MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB)
Health Care · Life sciences tools and quality control solutions for regulated industries · NASDAQ
Mesa Labs provides essential quality control instruments, consumables, and calibration services to protect patient safety and ensure product integrity in the life sciences and healthcare sectors.
What MESA LABORATORIES INC does
Mesa Laboratories is a global leader in designing and manufacturing life sciences tools and critical quality control solutions for regulated applications in pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical device industries. The company operates through four segments: Sterilization and Disinfection Control (biological, chemical, and cleaning indicators), Biopharmaceutical Development, Calibration Solutions, and Clinical Genomics. Mesa produces both hardware instruments and consumables, alongside maintenance, calibration, and testing services, with manufacturing in the United States and Europe and distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Themes: sterilization control and disinfection, quality assurance / sterility testing, biopharmaceutical development tools, clinical genomics, calibration solutions, life sciences instrumentation, medical device quality control
Fundamentals
- Price$124.76 as of 2026-08-21 close
- Market cap$698M as of 2026-08-21
- 1-year return+86.5% 2025-08-21 close $66.91 → 2026-08-21 close $124.76
- P/E96.29 as of 2026-08-24
- Net margin+2.7% as of 2026-08-24
- Gross margin+63.5% as of 2026-08-24
- ROE+3.7% as of 2026-08-24
- Debt / equity0.81 as of 2026-08-24
- Revenue growth (YoY)+3.4% as of 2026-08-24
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+4.4% SEC XBRL
- Beta1.05 as of 2026-08-24
- Last reported earnings2026-08-10 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)
Dividend: yield +0.7%; at least 5 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer.
How MLAB compares in its sector
- price-to-earnings ratiotop 25% 203 covered Health Care peers, as of 2026-08-24
- net profit marginmiddle range 504 covered Health Care peers, as of 2026-08-24
- operating marginmiddle range 504 covered Health Care peers, as of 2026-08-24
- gross marginmiddle range 384 covered Health Care peers, as of 2026-08-24
- return on equitymiddle range 576 covered Health Care peers, as of 2026-08-24
- 3-year revenue CAGRmiddle range 402 covered Health Care peers
- indicated dividend yieldmiddle range 71 covered Health Care peers, as of 2026-08-24
- free cash flow (absolute dollars, latest fiscal year)middle range 493 covered Health Care peers, as of FY2026
Position among covered Health Care companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.
Dividend coverage (FY2026)
Covered by reported results. In FY2026, MLAB's dividend was covered by reported results (earnings payout 52%, free-cash-flow payout 9%). This describes past coverage, not a forecast.
- Earnings payout52% dividends / net income
- Free-cash-flow payout9% dividends / (operating cash flow − capex)
Coverage derived from reported SEC EDGAR XBRL figures for FY2026 (dividends paid vs. net income and free cash flow, same fiscal year). This describes PAST coverage for one fiscal year — it does not predict whether a dividend will be maintained, raised, or cut, and a one-year payout ratio can be distorted by non-recurring items. Informational only — not financial advice.
How MESA LABORATORIES INC looks technically
MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) is trading 36.2% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend. Its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 129 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal. A trend is forming but not yet strong — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 21 (a reading of 25+ marks a strong trend). Momentum is stretched — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 72, in overbought territory (above 70). It just made a new 20-day high, pushing above its recent trading range. It is trading right at its highest price of the past year (its 52-week high).
