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KAI Stock Forecast: Kadant Inc. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 18 Sept 2026
$266
−0.58% on the day

The 4 Wall Street analysts covering Kadant Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $370 — +39.3% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 50 of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026 — in the upper half.

Market cap
$3.1B
Ticker Nerd rank
50 / 100
Median analyst target
$370
Analysts covering
4
Revenue$312.9M+22.6% y/y
Operating income$50.9M
Net income$32.8M
Free cash flow$42.6M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
−0.3%
1M
−14.2%
YTD
−6.5%
1Y
−13.6%
From 52W high
−23.4%
From 52W low
+7.7%
$247
$347
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

KAI stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Kadant Inc. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 19 Sept 2026
50 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Quality
76
Revisions
71
Value
71
Growth
70
Volatility
38
Momentum
34
Accruals
33
Issuance
30
Size
29

Quality (76): The business earns solid, repeatable profits on what it owns.

Issuance (30): The company has been issuing shares or taking on financing, diluting existing holders.

Size (29): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

KAI stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on KAI, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$250$300$350$400Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26KAIHigh $380Median $370Low $335

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says4 analysts
2 Buy2 Hold0 Sell
Low $335Median $370High $380

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +39.3% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first
DateFirmActionRatingTarget
6 Aug 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral$306 → $335
4 May 2026Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
4 May 2026Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform$380
24 Feb 2026Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
19 Feb 2026Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
18 Feb 2026Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
9 Feb 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
4 Feb 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
3 Feb 2026Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
30 Oct 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
29 Oct 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
27 Oct 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
10 Oct 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
23 Sept 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
4 Aug 2025DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
30 July 2025Barrington ResearchReiteratesOutperform—
29 July 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
1 May 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
1 May 2025DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
30 Apr 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. KAI appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

KAI vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 18 Sept 2026, Kadant Inc. returned −13.6% against +16.3% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

KAI vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
8090100110120Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26KAIS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

KAI analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+0.7%
Analysts raising
3
Analysts cutting
1
Fundamentals

Kadant Inc. (KAI) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
28.6×

Cheaper than 26% of US stocks

Price / sales
2.7×

Cheaper than 44% of US stocks

Price / book
3.1×

Cheaper than 32% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
14.6×

Cheaper than 23% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
22.6%

Higher than 72% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
24.1%

Higher than 62% of US stocks

Gross margin
43.8%

Higher than 54% of US stocks

Operating margin
16.8%

Higher than 75% of US stocks

Net margin
9.5%

Higher than 69% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
11.3%

Higher than 66% of US stocks

Return on assets
6.8%

Higher than 84% of US stocks

Dividend yield
0.5%

Higher than 10% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Kadant Inc. (KAI) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Kadant Inc. has a market value of $3.1B and an enterprise value of $3.5B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $1.2B. The latest quarter grew 22.6% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $111.3M, a 9.7% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $9.30.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $160.0M.

  • Kadant Inc. spent $16.3M on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 11.8M.

  • Trailing P/E: 28.6×; forward P/E: 19.7× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 0.54%, paying out 15% of earnings.

  • Kadant Inc. employs 4,000 people — $288K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 19 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

KAI vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelSpecialty Industrial Machinery
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
KAIKadant Inc.$3.1B
50
SXIStandex International Corp.$3.2B
80
EROCERock, Inc.$2.9B
0
MWAMueller Water Products, Inc.$3.4B
89
SMRNuScale Power Corp.$3.6B
4
MIRMirion Technologies, Inc.$4.0B
29
FELEFranklin Electric Co., Inc.$4.3B
94

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Kadant Inc. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest KAI news & analysis

Kadant Announces CEO Succession Plan

GlobeNewsWire · 10 Sept 2026neutral

Kadant announced a board-adopted CEO succession plan under which Michael C. Colwell will become president and COO on October 1, 2026, and CEO, president and a director on January 2, 2027. Current CEO Jeffrey L. Powell will continue through those dates and then become executive chairman, while chairman Jonathan W. Painter will step down from the board on January 2, 2027.

