KAI
Kadant Inc. Industrials - Specialty Industrial Machinery Investor Relations →
Kadant Inc. (KAI) closed at $343.11 as of 2026-02-02, trading 29.4% above its 200-week moving average of $265.26. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 21.4% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 74, KAI is in overbought territory.
Over the past 1687 weeks of data, KAI has crossed below its 200-week moving average 15 times. On average, these episodes lasted 29 weeks. Historically, investors who bought KAI at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +15.1%.
With a market cap of $4.0 billion, KAI is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 3.2%. Return on equity stands at 11.3%. The stock trades at 4.2x book value.
Over the past 32.4 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in KAI would have grown to $1229, compared to $2624 for the S&P 500. KAI has returned 8.0% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Growth of $100: KAI vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After KAI Crosses Below the Line?
Across 15 historical episodes, buying KAI when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +13.2% after 12 months (median +17.0%), compared to +17.6% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 57% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +22.5% vs +37.5% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment KAI crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
KAI has crossed below its 200-week MA 15 times with an average 1-year return of +15.1% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1996 | Jan 1997 | 4 | 5.9% | +36.1% | +764.9% |
| Mar 1997 | Apr 1997 | 4 | 13.3% | +30.4% | +741.5% |
| Jun 1997 | Jun 1997 | 1 | 2.6% | +17.2% | +724.8% |
| Jul 1997 | Jul 1997 | 1 | 3.0% | -2.0% | +719.4% |
| Jun 1998 | Sep 2003 | 275 | 67.6% | -36.7% | +603.7% |
| Oct 2003 | Dec 2003 | 9 | 6.7% | +0.6% | +2062.3% |
| Apr 2005 | May 2005 | 1 | 0.0% | +37.3% | +2162.9% |
| Oct 2005 | Nov 2005 | 4 | 7.1% | +49.1% | +2116.5% |
| Jun 2008 | Aug 2008 | 7 | 9.2% | -50.3% | +1646.1% |
| Aug 2008 | Sep 2008 | 1 | 1.2% | -48.3% | +1559.8% |
| Sep 2008 | Nov 2010 | 111 | 70.0% | -36.7% | +1906.3% |
| Sep 2011 | Oct 2011 | 5 | 13.2% | +40.4% | +2173.4% |
| Nov 2011 | Nov 2011 | 1 | 5.0% | +29.4% | +2044.4% |
| Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | 7 | 25.1% | +144.3% | +378.9% |
| Nov 2025 | Nov 2025 | 1 | 1.7% | N/A | +34.8% |
| Average | 29 | — | +15.1% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02