Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB) Trading 8.2% Higher - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Mesa Laboratories shares rose 8.2% on Thursday, trading as high as $98.25 after closing at $90.80, though volume was well below average.
• Recent earnings missed expectations: the company reported $1.53 EPS versus the $1.78 consensus and revenue of $63.72 million versus $65.21 million expected.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a $94 price target, while the company also announced a $0.16 quarterly dividend and saw notable insider buying.

Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLAB - Get Free Report) shares traded up 8.2% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $98.25 and last traded at $98.22. 32,879 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 72% from the average session volume of 117,676 shares. The stock had previously closed at $90.80.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Mesa Laboratories from $83.00 to $94.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Mesa Laboratories from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Mesa Laboratories in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $94.00.

Mesa Laboratories Trading Up 8.5%

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $95.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $87.62. The company has a market capitalization of $543.62 million, a PE ratio of 154.27 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a current ratio of 1.94.

Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 27th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.78 by ($0.25). The firm had revenue of $63.72 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $65.21 million. Mesa Laboratories had a return on equity of 22.02% and a net margin of 1.51%.During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($1.31) earnings per share. Analysts expect that Mesa Laboratories, Inc. will post 7.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mesa Laboratories Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Mesa Laboratories's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%.

Insider Transactions at Mesa Laboratories

In related news, Director Shiraz Shabanali Ladiwala bought 3,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $72.23 per share, with a total value of $252,805.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,523 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $615,616.29. This represents a 69.68% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Mark Christopher Capone bought 1,301 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $76.35 per share, for a total transaction of $99,331.35. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 3,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $261,804.15. This trade represents a 61.14% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased 6,116 shares of company stock valued at $452,076 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 4.90% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mesa Laboratories

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in Mesa Laboratories by 5,366.7% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 328 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Mesa Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Mesa Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Mesa Laboratories by 30.9% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,029 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in Mesa Laboratories by 432.9% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 842 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 684 shares in the last quarter. 90.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Mesa Laboratories

Mesa Laboratories, Inc NASDAQ: MLAB is a global provider of instrumentation products designed for critical process monitoring, testing and calibration. Headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, the company serves a diverse set of end markets including healthcare, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, energy and industrial sectors. With a focus on precision measurement and validation, Mesa Laboratories helps customers ensure regulatory compliance, product safety and operational efficiency across complex manufacturing and sterilization processes.

The company's product portfolio encompasses biological and chemical indicators for sterilization process validation, digital data loggers and sensors for environmental monitoring, and optical gas analyzers with sample-conditioning solutions for oil, gas and petrochemical applications.

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