signals an emerging trend strength while DI+ stands at 28.10 and trends higher, and DI- sits at 18.68 and trends lower — a directional structure that biases price action upward into the near term.

MACD reads 2.66 with the MACD line above the signal line at 1.18 and the MACD trend increasing; that crossover and rising MACD represent accelerating bullish momentum for price action over shorter horizons.

MRO stands at -12.09 and the MRO trend increases; the negative MRO indicates price sits below the model target and therefore carries upside potential as the oscillator moves toward zero while its rising trajectory reduces near-term downside pressure.

RSI at 56.67 and rising shows constructive momentum without overbought readings, supporting a continuation bias while leaving room for further gains before reaching overbought thresholds.

Price sits above the 20-day average ($90.59), the 50-day average ($88.51), and the 200-day average ($78.81); the 12-day EMA ($92.70) trends higher and the super trend lower support at $88.34 provides a nearby technical floor. Bollinger band width implies moderate intraday volatility given the 20-day standard deviation of $6.46.

 


Fundamental Analysis

Total revenue reached $65,126,000 with gross profit of $41,795,000 and gross margin at 64.18%, a stable gross margin that supports operating leverage. Operating income measures $7,975,000 and EBIT equals $7,632,000, producing an EBIT margin of 11.72%; that EBIT margin sits below the industry peer mean of 20.75% and below the industry peer median of 20.88%.

Quarter-over-quarter dynamics show operating margin QoQ +0.57431% and EBIT margin QoQ +0.46433%, while YoY operating margin improved by 11.31% and EBIT margin improved by 10.78% YoY, signaling expanding operating efficiency versus last year.

Reported EPS of $1.76 exceeded the $1.47 estimate by $0.29, an EPS surprise of approximately 19.73%, reflecting stronger-than-expected profitability in the reported quarter. Forward EPS stands at $1.3475 with a forward P/E of 57.09; the trailing P/E reads 45.51.

Balance-sheet and cash metrics paint a mixed picture: cash and short-term investments total $28,975,000 while net debt measures $137,152,000 and debt-to-EBITDA equals 13.56x, reflecting material leverage relative to earnings. Interest coverage equals 2.51x, sufficient but tighter than typical conservative benchmarks.

Free cash flow reached $18,022,000 and free cash flow yield stands at 4.07%, above the industry peer mean free cash flow yield figure provided. Operating cash flow totaled $18,754,000 and cash conversion ratio measures 1.27, indicating cash generation exceeds reported earnings by a meaningful margin.

Liquidity metrics include a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.45, showing adequate near-term liquidity. Asset turnover sits at 0.1506 and return on equity equals 1.94%, reflecting a capital-intensive business model and modest returns on invested capital.

WMDST values the stock as under-valued based on the dataset provided, a conclusion supported by free cash flow yield above the peer mean and an EPS beat, while leverage and lower-than-peer EBIT margin represent offsetting valuation risks.

MOST-RECENT QUARTERLY REPORT
REPORT PERIOD ENDING: 2025-12-31
REPORT DATE: 2026-02-03
NEXT REPORT DATE: 2026-05-05
CASH FLOW  Begin Period Cash Flow 20.4 M
 Operating Cash Flow 18.8 M
 Capital Expenditures -732.00 K
 Change In Working Capital 4.5 M
 Dividends Paid -884.00 K
 Cash Flow Delta 8.6 M
 End Period Cash Flow 29.0 M
 
INCOME STATEMENT REVENUE
 Total Revenue 65.1 M
 Forward Revenue 33.4 M
COSTS
 Cost Of Revenue 23.3 M
 Depreciation 1.3 M
 Depreciation and Amortization 5.7 M
 Research and Development 5.0 M
 Total Operating Expenses 57.2 M
PROFITABILITY
 Gross Profit 41.8 M
 EBITDA 13.3 M
 EBIT 7.6 M
 Operating Income 8.0 M
 Interest Income
 Interest Expense 3.0 M
 Net Interest Income -3.04 M
 Income Before Tax 4.6 M
 Tax Provision 966.0 K
 Tax Rate 21.0 %
 Net Income 3.6 M
 Net Income From Continuing Operations 3.6 M
EARNINGS
 EPS Estimate 1.47
 EPS Actual 1.76
 EPS Difference 0.29
 EPS Surprise 19.728 %
 Forward EPS 1.35
 