Why it matters — A KAI watcher would care because the planned leadership transition—including the timing of the CEO change and the shift of board leadership—signals how the company intends to manage executive succession over the coming months.

Kadant Declares Cash Dividend

GlobeNewsWire · 10 Sept 2026neutral

Kadant Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per share, payable on November 12, 2026, to stockholders of record as of October 15, 2026. Future dividend declarations remain subject to Board approval and may be adjusted based on business needs or market conditions.

Why it matters — KAI watchers would care because the company's board continuing to declare a dividend provides an update on capital-return policy and financial positioning.

Kadant Named to Newsweek's List of America's Greatest Companies 2026

GlobeNewsWire · 8 Sept 2026positive

Kadant Inc. has been named to Newsweek's list of America's Greatest Companies 2026. The recognition highlights organizations that excel in financial performance, workplace culture, innovation, and sustainability.

Why it matters — This external recognition signals that Kadant is being acknowledged for its overall corporate strength across financial performance, culture, innovation, and sustainability, areas of interest to company watchers.

Kadant Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

MarketBeat · 8 Aug 2026positive

Kadant reported record second-quarter revenue, adjusted earnings, and EBITDA for 2026, driven by acquisitions, organic growth, and steady demand for aftermarket parts and services, despite some customers delaying large capital-equipment commitments.

Why it matters — Record financial results show Kadant continues to perform strongly even as capital-equipment spending softens, highlighting the resilience of its aftermarket-focused business model.

Kadant Inc. (KAI) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Seeking Alpha · 5 Aug 2026neutral

Kadant Inc. held its Q2 2026 earnings call, and Seeking Alpha published the full transcript of the event. The transcript covers the company's second-quarter results and management discussion.

Why it matters — The transcript provides KAI watchers with direct access to management's commentary on the quarter's performance and outlook.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about KAI stock

What is the KAI stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 4 Wall Street analysts covering Kadant Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $370, with estimates ranging from $335 to $380. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is KAI stock a buy right now?

Of the 4 analysts covering Kadant Inc., 2 rate it a Buy, 2 a Hold and 0 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Kadant Inc. 50 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 19 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank KAI?

As at 19 Sept 2026, Kadant Inc. ranks 50 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Quality (76 of 100).

Will KAI stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 4 analysts implies +39.3% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Kadant Inc. 50 out of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the KAI stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Kadant Inc. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for KAI are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $335 to $380 over the next 12 months.

How has KAI stock performed over the past year?

Kadant Inc. returned -13.6% over the 12 months to 18 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Kadant Inc. do?

Kadant Inc. is an industrial technology company that provides engineered systems, consumables, and aftermarket parts for process industries worldwide.

What is the latest news on KAI?

The most recent item we track (GlobeNewsWire, 10 Sept 2026): "Kadant Announces CEO Succession Plan". Kadant announced a board-adopted CEO succession plan under which Michael C. Colwell will become president and COO on October 1, 2026, and CEO, president and a director on January 2, 2027. Current CEO Jeffrey L. Powell will continue through those dates and then become executive chairman, while chairman Jonathan W. Painter will step down from the board on January 2, 2027.

Company

About Kadant Inc.

Kadant Inc. is an industrial technology company that provides engineered systems, consumables, and aftermarket parts for process industries worldwide. The company serves markets such as papermaking, paper recycling, tissue, wood processing, recycling, and bulk material handling through products that support fluid control, stock preparation, cleaning, filtration, and material flow. Kadant’s portfolio is organized around Flow Control, Industrial Processing, and Material Handling, reflecting its role in helping customers improve process efficiency, resource use, and equipment uptime. Based in Westford, Massachusetts, Kadant operates globally with manufacturing, sales, and service capabilities across multiple regions. Its products are used by manufacturers that depend on continuous, high-performance processing systems to manage fiber, water, energy, and materials effectively.

CEO Mr. Jeffrey L. Powell · 4,000 employees · United States · https://kadant.com