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MESA LABORATORIES, INC.

MLAB · Industrials · $539M mkt cap · FY2026 filings · · not refreshed in 37 days · Shallow moat ·

Doesn't clear the bar

Shallow moat
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The five investor questions

86

2022–2026 (latest 5 aligned FYs; v3 window cap 5): revenue $184M to $249M, increasing; diluted EPS 0.35 to 1.21, increasing.

98

Median gross margin 60.1% over 10y, very stable.

0

Median ROIC 4.5%, above the 12% hurdle in 0% of years.

42

Net debt/EBITDA 1.0x, interest coverage 2x.

43

Owner earnings changed +7.1%/yr over up to the ten most recent annual observations.

Price vs. value if growth stopped today

A cautious baseline, not a price target: what the shares may support if normalized owner earnings simply hold steady.

Above value if growth stopped todayBelow value if growth stopped today
115% above value if growth stopped today
$22.5M
$45.26
$73.33
$97.50
115% above value if growth stopped today

What today’s price assumes: owner earnings growing ~17%/yr over 5 years. The zero-growth estimate assumes owner earnings stay flat (0% growth).

How to read this

We solve for the constant annual change in owner earnings that would make the five-year zero-growth estimate equal today’s price. This keeps the existing model inputs and calculation unchanged; it is an expectations lens, not a forecast.

This zero-growth estimate assumes trailing owner earnings persist — unreliable for declining businesses. The recent FY revenue series does not trigger the three-consecutive-declines flag.

Among the current top-score group, the median current price is 239% above the zero-growth estimate across 48 of the current top 50 companies by Moat Score with both values.

Score records captured Jul 26, 2026.

Exactly which 50 companies?

FTNT, META, MEDP, IBEX, MSFT, GOOGL, LULU, ANF, IDXX, TXRH, FHI, QLYS, FFIV, ADBE, LLY, MANH, VEEV, GRMN, SSD, MNST, DOCS, MCO, CPRT, NTAP, LRCX, NVDA, CORT, SFM, MPTI, ULTA, SN, RMD, ROL, PAYC, IRMD, INTU, DECK, MORN, LGCY, DAL, GWW, ISRG, MPWR, CTAS, LOPE, MRK, CMG, FAST, BKNG, ORLY

Missing a usable price or zero-growth estimate: ANF, BKNG.

Model details under moat-index@3.0.0: zero-growth multiple 11.1×, capped-growth comparison at no more than 18×; 9% discount rate; high-end growth 4% (capped at 4%) using min(5y revenue CAGR, 5y diluted-EPS CAGR), clamped to 0%–4%; maintenance capex uses min(capex, D&A); abstain when D&A is unavailable. This is a disclosed model range, not intrinsic value as fact.

17 years of fundamentals

The business, in plain English

MESA LABORATORIES, INC. booked $249M of revenue in FY2026 in the Industrials sector and kept 63.5% of it as gross profit — a high-margin business by that measure. After every other cost, 2.7% of each revenue dollar reached the bottom line.

Across the filed record, revenue grew from $34.2M (FY2011) to $249M (FY2026) — about 14.1% a year compounded over 15 years.

It earned 5.3% on invested capital in the latest filed year, FY2026. Across the full 16-year measurable filed record, median ROIC was 7.8%. Over the v3 recent window (10 measurable filed years), median ROIC was 4.5%. The Returns on Capital filter above scores it 0/100.

The balance sheet carried $67.5M of total debt in FY2026 against $26.7M of owner earnings — roughly 2.5 years of owner earnings to retire it all. Balance-Sheet Safety scores it 42/100.

Put together: Pricing Power is the strongest of the five filters (98/100) and Returns on Capital the weakest (0/100), which is how MLAB lands at 54/100 — a Shallow moat.

This breakdown is generated from the filed numbers and sub-scores above — no outside narrative, no estimates. Where a filing doesn’t disclose an input, the sentence that would need it is omitted instead of guessed.

