KADANT INC (KAI)
Industrials · industrial machinery · NYSE
Kadant provides specialized, mission-critical industrial technology and equipment that optimizes process efficiency in the global paper and pulp, wood processing, and fluid handling industries.
What KADANT INC does
Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of high-value, intelligent delivery systems and technologies used in process industries. The company provides equipment and services for the paper, wood processing, and other process industries, with a focus on fluid handling, doctoring, cleaning, filtration, and stock preparation systems.
Themes: industrial process optimization, pulp and paper manufacturing, wood processing automation, industrial fluid handling
Fundamentals
- Price$260.55 as of 2026-10-08 close
- Market cap$3.1B as of 2026-07-31 (share count; price 2026-10-08)
- 1-year return-12.8% 2025-10-08 close $298.84 → 2026-10-08 close $260.55
- P/E29.73 as of 2026-10-08
- Net margin+9.7% FY2026, SEC XBRL
- ROE+10.3% FY2026, SEC XBRL
- Debt / equity0.36 as of 2026-09-02
- Revenue growth (YoY)+4.9% as of 2026-09-02
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+3.8% SEC XBRL
- Beta1.27 as of 2026-09-02
- Last reported earnings2026-08-04 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)
Dividend: yield +0.5%; at least 1 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer.
How KAI compares in its sector
- price-to-earnings ratiomiddle range 349 covered Industrials peers, as of 2026-10-08
- net profit marginmiddle range 417 covered Industrials peers, as of 2026-09-02
- operating marginmiddle range 392 covered Industrials peers, as of 2026-09-02
- return on equitymiddle range 432 covered Industrials peers, as of 2026-09-02
- 3-year revenue CAGRmiddle range 428 covered Industrials peers
- indicated dividend yieldbottom 25% 271 covered Industrials peers, as of 2026-09-02
- free cash flow (absolute dollars, latest fiscal year)middle range 417 covered Industrials peers, as of FY2026
Position among covered Industrials companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.
Top 10 scores & list membership
KAI is not currently in any published Top 10 list. Its scores are below.
Top 10 score
42.5 #1108 of 1,379 scored · #193 of 238 in Industrials
Financial health 63rd (debt to equity 0.4, free cash flow margin 14.7%) and profitability 53rd (operating margin 14.9%, return on equity 10.3%); weakest is trend (23rd, a strong downtrend, with sellers in control).
Scores as of 8 Oct 2026. Each bar is a percentile: how this company ranked against every company the score ranked, 0–100. A list is a published formula and its output, not a recommendation. Method version 4.
Dividend coverage (FY2026)
Covered by reported results. In FY2026, KAI's dividend was covered by reported results (earnings payout 15%, free-cash-flow payout 10%). This describes past coverage, not a forecast.
- Earnings payout15% dividends / net income
- Free-cash-flow payout10% dividends / (operating cash flow − capex)
Coverage derived from reported SEC EDGAR XBRL figures for FY2026 (dividends paid vs. net income and free cash flow, same fiscal year). This describes PAST coverage for one fiscal year — it does not predict whether a dividend will be maintained, raised, or cut, and a one-year payout ratio can be distorted by non-recurring items. Informational only — not financial advice.
How KADANT INC looks technically
KADANT INC (KAI) is trading 15.7% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend. Its 50-day average crossed below its 200-day average about 21 trading days ago — a "death cross", a bearish long-term signal. A strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 34, with sellers in control. Momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 35, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30). It made a new 20-day low about 2 trading days ago. It is 26.4% below its highest point of the past year. Day-to-day price swings are unusually narrow versus its own recent history — a "Bollinger squeeze" (in the tightest 1% of the past ~6 months), which often precedes a bigger move.
