What is the 13F Pro Quality Score for KAI?

13F Pro ranks KADANT INC (KAI) on the 13F Pro Quality Score, a 0–100 composite of 32 fundamental signals including return on invested capital, free cash flow consistency, balance-sheet strength, earnings quality, growth durability, and valuation discipline. The score refreshes after each 10-K and 10-Q filing on SEC EDGAR. View KAI's current score at https://13fpro.ai/research/KAI (free sign-up required for the full ranking).

Where does 13F Pro source KAI data?

All KADANT INC fundamentals and ownership data come directly from SEC EDGAR. KADANT INC files with the SEC under CIK 886346. 13F Pro ingests XBRL financial facts from 10-K and 10-Q filings, Form 13F-HR institutional holdings, and Form 4 insider transactions, with no third-party rewrites or estimates.

What sector is KAI in?

KADANT INC (KAI) is classified in the Industrials sector. 13F Pro publishes sector-level fund flow analysis and quality leaders at https://13fpro.ai/research/sector/industrials.

How often is KAI research updated on 13F Pro?

KAI's fundamentals refresh within hours of each new 10-K or 10-Q filing on SEC EDGAR. Institutional ownership updates after each quarterly 13F filing window. Insider transactions update after each Form 4 filing. The 13F Pro Quality Score recalculates after every fundamentals refresh.

KADANT INC(KAI)Stock Analysis

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13F Pro Quality Score

57.3/100

Rank #1,050 of 2,879 stocksTOP 50%

View Industrials peers →

Rankings refresh quarterly once 80% of peers have filed (~45 days after quarter-end). Next update: ~Aug 14, 2026.

Revenue Growth

47.4/100

Profitability

63.6/100

Balance Sheet

75.4/100

Earnings Quality

32.4/100

Free Cash Flow

66.1/100

Institutional Flow

39.0/100

Revenue Scale

50.3/100

Dilution Risk

55.3/100

KAI Stock Analysis & AI Quality Score

AI stock analysis and institutional research for KADANT INC (KAI), a Industrials sector company. 13F Pro's AI-powered ranking engine scores KAI at 57.3/100 on a 32-signal composite quality model, placing it at rank #1,050 of 2,879 stocks — the top half of the AI-ranked universe. KAI scores in the top quartile across balance sheet strength (75.4). Areas of concern include earnings quality (32.4) and institutional flow (39.0), which score below median versus the broader universe. Based on the latest XBRL financial filings (Q1 2026), KADANT INC reports quarterly revenue of $281.5M, net income of $25.5M, an operating margin of 14.2%. Top institutional holders of KAI by reported 13-F value include BlackRock,, KAYNE ANDERSON RUDNICK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, WASATCH ADVISORS, based on the most recent SEC filings. KAI trades on the NYSE exchange and files with the SEC under CIK 886346. 13F Pro's AI research platform runs 10 specialized AI analysts — value, growth, momentum, macro, and activist specialists — that debate KAI daily and publish AI-generated analysis with cited SEC sources. The platform aggregates historical XBRL financial facts, 10-Q and 10-K filings, insider Form 4 transactions, and institutional 13-F holdings for KADANT INC directly from SEC EDGAR. KADANT INC's 13F Pro composite quality score has ranged between 8 and 69 since 2021, currently 57.3 — an improving long-term trajectory across 56 quarterly and live scoring snapshots.

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Fun facts about KADANT INC

Quirks, history, and lore behind KAI — the kind of stuff that makes a stock memorable.

1
The Basics
U.S. industrial equipment company · small-cap · listed on NYSE · headquartered in Massachusetts.
2
The Numbers
Annual revenue in the range of $700–800 million — modest by industrial standards, but it consistently delivers strong operating margins that make larger rivals jealous.
3
The History
Traces its roots back to the 1930s, it has spent decades quietly acquiring niche industrial businesses and reinventing itself from a papermaking equipment supplier into a diversified manufacturer.
4
The Secret
A surprising amount of its business is about fluid handling and doctoring systems — basically keeping industrial machinery clean, precise, and running — which sounds unglamorous but prints reliable cash flow.
5
The Lore
Its products touch the global paper and tissue industry at nearly every step, meaning a roll of paper towels in your kitchen likely passed through one of its machines at some point.
6
The Giveaway
Its ticker spells out a martial art, its name rhymes with radiant, and it's the quiet Massachusetts giant that keeps the world's paper mills humming.

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Revenue

Q1 2026

$281.5M

Net Income

Q1 2026

$25.5M

Free Cash Flow

Q1 2026

$18.7M

Operating Margin

Q1 2026

14.2%

D/E Ratio

Q1 2026

0.36

Revenue & Net Income

Earnings Per Share

Key Financials Over Time

Export Financial Table · Pro+

Revenue

+9.9% YoY

$1.05BFY 2025

FY19 $704.6MFY22 $904.7MFY23 $957.7MFY25 $1.05B

Net Income

-12.1% YoY

$102.0MFY 2025

FY19 $52.1MFY22 $120.9MFY23 $116.1MFY25 $102.0M

Operating Income

-5.1% YoY

$157.3MFY 2025

FY19 $87.8MFY22 $171.3MFY23 $165.8MFY25 $157.3M

EPS (Diluted)

