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Side-by-side financial comparison of FRIEDMAN INDUSTRIES INC (FRD) and KADANT INC (KAI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

KADANT INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($271.6M vs $168.0M, roughly 1.6× FRIEDMAN INDUSTRIES INC). KADANT INC runs the higher net margin — 10.2% vs 1.8%, a 8.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, FRIEDMAN INDUSTRIES INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (78.6% vs -0.0%). KADANT INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($44.1M vs $-6.3M). Over the past eight quarters, FRIEDMAN INDUSTRIES INC's revenue compounded faster (13.3% CAGR vs 6.7%).

Hellman & Friedman (H&F) is an American private equity firm founded in 1984 by Warren Hellman and Tully Friedman that makes investments primarily through leveraged buyouts as well as growth capital investments. It has focused its efforts on several core target industries including media, financial services, professional services and information services.

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.

FRD vs KAI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
KAI
KAI
1.6× larger
KAI
$271.6M
$168.0M
FRD
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
FRD
FRD
+78.6% gap
FRD
78.6%
-0.0%
KAI
Higher net margin
KAI
KAI
8.4% more per $
KAI
10.2%
1.8%
FRD
More free cash flow
KAI
KAI
$50.4M more FCF
KAI
$44.1M
$-6.3M
FRD
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
FRD
FRD
Annualised
FRD
13.3%
6.7%
KAI

Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2025

Metric
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Revenue
$168.0M
$271.6M
Net Profit
$3.0M
$27.7M
Gross Margin
2.3%
45.2%
Operating Margin
2.3%
15.7%
Net Margin
1.8%
10.2%
Revenue YoY
78.6%
-0.0%
Net Profit YoY
364.1%
-12.2%
EPS (diluted)
$0.43
$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
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$168.0M
Q3 25
$152.4M
$271.6M
Q2 25
$134.8M
$255.3M
Q1 25
$239.2M
Q4 24
$94.1M
$258.0M
Q3 24
$106.8M
$271.6M
Q2 24
$114.6M
$274.8M
Q1 24
$249.0M
Net Profit
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$3.0M
Q3 25
$2.2M
$27.7M
Q2 25
$5.0M
$26.2M
Q1 25
$24.1M
Q4 24
$-1.2M
$24.0M
Q3 24
$-675.0K
$31.6M
Q2 24
$2.6M
$31.3M
Q1 24
$24.7M
Gross Margin
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
2.3%
Q3 25
1.9%
45.2%
Q2 25
5.2%
45.9%
Q1 25
46.1%
Q4 24
43.4%
Q3 24
-0.2%
44.7%
Q2 24
-1.2%
44.4%
Q1 24
44.6%
Operating Margin
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
2.3%
Q3 25
1.9%
15.7%
Q2 25
5.2%
15.4%
Q1 25
14.9%
Q4 24
-1.3%
14.3%
Q3 24
-0.2%
18.0%
Q2 24
-1.2%
17.6%
Q1 24
14.8%
Net Margin
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
1.8%
Q3 25
1.5%
10.2%
Q2 25
3.7%
10.2%
Q1 25
10.1%
Q4 24
-1.2%
9.3%
Q3 24
-0.6%
11.6%
Q2 24
2.2%
11.4%
Q1 24
9.9%
EPS (diluted)
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$0.43
Q3 25
$0.32
$2.35
Q2 25
$0.71
$2.22
Q1 25
$2.04
Q4 24
$-0.17
$2.04
Q3 24
$-0.10
$2.68
Q2 24
$0.37
$2.66
Q1 24
$2.10

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$3.0M
$124.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$254.6M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$142.2M
$949.8M
Total Assets
$311.9M
$1.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.27×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$3.0M
Q3 25
$4.6M
$124.5M
Q2 25
$2.1M
$95.3M
Q1 25
$91.7M
Q4 24
$1.1M
$94.7M
Q3 24
$2.5M
$88.4M
Q2 24
$4.1M
$73.8M
Q1 24
$81.4M
Total Debt
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
Q3 25
$254.6M
Q2 25
$245.7M
Q1 25
$273.5M
Q4 24
$285.2M
Q3 24
$323.2M
Q2 24
$342.0M
Q1 24
$306.8M
Stockholders' Equity
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$142.2M
Q3 25
$139.3M
$949.8M
Q2 25
$137.3M
$926.0M
Q1 25
$876.0M
Q4 24
$127.3M
$847.1M
Q3 24
$128.8M
$851.7M
Q2 24
$129.7M
$807.7M
Q1 24
$782.7M
Total Assets
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$311.9M
Q3 25
$311.3M
$1.5B
Q2 25
$219.1M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$1.4B
Q4 24
$210.3M
$1.4B
Q3 24
$209.2M
$1.5B
Q2 24
$222.8M
$1.5B
Q1 24
$1.4B
Debt / Equity
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
Q3 25
0.27×
Q2 25
0.27×
Q1 25
0.31×
Q4 24
0.34×
Q3 24
0.38×
Q2 24
0.42×
Q1 24
0.39×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-4.7M
$47.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-6.3M
$44.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-3.8%
16.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.0%
1.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-1.56×
1.70×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$145.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$-4.7M
Q3 25
$434.0K
$47.3M
Q2 25
$15.5M
$40.5M
Q1 25
$22.8M
Q4 24
$51.9M
Q3 24
$52.5M
Q2 24
$-6.1M
$28.1M
Q1 24
$22.8M
Free Cash Flow
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$-6.3M
Q3 25
$-2.0M
$44.1M
Q2 25
$13.7M
$36.5M
Q1 25
$19.0M
Q4 24
$46.3M
Q3 24
$48.3M
Q2 24
$-7.1M
$23.1M
Q1 24
$16.6M
FCF Margin
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
-3.8%
Q3 25
-1.3%
16.2%
Q2 25
10.2%
14.3%
Q1 25
7.9%
Q4 24
17.9%
Q3 24
17.8%
Q2 24
-6.2%
8.4%
Q1 24
6.7%
Capex Intensity
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
1.0%
Q3 25
1.6%
1.2%
Q2 25
1.3%
1.6%
Q1 25
1.6%
Q4 24
2.2%
Q3 24
1.5%
Q2 24
0.9%
1.8%
Q1 24
2.5%
Cash Conversion
FRD
FRD
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
-1.56×
Q3 25
0.19×
1.70×
Q2 25
3.08×
1.55×
Q1 25
0.95×
Q4 24
2.16×
Q3 24
1.66×
Q2 24
-2.36×
0.90×
Q1 24
0.92×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

FRD
FRD

Prime Coil$152.0M90%
Manufactured Pipe$14.9M9%
Customer Owned$1.1M1%

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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