Return-on-Tangible-Asset is calculated as Net Income divided by its average total tangible assets. Total tangible assets equals to Total Assets minus Intangible Assets. Mesa Laboratories's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $-16.5 Mil. Mesa Laboratories's average total tangible assets for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $156.7 Mil. Therefore, Mesa Laboratories's annualized Return-on-Tangible-Asset for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -10.56%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Mesa Laboratories's Return-on-Tangible-Asset or its related term are showing as below:
MLAB'
s Return-on-Tangible-Asset Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -163.23 Med: 1.07 Max: 19.35
Current: 4.38
During the past 13 years, Mesa Laboratories's highest Return-on-Tangible-Asset was 19.35%. The lowest was -163.23%. And the median was 1.07%.
MLAB's Return-on-Tangible-Asset is ranked better than 62.38% of 2501
companies
in the Hardware industry
Industry Median: 2.4
vs MLAB: 4.38
Return-on-Tangible-Asset measures the rate of return on the average total tangible assets (total assets minus intangible assets). Tangible means physical in nature. Intangible Assets are assets that are not physical in nature, and typically "derive their value from legal or intellectual rights." Return-on-Tangible-Asset measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from its tangible assets. It shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. Return-on-Tangible-Assets can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, Return-on-Tangible-Asset should not be used to compare companies in different industries.
Be Aware
Like ROE and ROA, Return-on-Tangible-Asset is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the companys earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. Return-on-Tangible-Asset can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by a companys tax rate and its interest payment. Return-on-Tangible-Asset may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high Return-on-Tangible-Asset may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
Mesa Laboratories Return-on-Tangible-Asset Related Terms
Mesa Laboratories Return-on-Tangible-Asset Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Mesa Laboratories's Return-on-Tangible-Asset can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
MLAB vs AERG, USBC, MVIS: Return-on-Tangible-Asset Comparison
For the Scientific & Technical Instruments subindustry, Mesa Laboratories's Return-on-Tangible-Asset, along with its competitors' market caps and Return-on-Tangible-Asset data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Mesa Laboratories Return-on-Tangible-Asset vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, Mesa Laboratories's Return-on-Tangible-Asset distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Mesa Laboratories's Return-on-Tangible-Asset falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Return-on-Tangible-Asset, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total tangible assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
What does a Return-on-Tangible-Asset of -10.56% mean?
Mesa Laboratories (MLAB) has a Return-on-Tangible-Asset of -10.56% as of Mar. 2026. Return on tangible assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible assets. View historical data on Mesa Laboratories and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Mesa Laboratories ranks #941 out of 2501 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 37.6%.
Is Mesa Laboratories' Return-on-Tangible-Asset too high?
Mesa Laboratories' current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -10.56%. Based on the distribution chart, Mesa Laboratories ranks #941 out of 2501 companies in the Hardware industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Mesa Laboratories has a GF Score™ of 77/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Mesa Laboratories' Return-on-Tangible-Asset compare to AERG and USBC?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, Mesa Laboratories ranks #941 out of 2501 companies for Return-on-Tangible-Asset. This puts Mesa Laboratories in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Return-on-Tangible-Asset is 2.40. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Return-on-Tangible-Asset for a Hardware company?
The median Return-on-Tangible-Asset among Hardware companies is 2.40, based on 2,501 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Return-on-Tangible-Asset significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Return-on-Tangible-Asset should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Return-on-Tangible-Asset mean?
A high Return-on-Tangible-Asset can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on tangible assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible assets. View historical data on Mesa Laboratories and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median Return-on-Tangible-Asset is 2.40 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Mesa Laboratories's current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -10.56%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Mesa Laboratories stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Mesa Laboratories (MLAB) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $116.17, compared to a current price of $105.39 — trading 9.3% below its estimated fair value. The current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -10.56%. Mesa Laboratories' overall GF Score™ is 77/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Return-on-Tangible-Asset calculated?
Return-on-Tangible-Asset is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Mesa Laboratories (MLAB), the current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -10.56% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Mesa Laboratories (MLAB) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Mesa Laboratories stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $105.39 is trading 9.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of $116.17.
GuruFocus considers Mesa Laboratories to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for MLAB:
Return-on-Tangible-Asset: -10.56%
GF Value™: $116.17 vs. price of $105.39 (9.3% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the MLAB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Mesa Laboratories Inc manufactures life sciences tools and critical quality control solutions. It operates in four divisions: i) Sterilization and Disinfection Control, which manufactures and sells biological, chemical, and cleaning indicators used to assess the effectiveness of sterilization, decontamination, disinfection, and cleaning processes. ii) Clinical Genomics division develops, manufactures, and sells sensitive, low-cost, high-throughput genetic analysis tools and related consumables. iii) The Biopharmaceutical Development division develops, manufactures, and sells automated systems for protein analysis (immunoassays) and peptide synthesis solutions. iv) The Calibration Solutions division develops, manufactures, sells, and services quality control products.
77GF Score
Get the complete analysis for MLAB
Return-on-Tangible-Asset is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
MLAB has been successfully added to your 
