Mesa Laboratories, Inc (NASDAQ:MLAB) Shows Renewed Momentum Suggesting Near-Term Upside

Mesa Laboratories enters the near term with a constructive technical profile and operational cash generation that supports an undervalued WMDST appraisal. Recent corporate communications and the balance sheet frame the immediate risk/reward toward measured upside.

Recent News

On December 18, 2025 the company announced management will present at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 14, 2026. On December 3, 2025 Mesa notified investors it would publish third-quarter fiscal 2026 results on February 3, 2026. On January 7, 2026 the Board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share, payable March 16, 2026 (record date February 28, 2026).

Technical Analysis

Directional indicators show an emerging bullish regime: ADX at 21.5 signals an emerging trend rather than a strong trend, while DI+ at 27.09 (dip & reversal) and DI- at 20.07 (peak & reversal) both read as bullish directional developments that support upside continuation toward the valuation gap identified by WMDST.

MACD sits at 1.76 above the signal line at 1.04, and the MACD trend registers as dip & reversal; the MACD crossing above its signal line confirms a shift to bullish momentum and aligns with the near-term price bias toward the WMDST valuation level.

MRO at -9.59 indicates the current price sits below the model target and therefore carries potential to increase; the MRO trend registers as dip & reversal, reinforcing that upside potential exists from the current price band.

RSI at 57.32, trend labeled dip & reversal, shows momentum in bullish territory without overbought extremes, consistent with further room to run before mean-reversion risks materialize.

Price relationships reinforce the bullish tilt: last close $93.27 trades above the 20-day average $84.44, 50-day average $81.98 and 200-day average $83.45; price exceeds the 1× Bollinger upper band $90.02, suggesting short-term extension off recent strength with the SuperTrend lower band at $82.62 acting as nearby technical support. Trading volume sits below recent 10-, 50- and 200-day averages, indicating the current move showed limited participation so follow-through will depend on increased volume.

 


Fundamental Analysis

Profitability: EBIT equals $7,632,000 and EBIT margin measures 11.72%. That EBIT margin sits below the industry peer mean of 29.63% and below the industry peer median of 30.16%. Quarter-over-quarter the EBIT margin expanded by 46.43% QoQ and the data shows a YoY change of 1,077.79% YoY as reported. Operating margin equals 12.25% and rose 57.43% QoQ while operating margin YoY increased 11.31%.

Earnings: Reported EPS reached $1.76 versus an estimate of $1.47, producing an EPS surprise ratio of 19.73% (EPS surprise +$0.29). Reported forward EPS stands at $1.3475 with a forward P/E of 57.09; trailing P/E registers at 45.51. WMDST’s valuation model concludes the stock sits under-valued relative to its internal target.

Cash flow and liquidity: Cash and short-term investments total $28,975,000 and operating cash flow reached $10,547,000 with free cash flow $18,022,000, yielding a free cash flow yield of 4.07%. Current ratio equals 1.94 and quick ratio 1.45, while the cash ratio registers 0.53, indicating adequate near-term liquidity alongside material current liabilities.

Leverage and coverage: Total debt equals $180,979,000 with net debt $137,152,000 and debt-to-equity 0.97. Interest coverage ratio sits at 2.51, reflecting limited headroom on interest expense although coverage improved materially year-over-year. Debt-to-EBITDA stands at 13.56 in the reported snapshot; monitor coverage and cash generation to assess leverage trajectory.

Efficiency and growth: Total revenue reached $65,126,000 with revenue growth of 7.23% (reported as 0.07226). Asset turnover measures 0.15 (slightly above the industry peer mean of 0.1421), and days inventory outstanding 105.8 with cash conversion cycle about 142 days. Earnings growth QoQ posted +22.80% while earnings growth YoY showed -3.20% in the supplied metrics.

Valuation note: WMDST values the stock as under-valued. Key valuation ratios include P/B 2.37, P/S 6.79 and enterprise multiple 44.54; enterprise value stands near $594,513,400 while market capitalization sits near $442,509,400. Given the cash generation profile and the margin expansion QoQ, the WMDST under-valued designation aligns with the technical setup that favors measured upside.