Trend
8
| Distance from the 200-day | it is trading 15.7% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend | -15.7% |
|---|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | its average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $295.45 | $295.45 |
| 200-day moving average | its average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $309.22 | $309.22 |
| Swing structure | each recent peak has been lower than the one before it and each dip deeper — the pattern chart-watchers call a downtrend, which describes where price has already been and not where it goes next | lower highs and lower lows |
| Last swing turn | its last significant turn was a swing high 13 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on | 13 sessions |
| Wave structure | its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 3 of five; the labelling fails if price closes above 280.13. It is the only labelling that fits, though not with textbook proportions, and it describes the swings already printed, not what comes next. | possible downward five-wave sequence, in wave 3 (atypical proportions) |
| Since the 50/200 cross | its 50-day average crossed below its 200-day average about 21 trading days ago — a "death cross", a bearish long-term signal | 21 sessions |
| Trend strength (14-day ADX) | a strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 34, with sellers in control | 34.0 |
Momentum
3
| 14-day RSI | momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 35, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30) | 35.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Position in its 14-day range | it is trading in the lower half of its 14-day range ($253.41 to $280.13) — its "stochastic" reading is 27 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been climbing within that range over the last few sessions. | 26.7 |
| Since the MACD crossed zero | MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, is in positive territory (momentum leaning bullish) | 11 sessions |
Range
12
| 52-week high | its highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $354.07 | $354.07 |
|---|---|---|
| From the 52-week high | it is 26.4% below its 52-week high (its highest price of the past year) | -26.4% |
| Above the 52-week low | it is 6.4% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year) | +6.4% |
| Below the 52-week high | it is 26.4% below its highest point of the past year | 26.4% |
| Since a 20-day breakout | it made a new 20-day low about 2 trading days ago | 2 sessions |
| Since a 55-day breakout | it made a new 55-day low about 2 trading days ago | 2 sessions |
| All-time high | its highest closing price on record is $429.95 (set on 2024-11-25) | $429.95 |
| Given back of the 52-week move | over the past year its closes ranged ($247.48 to $347.31), and it has given back almost all of its rise from last year’s low — 87% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $282.42 to $285.62. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast. | 86.9% |
| From the all-time high | it is 39.4% below its all-time high | -39.4% |
| Nearest price level | it is trading 7.8% below a resistance level at $280.81 — a price it turned at 7 times since 2025-04-21, most recently on 2026-09-25. Since 2024-10-08 it has 0 such levels below the current price and 12 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go. | +7.8% |
| All-time low | its lowest closing price on record is $6.50 (set on 2009-03-09) | $6.50 |
| Above the all-time low | it is 3908.5% above its all-time low | +3,908% |
Volatility
5
| Band width vs its own 6 months | day-to-day price swings are unusually narrow versus its own recent history — a "Bollinger squeeze" (in the tightest 1% of the past ~6 months), which often precedes a bigger move | 0th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical daily range | in a typical session it travels about $8.92 between its high and its low — about 3.4% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was | $8.92 |
| Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ) | most of its recent trading has stayed between about $257.73 and $276.92 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles | $257.73 – $267.33 – $276.92 |
| Typical daily range (% of price) | its price moves about 3.4% in a typical session — about typical for the companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price | 3.4% |
| Stretch from the 200-day average | it is trading 5.5 daily ranges below its 200-day average price (15.7% below it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale | 5.5 daily ranges below its 200-day average |
Volume
1
| Volume vs its 30-day average | trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average | 1.20× |
|---|
Analyst
2
| Change in the average price target | analysts' average price target is unchanged from the prior reading | 0.0% |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the consensus rating | not available for this company yet | n/a |
Candlestick patterns
2
| Since a doji | 3 sessions ago it opened and closed at almost the same price after trading through a wider range — a "doji", the classic picture of buyers and sellers finishing the session level | 3 sessions ago |
|---|---|---|
| Since a bullish engulfing | today it opened below the previous session's close and finished above that session's open — a "bullish engulfing" pair, where one up day more than undid the down day before it | today |
Price gaps
2
| Gap at the open | it opened on 2026-10-08 1.1% below the previous session's close — an overnight gap, the part of the move that happened while the market was shut, and traded back through that level before the close | -1.1% |
|---|---|---|
| Gap filled | a 2.0% gap up opened on 2026-09-22 has been "filled" 6 sessions ago — price traded back through the level the gap left behind, and it took 6 sessions to close | 6 sessions ago |
Price streaks
1
| Closing streak | it closed higher in its latest session, after a session that did not close higher — a single up day rather than a run | 1 session up |
|---|
Relative strength
4
| vs market, 1 month | over the past 1 month this stock lagged the market by 14.1 percentage points (the stock lost 13.0% while the market gained 1.0%) | -14.1% |
|---|---|---|
| vs market, 3 months | over the past 3 months this stock lagged the market by 15.1 percentage points (the stock lost 11.2% while the market gained 3.8%) | -15.1% |
| vs market, 6 months | over the past 6 months this stock lagged the market by 27.2 percentage points (the stock lost 9.7% while the market gained 17.5%) | -27.1% |
| vs market, 12 months | over the past 12 months this stock lagged the market by 27.8 percentage points (the stock lost 12.8% while the market gained 15.0%) | -27.8% |
Signal agreement
2
| Bullish technical signals | 1 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it is currently in a bullish state: MACD momentum is positive — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 1 of 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Bearish technical signals | 6 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bearish state: a "death cross" — its 50-day average is below its 200-day, trading below its 200-day average, a fresh 20-day low, a strong downtrend, with sellers in control, lagging the market over 6 months, trading below the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 6 of 9 |
Trend (Ichimoku cloud)
1
| Vs the Ichimoku cloud | trading 16% below the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-09-01 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established downtrend, with the band above acting as the level that would have to be cleared. The band itself is moderate, spanning 2.0% of the share price. | -16.4% |
|---|
Volume-weighted price
2
| Vs this year’s average price paid | the price is 15% below the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $308.25 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 191 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -15.5% |
|---|---|---|
| Vs the average paid since it last reported | the price is 10% below the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-08-04 (its 8-K), so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $290.30 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 47 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -10.3% |
Price levels it has turned at before
KAI last closed at $260.55 on 2026-10-08. Since 2024-10-08 it has turned at 0 prices below its last close and 12 above; the 3 nearest above are listed, nearest first.