FY2010–FY2026 · 17 fiscal years, normalized from MLAB’s SEC filings

Sales, as filed$249M FY2026
$0$100M$200M2010201620222026
Revenue kept after cost of goods63.5% FY2026
0%25%50%2010201620222026
Standard ROIC or separately labeled Operating ROICROIC 5.3% FY2026
−100%0%2010201620222026
Cash an owner could take out$26.7M FY2026
−$200M−$100M$02010201620222026

Gaps in a line mean that item isn’t in MLAB’s filings for that year. The series is never interpolated or estimated. The Table view lists every filed value, including operating and net margins, total debt, and share count.

Flagship explainer

How MESA LABORATORIES, INC. makes its money

Start with a dollar of revenue and follow what the filing says remains.

revenueBranching filed flows with values and percentages directly labeled. Missing filing concepts are omitted rather than estimated.Revenue$249M · 100%Cost of revenue$90.9M · 36%Gross profit$158M · 64%Operating income$18.5M · 7%Income before tax$12M · 5%Income tax$5.3M · 2%Net income$6.7M · 3%As of 2026-03-31 · 2 SEC filing sourcesBuy Like Buffett · buylikebuffett.com

Honest partial: the filing did not provide a normalized tag for Research and development, Selling, general and administrative; those components are omitted, not plugged.

Table alternative
Filed lineValue% of revenueSource
$249M100%
Cost of revenue$90.9M36%
$158M64%
$18.5M7%
Income before tax$12M5%
Income tax$5.3M2%
$6.7M3%
Source: · event Mar 31, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set
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Flagship explainer

What MESA LABORATORIES, INC. owns — and owes

MESA LABORATORIES, INC.'s filing tags don't support a full breakdown — here's what is filed:

Table alternative
Filed lineValue% of assetsSource
Total assets$428M100%
Cash and equivalents$26.9M6%
$67.5M16%
Stockholders’ equity$186M44%
Source: · event Mar 31, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set

Flagship explainer

What drives MESA LABORATORIES, INC.’s return on equity?

ROE is five filed business factors multiplied together.

DuPont return on equity factor treeReturn on equity branches into tax burden, interest burden, operating margin, asset turnover, and the equity multiplier.Return on equity4%Tax burden56%net income ÷ pretax incomeInterest burden65%pretax ÷ operating incomeOperating margin7%operating income ÷ revenueAsset turnover0.58×revenue ÷ average assetsEquity multiplier2.49×average assets ÷ average equityAs of 2026-03-31 · 3 SEC filing sourcesBuy Like Buffett · buylikebuffett.com
DuPont source inputs
InputValueFiscal yearSource
$6.7MFY2026
Income before tax$12MFY2026
Operating income$18.5MFY2026
$249MFY2026
Ending assets$428MFY2026
Beginning assets$433MFY2025
$186MFY2026
$160MFY2025
Source:
  • SEC filingFiling detailsAccession 0000724004-26-000047
  • SEC filingFiling detailsAccession 0001437749-25-018586
· event Mar 31, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set
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Flagship explainer

Where MESA LABORATORIES, INC.'s cash went

MESA LABORATORIES, INC.’s filing does not supply enough provenance-matched cash-flow lines for a truthful flow chart — here’s what is filed:

Table alternative
Filed lineValue% of cash from operationsSource
Cash from operations$42.8M100%
Depreciation and amortization$23.3M54%
Source: · event Mar 31, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026 · annual-row source set

Curated 19-manager tier

Who reported holding MESA LABORATORIES, INC.

Delayed public 13F reports for 2026-Q2—not live positions, trades, or recommendations.

0 holding0 exited0 not holding0/19 resolved19 not retrieved

Named manager positions and quarter-over-quarter changes
ManagerReported positionQuarter-over-quarterFiling accession
Abrams CapitalNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Akre CapitalNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Baupost GroupNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Berkshire HathawayNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Brave Warrior AdvisorsNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Dodge & CoxNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
First EagleNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
FundsmithNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Gardner Russo & QuinnNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Gates Foundation TrustNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Mairs & PowerNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Markel / Markel-GaynerNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Oakmark / Harris AssociatesNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Pershing SquareNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Polen CapitalNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Sequoia / Ruane CunniffNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Southeastern Asset ManagementNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Tweedy, BrowneNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved
Yacktman Asset ManagementNot retrievedComparison not retrievedFiling not retrieved

Position size uses shares and filed value from each manager’s 13F. Portfolio weight uses the eligible long-share filing denominator. Changes compare only with the immediately preceding calendar quarter.

