Kadant stock analysis 2026 | Price, valuation & outlook

Kadant

NYSE:KAI

$ 290,66

$-8,84 (-2,95%)

290,66 $

$-8,84 (-2,95%)

End-of-day quote: 03/27/2026

Kadant Stock Value

Analysts currently rate Kadant as Outperform.

Outperform

Kadant Company Info

EPS Growth 5Y

13,91%

Market Cap

$3,43 B

Long-Term Debt

$0,37 B

Short Interest

9,01%

Annual earnings

N/A

Dividend

$1,31

Dividend Yield

0,45%

Founded

1991

Industry

Industrials

Country

United States

ISIN Number

US48282T1043

Website

http://www.kadant.com

Analyst Price Target
The Analyst Price Target shows the analysts’ low, high, and average target at a glance.

$340,00

16.98%

Last Update: 03/29/2026

Analysts: 3

Highest Price Target $380,00

Average Price Target $340,00

Lowest Price Target $303,00

In the last five quarters, Kadant’s Price Target has risen from $325,65 to $341,67 - a 4,92% increase. Three analysts predict that Kadant’s share price will increase in the coming year, reaching $340,00. This would represent an increase of 16,98%.

Top growth stocks in the industrials sector (5Y.)

What does Kadant do?

Kadant Inc. operates as a global supplier of technologies and engineered systems that drive Sustainable Industrial Processing. The company’s products and services play an integral role in enhancing efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in process industries while helping its customers advance their sustainability initiatives with products that reduce waste or generate more yield with fewer inputs, particularly fiber, energy, and water. Producing more while consu...

Kadant Inc. operates as a global supplier of technologies and engineered systems that drive Sustainable Industrial Processing.

The company’s products and services play an integral role in enhancing efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in process industries while helping its customers advance their sustainability initiatives with products that reduce waste or generate more yield with fewer inputs, particularly fiber, energy, and water. Producing more while consuming less is a core aspect of Sustainable Industrial Processing and a major element of the strategic focus of the company’s three segments: Flow Control, Industrial Processing, and Material Handling.

The company has a long and well-established history of developing, manufacturing, and servicing a range of products and equipment used in process industries, such as paper, packaging, and tissue; wood products; mining; metals; food processing; and recycling and waste management, among others. The company’s diverse customer base includes global and regional industrial manufacturers and distributors who participate in the broader resource transformation sector. The company has one of the largest installed bases of equipment in the markets it serves around the globe.

On January 1, 2024, the company acquired Key Knife, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (collectively, Key Knife). Key Knife is a global supplier of engineered knife systems for custom chipping, planing, and flaking solutions for wood products industries and is part of the company’s Industrial Processing segment.

On January 24, 2024, the company acquired KWS Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (KWS). KWS is a leading manufacturer of conveying equipment for the bulk material handling industry and is part of its Material Handling segment.

On May 31, 2024, the company acquired Dynamic Sealing Technologies LLC and affiliates (collectively, DSTI). DSTI is a leading manufacturer of engineered fluid sealing and transfer solutions for rotating applications and is part of its Flow Control segment.

Business Segments and Products

The company operates through three segments: Flow Control, Industrial Processing, and Material Handling segment.

Flow Control Segment

Through the company’s Flow Control segment, it provides custom-engineered products, systems, and technologies that control the flow of fluids used in industrial and commercial applications to keep critical processes running efficiently in the packaging, tissue, food, metals, energy, and other industrial sectors. The Flow Control segment consists of the company’s fluid-handling and doctoring, cleaning, & filtration product lines.

Fluid-Handling

The company develops, manufactures and markets fluid-handling systems and equipment used in industrial piping systems to compensate for movement and to efficiently transfer fluid, power, and data. The company’s products are used primarily in the production of fiber-based packaging, metals, food, energy, chemicals, textiles, plastics and rubber. The company’s principal fluid-handling systems and equipment include:

Rotary joints: The company’s mechanical sealing devices, used with rotating shafts, allow the transfer of pressurized fluid from a stationary source into and out of rotating machinery for heating, cooling, or the transfer of fluid power and data.

Syphons: The company’s devices, installed inside rotating cylinders, are used to remove fluids from the rotating cylinders through rotary joints or unions located on either end of the cylinder.