-12.6% YoY

$8.65FY 2025

FY19 $4.54FY22 $10.35FY23 $9.90FY25 $8.65

Total Assets

+45.6% YoY

$1.71BFY 2025

FY19 $939.4MFY22 $1.15BFY23 $1.18BFY25 $1.71B

Total Debt

+234.7% YoY

$375.8MFY 2025

FY19 $301.0MFY22 $203.0MFY23 $112.3MFY25 $375.8M

Op. Cash Flow

+3.5% YoY

$171.3MFY 2025

FY19 $97.4MFY22 $102.6MFY23 $165.5MFY25 $171.3M

Metric	FY 2025	FY 2023	FY 2022	FY 2019	FY 2018	FY 2017
Revenue	$1.05B +9.9%	$957.7M +5.9%	$904.7M +28.4%	$704.6M +11.2%	$633.8M +23.1%	$515.0M
Net Income	$102.0M -12.1%	$116.1M -4.0%	$120.9M +132.3%	$52.1M -13.8%	$60.4M +94.3%	$31.1M
Operating Income	$157.3M -5.1%	$165.8M -3.2%	$171.3M +95.0%	$87.8M -0.9%	$88.6M +43.8%	$61.6M
EPS (Diluted)	$8.65 -12.6%	$9.90 -4.3%	$10.35 +128.0%	$4.54 -14.3%	$5.30 +92.7%	$2.75
Total Assets	$1.71B +45.6%	$1.18B +2.2%	$1.15B +22.4%	$939.4M +29.4%	$725.7M -4.6%	$761.1M
Total Debt	$375.8M +234.7%	$112.3M -44.7%	$203.0M -32.5%	$301.0M +71.2%	$175.8M -27.2%	$241.4M
Operating Cash Flow	$171.3M +3.5%	$165.5M +61.3%	$102.6M +5.4%	$97.4M +54.7%	$63.0M -3.3%	$65.2M

AI Insight: KAI Financial Trends

Revenue stabilized above $280M while debt spiked 41% from Q3 2025 to Q1 2026, offsetting margin recovery.

• Revenue rebounded to $282M–$286M in late 2025–Q2 2026 after Q1 2025 trough of $239M; +18% from low.

• Operating margin recovered to 14.0%–14.2% in Q1–Q2 2026 vs. 10.0% in Q4 2024; consistent mid-14% level.

• Total debt surged from $258M (Q3 2025) to $376M (Q1 2026), then modest decline to $363M (Q2 2026).

⚠ Operating cash flow collapsed 53% from $47M (Q3 2025) to $22M (Q2 2026); largest drop on record.

⚠ Debt-to-equity ratio jumped from 0.27 (Q3 2025) to 0.37 (Q2 2026); leverage elevated despite revenue growth.

⚠ Net income flat at $24M–$26M despite 19% revenue growth Q2 2024 to Q2 2026; margin compression risk.

AI Insight: KAI Ratio Trends

Kadant's profitability and returns have deteriorated sharply since mid-2024, with operating margin down 380bp and ROIC down 500bp from peak.

• Operating margin collapsed from 18.0% in Q3 2024 to 13.9% in Q1 2026, a 410bp decline over 15 months.

• ROIC fell from 16.8% in Q2 2024 to 11.8% in Q2 2026, eroding nearly 500bp of shareholder value creation.

• Leverage improved modestly: D/E fell from 0.43 in Q2 2024 to 0.36 in TTM, though recent quarter shows uptick to 0.38.

⚠ Q1 2026 marked a new recent low across all return metrics (OpMargin 13.9%, ROA 5.6%, ROIC 11.7%), signaling persistent operational headwinds.

⚠ Net profit margin compressed from 11.6% in Q3 2024 to 8.4% in Q1 2026—potential mix shift or cost inflation pressure.

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Available Research

13F Pro tracks comprehensive data for KADANT INC including:

SEC EDGAR filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K)

XBRL financial facts (revenue, EPS, margins)

Insider transactions (Form 4)

Institutional 13F holdings

Quality rankings (32 signals)

AI analyst debates & daily meetings

Historical financial trends

Peer comparison & sector analysis

Top Institutional Holders of KAI

BlackRock, Inc.
$507.7M1,736,630 sh
KAYNE ANDERSON RUDNICK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC
$339.6M1,161,595 sh
WASATCH ADVISORS LP
$303.6M1,038,548 sh
VANGUARD PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LLC
$205.2M701,940 sh
VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC
$154.7M529,048 sh
STATE STREET CORP
$134.6M460,514 sh
Capital International Investors
$130.9M447,841 sh
Neuberger Berman Group LLC
$108.0M369,486 sh
Capital World Investors
$103.7M354,850 sh
GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
$93.5M319,622 sh

Fund	Value	Shares
BlackRock, Inc.	$507.7M	1,736,630
KAYNE ANDERSON RUDNICK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC	$339.6M	1,161,595
WASATCH ADVISORS LP	$303.6M	1,038,548
VANGUARD PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LLC	$205.2M	701,940
VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC	$154.7M	529,048
STATE STREET CORP	$134.6M	460,514
Capital International Investors	$130.9M	447,841
Neuberger Berman Group LLC	$108.0M	369,486
Capital World Investors	$103.7M	354,850
GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC	$93.5M	319,622

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Is KAI a good stock to buy?

13F Pro's AI-powered analysis of KADANT INC (KAI) draws on SEC EDGAR-sourced fundamentals, institutional 13F holdings, and insider Form 4 transactions in the Industrials sector (listed on NYSE). The 32-signal AI Quality Score, current rank, and full bull/bear verdict for KAI are available on the KAI stock profile dashboard — with the same data, AI insights, ratios, and institutional activity refreshed after every 10-K, 10-Q, 13F, and Form 4 filing.

Which hedge funds own KAI?

Institutional investors are required to disclose their holdings quarterly via SEC Form 13F. 13F Pro aggregates these filings to show which hedge funds, mutual funds, and asset managers are buying or selling KAI. Combined with insider transaction data from Form 4 filings and AI-powered analysis from 10 specialized research agents, 13F Pro provides a comprehensive view of KADANT INC's investment landscape.