Kadant (NYSE:KAI) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kadant (NYSE:KAI) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.780-1.880 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.260. The company issued revenue guidance of $270.0 million-$280.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $272.5 million. Kadant also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 10.500-10.750 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on KAI. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kadant in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $380.00 price objective on shares of Kadant in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson set a $295.00 target price on shares of Kadant in a research report on Monday, February 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $337.50.

Kadant Stock Down 3.9%

Shares of NYSE KAI traded down $12.96 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $320.55. 176,607 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 128,347. Kadant has a 1 year low of $244.87 and a 1 year high of $398.69. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $311.87 and a 200 day moving average of $304.42. The stock has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.06 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Kadant (NYSE:KAI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $2.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $286.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $274.43 million. Kadant had a net margin of 9.96% and a return on equity of 11.97%. Kadant has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.780-1.880 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 10.500-10.750 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Kadant will post 9.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Erin L. Russell sold 1,435 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $282.36, for a total transaction of $405,186.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $865,715.76. This represents a 31.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kadant

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 vs. ~$274.4M expected, with improved margins and healthy ROE. These results point to underlying demand strength and margin recovery. Kadant Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Record revenue and margin improvement highlighted by the company/coverage — commentary and summaries emphasize an 11% y/y revenue gain and margin progress, reinforcing the quality of the quarter. Kadant Posts Record Q4 Revenue and Improves Margins
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating with a $380 price target, signaling continued analyst conviction about upside from current levels. Benzinga Analyst Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets summarized the quarter and company release; investors can review the full press release and coverage for segment-level detail and any forward-looking commentary. Kadant’s (NYSE:KAI) Q4 CY2025: Strong Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Shares declined today despite the beat — likely drivers include profit-taking after recent strength, elevated valuation (PE ~37), and investors awaiting management’s FY26 outlook or other forward guidance details. Higher trading volume suggests some repositioning even though the quarter was solid. (Market data and intraday movement referenced from market summaries.)

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kadant

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Kadant by 1,300.0% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 84 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Kadant in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kadant during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Kadant by 89.1% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 104 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Kadant by 278.0% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 189 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

About Kadant

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.