Source: Filing source not retrieved · event Jun 30, 2026 · retrieved Jul 26, 2026

Flagship explainer

What MESA LABORATORIES, INC. insiders reported

Records still being gathered — partial as of retrieval Sep 2, 2026.

Partial coverage: the incomplete Form 4 walk cannot establish no activity, an activity date, or zero counts.

Moat Score history

15 logged readings since Jul 17, 2026 · append-only, never rewritten

Moat Score over timeLast scored reading of each day, on the 0–100 scale53.5 / 100
0406080100WideNarrowShallowNo moatJul 17, 2026Jul 26, 2026

Breaks in the line mark methodology or normalizer upgrades — readings across versions aren’t compared, so a level shift there isn’t a change in the business.

Tier changesSame-methodology and same-normalizer crossings of the Wide / Narrow / Shallow bars

  1. Normalizer upgraded unstamped (version unknown)moat-xbrl-normalizer@1.1.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 26, 2026
  2. Methodology upgraded moat-index@2.0.0moat-index@3.0.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 23, 2026
  3. Methodology upgraded moat-index@1.2.0moat-index@2.0.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 20, 2026

Scores are logged append-only and never overwritten — this record cannot be reconstructed retroactively, which is exactly why it’s worth keeping.

Insider activity

Form 4 reports mix P/S market or private transactions with compensation-plan mechanics. Activity casually described as “insider selling” can include compensation mechanics; awards, tax withholding, and option exercises are shown by their exact filed class here, never collapsed into “Bought” or “Sold.”

These are disclosed filing facts and arithmetic aggregates, not a signal or verdict.

This machine-readable surface covers SEC ownership filings from 2003; it does not represent earlier paper-era records.

Records still being gathered — partial as of retrieval Sep 2, 2026.

18 filings were skipped because the SEC primary document returned 404; the omission is disclosed and aggregates are withheld.

Among the rows shown, A/F/M acquisition, payment or withholding, and exercise or conversion rows outnumber S sale rows (12 versus 1). The filing codes alone do not establish that every such row arose from a compensation plan.

Trailing-12-month totals and the 90-day cluster result are withheld because this issuer walk is incomplete.

InsiderShares owned afterDateFiling detail
Capone Mark ChristopherDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—6,213Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 6,213 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 3 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Capone Mark ChristopherDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Restricted Stock Units - 3 · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—0Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Restricted Stock Units - 3: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 0 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 3 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Alltoft Jennifer SadieDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—7,662Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 7,662 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 9 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Alltoft Jennifer SadieDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Restricted Stock Units - 9 · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—0Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Restricted Stock Units - 9: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 0 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 9 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Ladiwala Shiraz ShabanaliDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock · 1 paired event3,810—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—12,333Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 3,810 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 12,333 · Paired event: 3,810 Restricted Stock Units - 6 → 3,810 Common Stock ·
Ladiwala Shiraz ShabanaliDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Restricted Stock Units - 6 · 1 paired event3,810—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—0Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Restricted Stock Units - 6: 3,810 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 0 · Paired event: 3,810 Restricted Stock Units - 6 → 3,810 Common Stock ·
Hall ShannonDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—6,973Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 6,973 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 8 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Hall ShannonDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Restricted Stock Units - 8 · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—0Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Restricted Stock Units - 8: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 0 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 8 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Tripeny R TonyDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—9,082Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 9,082 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 4 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Tripeny R TonyDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Restricted Stock Units - 4 · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—0Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Restricted Stock Units - 4: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 0 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 4 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Sullivan John JamesDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—20,618Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 20,618 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 10 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Sullivan John JamesDirectorExercise or conversion of derivative security (M)Table II · Disposed · Restricted Stock Units - 10 · 1 paired event2,784—Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)—0Aug 15, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table II · Restricted Stock Units - 10: 2,784 shares at — (Exercise or conversion of derivative security (M)) · code M · owned after 0 · Paired event: 2,784 Restricted Stock Units - 10 → 2,784 Common Stock ·
Sullivan John JamesDirectorOpen-market or private sale (S)Table I · Disposed · Common Stock7,093$112.80$800,09017,834Aug 13, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 7,093 shares at $112.80 · code S · owned after 17,834 ·
Kadia SiddharthaPresident and CEOOpen-market or private purchase (P)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock7,093$112.80$800,0907,093Aug 13, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 7,093 shares at $112.80 · code P · owned after 7,093 ·
Tripeny R TonyDirectorOpen-market or private purchase (P)Table I · Acquired · Common Stock900$113.69$102,3216,298Aug 13, 2026
1 filed lot
  • Table I · Common Stock: 900 shares at $113.69 · code P · owned after 6,298 ·

Source-event as of . Retrieved .

