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Mesa Laboratories (MLAB) Competitors

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$97.50 -3.45 (-3.42%)
Closing price 07/24/2026 04:00 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$97.38 -0.12 (-0.12%)
As of 07/24/2026 07:34 PM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.
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MLAB vs. VPG, DAKT, COHR, CGNX, and BMI

Should you buy Mesa Laboratories stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares Mesa Laboratories with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with Mesa Laboratories include Vishay Precision Group (VPG), Daktronics (DAKT), Coherent (COHR), Cognex (CGNX), and Badger Meter (BMI). These companies are all part of the "electronic equipment & instruments" industry.

How does Mesa Laboratories compare to Vishay Precision Group?

Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB) and Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) are both small-cap electronic equipment & instruments companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, media sentiment, risk, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Mesa Laboratories has a net margin of 2.69% compared to Vishay Precision Group's net margin of 1.85%. Mesa Laboratories' return on equity of 20.96% beat Vishay Precision Group's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Mesa Laboratories2.69% 20.96% 8.78%
Vishay Precision Group 1.85%2.28%1.66%

90.6% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 87.6% of Vishay Precision Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.9% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 7.6% of Vishay Precision Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

In the previous week, Mesa Laboratories had 1 more articles in the media than Vishay Precision Group. MarketBeat recorded 3 mentions for Mesa Laboratories and 2 mentions for Vishay Precision Group. Mesa Laboratories' average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat Vishay Precision Group's score of 1.34 indicating that Mesa Laboratories is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Mesa Laboratories
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Very Positive
Vishay Precision Group
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Mesa Laboratories has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Vishay Precision Group. Mesa Laboratories is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Vishay Precision Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Mesa Laboratories$249.13M2.19$6.71M$1.2081.25
Vishay Precision Group$307.20M4.48$5.29M$0.45229.96

Mesa Laboratories presently has a consensus price target of $94.00, suggesting a potential downside of 3.59%. Vishay Precision Group has a consensus price target of $83.67, suggesting a potential downside of 19.15%. Given Mesa Laboratories' higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Mesa Laboratories is more favorable than Vishay Precision Group.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Mesa Laboratories
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.67
Vishay Precision Group
0 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
2 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.50

Mesa Laboratories has a beta of 0.93, meaning that its share price is 7% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Vishay Precision Group has a beta of 1.43, meaning that its share price is 43% more volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Mesa Laboratories beats Vishay Precision Group on 9 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Mesa Laboratories compare to Daktronics?

Daktronics (NASDAQ:DAKT) and Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB) are both small-cap electronic equipment & instruments companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends and profitability.

61.7% of Daktronics shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.6% of Mesa Laboratories shares are held by institutional investors. 5.3% of Daktronics shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.9% of Mesa Laboratories shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Daktronics has a beta of 1.67, indicating that its share price is 67% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Mesa Laboratories has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its share price is 7% less volatile than the broader market.

Daktronics currently has a consensus price target of $29.00, indicating a potential upside of 48.87%. Mesa Laboratories has a consensus price target of $94.00, indicating a potential downside of 3.59%. Given Daktronics' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Daktronics is more favorable than Mesa Laboratories.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Daktronics
0 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.33
Mesa Laboratories
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.67

Daktronics has a net margin of 5.41% compared to Mesa Laboratories' net margin of 2.69%. Mesa Laboratories' return on equity of 20.96% beat Daktronics' return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Daktronics5.41% 17.62% 9.41%
Mesa Laboratories 2.69%20.96%8.78%

In the previous week, Mesa Laboratories had 2 more articles in the media than Daktronics. MarketBeat recorded 3 mentions for Mesa Laboratories and 1 mentions for Daktronics. Mesa Laboratories' average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat Daktronics' score of 1.07 indicating that Mesa Laboratories is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Daktronics Positive
Mesa Laboratories Very Positive

Daktronics pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Mesa Laboratories pays an annual dividend of $0.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Daktronics pays out 22.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Mesa Laboratories pays out 53.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Daktronics is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Daktronics has higher revenue and earnings than Mesa Laboratories. Daktronics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mesa Laboratories, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Daktronics$838.71M1.12$45.38M$0.9121.41
Mesa Laboratories$249.13M2.19$6.71M$1.2081.25

Summary

Daktronics beats Mesa Laboratories on 11 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Mesa Laboratories compare to Coherent?

Coherent (NYSE:COHR) and Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB) are both electronic equipment & instruments companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, media sentiment, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk and institutional ownership.

83.3% of Coherent shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.6% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.5% of Coherent shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.9% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Coherent currently has a consensus target price of $383.41, suggesting a potential upside of 35.92%. Mesa Laboratories has a consensus target price of $94.00, suggesting a potential downside of 3.59%. Given Coherent's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Coherent is more favorable than Mesa Laboratories.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Coherent
0 Sell rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
15 Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.86
Mesa Laboratories
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.67

In the previous week, Coherent had 1 more articles in the media than Mesa Laboratories. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for Coherent and 3 mentions for Mesa Laboratories. Mesa Laboratories' average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat Coherent's score of 0.39 indicating that Mesa Laboratories is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Coherent
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Mesa Laboratories
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Very Positive

Coherent has a net margin of 7.10% compared to Mesa Laboratories' net margin of 2.69%. Mesa Laboratories' return on equity of 20.96% beat Coherent's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Coherent7.10% 9.67% 5.01%
Mesa Laboratories 2.69%20.96%8.78%

Coherent has a beta of 2.03, indicating that its share price is 103% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Mesa Laboratories has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its share price is 7% less volatile than the broader market.