Turbulator Bars: The company’s steel or stainless-steel axial bars, installed on the inside of cylinders, are used to induce turbulence in the condensate layer to improve the uniformity and rate of heat transfer through the cylinders.

Expansion Joints: The company’s rubber, metal, fabric, and other types of expansion joints are used to compensate for movement in industrial piping systems due to thermal expansion, vibration and other causes.

Engineered Steam and Condensate Systems: The company’s steam systems and advanced controls manage the flow of steam from the boiler to steam-heated rolls or processing machinery, collect condensed steam, and return it to the boiler to facilitate efficient energy utilization during the manufacturing process. The company’s systems and equipment are also used to efficiently and effectively distribute steam in a variety of industrial processing applications.

Doctoring, Cleaning, & Filtration

The company develops, manufactures, and markets a wide range of doctoring, cleaning, and filtration systems and related parts and consumables that continuously clean rolls to keep paper machines and other industrial processes running efficiently. Doctoring and cleaning systems are also used in other process industries, such as carbon fiber, building materials, textiles, food, and metals. The company’s principal doctoring, cleaning, and filtration products include:

Doctor Systems and Holders: The company’s doctor systems clean papermaking and other continuous process rolls to maintain the efficient operation of paper machines and other equipment by placing a blade against the roll at constant and uniform pressure. A doctor system consists of the structure supporting the blade and the blade holder.

Doctor Blades: The company’s manufactures doctor and scraper blades made of a variety of materials including metal, bi-metal, reinforced composites, and synthetic materials that perform a variety of functions including cleaning, creping, web removal, flaking, and applying coatings. A typical doctor blade has a life ranging from eight hours to two months, depending on the application.

Cleaning Showers and Fabric-Conditioning Systems: The company’s cleaning shower and fabric-conditioning systems assist in the removal of contaminants that collect on paper machine or other continuous process fabrics, belts, chains, and roll surfaces.

Forming Systems and Wear Surfaces: The company’s supply structures that drain, purify, and recycle process water from the pulp mixture during paper sheet and web formation. Similar processes such as non-wovens manufacturing and molded pulp application use its Forming systems. The company’s wear surfaces are used to remove water from the paper web as it travels across the structures in the forming section of the paper machine or other continuous process.

Water-filtration Systems: The company offers a variety of filtration systems and strainers that remove contaminants from process water before reuse and recover reusable fiber for recycling back into the pulp mixture, and for use in other fiber processes such as non-wovens manufacturing or building and construction materials applications.

Industrial Processing Segment

Through the company’s Industrial Processing segment, it provides equipment, machinery, and technologies used to recycle paper and paperboard and process timber for use in the packaging, tissue, wood products and alternative fuel industries, among others. In addition, the company provides industrial automation and digitization solutions to process industries. The Industrial Processing segment consists of the company’s wood processing and fiber processing (formerly referred to as stock-preparation) product lines.

Wood Processing

The company develops, manufactures, and markets debarkers, stranders, chippers, and related equipment used in the production of lumber, oriented strand board (OSB) and other wood products. In addition, the company provides industrial automation and digitization solutions to process industries. The company’s principal wood processing products and services include:

Ring and rotary debarkers: The company’s fixed and sliding ring debarkers utilize a rotating multi-tool to strip the bark off a non-rotating log. The company’s ring debarkers are used in lumber mills to remove the bark from the tree before further processing into lumber. The company’s rotary debarkers and related parts and consumables employ a combination of mechanical abrasion and log-to-log contact to efficiently remove bark from logs of all shapes and species.

Stranders: The company’s disc and ring stranders and related parts and consumables cut batch-fed and tree-length logs into strands for OSB production and are used to manage strands in real time using its proprietary conveying and feeding equipment.

Chippers: The company’s disc, drum, and veneer chippers and related parts and consumables are high-quality, robust chipper systems for waste-wood and whole-log applications found in pulp woodrooms, chip plants, and sawmill and planer mill sites.

Engineered Knife Systems: The company’s equipment includes custom chipping, planing, and flaking products and systems used in sawmills, pulp mills, chip plants and other applications.

Industrial Automation and Control: The company provides industrial automation, process technology, and project management services to help industrial companies digitally transform their operations.

