Kadant (NYSE:KAI) Stock Price Up 6.7% – Here’s Why

Kadant Inc (NYSE:KAI)’s stock price rose 6.7% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $340.45 and last traded at $348.9370. Approximately 34,504 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 74% from the average daily volume of 132,337 shares. The stock had previously closed at $327.08.

Key Kadant News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kadant this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Kadant reported EPS of $2.27 vs. consensus $2.19 and revenue of $286.2M (up ~11% YoY), driven by aftermarket parts and service sales; margins improved. Kadant Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Full‑year EPS guide raised — FY2026 EPS was set at $10.50–$10.75, above the prior consensus (~$10.25), signaling management’s confidence in 2026 margins and cash generation. Kadant Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Aftermarket parts driving sustainable growth — Management highlighted aftermarket/service parts as a durable revenue driver that helped offset some headwinds. KAI Q4 deep dive: Aftermarket parts drive growth amid tariff headwinds and acquisition integration
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Barrington Research reiterated an “Outperform” rating, which can bolster investor confidence after the print. Barrington Research Reaffirms “Outperform” Rating for Kadant (NYSE:KAI)
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue outlook roughly in line — Management issued FY revenue guidance near $1.2B, which is essentially in line with Street expectations (so upside is mainly from EPS/margin drivers). Kadant Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials and transcript available — Management provided a slide deck and an earnings-call transcript for more detail on segment trends and acquisition integration. Earnings Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Weak Q1 guide — Q1 FY2026 EPS guidance of $1.78–$1.88 came in below the Street (~$2.26), which introduces near‑term earnings risk and explains some caution. Kadant Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and integration headwinds — Management noted tariff pressures and costs related to acquisition integration that could weigh on short‑term margins and growth execution. KAI Q4 deep dive: Aftermarket parts drive growth amid tariff headwinds and acquisition integration

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on KAI. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $380.00 target price on shares of Kadant in a research note on Wednesday. DA Davidson set a $303.00 target price on Kadant in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kadant in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $341.50.

Kadant Trading Up 4.0%

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $314.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $304.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 8.97 and a quick ratio of 1.60. The firm has a market cap of $4.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.32 and a beta of 1.25.

Kadant (NYSE:KAI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.08. Kadant had a net margin of 9.69% and a return on equity of 11.57%. The company had revenue of $286.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $274.43 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Kadant has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.780-1.880 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 10.500-10.750 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Kadant Inc will post 9.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Kadant

In other Kadant news, Director Erin L. Russell sold 1,435 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $282.36, for a total value of $405,186.60. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $865,715.76. This trade represents a 31.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kadant

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KAI. CWM LLC grew its holdings in Kadant by 102.3% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 87 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of Kadant by 1,300.0% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 84 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kadant during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kadant during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in Kadant in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kadant Company Profile

Kadant Inc, headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts, is a global supplier of high‐value, critical components and engineered systems for the pulp and paper industry and other process industries. The company’s product portfolio spans stock preparation technologies, refiners and pulpers, fluid handling systems, and web‐handling equipment designed to optimize the efficiency and quality of paper production. In addition to capital equipment, Kadant offers aftermarket services, including spare parts, maintenance programs and process optimization consulting, which together support long‐term customer productivity and reliability.

Originally part of a larger industrial conglomerate, Kadant was established as an independent public company in 1991.