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

MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($522.6M vs $271.6M, roughly 1.9× KADANT INC). MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC runs the higher net margin — 14.6% vs 10.2%, a 4.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, KADANT INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-0.0% vs -1.6%). KADANT INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($44.1M vs $-336.0M). Over the past eight quarters, KADANT INC's revenue compounded faster (6.7% CAGR vs -5.7%).

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.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based corporation supplying products and services to regulated energy delivery and utilities related construction materials and services businesses. It is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, and operates in 48 states.

KAI vs MDU — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MDU
MDU
1.9× larger
MDU
$522.6M
$271.6M
KAI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
KAI
KAI
+1.6% gap
KAI
-0.0%
-1.6%
MDU
Higher net margin
MDU
MDU
4.4% more per $
MDU
14.6%
10.2%
KAI
More free cash flow
KAI
KAI
$380.1M more FCF
KAI
$44.1M
$-336.0M
MDU
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
KAI
KAI
Annualised
KAI
6.7%
-5.7%
MDU

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Revenue
$271.6M
$522.6M
Net Profit
$27.7M
$76.3M
Gross Margin
45.2%
Operating Margin
15.7%
20.5%
Net Margin
10.2%
14.6%
Revenue YoY
-0.0%
-1.6%
Net Profit YoY
-12.2%
38.4%
EPS (diluted)
$2.35
$0.37

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
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$522.6M
Q3 25
$271.6M
$313.6M
Q2 25
$255.3M
$348.7M
Q1 25
$239.2M
$678.0M
Q4 24
$258.0M
$531.0M
Q3 24
$271.6M
$290.7M
Q2 24
$274.8M
$343.1M
Q1 24
$249.0M
$588.2M
Net Profit
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$76.3M
Q3 25
$27.7M
$18.3M
Q2 25
$26.2M
$13.8M
Q1 25
$24.1M
$82.0M
Q4 24
$24.0M
$55.2M
Q3 24
$31.6M
$64.6M
Q2 24
$31.3M
$60.4M
Q1 24
$24.7M
$100.9M
Gross Margin
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
Q3 25
45.2%
Q2 25
45.9%
Q1 25
46.1%
Q4 24
43.4%
Q3 24
44.7%
Q2 24
44.4%
Q1 24
44.6%
Operating Margin
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
20.5%
Q3 25
15.7%
12.7%
Q2 25
15.4%
8.7%
Q1 25
14.9%
16.6%
Q4 24
14.3%
17.8%
Q3 24
18.0%
12.0%
Q2 24
17.6%
11.5%
Q1 24
14.8%
16.4%
Net Margin
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
14.6%
Q3 25
10.2%
5.8%
Q2 25
10.2%
4.0%
Q1 25
10.1%
12.1%
Q4 24
9.3%
10.4%
Q3 24
11.6%
22.2%
Q2 24
11.4%
17.6%
Q1 24
9.9%
17.2%
EPS (diluted)
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$0.37
Q3 25
$2.35
$0.09
Q2 25
$2.22
$0.07
Q1 25
$2.04
$0.40
Q4 24
$2.04
$0.26
Q3 24
$2.68
$0.32
Q2 24
$2.66
$0.30
Q1 24
$2.10
$0.49

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$124.5M
$28.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$254.6M
$2.7B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$949.8M
$2.8B
Total Assets
$1.5B
$7.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.27×
0.97×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$28.2M
Q3 25
$124.5M
$75.9M
Q2 25
$95.3M
$58.8M
Q1 25
$91.7M
$59.5M
Q4 24
$94.7M
$66.9M
Q3 24
$88.4M
$88.3M
Q2 24
$73.8M
$78.8M
Q1 24
$81.4M
$72.7M
Total Debt
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$2.7B
Q3 25
$254.6M
$2.4B
Q2 25
$245.7M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$273.5M
$2.2B
Q4 24
$285.2M
$2.3B
Q3 24
$323.2M
$2.3B
Q2 24
$342.0M
$2.3B
Q1 24
$306.8M
$2.3B
Stockholders' Equity
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$2.8B
Q3 25
$949.8M
$2.7B
Q2 25
$926.0M
$2.7B
Q1 25
$876.0M
$2.7B
Q4 24
$847.1M
$2.7B
Q3 24
$851.7M
$3.1B
Q2 24
$807.7M
$3.0B
Q1 24
$782.7M
$3.0B
Total Assets
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$7.6B
Q3 25
$1.5B
$7.2B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$6.9B
Q1 25
$1.4B
$7.0B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$7.0B
Q3 24
$1.5B
$8.2B
Q2 24
$1.5B
$8.0B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$7.8B
Debt / Equity
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
0.97×
Q3 25
0.27×
0.86×
Q2 25
0.27×
0.80×
Q1 25
0.31×
0.80×
Q4 24
0.34×
0.85×
Q3 24
0.38×
0.76×
Q2 24
0.42×
0.75×
Q1 24
0.39×
0.76×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$47.3M
$80.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$44.1M
$-336.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.2%
-64.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.2%
79.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.70×
1.06×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$145.9M
$-297.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$80.6M
Q3 25
$47.3M
$57.9M
Q2 25
$40.5M
$117.4M
Q1 25
$22.8M
$217.5M
Q4 24
$51.9M
$60.5M
Q3 24
$52.5M
$140.2M
Q2 24
$28.1M
$136.5M
Q1 24
$22.8M
$165.1M
Free Cash Flow
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
$-336.0M
Q3 25
$44.1M
$-121.9M
Q2 25
$36.5M
$36.5M
Q1 25
$19.0M
$124.4M
Q4 24
$46.3M
$-95.8M
Q3 24
$48.3M
$673.0K
Q2 24
$23.1M
$26.5M
Q1 24
$16.6M
$48.1M
FCF Margin
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
-64.3%
Q3 25
16.2%
-38.9%
Q2 25
14.3%
10.5%
Q1 25
7.9%
18.4%
Q4 24
17.9%
-18.0%
Q3 24
17.8%
0.2%
Q2 24
8.4%
7.7%
Q1 24
6.7%
8.2%
Capex Intensity
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
79.7%
Q3 25
1.2%
57.3%
Q2 25
1.6%
23.2%
Q1 25
1.6%
13.7%
Q4 24
2.2%
29.4%
Q3 24
1.5%
48.0%
Q2 24
1.8%
32.0%
Q1 24
2.5%
19.9%
Cash Conversion
KAI
KAI
MDU
MDU
Q4 25
1.06×
Q3 25
1.70×
3.16×
Q2 25
1.55×
8.52×
Q1 25
0.95×
2.65×
Q4 24
2.16×
1.10×
Q3 24
1.66×
2.17×
Q2 24
0.90×
2.26×
Q1 24
0.92×
1.64×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

KAI
KAI

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

MDU
MDU

Natural Gas Distribution$382.8M73%
Commercial Utility Sales$42.7M8%
Residential Utility Sales$33.7M6%
Pipelineand Midstream$31.1M6%
Natural Gas Transportation$17.2M3%
Industrial Utility Sales$10.1M2%
Natural Gas Storage$6.4M1%
Other Utility Sales$1.9M0%

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