Knife River Corporation (NYSE:KNF) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Knife River a consensus rating of Moderate Buy (6 buys, 3 holds, 1 sell) with an average 1‑year price target of $98.
• The company reported Q1 revenue of $410.1M (up 16% YoY) and a slight EPS beat (‑$1.40 vs. ‑$1.42), and management noted a record ~$1.2B backlog with guidance trending toward the upper half of its ranges, supporting near‑term revenue visibility.
• However, GAAP net loss widened year‑over‑year and adjusted EBITDA remained pressured, which could weigh on margins and investor sentiment despite the revenue strength.

Shares of Knife River Corporation (NYSE:KNF - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the ten analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $98.00.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Knife River from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Knife River in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of Knife River from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of Knife River from $86.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Knife River from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd.

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Knife River Price Performance

NYSE:KNF opened at $91.52 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $5.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.55. Knife River has a 12-month low of $58.72 and a 12-month high of $103.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The company's 50-day moving average is $84.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.49.

Knife River (NYSE:KNF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported ($1.40) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.42) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $410.13 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $387.06 million. Knife River had a net margin of 4.58% and a return on equity of 9.35%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($1.21) earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Knife River will post 3.21 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in KNF. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Knife River by 141.8% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 341 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in Knife River during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Knife River by 1,088.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 594 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 544 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Knife River in the 3rd quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Knife River by 34.8% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 685 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. 80.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Knife River News

Here are the key news stories impacting Knife River this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 revenue beat and small EPS beat — Knife River reported revenue of $410.1M (up 16% YoY) and a GAAP loss of $1.40 per share that marginally beat consensus (-$1.42). Revenue strength is the main positive takeaway. Business Wire Q1 Release
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog and guidance tone — Management signaled 2026 is trending toward the upper half of its guidance ranges and reported a record ~$1.2B backlog, supporting revenue visibility and near-term demand for aggregates/contracting. Seeking Alpha: Backlog & Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target lift — JPMorgan raised its price target from $90 to $95 (while maintaining a neutral rating), signaling some upside to current shares from a blue‑chip analyst. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: FY revenue guidance largely in line — Knife River’s updated FY revenue range of ~$3.3B–$3.5B sits around consensus, so guidance didn’t materially surprise to the upside but supports management’s outlook. Slide Deck / Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings‑call detail summaries available — Management reviewed growth drivers and backlog on the call; read the call highlights to judge sustainability of margins and project mix. TipRanks: Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Wider GAAP net loss and negative adjusted EBITDA — Despite the revenue beat, net loss widened year-over-year and adjusted EBITDA remained pressured, which could weigh on near-term margins and investor sentiment if improvements aren’t clear. Business Wire Q1 Release

Knife River Company Profile

Knife River Corporation, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, is a leading integrated construction materials and contracting company in the western United States. The company specializes in producing and supplying aggregates, asphalt mix, ready-mixed concrete and other heavy construction materials used in highway, commercial and residential projects.

In addition to material production, Knife River offers a comprehensive suite of contracting services, including heavy civil construction, road building, underground and open-pit mining and logistics support.

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