| Level | Side | Distance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| $280.81 | Resistance | 7.8% above the last close | turned there 7 times · 2025-04-21 to 2026-09-25 |
| $288.30 | Resistance | 10.7% above the last close | turned there five times · 2025-04-09 to 2026-07-09 |
| $297.21 | Resistance | 14.1% above the last close | turned there five times · 2025-06-23 to 2026-07-30 |
A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.
Wave structure
Its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 3 of five.
This labelling fails — stops being a possible reading at all — if it closes above $280.13.
It is the only labelling that fits these swings, though its proportions are not the textbook ones.
On past moves of this shape the leg has usually ended somewhere between $142.60 and $195.13 — that is where it has tended to end if the count holds, not a forecast of where the price goes.
This reading has stood for 5 trading days, since 2026-10-02.
Read from daily closes as of 2026-10-08.
An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.
Screens: Trading below the 200-day moving average · Recent death cross (50-day crossed below 200-day) · Pulled back from the 12-month high · Broke down to a new 20-day low · in a Bollinger Band volatility squeeze · lagging the market | Learn: moving average · golden cross · adx · rsi · breakout · fifty two week high low · bollinger bands
Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-10-08. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.
Analyst consensus
- Consensus ratingBuy (2.25 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 3 analysts
- Mean price target$361.67 range $335.00 – $380.00; median $370.00
Analyst estimates, as of 2026-10-03. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.
Analyst EPS estimate for KAI
- Consensus EPS estimate$2.86 next reporting period, as of 2026-10-03
- Estimate change, 30 days-$0.0725 (-2.5%) from $2.93, on 2026-08-29, 35-day window
- Readings revised upward0% of 7 comparable readings
The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Dependence on cyclical process industries like pulp and paper.","Risks associated with the integration of acquired businesses.","Exposure to foreign currency fluctuations."]
What changed in the latest 10-Q
AI-assisted comparison of KAI's 10-Q filed 2026-05-13 against the prior one filed 2025-11-05.
Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
- Added:
- Reference to fiscal year ended January 3, 2026 (versus December 28, 2024 in older filing)
- Q1 2026 consolidated bookings increased 19% to record $320.8 million compared to Q4 2025
- Parts and consumables bookings reached record level, up 15% compared to Q4 2025
- Capital equipment bookings increased 29% sequentially in Q1 2026
- Ended quarter with backlog of $325.7 million
- Reference to conflicts in the Middle East impacting customer decisions and lengthening quote-to-order times
- Expectation that 2026 bookings will exceed 2025 levels
- Mention of incremental contributions from recent acquisitions
- Flow Control segment bookings increased 19% compared to Q4 2025 with strong demand across all regions
- Industrial Processing segment bookings increased 19% compared to Q4 2025, driven by strong aftermarket parts demand
- Material Handling segment bookings increased 17% compared to Q4 2025
- Removed:
- Explanation that operating segments were aggregated into reportable segments based on similar products, economic characteristics, customers, and production/distribution methods
- Reference to nine-month 2025 consolidated bookings of $763.9 million (3% increase)
- Discussion of tariff-related uncertainty and escalating tariff rates impacting manufacturers
- Geographic analysis of North America, Europe, and China market conditions and tariff impacts
- Reference to fourth quarter 2025 expectations for stronger sequential bookings
- Discussion that demand for capital equipment was flat in nine months 2024 comparison
- Mention of 'industrial automation and digitization solutions' in Industrial Processing segment description
- Reference to agricultural applications in Material Handling segment (narrowed in newer version)
- Three-quarter 2025 constraint on Flow Control bookings due to customer caution
- Reworded:
- Flow Control sector description changed from 'packaging, tissue, food, metals, energy' to 'packaging, paper and tissue, food, energy, defense' (removed metals, added paper and tissue explicitly, added defense)
- Industrial Processing description removed phrase 'for use in' before 'the packaging, paper, tissue'
- Industrial Processing removed explicit mention of 'industrial automation and digitization solutions'
- Material Handling description changed from 'agricultural applications' to 'agricultural, home lawn and garden, professional lawn, turf and ornamental applications'
- Reporting period changed from nine-month 2025 comparison to Q1 2026 sequential comparison
- Market uncertainty drivers shifted from tariffs to 'conflicts in the Middle East' and geopolitical concerns
- Notes:
- Older filing text is truncated at 'equipment' in Flow Control segment overview, limiting complete comparison of that section
- Newer filing text is truncated mid-sentence at 'Our global operations ha', limiting assessment of any additional content in Industry and Business Overview section
AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.
