Knife River (NYSE:KNF) Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings

Knife River Corporation (NYSE:KNF)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $80.77, but opened at $88.82. Knife River shares last traded at $91.0030, with a volume of 159,284 shares.

The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $755.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $726.60 million. Knife River had a return on equity of 9.97% and a net margin of 4.87%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.41 EPS.

Key Headlines Impacting Knife River

Here are the key news stories impacting Knife River this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Knife River reported EPS of $0.56 vs. consensus ~$0.41 and revenue of $755.1M (up 14.9% YoY), beating revenue estimates. The print highlights improving top‑line growth and margin expansion. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance / outlook — Management provided FY‑2026 revenue guidance around $3.3B–$3.5B (roughly in line with or slightly above consensus) which supports the upbeat outlook for demand this year. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings call color — Management emphasized backlog‑fueled momentum and execution across aggregates, asphalt and construction services, suggesting sustained revenue visibility into 2026. That commentary likely drove investor confidence. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Documentation available — Company posted the press release, slide deck and call transcript for investors to review the detail behind the beat and guidance; these materials clarify assumptions behind the outlook. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade — Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded Knife River to a Sell, which could add near‑term selling pressure despite the beat if other analysts follow or investors reassess valuation. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Knife River from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Wall Street Zen cut Knife River from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Knife River from $81.00 to $75.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Knife River in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $83.00 target price for the company. Finally, B. Riley Financial assumed coverage on Knife River in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $92.00 price target on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $91.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Knife River

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Knife River by 284.9% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 6,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $576,000 after buying an additional 4,730 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Knife River in the 1st quarter worth $424,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Knife River by 16.8% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 227,565 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,529,000 after buying an additional 32,762 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Knife River by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 6,055 shares of the company’s stock worth $545,000 after acquiring an additional 779 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Knife River in the second quarter worth $273,000. 80.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Knife River Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $5.33 billion, a PE ratio of 36.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 2.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $76.03 and its 200-day moving average is $75.41.

Knife River Company Profile

Knife River Corporation, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, is a leading integrated construction materials and contracting company in the western United States. The company specializes in producing and supplying aggregates, asphalt mix, ready-mixed concrete and other heavy construction materials used in highway, commercial and residential projects.

In addition to material production, Knife River offers a comprehensive suite of contracting services, including heavy civil construction, road building, underground and open-pit mining and logistics support.