RBC Bearings (NYSE:RBC) and Kadant (NYSE:KAI) Head to Head Comparison

Kadant (NYSE:KAI) and RBC Bearings (NYSE:RBC) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Kadant and RBC Bearings”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kadant	$1.05 billion	3.75	$101.97 million	$8.65	38.70
RBC Bearings	$1.64 billion	10.93	$246.20 million	$8.50	66.57

RBC Bearings has higher revenue and earnings than Kadant. Kadant is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than RBC Bearings, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

96.1% of Kadant shares are held by institutional investors. 1.2% of Kadant shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.9% of RBC Bearings shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Kadant and RBC Bearings, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Kadant	0	2	1	0	2.33
RBC Bearings	0	1	6	1	3.00

Kadant currently has a consensus target price of $341.50, suggesting a potential upside of 2.03%. RBC Bearings has a consensus target price of $574.67, suggesting a potential upside of 1.56%. Given Kadant’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Kadant is more favorable than RBC Bearings.

Profitability

This table compares Kadant and RBC Bearings’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Kadant	9.69%	11.57%	7.09%
RBC Bearings	15.00%	10.86%	6.93%

Volatility and Risk

Kadant has a beta of 1.22, indicating that its stock price is 22% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, RBC Bearings has a beta of 1.47, indicating that its stock price is 47% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

RBC Bearings beats Kadant on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Kadant

Kadant Inc. supplies technologies and engineered systems worldwide. It operates in three segments: Flow Control, Industrial Processing, and Material Handling. The Flow Control segment develops, manufactures, and markets fluid-handling systems and equipment, such as rotary joints, syphons, turbulator bars, expansion joints, and engineered steam and condensate systems; and doctoring, cleaning, and filtration systems and related consumables consisting of doctor systems and holders, doctor blades, cleaning shower and fabric-conditioning systems, forming systems and wear surfaces, and water-filtration systems. The Industrial Processing segment develops, manufactures, and markets ring and rotary debarkers, stranders, chippers, engineered knife systems, industrial automation and control, recycling and approach flow systems, and virgin pulping process equipment for use in the packaging, tissue, wood products, and alternative fuel industries. The Material Handling segment offers conveying and vibratory equipment, and baling products; and manufactures and sells biodegradable absorbent granules for carriers in agricultural, home lawn and garden, professional lawn, turf, and ornamental applications, as well as for oil and grease absorption. The company markets and sells its products, services, and systems through direct sales, independent sales agents, and distributors. The company was formerly known as Thermo Fibertek, Inc. and changed its name to Kadant Inc. in July 2001. Kadant Inc. was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts.

About RBC Bearings

RBC Bearings Incorporated manufactures and markets engineered precision bearings, components, and systems in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Aerospace/Defense and Industrial. The company produces plain bearings with self-lubricating or metal-to-metal designs, including rod end bearings, spherical plain bearings, and journal bearings; roller bearings, such as tapered roller bearings, needle roller bearings, and needle bearing track rollers and cam followers, which are anti-friction products that are used in industrial applications and military aircraft platforms; and ball bearings include high precision aerospace, airframe control, thin section, and industrial ball bearings that utilize high precision ball elements to reduce friction in high-speed applications. In addition, it offers mounted bearing products include mounted ball bearings, mounted roller bearings, and mounted plain bearings; and enclosed gearing product lines, including quantis gearmotor, torque arm, tigear, magnagear and maxum, and controlled start transmission. Further, the company's power transmission components include mechanical drive components, couplings, and conveyor components; engineered hydraulics and valves for aircraft and submarine applications, and aerospace and defense aftermarket services; fasteners; precision mechanical components, which are used in various general industrial applications; and machine tool collets that are used for holding circulars or rod-like pieces. It serves automotive, tool holding, agricultural and semiconductor machinery, commercial and defense aerospace, ground defense, construction and mining, oil and natural resource extraction, heavy truck, marine, rail and train, material handling, food and beverage, packaging and canning, wind, and general industrial markets through its direct sales force, and a network of industrial and aerospace distributors. The company was founded in 1919 and is based in Oxford, Connecticut.