MLAB vs. VOO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (MLAB) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO).

VOO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Sep 7, 2010.

Performance

MLAB vs. VOO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (MLAB) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

MLAB vs. VOO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
MLAB Mesa Laboratories, Inc.	12.83%	-40.05%	26.56%	-36.65%	-49.18%	14.73%	15.22%	20.01%	68.27%	1.74%
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF	-4.42%	17.82%	24.98%	26.32%	-18.17%	28.79%	18.32%	31.37%	-4.50%	21.77%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, MLAB achieves a 12.83% return, which is significantly higher than VOO's -4.42% return. Over the past 10 years, MLAB has underperformed VOO with an annualized return of -0.58%, while VOO has yielded a comparatively higher 14.05% annualized return.

MLAB

• 1D: 3.94%
• 1M: -8.44%
• YTD: 12.83%
• 6M: 32.43%
• 1Y: -24.92%
• 3Y*: -19.82%
• 5Y*: -18.28%
• 10Y*: -0.58%

VOO

• 1D: 2.86%
• 1M: -5.01%
• YTD: -4.42%
• 6M: -1.84%
• 1Y: 17.67%
• 3Y*: 18.27%
• 5Y*: 11.75%
• 10Y*: 14.05%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

MLAB vs. VOO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

MLAB

MLAB Risk / Return Rank: 26
MLAB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
MLAB Sortino Ratio Rank: 25
MLAB Omega Ratio Rank: 25
MLAB Calmar Ratio Rank: 26
MLAB Martin Ratio Rank: 29

VOO

VOO Risk / Return Rank: 65
VOO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
VOO Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
VOO Omega Ratio Rank: 66
VOO Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
VOO Martin Ratio Rank: 75

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

MLAB vs. VOO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (MLAB) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	MLAB	VOO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.40	0.98	-1.38
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.19	1.50	-1.69
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.97	1.23	-0.25
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.46	1.53	-2.00
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.73	7.29	-8.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

MLAB vs. VOO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current MLAB Sharpe Ratio is -0.40, which is lower than the VOO Sharpe Ratio of 0.98. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of MLAB and VOO, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	MLAB	VOO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.40	0.98	-1.38
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.38	0.70	-1.08
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.01	0.78	-0.80
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.28	0.83	-0.55

Correlation

The correlation between MLAB and VOO is 0.37, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

MLAB vs. VOO - Dividend Comparison

MLAB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.72%, less than VOO's 1.19% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MLAB Mesa Laboratories, Inc.	0.72%	0.82%	0.49%	0.61%	0.39%	0.20%	0.22%	0.26%	0.31%	0.51%	0.52%	0.64%
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF	1.19%	1.13%	1.24%	1.46%	1.69%	1.25%	1.54%	1.88%	2.06%	1.78%	2.02%	2.10%

Drawdowns

MLAB vs. VOO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum MLAB drawdown since its inception was -82.43%, which is greater than VOO's maximum drawdown of -33.99%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MLAB and VOO.

Drawdown Indicators

	MLAB	VOO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.43%	-33.99%	-48.44%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-55.06%	-11.98%	-43.08%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-82.43%	-24.52%	-57.91%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-82.43%	-33.99%	-48.44%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-72.79%	-6.29%	-66.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-25.16%	-3.72%	-21.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	34.99%	2.52%	+32.47%

Volatility

MLAB vs. VOO - Volatility Comparison

Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (MLAB) has a higher volatility of 24.14% compared to Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) at 5.29%. This indicates that MLAB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VOO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	MLAB	VOO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	24.14%	5.29%	+18.85%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	38.65%	9.44%	+29.21%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	61.91%	18.10%	+43.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	48.30%	16.82%	+31.48%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	42.97%	17.99%	+24.98%