Mesa LaboratoriesMLAB -2.13%77 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 6.67% as of Mar. 2026, which is 78% below its 10-year median of 29.81. GuruFocus rates MLAB with a GF Score™ of 77/100 and a GF Value™ of $116.05 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 2,493 Hardware companies, Mesa Laboratories ranks better than 82.43% on this metric.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits). He defines ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % as EBIT divided by the total of Property, Plant and Equipment and net working capital. Mesa Laboratories's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 6.67%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Mesa Laboratories's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
MLAB'
s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -371.57 Med: 29.81 Max: 48.21
Current: 37.57
During the past 13 years, Mesa Laboratories's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 48.21%. The lowest was -371.57%. And the median was 29.81%.
MLAB's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked better than 82.43% of 2493
companies
in the Hardware industry
Industry Median: 10.35
vs MLAB: 37.57
Mesa Laboratories's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 0.00% per year.
The way Joel Greenblatt defines Return on Capital is a more accurate measure of how efficiently the company generates returns onthe capital actually invested in the business. EBIT is used instead of net income because the tax and interest payment may be affected by factors other than the core business operation. Intangible assets are not included in the calculation because they don't need to be replaced.
Mesa Laboratories ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms
Mesa Laboratories ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Mesa Laboratories's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Scientific & Technical Instruments subindustry, Mesa Laboratories's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, Mesa Laboratories's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Mesa Laboratories's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits) . He defines Return on Capital as follows:
EBIT stands for Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.
Fixed Assets are also known as non-current assets. They include the Property, Plant and Equipment that the firm needs in its operation.
GuruFocus calculates net working capital as: (Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Deferred Revenue + Other Current Liabilities). We're trying to account for OPERATING assets and liabilities (part of daily business) when calculating working capital. Cash and marketable securities are considered NON-OPERATING assets and are not included in calculation. We will also back out all interest bearing debt, short term debt and the portion of long term debt that is due in the current period from the current liabilities. This debt will be considered when computing cost of capital and it would be inappropriate to count it twice.
Note:
The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBIT data.
* 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.
What does a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 6.67% mean?
Mesa Laboratories (MLAB) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 6.67% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Mesa Laboratories and its competitors. This is 78% below median its historical median of 29.81. According to the industry distribution chart, Mesa Laboratories ranks #438 out of 2493 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 17.6%.
Is Mesa Laboratories' ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
Mesa Laboratories' current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 6.67% is 78% below median its 10-year median of 29.81. The Hardware industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.35. Mesa Laboratories' value of 6.67% is 35.6% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Mesa Laboratories ranks #438 out of 2493 companies in the Hardware industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Mesa Laboratories has a GF Score™ of 77/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Mesa Laboratories' ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to AERG and USBC?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, Mesa Laboratories ranks #438 out of 2493 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places Mesa Laboratories in the top 18% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.35. Mesa Laboratories' value of 6.67% is 35.6% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 29.81 vs. the industry median of 10.35, Mesa Laboratories has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Hardware company?
The median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % among Hardware companies is 10.35, based on 2,493 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Mesa Laboratories's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 6.67% is 35.6% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Mesa Laboratories and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.35 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Mesa Laboratories's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 6.67%, which is 78% below median its own 10-year median of 29.81. 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 Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $116.05, compared to a current price of $97.41 — trading 16.1% below its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 6.67%, which is 78% below median its 10-year median of 29.81 and 35.6% below the Hardware industry median of 10.35. Mesa Laboratories' overall GF Score™ is 77/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Mesa Laboratories (MLAB), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 6.67% 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 $97.41 is trading 16.1% below its estimated GF Value™ of $116.05.
GuruFocus considers Mesa Laboratories to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for MLAB:
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: 6.67% (78% below median its 10-year median of 29.81)
GF Value™: $116.05 vs. price of $97.41 (16.1% below fair value)
Industry Position: 35.6% below the Hardware median (#438 of 2493)
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
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