# Mesa Laboratories Inc. (MLAB) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Technology / Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components. Price $127.78, market value $715 million.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 152.1×** (5-yr avg 597.3×, 3-yr avg 73.0×). Mesa Laboratories Inc. trades at 152.1× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 597.3×: cheap by its own standards. The Technology median in the September 2026 study was 32.1×. Forward P/E is 12.4×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 0.03**. A PEG of 0.03 means the P/E is low relative to expected earnings growth: the market is not paying much for that growth.
- **Price / sales: 2.9×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 2.9×.
- **Price / book: 3.8×**. The shares trade at 3.8× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 7.4%** (5-yr avg 5.4%). Free cash flow equals 7.4% of the market value, above its five-year average of 5.4%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 0.7%**. The inverse of the P/E: 0.7% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 64.2%**. Mesa Laboratories Inc. keeps 64.2% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, the kind of margin that comes with software, brands or pricing power.
- **Operating margin: 9.0%**. 9.0% of revenue is left after running the business.
- **Net margin: 2.7%**. 2.7% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 3.6%**. 3.6% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 7.8%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 7.8%.
- **Return on assets: 1.1%**. Each dollar of assets produces 1.1% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 3.4%** (3-yr 4.4%/yr, 5-yr 13.2%/yr). Revenue grew 3.4% over the last year, against 13.2% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 436.1%** (3-yr 92.4%/yr, 5-yr 13.6%/yr). Earnings per share rose 436.1%, faster than revenue, so margins expanded or the share count shrank.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 19.1%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 19.1% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.36**. Debt is 0.36 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Altman Z-score: 3.11**. A Z-score of 3.11 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 7/9**. 7 of 9 fundamental checks pass: strong and improving financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 0.50%** ($0.64 per share, trailing). Mesa Laboratories Inc. yields 0.50%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 52%** (7% of free cash flow). 52% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 18**. 18 straight years of increases, a record that survived at least one recession.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 0.0%/yr** (1-yr 0.0%). The dividend has not grown over five years.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 99.7%** (YTD 63.3%, 3-mo 23.0%). The shares are up 99.7% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -3.7%** (117.2% above the low). Trading within 5% of its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 66**. An RSI of 66 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 1.54** (volatility 55%). Beta of 1.54 against the S&P 500: the shares move much more than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=MLAB · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/mlab

Not investment advice.