BALANCE SHEET ASSETS
 Total Assets 434.8 M
 Intangible Assets 278.9 M
 Net Tangible Assets -92.26 M
 Total Current Assets 105.6 M
 Cash and Short-Term Investments 29.0 M
 Cash 29.0 M
 Net Receivables 40.2 M
 Inventory 26.6 M
 Long-Term Investments 17.2 M
LIABILITIES
 Accounts Payable 5.3 M
 Short-Term Debt 5.2 M
 Total Current Liabilities 54.4 M
 Net Debt 137.2 M
 Total Debt 181.0 M
 Total Liabilities 248.2 M
EQUITY
 Total Equity 186.7 M
 Retained Earnings -180.73 M
VALUATION & PER-SHARE METRICS EQUITY & PER-SHARE METRICS
 Book Value Per-Share 33.79
 Shares Outstanding 5.525 M
 Revenue Per-Share 11.79
VALUATION
 Market Capitalization 442.5 M
 Enterprise Value 594.5 M
 Enterprise Multiple 44.543
Enterprise Multiple QoQ -17.325 %
Enterprise Multiple YoY -65.041 %
Enterprise Multiple IPRWA high: 158.913
median: 85.622
mean: 82.996
MLAB: 44.543
low: -144.328
 EV/R 9.129
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Asset To Equity 2.329
 Asset To Liability 1.752
 Debt To Capital 0.492
 Debt To Assets 0.416
Debt To Assets QoQ -5.946 %
Debt To Assets YoY 80.294 %
Debt To Assets IPRWA high: 0.828
MLAB: 0.416
mean: 0.282
median: 0.262
low: 0.002
 Debt To Equity 0.969
Debt To Equity QoQ -9.15 %
Debt To Equity YoY 49.104 %
Debt To Equity IPRWA high: 2.909
MLAB: 0.969
mean: 0.54
median: 0.472
low: -1.334
PRICE-BASED VALUATION
 Price To Book (P/B) 2.37
Price To Book QoQ 3.932 %
Price To Book YoY -48.189 %
Price To Book IPRWA high: 15.074
mean: 5.979
median: 5.854
MLAB: 2.37
low: 0.24
 Price To Earnings (P/E) 45.508
Price To Earnings QoQ 29.79 %
Price To Earnings YoY -109.054 %
Price To Earnings IPRWA high: 269.298
mean: 119.739
median: 101.834
MLAB: 45.508
low: -315.07
 PE/G Ratio 0.156
 Price To Sales (P/S) 6.795
Price To Sales QoQ 1.394 %
Price To Sales YoY -39.869 %
Price To Sales IPRWA high: 52.884
median: 23.476
mean: 20.203
MLAB: 6.795
low: -13.339
FORWARD MULTIPLES
Forward P/E 57.092
Forward PE/G 0.196
Forward P/S 13.252
EFFICIENCY OPERATIONAL
 Operating Leverage 7.889
ASSET & SALES
 Asset Turnover Ratio 0.151
Asset Turnover Ratio QoQ 7.344 %
Asset Turnover Ratio YoY 6.758 %
Asset Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 0.512
MLAB: 0.151
median: 0.133
mean: 0.127
low: -0.209
 Receivables Turnover 1.622
Receivables Turnover Ratio QoQ 5.671 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio YoY 1.774 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 2.907
mean: 1.881
median: 1.867
MLAB: 1.622
low: 0.47
 Inventory Turnover 0.859
Inventory Turnover Ratio QoQ 2.52 %
Inventory Turnover Ratio YoY 7.69 %
Inventory Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 2.05
MLAB: 0.859
mean: 0.67
median: 0.548
low: 0.16
 Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) 56.273
CASH CYCLE
 Cash Conversion Cycle Days (CCC) 141.954
Cash Conversion Cycle Days QoQ -4.892 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days YoY -8.238 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days IPRWA high: 453.393
mean: 171.699
median: 165.533
MLAB: 141.954
low: -118.454
CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT
 Cash Conversion Ratio 1.271
 CapEx To Revenue -0.011
 CapEx To Depreciation -0.576
 
CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY & COVERAGE CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Total Capital 347.7 M
 Net Invested Capital 352.8 M
 Invested Capital 352.8 M
 Net Tangible Assets -92.26 M
 Net Working Capital 51.2 M
LIQUIDITY
 Cash Ratio 0.533
 Current Ratio 1.942
Current Ratio QoQ -3.743 %
Current Ratio YoY 173.09 %
Current Ratio IPRWA high: 20.133
mean: 2.709
MLAB: 1.942
median: 1.893
low: 0.168
 Quick Ratio 1.454
Quick Ratio QoQ 0.734 %
Quick Ratio YoY 173.923 %
Quick Ratio IPRWA high: 12.347
mean: 2.035
median: 1.469
MLAB: 1.454
low: 0.366
COVERAGE & LEVERAGE
 Debt To EBITDA 13.56
 Cost Of Debt 1.291 %
 Interest Coverage Ratio 2.514
Interest Coverage Ratio QoQ 48.006 %
Interest Coverage Ratio YoY 1043.066 %
Interest Coverage Ratio IPRWA high: 60.521
median: 25.964
mean: 20.932
MLAB: 2.514
low: -107.569
 Operating Cash Flow Ratio 0.194
TIMING / LIQUIDITY
 Days Payables Outstanding (DPO) 20.161
DIVIDENDS
 Dividend Coverage Ratio 4.106
 Dividend Payout Ratio 0.244
 Dividend Rate 0.16
 Dividend Yield 0.002
PERFORMANCE GROWTH
 Asset Growth Rate 1.045 %
 Revenue Growth 7.226 %
Revenue Growth QoQ 260.399 %
Revenue Growth YoY -16.54 %
Revenue Growth IPRWA high: 54.001 %
median: 12.969 %
mean: 10.187 %
MLAB: 7.226 %
low: -28.254 %
 Earnings Growth 291.111 %
Earnings Growth QoQ 2279.524 %
Earnings Growth YoY -319.706 %
Earnings Growth IPRWA MLAB: 291.111 %
high: 100.0 %
mean: 10.242 %
median: 6.667 %
low: -142.105 %
MARGINS
 Gross Margin 64.176 %
Gross Margin QoQ 4.414 %
Gross Margin YoY 1.445 %
Gross Margin IPRWA high: 96.557 %
median: 64.538 %
MLAB: 64.176 %
mean: 62.783 %
low: -16.207 %
 EBIT Margin 11.719 %
EBIT Margin QoQ 46.433 %
EBIT Margin YoY 1077.789 %
EBIT Margin IPRWA high: 33.51 %
median: 20.883 %
mean: 20.746 %
MLAB: 11.719 %
low: -144.871 %
 Return On Sales (ROS) 12.245 %
Return On Sales QoQ 57.431 %
Return On Sales YoY 1130.653 %
Return On Sales IPRWA high: 35.479 %
mean: 22.001 %
median: 21.965 %
MLAB: 12.245 %
low: -169.778 %
CASH FLOW
 Free Cash Flow (FCF) 18.0 M
 Free Cash Flow Yield 4.073 %
Free Cash Flow Yield QoQ 132.477 %
Free Cash Flow Yield YoY 64.102 %
Free Cash Flow Yield IPRWA MLAB: 4.073 %
high: 3.107 %
median: 0.969 %
mean: 0.898 %
low: -15.714 %
 Free Cash Growth 152.763 %
Free Cash Growth QoQ -78.379 %
Free Cash Growth YoY -62.379 %
Free Cash Growth IPRWA high: 265.331 %
MLAB: 152.763 %
mean: 4.868 %
median: -0.761 %
low: -303.638 %
 Free Cash To Net Income 4.965
 Cash Flow Margin 16.195 %
 Cash Flow To Earnings 2.906
VALUE & RETURNS
 Economic Value Added 0.03
 Return On Assets (ROA) 0.839 %
Return On Assets QoQ 46.678 %
Return On Assets YoY -323.138 %
Return On Assets IPRWA high: 15.87 %
mean: 2.025 %
median: 1.556 %
MLAB: 0.839 %
low: -29.663 %
 Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) 2.006 %
 Return On Equity (ROE) 0.019
Return On Equity QoQ 40.159 %
Return On Equity YoY -280.0 %
Return On Equity IPRWA high: 0.174
mean: 0.03
median: 0.028
MLAB: 0.019
low: -0.518
 DuPont ROE 1.988 %
 Return On Invested Capital (ROIC) 1.708 %
Return On Invested Capital QoQ 57.13 %
Return On Invested Capital YoY 153.037 %
Return On Invested Capital IPRWA high: 6.199 %
mean: 2.689 %
median: 2.127 %
MLAB: 1.708 %
low: -19.559 %

Six-Week Outlook

Near-term price bias: Moderately bullish. Technicals (DI+ rising, MACD above its signal, price above major moving averages, rising RSI) favor continuation of the current upward momentum over the next six weeks, provided volatility remains contained around event dates.

  • Events to watch: management transition milestones and any SEC disclosures tied to the Transition Agreement; insider and institutional filings that could change float dynamics.
  • Momentum confirmation: sustained MACD expansion and RSI remaining below overbought territory would reinforce the upward bias.
  • Fundamental risk trigger: rising interest expense or any material deterioration in interest coverage given net debt and elevated debt-to-EBITDA would increase downside risk to sentiment and valuation.

About Mesa Laboratories, Inc.

Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLAB) develops and manufactures a diverse range of life sciences tools and quality control products. Serving markets across North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and globally, Mesa Laboratories addresses critical needs in various industries. The Sterilization and Disinfection Control segment provides biological, chemical, and cleaning indicators, essential for evaluating sterilization and decontamination processes in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare sectors. This segment also extends testing and laboratory services to dental and pharmaceutical industries. In the Clinical Genomics segment, Mesa Laboratories offers the MassARRAY system, a genetic analysis tool, along with consumables like chips, panels, and chemical reagents. These tools support clinical labs in DNA sample analysis for genetic disease testing, pharmacogenetics, oncology, and more. The Biopharmaceutical Development segment delivers automated systems for protein analysis and peptide synthesis, including Gyrolab and PurePep product lines. The Calibration Solutions segment provides quality control products for measuring critical parameters in environmental and process monitoring, as well as medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Products include continuous monitoring systems, dialysate meters, data loggers, and gas flow calibration equipment, marketed under brands such as DialyGuard, ViewPoint, and DataTrace. Established in 1982, Mesa Laboratories is headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado.



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