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Side-by-side financial comparison of MESA LABORATORIES INC (MLAB) and Prairie Operating Co. (PROP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Prairie Operating Co. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($77.7M vs $65.1M, roughly 1.2× MESA LABORATORIES INC). MESA LABORATORIES INC runs the higher net margin — 5.6% vs 1.7%, a 3.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. Over the past eight quarters, Prairie Operating Co.'s revenue compounded faster (9784.4% CAGR vs 5.1%).
Mesa Laboratories Inc. develops, manufactures and sells professional quality control, calibration and monitoring instruments as well as related supporting services. Its core offerings cater to healthcare, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, industrial hygiene and environmental testing markets, helping global clients meet regulatory compliance and operational safety requirements.
Prairie Farms Dairy is a dairy cooperative founded in Carlinville, Illinois, and now headquartered in Edwardsville, Illinois. As a dairy cooperative, Prairie Farms receives milk from producers and converts it into many different products, including cheese, butter, ice cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, various dips, yogurt, and fluid milk. Prairie Farms also produces and sells juices, flavored drinks, and pre-made iced tea.
MLAB vs PROP — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $65.1M | $77.7M |
| Net Profit | $3.6M | $1.3M |
| Gross Margin | 64.2% | — |
| Operating Margin | 12.2% | 34.8% |
| Net Margin | 5.6% | 1.7% |
| Revenue YoY | 3.6% | — |
| Net Profit YoY | 316.6% | 111.3% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.65 | $-0.44 |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q4 25 | $65.1M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $60.7M | $77.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $59.5M | $68.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $62.1M | $13.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $62.8M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $57.8M | $0 | ||
| Q2 24 | $58.2M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $58.9M | — |
| Q4 25 | $3.6M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.5M | $1.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $4.7M | $35.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-7.1M | $-2.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-1.7M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.4M | $-11.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.4M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $-254.6M | — |
| Q4 25 | 64.2% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 61.5% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 62.0% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 61.8% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 63.3% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 61.3% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 64.0% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 62.1% | — |
| Q4 25 | 12.2% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 7.8% | 34.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 5.1% | 27.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.4% | 12.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 9.2% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 6.1% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 9.6% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | -460.6% | — |
| Q4 25 | 5.6% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 4.1% | 1.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 8.0% | 52.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | -11.4% | -19.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | -2.7% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 5.9% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 5.8% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | -432.2% | — |
| Q4 25 | $0.65 | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.45 | $-0.44 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.85 | $0.18 | ||
| Q1 25 | $-1.30 | $-3.49 | ||
| Q4 24 | $-0.31 | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.63 | $-0.68 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.62 | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $-47.26 | — |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $29.0M | $10.6M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $68.4M | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $186.7M | $101.8M |
| Total Assets | $434.8M | $939.8M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.37× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $29.0M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $20.4M | $10.6M | ||
| Q2 25 | $21.3M | $10.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $27.3M | $15.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $27.3M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $24.3M | $40.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $28.5M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $28.2M | — |
| Q4 25 | $68.4M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $69.4M | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $70.3M | $387.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $71.3M | $377.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $72.2M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $73.1M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $74.1M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | — | — |
| Q4 25 | $186.7M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $178.5M | $101.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $172.5M | $94.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $159.8M | $34.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $155.2M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $161.5M | $61.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $150.7M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $145.4M | — |
| Q4 25 | $434.8M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $430.4M | $939.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $435.7M | $858.5M | ||
| Q1 25 | $433.3M | $775.4M | ||
| Q4 24 | $433.3M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $454.1M | $107.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $440.4M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $446.8M | — |
| Q4 25 | 0.37× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.39× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.41× | 4.11× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.45× | 11.07× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.47× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.45× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.49× | — | ||
| Q1 24 | — | — |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $18.8M | $57.7M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $18.0M | — |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 27.7% | — |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 1.1% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 5.17× | 44.80× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $37.9M | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $18.8M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $8.2M | $57.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.9M | $-7.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $12.7M | $16.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $18.1M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.3M | $2.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $10.7M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $12.9M | — |
| Q4 25 | $18.0M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $7.1M | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $884.0K | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $11.9M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $17.3M | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.5M | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $9.9M | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $12.3M | — |
| Q4 25 | 27.7% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 11.7% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.5% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 19.2% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 27.6% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 6.0% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 16.9% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 21.0% | — |
| Q4 25 | 1.1% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.8% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.7% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.2% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.3% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.1% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.5% | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 0.9% | — |
| Q4 25 | 5.17× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.32× | 44.80× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.40× | -0.20× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.54× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.17× | — | ||
| Q1 24 | — | — |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
MLAB
| Sterilization And Disinfection Control | $24.9M | 38% |
| Biopharmaceutical Development | $14.4M | 22% |
| Other | $14.1M | 22% |
| Clinical Genomics | $11.8M | 18% |
PROP
| Crude Oil Sales | $64.9M | 84% |
| Natural Gas Sales | $7.6M | 10% |
| Natural Gas Liquids Reserves | $5.2M | 7% |