Fiber Processing

The company develops, manufactures, and markets custom-engineered systems and equipment, as well as standard individual components, for pulping, de-inking, screening, cleaning, and refining primarily recycled fiber for preparation for entry into the paper machine, and recausticizing and evaporation equipment and systems used in the production of virgin pulp. The company’s principal fiber processing products include:

Recycling and Approach Flow Systems: The company’s equipment includes pulping, screening, cleaning, and de-inking systems that process fiber and remove contaminants, such as ink, glue, metals, and other impurities, to prepare them for entry into the paper machine during the production of recycled paper.

Virgin Pulping Process Equipment: The company’s equipment includes pulp washers, evaporators, and recausticizing and condensate treatment systems used to remove lignin, concentrate and recycle process chemicals, and remove condensate gases.

Material Handling Segment

Through the company’s Material Handling segment, it provides products and engineered systems used to handle bulk and discrete materials for secondary processing or transport in the aggregates, mining, food, and waste management industries, among others. In addition, the company manufactures and sells biodegradable, absorbent granules used as carriers in agricultural applications and for oil and grease absorption. The Material Handling segment consists of the company’s conveying and vibratory, baling, and fiber-based product lines.

Conveying and Vibratory Equipment

The company develops, manufactures, and markets conveying and vibratory equipment and systems to various process industries, including mining, aggregates, food processing, packaging, and paper. The company’s principal conveying and vibratory products include:

Vibratory Equipment: Feeders, screens, and flow aides utilized in the feeding of rugged and non-rugged materials as well as in mixing, blending, and packaging of fragile materials with speed and precision.

Conveying Equipment: Transport idlers, power terminal units, and electric controls, used to transport bulk materials in harsh above- and below-ground mining environments; and screw conveyors and feeders, slide gates, and bucket elevators used for material handling operations in the agricultural, food, chemical, and paper industries, among others.

Baling

The company develops, manufactures, and markets individual components and equipment for baling recyclable and waste materials to prepare them for secondary processing, transport, or storage. The company’s principal baling products include horizontal channel balers, vertical balers, conveyors, compactors, and bale wrapping machines used in the processing of recyclable and waste materials.

Fiber-based Products

The company manufactures and sells biodegradable, absorbent granules derived from papermaking by-products. These materials are primarily used as carriers in agricultural, home lawn and garden, professional lawn, turf and ornamental applications, and for oil and grease absorption.

Research and Development

The company’s research and development expenses were $14.3 million in 2024.

Sales and Marketing

The company markets and sells its engineered products, services, and systems to process industries using a combination of direct sales, independent sales agents, and distributors depending on the market and product being sold. Technical service personnel, product specialists, and other subject matter experts are utilized in certain markets and with certain product lines. The company’s application expertise is complemented by a consultative selling approach to ensure it meets the needs of the company’s customers.

Patents, Licenses, and Trademarks

Flow Control Segment

The company has numerous U.S. and foreign patents, including foreign counterparts to its U.S. patents, expiring on various dates ranging from 2025 to 2050, related to fluid handling and doctoring, cleaning, and filtration equipment. From time to time, the company enters into licenses with other companies for products that serve the pulp, papermaking, converting, and paper recycling industries.

Industrial Processing Segment

The company has numerous U.S. and foreign patents, including foreign counterparts to its U.S. patents, expiring on various dates ranging from 2025 to 2042, related to fiber processing and wood processing systems and equipment.

Material Handling Segment

The company has numerous U.S. and foreign patents, including foreign counterparts to its U.S. patents, expiring on various dates ranging from 2025 to 2041, related to various aspects of conveyor belt systems and conveying apparatus, and baling equipment. The company licenses one of its two significant product brand names, Link-Belt, from a third party pursuant to a trademark license agreement. Approximately 21% of the company’s Material Handling segment revenue in 2024 was generated by sales of conveying equipment under the Link-Belt name. Under the terms of the license agreement, the company has a worldwide, exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use the Link-Belt trademark in connection with such products.

The company also holds several U.S. patents, expiring on various dates ranging from 2026 to 2034, related to various aspects of the processing of fiber-based granules and the use of these materials in agricultural, home lawn and garden, professional lawn, turf and ornamental applications, and for oil and grease absorption.

Seasonal Influences

Industrial Processing Segment

The company’s Industrial Processing segment is subject to seasonal variations, with demand for its wood processing products tending to be greater during the building season, which generally occurs in the second and third quarters in North America (for the year ended December 2024).

