KadantKAI +2.56%87 Altman Z2-Score is 5.24 as of Jun. 25, 2026, which is 5% above its 10-year median of 5.00. GuruFocus rates KAI with a GF Score™ of 87/100 and a GF Value™ of $336.90 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 3,043 Industrial Products companies, Kadant ranks better than 61.19% on this metric.
Altman Z2-Score, also known as Z"-Score, is used to predict the likelihood that a non-manufacturing company (excluding property/financial company) will face bankruptcy within a two-year period.
Good Sign:
Kadant has a Altman Z2-Score of 5.24, indicating it is in Safe Zones. This implies the Altman Z2-Score is strong.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Altman Z2-Score <= 1.1, it is in Distress Zones.
When Altman Z2-Score >= 2.6, it is in Safe Zones.
When Altman Z2-Score is between 1.1 and 2.6, it is in Grey Zones.
The historical rank and industry rank for Kadant's Altman Z2-Score or its related term are showing as below:
KAI'
s Altman Z2-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3.72 Med: 5 Max: 6.37
Current: 5.24
During the past 13 years, Kadant's highest Altman Z2-Score was 6.37. The lowest was 3.72. And the median was 5.00.
Kadant (NYSE:KAI) Altman Z2-Score Explanation
The original Z-Score model was based on publicly traded manufacturing companies while the Z2-Score, also known as Z"-score can be used for any type of company excluding property/financial companies. Both Z-Score and Z2-Score describes the financial health of a company, and its likelihood of financial distress.
X1: The Working Capital/Total Assets (WC/TA) ratio is a measure of the net liquid assets of the firm relative to the total capitalization. Working capital is defined as the difference between current assets and current liabilities. Ordinarily, a firm experiencing consistent operating losses will have shrinking current assets in relation to total assets. Altman found this one proved to be the most valuable liquidity ratio comparing with the current ratio and the quick ratio. This is however the least significant of the five factors.
X2: Retained Earnings/Total Assets: the RE/TA ratio measures the leverage of a firm. Retained earnings is the account which reports the total amount of reinvested earnings and/or losses of a firm over its entire life. Those firms with high RE, relative to TA, have financed their assets through retention of profits and have not utilized as much debt.
X3, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets (EBIT/TA): This ratio is a measure of the true productivity of the firm's assets, independent of any tax or leverage factors. Since a firm's ultimate existence is based on the earning power of its assets, this ratio appears to be particularly appropriate for studies dealing with corporate failure. This ratio continually outperforms other profitability measures, including cash flow.
Altman Z2-Score does not apply to financial companies.
Kadant Altman Z2-Score Related Terms
Kadant Altman Z2-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Kadant's Altman Z2-Score 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.
For the Specialty Industrial Machinery subindustry, Kadant's Altman Z2-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Altman Z2-Score 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 Altman Z2-Score vs Industrial Products Industry
For the Industrial Products industry and Industrials sector, Kadant's Altman Z2-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kadant's Altman Z2-Score falls into.
Altman Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
Z2-Score, also known as Z"-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies.
Kadant's Altman Z2-Score for today is calculated with this formula:
Z
=
6.56
*
X1
+
3.26
*
X2
+
6.72
*
X3
+
1.05
*
X4_2
=
6.56
*
0.1955
+
3.26
*
0.5639
+
6.72
*
0.0954
+
1.05
*
1.4052
=
5.24
* 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. GuruFocus does not calculate Altman Z2-Score when X4_2 value is 0.
Kadant (KAI) has a Altman Z2-Score of 5.24 as of Jun. 25, 2026. Z2-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies, which measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Kadant and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 5.00. Over the past decade, Kadant's Altman Z2-Score has ranged from 3.72 to 6.37. According to the industry distribution chart, Kadant ranks #1181 out of 3043 companies in the Industrial Products industry, placing it in the top 38.8%.
Is Kadant's Altman Z2-Score too high?
Kadant's current Altman Z2-Score of 5.24 is near median its 10-year median of 5.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.72 to a high of 6.37. The Industrial Products industry median Altman Z2-Score is 4.28. Kadant's value of 5.24 is 22.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Kadant ranks #1181 out of 3043 companies in the Industrial Products industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Kadant has a GF Score™ of 87/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kadant's Altman Z2-Score compare to MWA and SXI?
According to the Industrial Products industry distribution chart, Kadant ranks #1181 out of 3043 companies for Altman Z2-Score. This puts Kadant in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Altman Z2-Score is 4.28. Kadant's value of 5.24 is 22.4% above this benchmark. Historically, Kadant's own Altman Z2-Score has ranged from 3.72 to 6.37 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 5.00 vs. the industry median of 4.28, Kadant has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Altman Z2-Score for an Industrial Products company?
The median Altman Z2-Score among Industrial Products companies is 4.28, based on 3,043 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Altman Z2-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Altman Z2-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Kadant's current Altman Z2-Score of 5.24 is 22.4% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Altman Z2-Score mean?
A high Altman Z2-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Z2-Score is the Z-Score for non-manufacturing companies excluding property/financial companies, which measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on Kadant and its competitors. For the Industrial Products industry, the median Altman Z2-Score is 4.28 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kadant's current Altman Z2-Score is 5.24, which is near median its own 10-year median of 5.00. 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 Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $336.90, compared to a current price of $308.39 — trading 8.5% below its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z2-Score is 5.24, which is near median its 10-year median of 5.00 and 22.4% above the Industrial Products industry median of 4.28. 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 Altman Z2-Score calculated?
Altman Z2-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Kadant (KAI), the current Altman Z2-Score is 5.24 as of Jun. 25, 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 $308.39 is trading 8.5% below its estimated GF Value™ of $336.90.
GuruFocus considers Kadant to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for KAI:
Altman Z2-Score: 5.24 (near median its 10-year median of 5.00)
GF Value™: $336.90 vs. price of $308.39 (8.5% below fair value)
Industry Position: 22.4% above the Industrial Products median (#1181 of 3043)
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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