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Side-by-side financial comparison of HELEN OF TROY LTD (HELE) and KADANT INC (KAI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

HELEN OF TROY LTD is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($512.8M vs $271.6M, roughly 1.9× KADANT INC). KADANT INC runs the higher net margin — 10.2% vs -16.4%, a 26.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, KADANT INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-0.0% vs -3.4%). KADANT INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($44.1M vs $5.8M). Over the past eight quarters, KADANT INC's revenue compounded faster (6.7% CAGR vs 2.4%).

Helen of Troy Limited is an American publicly traded designer, developer and worldwide marketer of consumer brand-name housewares, health and home, and beauty products under owned and licensed brands. It is the parent corporation of OXO International Ltd., Kaz, Inc., Steel Technology, LLC, and Idelle Labs, Ltd, among others. The company is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with U.S. operations headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The company is named after the mythic figure Helen of Troy.

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.

HELE vs KAI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
HELE
HELE
1.9× larger
HELE
$512.8M
$271.6M
KAI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
KAI
KAI
+3.4% gap
KAI
-0.0%
-3.4%
HELE
Higher net margin
KAI
KAI
26.6% more per $
KAI
10.2%
-16.4%
HELE
More free cash flow
KAI
KAI
$38.3M more FCF
KAI
$44.1M
$5.8M
HELE
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
KAI
KAI
Annualised
KAI
6.7%
2.4%
HELE

Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2025

Metric
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Revenue
$512.8M
$271.6M
Net Profit
$-84.1M
$27.7M
Gross Margin
46.9%
45.2%
Operating Margin
-1.6%
15.7%
Net Margin
-16.4%
10.2%
Revenue YoY
-3.4%
-0.0%
Net Profit YoY
-269.4%
-12.2%
EPS (diluted)
$-3.65
$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
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$512.8M
Q3 25
$431.8M
$271.6M
Q2 25
$371.7M
$255.3M
Q1 25
$485.9M
$239.2M
Q4 24
$530.7M
$258.0M
Q3 24
$474.2M
$271.6M
Q2 24
$416.8M
$274.8M
Q1 24
$489.2M
$249.0M
Net Profit
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$-84.1M
Q3 25
$-308.6M
$27.7M
Q2 25
$-450.7M
$26.2M
Q1 25
$50.9M
$24.1M
Q4 24
$49.6M
$24.0M
Q3 24
$17.0M
$31.6M
Q2 24
$6.2M
$31.3M
Q1 24
$42.7M
$24.7M
Gross Margin
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
46.9%
Q3 25
44.2%
45.2%
Q2 25
47.1%
45.9%
Q1 25
48.6%
46.1%
Q4 24
48.9%
43.4%
Q3 24
45.6%
44.7%
Q2 24
48.7%
44.4%
Q1 24
49.0%
44.6%
Operating Margin
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
-1.6%
Q3 25
-73.1%
15.7%
Q2 25
-109.5%
15.4%
Q1 25
0.4%
14.9%
Q4 24
14.2%
14.3%
Q3 24
7.3%
18.0%
Q2 24
7.4%
17.6%
Q1 24
13.5%
14.8%
Net Margin
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
-16.4%
Q3 25
-71.5%
10.2%
Q2 25
-121.3%
10.2%
Q1 25
10.5%
10.1%
Q4 24
9.3%
9.3%
Q3 24
3.6%
11.6%
Q2 24
1.5%
11.4%
Q1 24
8.7%
9.9%
EPS (diluted)
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$-3.65
Q3 25
$-13.44
$2.35
Q2 25
$-19.65
$2.22
Q1 25
$2.20
$2.04
Q4 24
$2.17
$2.04
Q3 24
$0.74
$2.68
Q2 24
$0.26
$2.66
Q1 24
$1.76
$2.10

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$27.1M
$124.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$254.6M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$852.3M
$949.8M
Total Assets
$2.3B
$1.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.27×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$27.1M
Q3 25
$22.4M
$124.5M
Q2 25
$22.7M
$95.3M
Q1 25
$18.9M
$91.7M
Q4 24
$40.8M
$94.7M
Q3 24
$20.1M
$88.4M
Q2 24
$16.1M
$73.8M
Q1 24
$18.5M
$81.4M
Total Debt
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
Q3 25
$254.6M
Q2 25
$245.7M
Q1 25
$921.9M
$273.5M
Q4 24
$285.2M
Q3 24
$323.2M
Q2 24
$342.0M
Q1 24
$672.0M
$306.8M
Stockholders' Equity
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$852.3M
Q3 25
$926.3M
$949.8M
Q2 25
$1.2B
$926.0M
Q1 25
$1.7B
$876.0M
Q4 24
$1.6B
$847.1M
Q3 24
$1.6B
$851.7M
Q2 24
$1.5B
$807.7M
Q1 24
$1.6B
$782.7M
Total Assets
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$2.3B
Q3 25
$2.4B
$1.5B
Q2 25
$2.7B
$1.5B
Q1 25
$3.1B
$1.4B
Q4 24
$3.0B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$2.9B
$1.5B
Q2 24
$2.8B
$1.5B
Q1 24
$2.8B
$1.4B
Debt / Equity
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
Q3 25
0.27×
Q2 25
0.27×
Q1 25
0.55×
0.31×
Q4 24
0.34×
Q3 24
0.38×
Q2 24
0.42×
Q1 24
0.41×
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
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$11.9M
$47.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$5.8M
$44.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
1.1%
16.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.2%
1.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.70×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$55.9M
$145.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$11.9M
Q3 25
$-10.5M
$47.3M
Q2 25
$58.3M
$40.5M
Q1 25
$35.0M
$22.8M
Q4 24
$8.3M
$51.9M
Q3 24
$44.6M
$52.5M
Q2 24
$25.3M
$28.1M
Q1 24
$73.6M
$22.8M
Free Cash Flow
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
$5.8M
Q3 25
$-21.9M
$44.1M
Q2 25
$45.0M
$36.5M
Q1 25
$27.1M
$19.0M
Q4 24
$191.0K
$46.3M
Q3 24
$39.7M
$48.3M
Q2 24
$16.2M
$23.1M
Q1 24
$66.6M
$16.6M
FCF Margin
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
1.1%
Q3 25
-5.1%
16.2%
Q2 25
12.1%
14.3%
Q1 25
5.6%
7.9%
Q4 24
0.0%
17.9%
Q3 24
8.4%
17.8%
Q2 24
3.9%
8.4%
Q1 24
13.6%
6.7%
Capex Intensity
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
1.2%
Q3 25
2.7%
1.2%
Q2 25
3.6%
1.6%
Q1 25
1.6%
1.6%
Q4 24
1.5%
2.2%
Q3 24
1.0%
1.5%
Q2 24
2.2%
1.8%
Q1 24
1.4%
2.5%
Cash Conversion
HELE
HELE
KAI
KAI
Q4 25
Q3 25
1.70×
Q2 25
1.55×
Q1 25
0.69×
0.95×
Q4 24
0.17×
2.16×
Q3 24
2.62×
1.66×
Q2 24
4.08×
0.90×
Q1 24
1.72×
0.92×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HELE
HELE

Beauty Wellness$283.2M55%
Home Outdoor$229.6M45%

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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