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Side-by-side financial comparison of Clearwater Paper Corp (CLW) and KADANT INC (KAI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Clearwater Paper Corp is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($360.3M vs $271.6M, roughly 1.3× KADANT INC). KADANT INC runs the higher net margin — 10.2% vs -3.6%, a 13.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, KADANT INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-0.0% vs -4.7%). Over the past eight quarters, KADANT INC's revenue compounded faster (6.7% CAGR vs 2.3%).

Clearwater Paper Corporation is an American pulp and paperboard manufacturer. The company was created on December 9, 2008, via a spin-off from Potlatch Corporation and is headquartered in Spokane, Washington.

Kadant Inc. is a company that was established in 1991, as a partly privately owned subsidiary of Thermo Electron, and partly publicly traded company, and was fully spun out and renamed Kadant in 2001. The company supports papermaking, paper recycling, wood processing, material handling, and other processing industries. Kadant is a multi-national corporation with operations in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

CLW vs KAI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CLW
CLW
1.3× larger
CLW
$360.3M
$271.6M
KAI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
KAI
KAI
+4.7% gap
KAI
-0.0%
-4.7%
CLW
Higher net margin
KAI
KAI
13.8% more per $
KAI
10.2%
-3.6%
CLW
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
KAI
KAI
Annualised
KAI
6.7%
2.3%
CLW

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2025

Metric
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Revenue
$360.3M
$271.6M
Net Profit
$-12.8M
$27.7M
Gross Margin
-0.2%
45.2%
Operating Margin
15.7%
Net Margin
-3.6%
10.2%
Revenue YoY
-4.7%
-0.0%
Net Profit YoY
-103.2%
-12.2%
EPS (diluted)
$2.35

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
$360.3M
Q4 25
$386.4M
Q3 25
$399.0M
$271.6M
Q2 25
$391.8M
$255.3M
Q1 25
$378.2M
$239.2M
Q4 24
$387.1M
$258.0M
Q3 24
$393.3M
$271.6M
Q2 24
$344.4M
$274.8M
Net Profit
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
$-12.8M
Q4 25
$38.3M
Q3 25
$-53.3M
$27.7M
Q2 25
$2.7M
$26.2M
Q1 25
$-6.3M
$24.1M
Q4 24
$199.1M
$24.0M
Q3 24
$5.8M
$31.6M
Q2 24
$-25.8M
$31.3M
Gross Margin
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
-0.2%
Q4 25
4.5%
Q3 25
4.7%
45.2%
Q2 25
11.0%
45.9%
Q1 25
9.7%
46.1%
Q4 24
3.8%
43.4%
Q3 24
7.7%
44.7%
Q2 24
-0.6%
44.4%
Operating Margin
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.9%
Q3 25
-13.9%
15.7%
Q2 25
2.5%
15.4%
Q1 25
-1.1%
14.9%
Q4 24
-4.0%
14.3%
Q3 24
-0.3%
18.0%
Q2 24
-13.6%
17.6%
Net Margin
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
-3.6%
Q4 25
9.9%
Q3 25
-13.4%
10.2%
Q2 25
0.7%
10.2%
Q1 25
-1.7%
10.1%
Q4 24
51.4%
9.3%
Q3 24
1.5%
11.6%
Q2 24
-7.5%
11.4%
EPS (diluted)
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$2.36
Q3 25
$-3.30
$2.35
Q2 25
$0.17
$2.22
Q1 25
$-0.38
$2.04
Q4 24
$11.87
$2.04
Q3 24
$0.35
$2.68
Q2 24
$-1.55
$2.66

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$36.5M
$124.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$361.1M
$254.6M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$813.8M
$949.8M
Total Assets
$1.6B
$1.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.44×
0.27×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
$36.5M
Q4 25
$30.7M
Q3 25
$34.4M
$124.5M
Q2 25
$46.7M
$95.3M
Q1 25
$44.0M
$91.7M
Q4 24
$79.6M
$94.7M
Q3 24
$35.5M
$88.4M
Q2 24
$39.6M
$73.8M
Total Debt
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
$361.1M
Q4 25
$346.8M
Q3 25
$337.0M
$254.6M
Q2 25
$330.1M
$245.7M
Q1 25
$273.5M
Q4 24
$283.4M
$285.2M
Q3 24
$1.2B
$323.2M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$342.0M
Stockholders' Equity
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
$813.8M
Q4 25
$825.3M
Q3 25
$783.0M
$949.8M
Q2 25
$836.8M
$926.0M
Q1 25
$836.6M
$876.0M
Q4 24
$854.6M
$847.1M
Q3 24
$664.6M
$851.7M
Q2 24
$658.6M
$807.7M
Total Assets
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
$1.6B
Q4 25
$1.6B
Q3 25
$1.6B
$1.5B
Q2 25
$1.6B
$1.5B
Q1 25
$1.6B
$1.4B
Q4 24
$1.7B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$2.5B
$1.5B
Q2 24
$2.5B
$1.5B
Debt / Equity
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
0.44×
Q4 25
0.42×
Q3 25
0.43×
0.27×
Q2 25
0.39×
0.27×
Q1 25
0.31×
Q4 24
0.33×
0.34×
Q3 24
1.73×
0.38×
Q2 24
1.74×
0.42×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$47.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$44.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.70×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$145.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$5.0M
Q3 25
$34.0M
$47.3M
Q2 25
$-28.2M
$40.5M
Q1 25
$1.5M
$22.8M
Q4 24
$-35.1M
$51.9M
Q3 24
$16.2M
$52.5M
Q2 24
$21.1M
$28.1M
Free Cash Flow
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-9.9M
Q3 25
$15.7M
$44.1M
Q2 25
$-51.1M
$36.5M
Q1 25
$-31.2M
$19.0M
Q4 24
$-68.1M
$46.3M
Q3 24
$-30.8M
$48.3M
Q2 24
$3.0M
$23.1M
FCF Margin
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
Q4 25
-2.6%
Q3 25
3.9%
16.2%
Q2 25
-13.0%
14.3%
Q1 25
-8.2%
7.9%
Q4 24
-17.6%
17.9%
Q3 24
-7.8%
17.8%
Q2 24
0.9%
8.4%
Capex Intensity
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
Q4 25
3.9%
Q3 25
4.6%
1.2%
Q2 25
5.8%
1.6%
Q1 25
8.6%
1.6%
Q4 24
8.5%
2.2%
Q3 24
12.0%
1.5%
Q2 24
5.3%
1.8%
Cash Conversion
CLW
CLW
KAI
KAI
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.13×
Q3 25
1.70×
Q2 25
-10.44×
1.55×
Q1 25
0.95×
Q4 24
-0.18×
2.16×
Q3 24
2.79×
1.66×
Q2 24
0.90×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CLW
CLW

Segment breakdown not available.

KAI
KAI

Flow Control$94.8M35%
Capital$83.2M31%
Material Handling Systems$70.3M26%
Transferred Over Time$17.1M6%
Other$6.1M2%

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