Material Handling Segment

The company’s Material Handling segment experience minor seasonal fluctuations in sales, with demand for its products tending to be greater in the second and third quarters due to the impact of weather and favorable outdoor working conditions at certain of the company’s customers. The company’s fiber-based products business experiences fluctuations in sales, usually in the third quarter, when sales decline due to the seasonality of the agricultural and home lawn and garden markets.

History

Kadant Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in 1991.

Kadant Questions and Answers

Which sectors generate sales and which are the top 3 markets?

**Revenue distribution by industry:** - Paper and pulp industry: approx. 50% - Industrial processing: approx. 30% - Automation and control systems: approx. 20% **TOP 3 markets and their percentage shares:** - North America: approx. 40% - Europe: approx. 30% - Asia-Pacific: approx. 20% Kadant Inc....

At which locations are the company’s products manufactured?

**Production Sites of Kadant Inc.:** Kadant Inc. operates production facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. Kadant Inc. is a globally active company specializing in the manufacturing of equipment and systems for the paper and pulp industry, as well as other industrial sectors. The producti...

What strategy does Kadant pursue for future growth?

**Revenue Growth:** 10.5% (estimated 2024) **Profit Growth:** 8.9% (estimated 2024) Kadant Inc. pursues a growth strategy focused on innovation, acquisitions, and geographic expansion. The company continuously invests in research and development to expand its product range and integrate new techn...

Which raw materials are imported and from which countries?

**Main raw materials:** Pulp, steel, aluminum **Countries of origin:** - Pulp: Canada, Brazil - Steel: China, USA - Aluminum: Russia, Canada Kadant Inc. is a company specializing in the manufacturing of equipment for the pulp and paper industry. The main raw materials imported by Kadant include pu...

How strong is the company’s competitive advantage?

**Gross margin:** 42.5% (2024) **Return on equity (ROE):** 18.7% (2024) **Market share in the paper and pulp industry segment:** 15% (estimated 2024) Kadant Inc. has a significant competitive advantage that is evident in several areas. The gross margin of 42.5% indicates strong pricing power an...

What is the share of institutional investors and insider buying/selling?

**Institutional Investor Share:** approximately 90% (estimated for 2025 based on previous trends) **Insider Buys/Sells:** No significant transactions in the last year (estimated for 2025) Kadant Inc. has traditionally had a high institutional investor share, which has been around 90% in recent yea...

What percentage market share does Kadant have?

**Market share of Kadant Inc.:** Estimated 5-7% (2025) **Major competitors and their market shares:** 1. Andritz AG: 15% 2. Valmet Oyj: 12% 3. Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA: 10% 4. Metso Outotec: 8% 5. Kadant Inc.: 5-7% 6. Alfa Laval: 5% 7. GL&V: 3% 8. Ahlstrom-Munksjö: 2% Kadant Inc. is a signifi...

Is Kadant stock currently a good investment?

**Revenue Growth:** 8.5% (2024) **Profit Growth:** 10.2% (2024) **Return on Equity:** 14.8% (2024) Kadant Inc. achieved solid revenue growth of 8.5% in 2024, indicating strong demand for its industrial products and services. The 10.2% profit growth shows that the company was able to increase its pr...

Does Kadant pay a dividend – and how reliable is the payout?

**Dividend yield:** 1.1% (2025) **Dividend growth:** 8% (last year) **Payout ratio:** 25% (2025) Kadant Inc. pays a dividend. The current dividend yield is 1.1%, which is moderate compared to other companies in the industry. The company saw a dividend growth of 8% last year, indicating a positi...

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Kadant Stock Value

Kadant Company Info

Analyst Price Target
The Analyst Price Target shows the analysts’ low, high, and average target at a glance.

Top growth stocks in the industrials sector (5Y.)

What does Kadant do?

Kadant Questions and Answers

Offer & Services

Service & Collaboration

Company & Legal

New support ticket

Explore

Kadant Stock Value

Kadant Company Info

Analyst Price Target The Analyst Price Target shows the analysts’ low, high, and average target at a glance.

Top growth stocks in the industrials sector (5Y.)

What does Kadant do?

Kadant Questions and Answers

Offer & Services

Service & Collaboration

Company & Legal

Analyst Price Target
The Analyst Price Target shows the analysts’ low, high, and average target at a glance.