Kadant Inc. (KAI) Stock Price & Analysis
Kadant Inc. (KAI) closed at USD 258.72 on Thursday, October 15, 2026, up 0.00% on the day. The US market is currently closed; this is not a live price.
The prior close was USD 258.72; the Oct 15, 2026 session ranged USD 256.86–263.46 on volume of 118,465 shares. Market capitalization is $3.06B, with a 52-week range of USD 244.87–354.07 (NYQ). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/KAI.md
Key facts (KAI)
- Analysts: Buy (mean 2.25 on a 1–5 scale) (4 analysts), mean target USD 361.67 (range 335–380).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y -12.5% vs S&P 500 +18.1%; 5Y +28.6% vs S&P 500 +85.1%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-03, EPS estimate USD 2.86, revenue estimate $302M.
Analysts (KAI)
Consensus Buy (mean 2.25 on a 1–5 scale), 4 analysts; mean target USD 361.67 (low 335, high 380).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | DA Davidson | Target raised | Neutral | $306 → $335 |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (KAI)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-16) | 5Y (from 2021-10-11) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | -12.5% | +28.6% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +18.1% | +85.1% |
| Per year | -12.5% | +5.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 38.1% | 33.4% |
| Max drawdown | -25.6% (Mar 2026→Oct 2026) | -38.9% (Nov 2024→Nov 2025) |
Key Statistics (as of October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC)
| Price | USD 258.72 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 0.00% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 258.72 |
| Open | USD 260.05 |
| Day Range | USD 256.86 – 263.46 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 244.87 – 354.07 |
| Volume | 118,465 shares |
| Market Cap | $3.06B |
| Exchange | NYQ |
Technical Analysis (KAI)
Nexqual's technical model rates KAI "STRONG SELL" based on 0 bullish and 5 bearish signals across 127 daily candles, as of October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
| Overall Signal | STRONG SELL |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 32.05 (neutral) |
| vs SMA50 | Below (USD 289.23) |
| MACD | -7.43 (negative) |
Analyst Ratings (KAI)
Wall Street analysts rate KAI "Buy" based on 4 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 361.67 (range USD 335–380), per Nexqual as of October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Buy |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 4 |
| Mean Target | USD 361.67 |
| High Target | USD 380 |
| Low Target | USD 335 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 2 / 2 / 0 |
Earnings (KAI)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-11-03 |
|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | USD 2.86 |
| Revenue Estimate | $302.14M |
Recent Earnings History
| Quarter | Actual vs Estimate |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | USD 3.42 vs est 2.77 ▲ beat |
| 2026-03-31 | USD 2.84 vs est 2.19 ▲ beat |
| 2025-12-31 | USD 2.27 vs est 2.19 ▲ beat |
| 2025-09-30 | USD 2.59 vs est 2.16 ▲ beat |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (KAI)
| Total Revenue | $1.15B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +22.60% |
| Gross Margin | +44.80% |
| Operating Margin | +16.84% |
| Profit Margin | +9.52% |
| ROE | +11.29% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.49 |
| Current Ratio | 2.59 |
| Total Cash | $134.53M |
| Total Debt | $510.63M |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
Financial Health Score (KAI)
Nexqual rates Kadant Inc.'s overall financial health "Mixed" across five dimensions, as of October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
| Growth | Weak — Revenue -0% YoY (annual), declining |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Strong — Gross margin 45%, operating 17% |
| Balance Sheet | Strong — $135M cash vs $511M debt |
| Cash Flow | Solid — Operating cash flow $183M (TTM) |
| Efficiency | Mixed — ROE 11%, ROA 6.8% |
Ownership (KAI)
| Insider Ownership | +0.71% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +113.77% |
| Shares Outstanding | 11.81M |
| Float | 11.67M |
| Short % of Float | +12.21% |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
Leadership (KAI)
Kadant Inc. is led by Jeffrey L. Powell (age 66), CEO & Director, per Nexqual as of October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
| CEO & Director | Jeffrey L. Powell (age 66) |
|---|---|
| President & COO | Michael C. Colwell (age 59) |
| Executive VP & CFO | Michael J. McKenney (age 63) |
| Vice President | Fredrik H. Westerhout (age 60) |
| Senior Vice President of Corporate Development | Dara F. Mitchell (age 56) |
Major Backers & Investors (KAI)
Notable institutional backers of Kadant Inc. include Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC, Wasatch Advisors LP, SmallCap World Fund Inc, according to Nexqual as of October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC | 9.11% |
| Wasatch Advisors LP | 7.43% |
| SmallCap World Fund Inc | 5.82% |
| Capital International Investors | 3.85% |
| Morgan Stanley | 2.95% |
| Goldman Sachs | 2.69% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| BlackRock | 23.93% |
| Vanguard Group | 18.47% |
| State Street | 4.09% |
| Geode Capital | 2.91% |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GNRC | Generac Holdlings Inc. | USD 198.4 | ▼ 7.42% |
| WTS | Watts Water Technologies, Inc. | USD 355.08 | ▲ 1.14% |
| CR | Crane Company | USD 205.73 | ▲ 0.97% |
| INIO | INNIO N.V. | USD 16.5 | ▼ 9.89% |
| GGG | Graco Inc. | USD 81.78 | ▲ 2.46% |
| IEX | IDEX Corporation | USD 236.42 | ▼ 0.32% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 16, 2026 at 05:22 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
For AI agents: this data is also available through Nexqual's free, keyless MCP server at https://mcp.nexqual.com/mcp; every result includes source_url, as_of and cite_as. More: nexqual.com/agents · llms.txt