Stock Ratings / Industrials / KAI / options

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Kadant Inc (KAI) Options Positioning, Max Pain & Unusual Sweeps

$271.33 +2.08% NYSE • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $271.83

Kadant Inc (KAI) carries a Roarable Rating of D+ (Sell) with 52/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 52/100 (D+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (-1.1% avg 90D alpha vs SPY) →

ROARABLE D+ • SELL / AVOID Cap $3.20B

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on KAI Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is KAI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-02, Kadant Inc (NYSE: KAI) is rated D+ (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 52/100 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 7/20, Executive Insider Alignment 10/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 5/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 14/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, KAI ranks #225 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does KAI compare to HAYW and SXI in the Industrials sector?

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Within the Industrials sector (Industrial Machinery/Components), KAI carries a Roarable D+ (52/100 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 D grade (51/100 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).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for KAI?

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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.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $271.82 (+0.18%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 16/20 (B+) • 14.7% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 52/100 (D+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (-1.1% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 50.1% hit rate — wait for RQD ≥ 70 breakout).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERSELL / AVOID • D+

2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw C · Rk D-

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE-2.7% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for KAI)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±6.1%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (52/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY KAI SCORES 52/100 (D+) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+16/20 pts (31% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 14.7% FCF Margin ($154.3M FCF) & 45.2% Gross Margin

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+14/20 pts (27% of score)

SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 70% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit5/20 pts (-15 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (53.4) create a -15 pt regime headwind

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade D$261.23+1% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade D$263.77+0.2% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade D$264.42+2.6% Next Q

Current

Grade D+$271.33-1.1% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: D (44) → D+ (52)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)CONTRARIAN TURNAROUND & SHORT-SQUEEZE DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a KAI Turnaround Squeeze

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

While KAI currently carries a cautious 52/100 (D+) rating due to Macro Regime Fit (5/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #1

Strong cash generator (45% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #2

Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #3

Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $KAI• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “KAI Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Jan 2, 2027) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 52%NO 48%Trade / Inspect Odds →

CALL VS. PUT WHALE SHARE

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

Put/Call Ratio: — (No Active Options Snapshot)

MAX-PAIN EXPIRATION MAGNET

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

No active options chain max-pain snapshot on file

HISTORICAL 20D VOLATILITY SWING

±6.1%

Derived from 20D OHLCV bars (No Active Options Snapshot)

Active Strike Call vs. Put Concentration Ladder (KAI)

— (No Active Options Snapshot) — No unusual CBOE strike concentration anomalies recorded in the current database snapshot for KAI.

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ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring KAI)

✓Walkthrough of KAI's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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KAI // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: -5.24%▼ DESCENDING CHANNEL

2026-11-02O $265.8H $271.3L $265.8C $271.3VOL 133.8K

RES: $338.2SUP: $248.3SMA50: $274.6SMA200: $306.1

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

KAI Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 KAI Butterfly Map → + Track KAI →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)

24.3%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. -0.1% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on KAI today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for KAI. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for KAI today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (KAI)

Industrials Rank #225 of 485 ⚔️ HAYW vs KAI Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Industrials Peer Comparison (KAI vs. HAYW, SXI, EFXT, DXPE)

Industry: Industrial Machinery/Components (208 Tracked Issuers)

Across 485 tracked Industrials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Kadant Inc (KAI) ranks #225 by composite RQD confidence (52/100, grade D+) 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 52/100 (D+).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
KAI ACTIVE Kadant Inc	D+	52/100	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	D	51/100	52.8x	39.9%	6.8%	+1.49%	$3.05B	/sxi-vs-kai →
EFXT Enerflex Ltd	C-	59/100	—	—	—	-2.80%	$2.97B	/efxt-vs-kai →
DXPE DXP Enterprises Inc.	C-	60/100	30.8x	31.5%	13.8%	+5.13%	$2.74B	/dxpe-vs-kai →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2026-01-03 • CIK 0000886346

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	—	—

3. KAI Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is KAI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does KAI compare to HAYW and SXI in the Industrials sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for KAI?

Where is KAI trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

KAI last traded at $271.33 (+2.08% on volume of 133,838 shares), positioning the stock -1.21% below its 50-day simple moving average ($274.64) and -11.34% below its 200-day simple moving average ($306.05). Across its 52-week range of $244.87 to $354.07, KAI sits at the 24.2% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 53.4 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±6.1% ($254.78 to $287.88).

KAI Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

What is KAI's options positioning and volatility profile?

Roarable tracks verified CBOE unusual options sweeps, put/call ratios, and OHLCV realized volatility bands for KAI.

Direct Sub-Reports: KAI RQD Cockpit KAI 12M Forecast KAI Earnings & Move KAI Dividends & DRIP KAI Insiders & 13F KAI Whale Options KAI Profit Sankey KAI News & Why