Coherent has higher revenue and earnings than Mesa Laboratories. Mesa Laboratories is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Coherent, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Coherent$5.81B9.50$49.36M$2.09134.97
Mesa Laboratories$249.13M2.19$6.71M$1.2081.25

Summary

Coherent beats Mesa Laboratories on 12 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Mesa Laboratories compare to Cognex?

Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB) and Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) are both electronic equipment & instruments companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, dividends and earnings.

Mesa Laboratories pays an annual dividend of $0.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Cognex pays an annual dividend of $0.34 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.5%. Mesa Laboratories pays out 53.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Cognex pays out 40.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Cognex has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years.

In the previous week, Cognex had 7 more articles in the media than Mesa Laboratories. MarketBeat recorded 10 mentions for Cognex and 3 mentions for Mesa Laboratories. Mesa Laboratories' average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat Cognex's score of 1.01 indicating that Mesa Laboratories is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Mesa Laboratories
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Very Positive
Cognex
5 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Cognex has a net margin of 13.62% compared to Mesa Laboratories' net margin of 2.69%. Mesa Laboratories' return on equity of 20.96% beat Cognex's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Mesa Laboratories2.69% 20.96% 8.78%
Cognex 13.62%10.89%8.09%

Cognex has higher revenue and earnings than Mesa Laboratories. Cognex is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mesa Laboratories, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Mesa Laboratories$249.13M2.19$6.71M$1.2081.25
Cognex$994.36M10.38$114.44M$0.8473.87

Mesa Laboratories has a beta of 0.93, meaning that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Cognex has a beta of 1.49, meaning that its stock price is 49% more volatile than the broader market.

Mesa Laboratories currently has a consensus target price of $94.00, suggesting a potential downside of 3.59%. Cognex has a consensus target price of $72.31, suggesting a potential upside of 16.53%. Given Cognex's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Cognex is more favorable than Mesa Laboratories.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Mesa Laboratories
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.67
Cognex
0 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
10 Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.88

90.6% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 88.1% of Cognex shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.9% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.7% of Cognex shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Cognex beats Mesa Laboratories on 12 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Mesa Laboratories compare to Badger Meter?

Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB) and Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) are both electronic equipment & instruments companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, media sentiment, valuation, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Mesa Laboratories pays an annual dividend of $0.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Badger Meter pays an annual dividend of $1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Mesa Laboratories pays out 53.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Badger Meter pays out 36.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Badger Meter has raised its dividend for 32 consecutive years. Badger Meter is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Mesa Laboratories has a beta of 0.93, meaning that its share price is 7% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Badger Meter has a beta of 0.64, meaning that its share price is 36% less volatile than the broader market.

Badger Meter has higher revenue and earnings than Mesa Laboratories. Badger Meter is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mesa Laboratories, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Mesa Laboratories$249.13M2.19$6.71M$1.2081.25
Badger Meter$916.66M4.03$141.63M$4.4328.57

In the previous week, Badger Meter had 55 more articles in the media than Mesa Laboratories. MarketBeat recorded 58 mentions for Badger Meter and 3 mentions for Mesa Laboratories. Mesa Laboratories' average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat Badger Meter's score of 0.26 indicating that Mesa Laboratories is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Mesa Laboratories
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Very Positive
Badger Meter
12 Very Positive mention(s)
4 Positive mention(s)
31 Neutral mention(s)
6 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Badger Meter has a net margin of 14.27% compared to Mesa Laboratories' net margin of 2.69%. Mesa Laboratories' return on equity of 20.96% beat Badger Meter's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Mesa Laboratories2.69% 20.96% 8.78%
Badger Meter 14.27%18.03%12.82%

90.6% of Mesa Laboratories shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.0% of Badger Meter shares are held by institutional investors. 4.9% of Mesa Laboratories shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Badger Meter shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Mesa Laboratories presently has a consensus price target of $94.00, indicating a potential downside of 3.59%. Badger Meter has a consensus price target of $163.57, indicating a potential upside of 29.23%. Given Badger Meter's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Badger Meter is more favorable than Mesa Laboratories.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Mesa Laboratories
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.67
Badger Meter
2 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
5 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.27

Summary

Badger Meter beats Mesa Laboratories on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding MLAB and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
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Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NASDAQ and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
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MLAB vs. The Competition

Export
MetricMesa LaboratoriesMED INSTRUMENTS IndustryMedical SectorNASDAQ Exchange
Market Cap$564.90M$7.36B$6.88B$12.26B
Dividend Yield0.63%1.34%2.67%9.79%
P/E Ratio81.2547.6526.9923.71
Price / Sales2.1985.78493.8676.90
Price / Cash8.5725.7150.5459.64
Price / Book2.896.7310.286.07
Net Income$6.71M$162.27M$3.60B$331.84M
7 Day Performance-0.45%-5.05%-1.25%-1.53%
1 Month Performance-0.66%-5.85%-0.35%-2.46%
1 Year Performance28.93%-2.87%18.41%13.66%

Mesa Laboratories Competitors List

Export
CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
MLAB
Mesa Laboratories
1.1937 of 5 stars		$97.50
-3.4%		$94.00
-3.6%		+31.2%$564.90M$249.13M81.25680
VPG
Vishay Precision Group
1.8967 of 5 stars		$112.28
+9.5%		$83.67
-25.5%		+278.7%$1.49B$307.20M249.522,100
DAKT
Daktronics
4.5177 of 5 stars		$19.58
+0.6%		$29.00
+48.1%		+18.5%$945.32M$838.71M21.522,693
COHR
Coherent
4.6164 of 5 stars		$318.00
+11.4%		$383.41
+20.6%		+185.7%$62.21B$6.60B152.1530,216
CGNX
Cognex
4.7055 of 5 stars		$62.94
-0.2%		$72.31
+14.9%		+81.6%$10.47B$994.36M74.932,745

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This page (NASDAQ:MLAB) was last updated on 7/25/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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