BNP Paribas Financial Markets Sells 2,627 Shares of Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLAB)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets cut its stake in Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLAB) by 64.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,419 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,627 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in Mesa Laboratories were worth $184,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mesa Laboratories by 34.1% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 393 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in Mesa Laboratories in the 3rd quarter worth $70,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in Mesa Laboratories in the third quarter worth about $265,000. Eagle Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Mesa Laboratories by 10.9% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 165,955 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $19,722,000 after acquiring an additional 16,293 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Mesa Laboratories by 38.6% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 62,609 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $8,130,000 after acquiring an additional 17,450 shares during the period. 90.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Gary M. Owens sold 2,518 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.62, for a total transaction of $286,095.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 45,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,213,794.56. This represents a 5.20 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.40% of the company’s stock.

Mesa Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MLAB opened at $132.33 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Mesa Laboratories, Inc. has a 12 month low of $83.68 and a 12 month high of $141.17. The company has a market capitalization of $718.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.90 and a beta of 0.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $119.92 and its 200 day moving average is $115.35.

Mesa Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.48%. Mesa Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Mesa Laboratories from $120.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Mesa Laboratories in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $120.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Mesa Laboratories from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th.

About Mesa Laboratories

Mesa Laboratories, Inc develops, designs, manufactures, sells, and services life sciences tools and quality control products and services in North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The Sterilization and Disinfection Control segment offers biological, chemical, and cleaning indicators, used to assess the effectiveness of sterilization decontamination, disinfection, and cleaning processes in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare industries.