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 10.5 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 21.018 %
 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: 163.226
mean: 59.012
median: 55.596
MLAB: 44.543
low: -13.859
 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 MLAB: 0.416
high: 0.319
median: 0.319
mean: 0.264
low: 0.047
 Debt To Equity 0.969
Debt To Equity QoQ -9.15 %
Debt To Equity YoY 49.104 %
Debt To Equity IPRWA high: 1.264
MLAB: 0.969
median: 0.598
mean: 0.474
low: 0.064
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: 10.911
median: 10.911
mean: 10.285
MLAB: 2.37
low: 1.286
 Price To Earnings (P/E) 45.508
Price To Earnings QoQ 29.79 %
Price To Earnings YoY -109.054 %
Price To Earnings IPRWA high: 216.462
mean: 205.086
median: 58.775
MLAB: 45.508
low: -7.63
 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: 67.849
median: 67.849
mean: 63.634
MLAB: 6.795
low: 0.541
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: 0.371
MLAB: 0.151
median: 0.144
mean: 0.142
low: 0.115
 Receivables Turnover 1.622
Receivables Turnover Ratio QoQ 5.671 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio YoY 1.774 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 10.118
median: 2.165
mean: 2.134
low: 1.768
MLAB: 1.622
 Inventory Turnover 0.859
Inventory Turnover Ratio QoQ 2.52 %
Inventory Turnover Ratio YoY 7.69 %
Inventory Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 3.525
MLAB: 0.859
mean: 0.543
low: 0.531
median: 0.531
 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: 208.658
median: 208.658
mean: 203.642
MLAB: 141.954
low: -2.143
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: 4.875
median: 4.875
mean: 4.803
MLAB: 1.942
low: 0.771
 Quick Ratio 1.454
Quick Ratio QoQ 0.734 %
Quick Ratio YoY 173.923 %
Quick Ratio IPRWA high: 3.957
median: 3.957
mean: 3.901
MLAB: 1.454
low: 0.437
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: 30.115
median: 30.115
mean: 28.408
MLAB: 2.514
low: -7.547
 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 MLAB: 7.226 %
high: 4.916 %
mean: -0.015 %
low: -0.171 %
median: -0.171 %
 Earnings Growth 291.111 %
Earnings Growth QoQ 2279.524 %
Earnings Growth YoY -319.706 %
Earnings Growth IPRWA high: 500.0 %
MLAB: 291.111 %
median: 5.417 %
mean: 4.378 %
low: -7.965 %
MARGINS
 Gross Margin 64.176 %
Gross Margin QoQ 4.414 %
Gross Margin YoY 1.445 %
Gross Margin IPRWA high: 66.44 %
median: 66.44 %
mean: 65.596 %
MLAB: 64.176 %
low: 23.355 %
 EBIT Margin 11.719 %
EBIT Margin QoQ 46.433 %
EBIT Margin YoY 1077.789 %
EBIT Margin IPRWA high: 30.155 %
median: 30.155 %
mean: 29.634 %
MLAB: 11.719 %
low: -16.946 %
 Return On Sales (ROS) 12.245 %
Return On Sales QoQ 57.431 %
Return On Sales YoY 1130.653 %
Return On Sales IPRWA high: 30.155 %
median: 30.155 %
mean: 29.513 %
MLAB: 12.245 %
low: -4.912 %
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: 1.182 %
mean: 0.437 %
median: 0.375 %
low: -25.174 %
 Free Cash Growth 152.763 %
Free Cash Growth QoQ -78.379 %
Free Cash Growth YoY -62.379 %
Free Cash Growth IPRWA MLAB: 152.763 %
high: -0.761 %
median: -0.761 %
mean: -4.154 %
low: -446.345 %
 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: 3.993 %
median: 3.993 %
mean: 3.819 %
MLAB: 0.839 %
low: -6.678 %
 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: 0.045
median: 0.045
mean: 0.044
MLAB: 0.019
low: -0.428
 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: 4.057 %
median: 4.057 %
mean: 3.927 %
MLAB: 1.708 %
low: -20.838 %

Six-Week Outlook

The near-term bias favors a modestly bullish swing-trade window. Directional indicators and momentum (MACD above signal, DI+ recovery, RSI in mid-50s) support upside toward the valuation gap identified by WMDST, while the negative MRO implies price sits below model target and could re-rate higher. Key technical support resides near the SuperTrend lower band ~$82.62 and the 200-day average ~$83.45; a failure to hold those levels would erode the constructive technical case. Volume participation will determine the pace; increased volume accompanying gains would validate the current bullish bias over the next six weeks.

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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