Track record

How MESA LABORATORIES, INC.’s moat rated in each of the years we can reconstruct from its filings — scored only on what was knowable at the time — and what its price and returns did afterward. The score never saw a price; the two are joined only in hindsight, for education, not as a signal.

Point-in-time scores 2011–2025, one methodology version · reconstructed from filings on file each Dec 31 — never with hindsight

Point-in-time Moat Score (dot colored by tier)Indexed price (total-return (dividends reinvested))Rated Wide-moat that year

How to read this: each dot is what the engine would have scored MLAB on that December 31; the line below is its total-return price path (dividends reinvested) in the years since.

0406080100WideNarrowShallowNo moatPoint-in-time Moat Score100200500Indexed price · log scale (2012 = 100)201120142017202020232026

Two tracks, one timeline: the score has its own 0–100 scale (top), the price its own 100-based scale (bottom) — never a shared axis. The price path is a total-return (dividends reinvested) index built from the same data the forward returns use; gaps in the score line are years with no reconstructed rating (see the table for why). The Table view carries every value.

What followed, in the years it rated Wide

In the 5 years MLAB rated Wide-moat (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), the median forward total return that followed — measured only after each year’s filings were public — was:

  • 1 year 24% vs the S&P 500’s 12% (price basis) · median over 5 years
  • 3 years 95% vs the S&P 500’s 31% (price basis) · median over 5 years
  • 5 years 178% vs the S&P 500’s 84% (price basis) · median over 5 years

These are medians computed from the data, not a claim about any one year. The company figures are total returns (dividends reinvested); the S&P 500 is the price-only ^GSPC index, which excludes dividends and so understates the index — the gap flatters the company. A quality rating is not a return forecast, and past returns don’t predict future ones. Educational only, not investment advice.

Industrials context

#147 of 446 scored Industrials companies, ranked by Moat Score.

Nearest peers by Moat Score

  1. #145WCC WESCO International, Inc.53.6Shallow moat
  2. #146ESAB ESAB Corporation53.6Shallow moat
  3. #148FTV Fortive Corp53.2Shallow moat
  4. #149RWAX TAP REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.53.1Shallow moat

Compare MLAB with its nearest peers →All Industrials companies on the Index →

Common questions about MLAB

Does MESA LABORATORIES, INC. have an economic moat?
Based on its FY2026 SEC filings, the Moat Index scores MESA LABORATORIES, INC. (MLAB) 53.5 out of 100 — a Shallow moat. The five questions behind that score begin at 20% each; if exactly one genuinely lacks data, the other four weights are renormalized and disclosed. revenue and EPS trend 86, pricing power 98, returns on capital 0, balance-sheet safety 42, capital allocation 43.
Is MLAB trading below the conservative owner-earnings estimate?
The value if growth stopped today — a zero-growth baseline — is $45.26 per share. It capitalizes normalized owner earnings at a 9% rate and assumes 0% growth. Versus a recent price of $97.50, that is 115% above value if growth stopped today. The model also publishes a capped-growth comparison, but the zero-growth estimate is the cautious baseline. It assumes trailing owner earnings persist and is unreliable for declining businesses. This is an educational estimate from primary SEC filings, not intrinsic value as a fact or investment advice.
How has MLAB's Moat Score changed over time?
The record logs 15 readings since Jul 17, 2026; the latest reads 53.5 out of 100 (shallow moat). No tier changes on record yet. (Methodology or normalizer upgrades on Jul 20, 2026, Jul 23, 2026, Jul 26, 2026 re-based the score; readings across versions aren't compared.) The history is append-only — readings are only ever added, never rewritten.

Scored from primary SEC filings via the public methodology. Educational only — not a recommendation to buy or sell MLAB. See the disclaimer.