December 21, 2023
Top 10 Stock Kadant Hold Recommendation



How to read the ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:

Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Snapshot: Kadant – Top 10 Stock in Wood & Timber Industry


kadant.com


Kadant is listed as a top 10 stock on December 21, 2023 in the market index Timber Industry because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Two consolidated Obermatt Ranks are above-average. While the company shows high growth, the stock price is high yet professional investor sentiment is low, which may be due to overly optimistic investor behavior, reflected in a low stock price value. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 31 (31% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall hold recommendation for Kadant on December 21, 2023.


Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks


Country USA
Industry Industrial Machinery
Index Timber Industry
Size class Medium
Latest Research


Top 10 Stocks ≠ most popular stocks

When Obermatt identifies the Top 10 stocks in a market, it’s based on a certain investment strategy. The best performing stocks usually aren’t the ones that everyone is talking about (those are often "over-priced" and have low Value ranks).

For each investment strategy, we provide you with more detailed analysis and our recommendation. You see the ranks of the top 10 stocks ranked by that particular investment strategy (360° View, Sentiment, Value, Growth, Safety and Combined Financial Performance).


360° View: Obermatt 360° View Kadant Hold

360 METRICS December 21, 2023
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT
360° VIEW
360° VIEW

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 31 (better than 31% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Kadant are below the industry average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Kadant. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 54, which means that the company experiences above-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth as well as stock returns. This means that growth is higher than for 54% of competitors in the same industry. In addition, the consolidated Safety Rank has a safer rank of 76 which means that the company has a financing structure that is safer than 76% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. But the consolidated Value Rank has a less desirable rank of 8 which means that the share price of Kadant is on the higher side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means that the stock price is higher than for 92% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The consolidated Sentiment Rank also has a low rank of 26, which means that professional investors are more pessimistic about the stock than for 74% of alternative investment opportunities. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 31, Kadant is worse than 69% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As only half of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, the picture is ambiguous. Growth is above-average (Growth Rank of 54), and the company is safely financed (Safety Rank of 76). However, professional market sentiment is low(Sentiment Rank of 26). The negative market view on Kadant may be due to the high stock price (low value). A growth company like this may get too expensive at one point in time. If too many investors are desperate to board the train, they may drive stock prices above reasonable levels. It is typical for growth companies to have low value ratings, because investors are willing to pay more for companies that outperform their competitors. So the question is, how much more do you pay for the stock of Kadant compared with alternatives? You can use the following rule of thumb: The value rank shouldn’t be lower than one hundred minus the growth rank. For example, if the growth rank is at 75, and the value rank is at 5, you should tread carefully. If the value rank is at 40, it still might be a good value if the value rank is above 60. As market sentiment is low, you should be careful with paying more than market-average for this stock and conduct further research into the company’s future growth potential. ...read more




Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Kadant only reserved

SENTIMENT METRICS December 21, 2023
ANALYST OPINION
ANALYST OPINION
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 26 (better than 26% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Kadant is below industry average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for Kadant. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 48 (worse than 52% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to warn against investing in the stock of the company. But they are changing their opinions! Analyst Opinions Change has a rank of 50, which means that stock research experts are more positive in their investment recommendations in the company. In other words, they are getting more optimistic of stock investments in Kadant. More encouragingly, the Professional Investors rank is 73, which means that professional investors hold more stock in this company than in 73% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to favor investing in this company. But Market Pulse is on the lower side with a rank of 15, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the negative side when discussing this company (more negative news than for 85% of competitors). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 26 (less encouraging than 74% compared with investment alternatives), Kadant has a reputation among professional investors that is below that of its competitors. The sentiment signals are mixed for Kadant. While analysts and the news channels are negative, there is a change in what analysts think. Above-average institutional investors in this company support them. Sentiment signals remain mixed with analysts and news channels pessimistic, though improving, and professional investors above average. ...read more



Value Strategy: Kadant Stock Price Value low

VALUE METRICS December 21, 2023
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 8 (worse than 92% compared with alternatives), Kadant shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for Kadant. Price-to-Sales is 21 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 79% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Kadant's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 39, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of Kadant. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 7 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 59% of comparable companies, also make the stock more expensive compared with investment alternatives. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 8, is a sell recommendation based on Kadant's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for Kadant? One reason may be that the company is simply too popular. If enough people want a particular stock, its price can exceed reasonable levels. This is often the case for companies offering new and exciting products and everybody wants a piece of the action. Should you pay a lot for a hot stock such as Kadant? It's risky, and even if the stock price continues to grow because of popular demand, it may return to more typical lower levels later. And that return can be sudden and quick, making it impossible for retail investors to exit on time. Sometimes, high prices are deserved. This is the case when it is justified to believe that the company will dominate a market with high profit margins. It has happened in the past for many technology companies and indeed for commercially successful pharmaceutical discoveries. Sometimes they last, sometimes, they get eaten alive. Kadant may be such a type of stock. That would mean, retail investors should be careful, only considering investing a small part of their wealth in this exciting category and always being ready to lose more than half, if not all of the investment. ...read more



Growth Strategy: Kadant Growth Momentum good

GROWTH METRICS December 21, 2023
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 54 (better than 54% compared with alternatives), Kadant shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Kadant. Capital Growth has a rank of 50, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 48% of its competitors. Investors welcomed this, visible in the Stock Returns rank of 79 (above 79% of alternative investments). But Sales Growth has only a rank of 31, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 69% of its competitors, and Profit Growth is also low at a rank of 48. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 54, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is an ambiguous picture. Revenue growth and capital growth are strong, but the growth in profit, which seems good, can also be an indication that growth momentum may be negative. The fact that stock returns have been above average doesn't help much, as stock returns are less reliable in showing a company’s future growth potential. Prices may perform well for the simple reason that investors were too pessimistic in the past and are now correcting their opinions and moving the stock price to a more reasonable level. As the growth picture is mixed for Kadant, investors may want to look at value and sentiment indicators for a well-rounded picture of this stock. ...read more



Safety Strategy: Kadant Debt Financing Safety very solid

SAFETY METRICS December 21, 2023
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE
REFINANCING
REFINANCING
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 76 (better than 76% compared with alternatives) for 2023, the company Kadant has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Kadant is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with two out of three indicators above average for Kadant. Leverage is at a rank of 71, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 71% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 80, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 80% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 21, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 79% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 76 (better than 76% compared with alternatives), Kadant has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for Kadant. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. ...read more



Combined financial peformance: Kadant Below-Average Financial Performance

COMBINED PERFORMANCE December 21, 2023
VALUE
VALUE
GROWTH
GROWTH
SAFETY
SAFETY
COMBINED
COMBINED

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 46 (worse than 54% compared with investment alternatives), Kadant (Industrial Machinery, USA) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Kadant are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 8 (worse than 92% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 54) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 76, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 46, is a hold recommendation based on Kadant's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Kadant exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 8), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 54). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 76) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). ...read more

Obermatt Portfolio Performance
We’re so convinced about our research, that we buy our stock tips.
See the performance of the Obermatt portfolio.