Kadant Inc (KAI) carries a Roarable Rating of C- (Hold) with 61/100 RQD Confidence. The composite score sits in the neutral Hold band (59–69), meaning current holders don’t need to panic-sell while prospective buyers can wait for a move into the 70+ Buy zone.
As of 2026-11-01, Kadant Inc (NYSE: KAI) is rated C- (Hold / HOLD) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 61/100 at a spot price of $271.33 (+2.08% 1D, market cap $3.20B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 16/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 11/20, Executive Insider Alignment 10/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 10/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 14/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, KAI ranks #151 in composite RQD confidence.
Within the Industrials sector (Industrial Machinery/Components), KAI carries a Roarable C- (61/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 31.4x, gross margin of 45.2%, and ROIC of 14.4%. By comparison, HAYW (Hayward Holdings Inc.) holds a C+ grade (68/100 RQD, P/E 21.4x, ROIC 9.6%, cap $3.24B) and SXI (Standex International Corporation) posts a C- grade (59/100 RQD, P/E 52.8x, ROIC 6.8%, cap $3.05B). Among the 5-stock peer group, HAYW leads on earnings multiple (21.4x) while KAI leads on capital efficiency (14.4% ROIC).
Per KAI's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-01-03, CIK 0000886346), Kadant Inc generated $1.05B in revenue (-0.1% YoY), $102.0M in net income, and $154.3M in free cash flow against $1.71B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (45% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 14.7% FCF Margin ($154.3M FCF) & 45.2% Gross Margin
SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 70% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)
Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (46.7) create a -10 pt regime headwind
Even with a 61/100 (C-) score, KAI faces multiple-compression risk if 31.4x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.
Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.
Recent SEC filings added new risk-factor disclosures that warrant keeping an eye on margins.
Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($275.48) or 200D SMA ($306.33) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($274.99) toward Bear Floor ($214.49).
Kadant Inc (KAI) surged +2.08% to $271.33, trading at 24% of its 52-week range ($244.87 – $354.07). Solid 45% profit margin (14% return on capital), mixed timing at 31x P/E—hold if owned, no rush to chase.
WESTFORD, Mass., Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kadant Inc. (NYSE: KAI) announced it will release its 2026 third quarter results after the market closes on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 and will hold a webcast the next da
The stocks in this article have caught Wall Street’s attention in a big way, with price targets implying returns above 20%. But investors should take these forecasts with a grain of salt because analysts typically say ni
Over the past six months, Kadant’s stock price fell to $267.74. Shareholders have lost 18% of their capital, which is disappointing considering the S&P 500 has climbed by 9.1%. This may have investors wondering how to ap
Sterling Infrastructure (STRL) possesses the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.
Kadant (KAI) doesn't possess the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.
Kadant Inc. (KAI) shares peaked at $430 in 2024 before falling back to current levels. This provides an opportunity now to invest at a reasonable valuation and capture returns that are likely to come from the engineered
Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).
vs. -0.1% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).
No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on KAI today. View full Setup Ledger →
No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for KAI. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.
Across 485 tracked Industrials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Kadant Inc (KAI) ranks #151 by composite RQD confidence (61/100, grade C-) and #182 by equity capitalization ($3.20B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, HAYW leads on earnings valuation at 21.4x trailing P/E, while KAI leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 14.4% ROIC and 45.2% gross margin. HAYW currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 68/100 (C+) compared with KAI at 61/100 (C-).
| Ticker / Company | Roarable Grade | RQD Score | Trailing P/E | Gross Margin | ROIC | 1D Change | Market Cap | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KAI
ACTIVE
Kadant Inc | C- | 61/100 | 31.4x | 45.2% | 14.4% | +2.08% | $3.20B | Benchmark Subject |
| HAYW Hayward Holdings Inc. | C+ | 68/100 | 21.4x | 48.0% | 9.6% | +5.27% | $3.24B | /hayw-vs-kai → |
| SXI Standex International Corporation | C- | 59/100 | 52.8x | 39.9% | 6.8% | +1.49% | $3.05B | /sxi-vs-kai → |
| EFXT Enerflex Ltd | D+ | 58/100 | — | — | — | -2.80% | $2.97B | /efxt-vs-kai → |
| DXPE DXP Enterprises Inc. | C | 65/100 | 30.8x | 31.5% | 13.8% | +5.13% | $2.74B | /dxpe-vs-kai → |
In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2026-01-03), Kadant Inc (KAI) reported GAAP revenue of $1.05B (-0.1% vs. FY2024 revenue of $1.05B , and +9.9% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $102.0M, operating cash flow of $171.3M, and free cash flow of $154.3M (+14.9% YoY). On the balance sheet, KAI closed FY2025 with $1.71B in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: N/A, Piotroski F-Score: 6/9).
| Fiscal Period | Filing Date | Revenue | Net Income | Operating Cash Flow | Free Cash Flow | Total Assets | Total Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 (FY) | 2026-01-03 | $1.05B | $102.0M | $171.3M | $154.3M | $1.71B | — |
| FY2024 (FY) | 2024-12-28 | $1.05B | $111.6M | $155.3M | $134.3M | $1.43B | — |
| FY2023 (FY) | 2023-12-30 | $957.7M | $116.1M | $165.5M | $165.5M | — | — |
As of 2026-11-01, Kadant Inc (NYSE: KAI) is rated C- (Hold / HOLD) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 61/100 at a spot price of $271.33 (+2.08% 1D, market cap $3.20B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 16/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 11/20, Executive Insider Alignment 10/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 10/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 14/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, KAI ranks #151 in composite RQD confidence.
Within the Industrials sector (Industrial Machinery/Components), KAI carries a Roarable C- (61/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 31.4x, gross margin of 45.2%, and ROIC of 14.4%. By comparison, HAYW (Hayward Holdings Inc.) holds a C+ grade (68/100 RQD, P/E 21.4x, ROIC 9.6%, cap $3.24B) and SXI (Standex International Corporation) posts a C- grade (59/100 RQD, P/E 52.8x, ROIC 6.8%, cap $3.05B). Among the 5-stock peer group, HAYW leads on earnings multiple (21.4x) while KAI leads on capital efficiency (14.4% ROIC).
Per KAI's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-01-03, CIK 0000886346), Kadant Inc generated $1.05B in revenue (-0.1% YoY), $102.0M in net income, and $154.3M in free cash flow against $1.71B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (45% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
KAI last traded at $271.33 (+2.08% on volume of 133,838 shares), positioning the stock -1.51% below its 50-day simple moving average ($275.48) and -11.43% below its 200-day simple moving average ($306.33). Across its 52-week range of $244.87 to $354.07, KAI sits at the 24.2% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 46.7 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±6.3% ($254.24 to $288.42).
Why KAI Stock surged +2.08% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. Solid 45% profit margin (14% return on capital), mixed timing at 31x P/E—hold if owned, no rush to chase.
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