KadantKAI +1.59%87 Net-Net Working Capital is $-30.94 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates KAI with a GF Score™ of 87/100 and a GF Value™ of $338.67 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,363 Industrial Products companies, Kadant ranks worse than 73367.5% on this metric.
In calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full. In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.
Kadant's Net-Net Working Capital for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $-30.94.
The industry rank for Kadant's Net-Net Working Capital or its related term are showing as below:
KAI's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital is not ranked *
in the Industrial Products industry.
Industry Median: 8.26 * Ranked among companies with meaningful Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital only.
Kadant (NYSE:KAI) Net-Net Working Capital Explanation
One research study, covering the years 1970 through 1983 showed that portfolios picked at the beginning of each year, and held for one year, returned 29.4 percent, on average, over the 13-year period, compared to 11.5 percent for the S&P 500 Index. Other studies of Graham's strategy produced similar results.
Benjamin Graham looked for companies whose market values were less than two-thirds of their net-net value. They are collected under our Net-Net screener.
Kadant Net-Net Working Capital Related Terms
Kadant Net-Net Working Capital Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Kadant's Net-Net Working Capital can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
KAI vs SXI, SMR, MWA: Net-Net Working Capital Comparison
For the Specialty Industrial Machinery subindustry, Kadant's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital, along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Kadant Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital vs Industrial Products Industry
For the Industrial Products industry and Industrials sector, Kadant's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kadant's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full.
In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. In "Security Analysis", preferred stock is dubbed "an imperfect creditorship position" that is best placed on the balance sheet alongside funded debt.
This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.
What does a Net-Net Working Capital of $-30.94 mean?
Kadant (KAI) has a Net-Net Working Capital of $-30.94 as of Mar. 2026. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on Kadant According to the industry distribution chart, Kadant ranks #999999 out of 1363 companies in the Industrial Products industry.
Is Kadant's Net-Net Working Capital too high?
Kadant's current Net-Net Working Capital is $-30.94. Based on the distribution chart, Kadant ranks #999999 out of 1363 companies in the Industrial Products industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Kadant has a GF Score™ of 87/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kadant's Net-Net Working Capital compare to SXI and SMR?
According to the Industrial Products industry distribution chart, Kadant ranks #999999 out of 1363 companies for Net-Net Working Capital. This places Kadant in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Net-Net Working Capital is 8.26. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Net-Net Working Capital for an Industrial Products company?
The median Net-Net Working Capital among Industrial Products companies is 8.26, based on 1,363 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Net-Net Working Capital significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Net-Net Working Capital should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Net-Net Working Capital mean?
A high Net-Net Working Capital can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on Kadant For the Industrial Products industry, the median Net-Net Working Capital is 8.26 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kadant's current Net-Net Working Capital is $-30.94. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Kadant stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kadant (KAI) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $338.67, compared to a current price of $294.63 — trading 13% below its estimated fair value. The current Net-Net Working Capital is $-30.94. Kadant's overall GF Score™ is 87/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Net-Net Working Capital calculated?
Net-Net Working Capital is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Kadant (KAI), the current Net-Net Working Capital is $-30.94 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Kadant (KAI) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kadant stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $294.63 is trading 13% below its estimated GF Value™ of $338.67.
GuruFocus considers Kadant to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for KAI:
Net-Net Working Capital: $-30.94
GF Value™: $338.67 vs. price of $294.63 (13% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the KAI stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Kadant Inc. supplies process and engineering equipment for papermaking, recycling, lumber manufacturing, and related industries. The company's three reportable segments are the Flow Control segment which consists of the fluid-handling and doctoring, cleaning, & filtration product lines; the Industrial Processing segment which consists of the wood processing and stock-preparation product lines; and Material handling systems, which provides conveyor-belt equipment for industries such as mining, food processing, and packaging. The company has a geographic presence in the U.S., China, Asia, Germany, Canada, and Others.
87GF Score
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