Trend
8
| Distance from the 200-day | it is trading 36.2% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend | +36.1% |
|---|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | its average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $101.72 | $101.72 |
| 200-day moving average | its average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $91.63 | $91.63 |
| Swing structure | its recent peaks and dips disagree — one of them is rising while the other is not, so there is no clean up or down pattern in the swings | mixed — one of the two is not confirming |
| Last swing turn | its last significant turn was a swing low 10 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on | 10 sessions |
| Wave structure | its recent swings can be read as a completed three-part downward correction — a pullback in the A-B-C shape Elliott-wave chartists use; the labelling fails if price closes below 93.03. It is the only labelling that fits, though not with textbook proportions, and it describes the swings already printed, not what comes next. | possible three-wave downward correction, complete (atypical proportions) |
| Since the 50/200 cross | its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 129 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal | 129 sessions |
| Trend strength (14-day ADX) | a trend is forming but not yet strong — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 21 (a reading of 25+ marks a strong trend) | 20.9 |
Momentum
3
| 14-day RSI | momentum is stretched — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 72, in overbought territory (above 70) | 71.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Position in its 14-day range | it is trading right at the top of its 14-day range ($93.03 to $124.89) — its "stochastic" reading is 100 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been climbing within that range over the last few sessions. | 99.6 |
| Since the MACD crossed zero | MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, is in positive territory (momentum leaning bullish) | 26 sessions |
Range
12
| 52-week high | its highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $124.89 | $124.89 |
|---|---|---|
| From the 52-week high | it is trading right at its highest price of the past year (its 52-week high) | -0.1% |
| Above the 52-week low | it is 112.1% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year) | +112.1% |
| Below the 52-week high | it is at or near its highest point of the past year | 0.1% |
| Since a 20-day breakout | it just made a new 20-day high, pushing above its recent trading range | 1 session |
| Since a 55-day breakout | it just made a new 55-day high, pushing above its recent trading range | 1 session |
| All-time high | its highest closing price on record is $333.30 (set on 2021-12-29) | $333.30 |
| Given back of the 52-week move | over the past year its closes ranged ($59.53 to $124.76), and it has given back essentially none of its rise from last year’s low — 0% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $82.36 to $84.45. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast. | 0.0% |
| From the all-time high | it is 62.6% below its all-time high | -62.6% |
| Nearest price level | it is trading 3.7% above a support level at $120.10 — a price it turned at three times since 2024-10-10, most recently on 2025-04-23. Since 2024-08-21 it has 15 such levels below the current price and 4 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go. | -3.7% |
| All-time low | its lowest closing price on record is $11.40 (set on 2005-08-10) | $11.40 |
| Above the all-time low | it is 994.4% above its all-time low | +994.4% |
Volatility
5
| Band width vs its own 6 months | day-to-day price swings are unusually wide versus its own recent history (wider than about 86% of the past ~6 months) | 86th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical daily range | in a typical session it travels about $5.83 between its high and its low — about 4.7% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was | $5.83 |
| Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ) | most of its recent trading has stayed between about $91.93 and $121.70 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles | $91.93 – $106.82 – $121.70 |
| Typical daily range (% of price) | its price moves about 4.7% in a typical session — about typical for the companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price | 4.7% |
| Stretch from the 200-day average | it is trading 5.7 daily ranges above its 200-day average price (36.2% above it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale | 5.7 daily ranges above its 200-day average |
Volume
1
| Volume vs its 30-day average | trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average | 1.01× |
|---|
Analyst
2
| Change in the average price target | analysts have raised their average price target by 7.3% since the prior reading | +7.3% |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the consensus rating | the analyst consensus rating is unchanged since the prior reading | unchanged |
Candlestick patterns
1
| Since a bearish engulfing | 9 sessions ago it opened above the previous session's close and finished below that session's open — a "bearish engulfing" pair, where one down day more than undid the up day before it | 9 sessions ago |
|---|
Price gaps
1
| Gap at the open | it opened on 2026-08-21 0.7% above the previous session's close — an overnight gap, the part of the move that happened while the market was shut, and traded back through that level before the close | +0.7% |
|---|
Price streaks
1
| Closing streak | it closed higher in its latest session, after a session that did not close higher — a single up day rather than a run | 1 session up |
|---|
Relative strength
4
| vs market, 1 month | over the past 1 month this stock beat the market by 25.6 percentage points (the stock gained 27.9% while the market gained 2.3%) | +25.6% |
|---|---|---|
| vs market, 3 months | over the past 3 months this stock beat the market by 11.2 percentage points (the stock gained 14.3% while the market gained 3.1%) | +11.3% |
| vs market, 6 months | over the past 6 months this stock beat the market by 22.6 percentage points (the stock gained 33.6% while the market gained 11.1%) | +22.6% |
| vs market, 12 months | over the past 12 months this stock beat the market by 66.0 percentage points (the stock gained 86.5% while the market gained 20.5%) | +66.0% |
Signal agreement
2
| Bullish technical signals | 6 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bullish state: a "golden cross" — its 50-day average is above its 200-day, trading above its 200-day average, a fresh 20-day high, MACD momentum is positive, outperforming the market over 6 months, trading above the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 6 of 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Bearish technical signals | 2 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bearish state: its RSI momentum gauge is overbought (a stretched reading), near the top of its 14-day range (overbought) — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 2 of 9 |
Trend (Ichimoku cloud)
1
| Vs the Ichimoku cloud | trading 27% above the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-07-16 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established uptrend, with the band below acting as the level that would have to give way. The band itself is thin, spanning 1.4% of the share price, which is taken to mean a barrier that gives way easily. | +26.9% |
|---|
Volume-weighted price
2
| Vs this year’s average price paid | the price is 29% above the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is showing a gain. That average is $96.92 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 158 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | +28.7% |
|---|---|---|
| Vs the average paid since it last reported | the price is 10% above the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-08-10 (its 10-Q), so the typical buyer over that stretch is showing a gain. That average is $112.94 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 10 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | +10.5% |
Price levels it has turned at before
MLAB last closed at $124.76 on 2026-08-21. Since 2024-08-21 it has turned at 15 prices below its last close and 4 above; the 3 nearest below and the 3 nearest above are listed, nearest first.
