Kadant (KAI) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Kadant Inc (NYSE: KAI) is a global provider of critical equipment, components and systems for the production and processing of paper, tissue, packaging, nonwoven materials and other process industries. Headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts, the company designs, manufactures and services engineered systems spanning stock preparation, fiber treatment and water filtration for paper mills, along with fluid-handling equipment for a broad range of industrial applications.

The company’s operations are organized around two primary business segments. The Stock Preparation segment offers complete pulping, screening, cleaning and fiber recovery systems, as well as aftermarket parts such as refiner plates, screen baskets and deflaker segments. The Fluid Handling segment supplies pumps, valves, heat exchangers, filtration products and seals that serve not only pulp and paper producers but also chemical, power generation, mining and wastewater treatment facilities. This dual focus supports both greenfield projects and the ongoing maintenance needs of existing plants.

Kadant has built its global footprint through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. With manufacturing and service centers in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, the company can respond quickly to customer requirements across key markets. Over the years, Kadant has integrated complementary businesses to expand its product portfolio in areas such as doctoring systems, fiber recovery and process diagnostics, reinforcing its position as a one-stop solutions provider.

Under the leadership of President and CEO William J. Carter, Kadant places a strong emphasis on research and development, operational excellence and sustainability. The company works closely with customers to optimize plant efficiency, reduce energy consumption and minimize environmental impact. A significant portion of Kadant’s revenue is generated from aftermarket services and parts, providing recurring streams of income that support long-term growth and customer retention.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $329.68 to $337.10
• 50-Day Range: $289.53 to $339.44
• 52-Week Range: $281.30 to $429.95
• Volume: 104,848 shs
• Average Volume: 117,210 shs
• Market Capitalization: $3.91 billion
• P/E Ratio: 35.19
• Dividend Yield: 0.41%
• Price Target: $327.50
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy

Kadant Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Kadant scored higher than 38% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 134th out of 179 stocks in the industrials sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 1.3 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy

Consensus Rating

Kadant has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.50, and is based on 1 buy rating, 1 hold rating, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Kadant has only been the subject of 2 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 1.3 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 14.24%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Kadant are expected to grow by 14.24% in the coming year, from $9.97 to $11.39 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Kadant is 35.19, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 25.91.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Kadant is 35.19, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the Industrials sector average P/E ratio of about 25.12.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Kadant has a P/B Ratio of 4.54. P/B Ratios above 3 indicate that a company could be overvalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 2.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Bearish

Percentage of Shares Shorted

14.12% of the float of Kadant has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Kadant has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 11.9, which indicates bearish sentiment.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Kadant has recently decreased by 6.82%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 3.3 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Yield

Kadant has a dividend yield of 0.40%, which is in the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend Growth

Kadant has been increasing its dividend for 12 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Kadant is 14.44%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, Kadant will have a dividend payout ratio of 11.94% next year. This indicates that Kadant will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: N/A
• Environmental Score: N/A

Percentage of Shares Shorted

14.12% of the float of Kadant has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Kadant has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 11.9, which indicates bearish sentiment.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Kadant has recently decreased by 6.82%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.9 / 5
• News Sentiment: 1.18

News Sentiment

Kadant has a news sentiment score of 1.18. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a higher news sentiment than the 0.71 average news sentiment score of Industrials companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 8 news articles for Kadant this week, compared to 6 articles on an average week.

Search Interest

Only 2 people have searched for KAI on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of 0% compared to the previous 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Kadant insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 1.40% of the stock of Kadant is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

96.13% of the stock of Kadant is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

KAI Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have KAI shares performed this year?

Kadant's stock was trading at $344.99 at the start of the year. Since then, KAI stock has decreased by 3.9% and is now trading at $331.50.

How were Kadant's earnings last quarter?

Kadant Inc (NYSE:KAI) announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April, 29th. The industrial products company reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.13. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year.
Read the conference call transcript.

Is Kadant doing a stock buyback?

Kadant's Board of Directors authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, May 15th 2025, which allows the company to buy back $50,000,000 in shares, according to EventVestor. This means that the company could buy up to 1.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Does Kadant have any subsidiaries?

Kadant subsidiaries include these companies: The Clouth Group of Companies, Balemaster, Cogent Industrial Technologies Ltd., Syntron Material Handling Group LLC, Unaflex LLC, RT Holding GmbH, Carmanah Design and Manufacturing Inc., and more.

Who are Kadant's major shareholders?

Top institutional shareholders of Kadant include Dudley & Shanley Inc. (0.47%), Diversified Trust Co (0.02%), Trust Point Inc. (0.01%) and Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC (0.01%). Insiders that own company stock include Michael J Mckenney, Jonathan W Painter, John M Albertine, Thomas C Leonard, Erin L Russell, Peter J Flynn, William P Tully, Michael C Colwell, Fredrik H Westerhout, Rebecca Martinez O'mara, Thomas Andrew Blanchard, Dara F Mitchell and Stacy D Krause.
View institutional ownership trends.

How do I buy shares of Kadant?

Shares of KAI stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Kadant own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Kadant investors own include NVIDIA (NVDA), Meta Platforms (META), Broadcom (AVGO), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), ServiceNow (NOW), Adobe (ADBE) and Arista Networks (ANET).

Company Calendar

• Record date for 5/7 Dividend: 4/09/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 5/7 Dividend: 4/09/2025
• Last Earnings: 4/29/2025
• Dividend Payable: 5/07/2025
• Record date for 8/7 Dividend: 7/10/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 8/7 Dividend: 7/10/2025
• Today: 7/11/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/29/2025
• Dividend Payable: 8/07/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Industrials
• Industry: MACH - GENL INDL
• Sub-Industry: Industrial Machinery
• Current Symbol: NYSE:KAI
• CIK: 886346
• Web: www.kadant.com
• Phone: (978) 776-2000
• Fax: 978-635-1593
• Employees: 3,500
• Year Founded: 1991

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Kadant: $327.50
• High Price Target: $380.00
• Low Price Target: $275.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: -1.2%
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.50
• Research Coverage: 2 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $9.42
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 35.19
• Forward P/E Ratio: 33.25
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $111.60 million
• Net Margins: 10.63%
• Pretax Margin: 14.61%
• Return on Equity: 13.74%
• Return on Assets: 8.10%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.31
• Current Ratio: 2.47
• Quick Ratio: 1.62

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $1.05 billion
• Price / Sales: 3.71
• Cash Flow: $14.58 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 22.74
• Book Value: $73.06 per share
• Price / Book: 4.54

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 11,780,000
• Free Float: 11,611,000
• Market Cap: $3.91 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 1.25