Insider activity (SEC Form 4)
No open-market insider purchases or sales recorded in the last 90 days, of which we have read Form 4 filings through 2026-10-04. The 6 days since 2026-10-04 have not been checked yet.
- Last 180 days · read to 2026-10-040 buys · 2 sells ($860877) — 2 selling insiders
Most recent open-market transaction: 2026-05-27. Based on Form 4 filings read through 2026-10-04; anything filed since is not yet included.
View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filingsAsk about KAI's insider activity →
Only open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.
Institutional ownership (13F)
5 institutional 13F filers reported holding KAI as of 2026-06-30 (quarter-end position, filed within 45 days).
- Distinct 13F filers 5
- Reported shares held 2,385,038
- Reported value $749,443,474
reported quarterly holdings change (2026-03-31 → 2026-06-30): 0 new, 2 increased, 3 decreased, 0 exited. Change counts cover only managers that filed 13F reports in BOTH quarters, derived between two quarter-end snapshots — not same-day trades; a single manager is never said to have "bought" or "sold".
Institutional holdings are quarter-end long positions reported on SEC Form 13F-HR, filed up to 45 days after the quarter ends — they are delayed, are not real-time trades, exclude short positions and most non-US securities, and are not investment advice. Any increase/decrease is a reported change between two quarterly snapshots, not a same-day purchase or sale. These are quarter-end snapshots from the 13F filings on SEC EDGAR, filed within 45 days — not real-time, and any change is a difference between two quarterly reports, not a same-day trade. Informational only — not financial advice.
Ask about KAI's institutional holders → See what each manager we track holds →
Short interest (FINRA)
KAI had 999,653 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).
KAI had 8.47% of its shares outstanding sold short as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (percent of FLOAT would be higher — float is not disclosed in the source). FINRA reported 5.08 days to cover at the same settlement.
- Reported short interest (shares) 999,653
- Short interest (% of shares outstanding) 8.47%
- Prior settlement (shares) 943,320
- Reported change 5.97%
- Days to cover (reported) 5.08
Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-09-15 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.
Competitors & peers
- Voith Group
- Andritz (ANDR)
- Valmet (VALMT)
- Albany International (AIN)
- Kadant's competitors vary by niche (e.g., fluid handling vs. stock preparation)
AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.
Compare KAI vs…
Frequently asked questions
What does KADANT INC (KAI) do?
Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of high-value, intelligent delivery systems and technologies used in process industries. The company provides equipment and services for the paper, wood processing, and other process industries, with a focus on fluid handling, doctoring, cleaning, filtration, and stock preparation systems.
What sector is KADANT INC (KAI) in?
KADANT INC (KAI) is classified in the Industrials sector. Its industry is industrial machinery. It trades on NYSE.
Does KAI pay a dividend?
Yes — KADANT INC (KAI) pays a dividend, with an indicated yield of about 0.54% and at least 1 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC EDGAR XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer (market data, as of 2026-09-02). Informational only — not financial advice.
Who are KADANT INC's (KAI) competitors?
Notable peers of KADANT INC (KAI) include Voith Group, Andritz, Valmet, Albany International and Kadant's competitors vary by niche (e.g., fluid handling vs. stock preparation). This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.
Is KADANT INC (KAI) overbought or oversold right now?
KADANT INC (KAI) is currently neither overbought nor oversold — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 35, in the neutral middle (as of 2026-10-08). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.
Where does stocks-llm's data on KAI come from?
Fundamentals come from SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-02 for the rest; prices are market data, as of 2026-09-02; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.
Fundamentals: SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-02 for the rest. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-10-08.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.