| Level | Side | Distance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120.10 | Support | 3.7% below the last close | turned there three times · 2024-10-10 to 2025-04-23 |
| $131.27 | Resistance | 5.2% above the last close | turned there three times · 2025-02-03 to 2025-05-12 |
| $135.09 | Resistance | 8.3% above the last close | turned there three times · 2024-09-20 to 2024-10-18 |
| $110.41 | Support | 11.5% below the last close | turned there four times · 2024-10-29 to 2026-06-12 |
| $141.36 | Resistance | 13.3% above the last close | turned there twice · 2024-11-06 to 2025-03-07 |
| $106.79 | Support | 14.4% below the last close | turned there three times · 2025-06-09 to 2026-07-02 |
A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.
Wave structure
Its recent swings can be read as a three-part downward correction — the A-B-C shape chartists use for a pullback — now complete.
This labelling fails — stops being a possible reading at all — if it closes below $93.03.
It is the only labelling that fits these swings, though its proportions are not the textbook ones. It was chosen from 3 labellings that survived the rules, counting shorter readings of the same bars.
This labelling was already in place when we began recording count changes on 2026-08-13, so how long it has stood is not something we can say yet.
Read from daily closes as of 2026-08-21.
An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.
Screens: Trading above the 200-day moving average · Overbought (14-day RSI above 70) · Near the 52-week high · Broke out to a new 20-day high · Analyst price target recently RAISED · beating the market | Learn: moving average · golden cross · adx · rsi · breakout · fifty two week high low
Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-08-21. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.
Analyst consensus
- Consensus ratingBuy (2.33 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 2 analysts
- Mean price target$117.50 range $110.00 – $125.00
Analyst estimates, as of 2026-08-22. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.
Analyst EPS estimate for MLAB
- Consensus EPS estimate$2.55 next reporting period, as of 2026-08-22
Change over time is not available yet: it needs two readings of the same reporting period at least 30 days apart, and we have been recording these estimates since 2026-08-04. An estimate for a DIFFERENT quarter is not a revision, so a reading from before the last report is never compared with one after it.
The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Dependence on regulated pharmaceutical and medical device markets, which face pricing pressure and regulatory complexity","Acquisition integration risks as the company pursues inorganic growth strategy to expand portfolio and global presence","Consumable-heavy product mix creates recurring revenue but exposes company to volume fluctuations and competitive pricing pressure in routine-use markets"]
What changed in the latest 10-Q
AI-assisted comparison of MLAB's 10-Q filed 2026-02-03 against the prior one filed 2025-11-06.
Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
- Added:
- Newer filing (2026-02-03) adds language in Forward-Looking Statements: 'the effect and duration of macroeconomic conditions in relevant markets' as a specific risk factor
- Newer filing (2026-02-03) specifies the fiscal year end date in Overview as 'December 31, 2025' instead of 'September 30, 2025'
- Removed:
- Older filing (2025-11-06) contained sentence: 'Unallocated corporate expenses and other business activities are reported within Corporate and Other.' This sentence is removed in the newer filing (2026-02-03)
- Older filing (2025-11-06) references fiscal year end as 'September 30, 2025' which is replaced with 'December 31, 2025' in newer filing (2026-02-03)
- Reworded:
- Overview section: older filing states 'North America, Europe and the APAC region' (with 'and' before APAC); newer filing states 'North America, Europe, and the APAC region' (with comma before 'and' - Oxford comma style)
- Notes:
- Both filings appear truncated at the end of the 'Inorganic Growth - Acquisitions' section, limiting full comparison of that section
- The date change from September 30, 2025 to December 31, 2025 reflects different quarterly reporting periods rather than a substantive MD&A change
Risk Factors
- Added:
- ASU 2025-05 accounting standard disclosure (new in 2026-02-03 filing) regarding Financial Instruments — Credit Losses with practical expedient for macroeconomic forecasts
- Revenue tables for nine months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 (new period covered)
- Revenue tables for three months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 (new period covered)
- Geographic revenue attribution for nine months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024
- Clarification that control of products sold in Europe typically occurs upon delivery to customer site (added detail on revenue recognition timing)
- Removed:
- Revenue tables for six months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 (replaced with different period)
- Revenue tables for three months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 (replaced with different period)
- Geographic revenue attribution for three and six months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024
- ASU 2025-09 standard reference (renamed to ASU 2025-05 in newer filing)
- Reworded:
- ASU 2023-09 description changed from 'by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information related to income tax rate reconciliations and the jurisdictions in which income taxes are paid' to 'which enhances the transparency, effectiveness and comparability of annual income tax disclosures'
- ASU 2023-09 expected impact changed from 'presentation of additional disaggregated data in our income tax footnote disclosures for annual periods' to 'presentation of additional disaggregated information related to the jurisdictions in which we pay income taxes and income tax rate reconciliations in our annual income tax footnote disclosures'
- ASU 2024-03 language changed from 'we currently expect to disclose' to 'we expect to disclose'
- Revenue recognition statement expanded from 'Revenues from hardware and consumables are recognized upon transfer to the customer, typically at the point of shipment' to include specific geographic variations (U.S./Asia Pacific vs. Europe)
- Revenue evaluation description changed from 'We evaluate our revenues internally based on business division and the nature of goods and services provided' to 'We disclose revenues consistently with how management evaluates the business, i.e., based on business unit and the nature of goods and services provided'
- Notes:
- The accounting pronouncements section discusses standards not yet adopted, so changes reflect updated guidance and company assessment rather than implemented changes
- The revenue tables changed from September 30 fiscal quarter periods to December 31 periods, reflecting different quarterly reporting periods between the two filings
- ASU standard number changed from 2025-09 to 2025-05 for the Financial Instruments — Credit Losses standard, suggesting possible clarification or correction between filings
AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.
