Kadant (NYSE:KAI) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Kadant Inc (NYSE:KAI)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $254.65 and last traded at $254.8850, with a volume of 94787 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $262.18.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KAI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Kadant from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $380.00 price target on shares of Kadant in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Kadant in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $340.00.

Kadant Trading Down 0.9%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 9.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market cap of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.16 and a beta of 1.24. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $293.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $313.06.

Kadant (NYSE:KAI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $271.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $260.17 million. Kadant had a return on equity of 11.97% and a net margin of 9.96%.Kadant’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.84 EPS. Kadant has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 9.050-9.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Kadant Inc will post 9.97 EPS for the current year.

Kadant Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 8th will be paid a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 8th. Kadant’s payout ratio is currently 15.72%.

Insider Activity at Kadant

In related news, Director Rebecca Martinez O’mara sold 699 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.91, for a total value of $186,570.09. Following the sale, the director directly owned 1,141 shares in the company, valued at $304,544.31. This represents a 37.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas C. Leonard sold 415 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $338.41, for a total transaction of $140,440.15. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,438,242.50. The trade was a 8.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kadant

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Kadant during the first quarter valued at $576,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Kadant by 23.7% in the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,669 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,236,000 after acquiring an additional 702 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky acquired a new position in shares of Kadant in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,319,000. Wealth Alliance LLC boosted its position in shares of Kadant by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 814 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $274,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Kadant during the first quarter worth approximately $4,230,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Kadant Company Profile

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.