Insider activity (SEC Form 4)
0 open-market purchases and 6 open-market sales by insiders in the last 90 days.
- Last 90 days0 buys · 6 sells ($770126) — 3 selling insiders
- Last 180 days0 buys · 6 sells ($770126) — 3 selling insiders
Activity heuristic: net selling (a transparent product heuristic from the counts above, not a prediction or advice)
Most recent open-market transaction: 2026-06-22. As of 2026-08-24.
View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filingsAsk about MLAB's insider activity →
Only open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.
Institutional ownership (13F)
5 institutional 13F filers reported holding MLAB as of 2026-03-31 (quarter-end position, filed within 45 days).
- Distinct 13F filers 5
- Reported shares held 562,412
- Reported value $49,728,470
reported quarterly holdings change (2025-12-31 → 2026-03-31): 0 new, 3 increased, 2 decreased, 0 exited. Change counts cover only managers that filed 13F reports in BOTH quarters, derived between two quarter-end snapshots — not same-day trades; a single manager is never said to have "bought" or "sold".
Institutional holdings are quarter-end long positions reported on SEC Form 13F-HR, filed up to 45 days after the quarter ends — they are delayed, are not real-time trades, exclude short positions and most non-US securities, and are not investment advice. Any increase/decrease is a reported change between two quarterly snapshots, not a same-day purchase or sale. These are quarter-end snapshots from the 13F filings on SEC EDGAR, filed within 45 days — not real-time, and any change is a difference between two quarterly reports, not a same-day trade. Informational only — not financial advice.
Short interest (FINRA)
MLAB had 324,102 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-07-31 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).
MLAB had 5.79% of its shares outstanding sold short as of the 2026-07-31 FINRA settlement date (percent of FLOAT would be higher — float is not disclosed in the source). FINRA reported 2.5 days to cover at the same settlement.
- Reported short interest (shares) 324,102
- Short interest (% of shares outstanding) 5.79%
- Prior settlement (shares) 274,176
- Reported change 18.21%
- Days to cover (reported) 2.5
Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-07-31 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.
Competitors & peers
- 3M Company
- Steris plc
- Ecolab Inc
- Cantel Medical
- Getinge AB
AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.
Compare MLAB vs…
Frequently asked questions
What does MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) do?
Mesa Laboratories is a global leader in designing and manufacturing life sciences tools and critical quality control solutions for regulated applications in pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical device industries. The company operates through four segments: Sterilization and Disinfection Control (biological, chemical, and cleaning indicators), Biopharmaceutical Development, Calibration Solutions, and Clinical Genomics.
What sector is MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) in?
MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) is classified in the Health Care sector. Its industry is Life sciences tools and quality control solutions for regulated industries. It trades on NASDAQ.
Does MLAB pay a dividend?
Yes — MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) pays a dividend, with an indicated yield of about 0.70% and at least 5 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC EDGAR XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer (market data, as of 2026-08-24). Informational only — not financial advice.
Who are MESA LABORATORIES INC's (MLAB) competitors?
Notable peers of MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) include 3M Company, Steris plc, Ecolab Inc, Cantel Medical and Getinge AB. This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.
Is MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) overbought or oversold right now?
MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) is currently in overbought territory (its 14-day RSI is 72, above 70) (as of 2026-08-21). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.
Where does stocks-llm's data on MLAB come from?
Fundamentals and prices come from market data, as of 2026-08-24; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.
Fundamentals: market data, as of 2026-08-24. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-08-21.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.