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Side-by-side financial comparison of KADANT INC (KAI) and NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP (NHC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($386.5M vs $271.6M, roughly 1.4× KADANT INC). KADANT INC runs the higher net margin — 10.2% vs 6.4%, a 3.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.6% vs -0.0%). KADANT INC produced more free cash flow last quarter ($44.1M vs $6.4M). Over the past eight quarters, NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP's revenue compounded faster (14.0% CAGR vs 6.7%).

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.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. is an American global for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owned and operated 186 hospitals and approximately 2,400 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics in 20 states and the United Kingdom. As of 2024, HCA Healthcare is ranked #61 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by to...

KAI vs NHC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NHC
NHC
1.4× larger
NHC
$386.5M
$271.6M
KAI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NHC
NHC
+4.7% gap
NHC
4.6%
-0.0%
KAI
Higher net margin
KAI
KAI
3.8% more per $
KAI
10.2%
6.4%
NHC
More free cash flow
KAI
KAI
$37.6M more FCF
KAI
$44.1M
$6.4M
NHC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NHC
NHC
Annualised
NHC
14.0%
6.7%
KAI

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Revenue
$271.6M
$386.5M
Net Profit
$27.7M
$24.8M
Gross Margin
45.2%
Operating Margin
15.7%
8.6%
Net Margin
10.2%
6.4%
Revenue YoY
-0.0%
4.6%
Net Profit YoY
-12.2%
308.6%
EPS (diluted)
$2.35
$1.58

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
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$386.5M
Q3 25
$271.6M
$382.7M
Q2 25
$255.3M
$374.9M
Q1 25
$239.2M
$373.7M
Q4 24
$258.0M
$369.4M
Q3 24
$271.6M
$340.2M
Q2 24
$274.8M
$300.7M
Q1 24
$249.0M
$297.2M
Net Profit
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$24.8M
Q3 25
$27.7M
$39.2M
Q2 25
$26.2M
$23.7M
Q1 25
$24.1M
$32.2M
Q4 24
$24.0M
$6.1M
Q3 24
$31.6M
$42.8M
Q2 24
$31.3M
$26.8M
Q1 24
$24.7M
$26.2M
Gross Margin
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
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
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
8.6%
Q3 25
15.7%
7.9%
Q2 25
15.4%
9.1%
Q1 25
14.9%
8.2%
Q4 24
14.3%
7.8%
Q3 24
18.0%
6.7%
Q2 24
17.6%
7.5%
Q1 24
14.8%
5.3%
Net Margin
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
6.4%
Q3 25
10.2%
10.3%
Q2 25
10.2%
6.3%
Q1 25
10.1%
8.6%
Q4 24
9.3%
1.6%
Q3 24
11.6%
12.6%
Q2 24
11.4%
8.9%
Q1 24
9.9%
8.8%
EPS (diluted)
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$1.58
Q3 25
$2.35
$2.50
Q2 25
$2.22
$1.52
Q1 25
$2.04
$2.07
Q4 24
$2.04
$0.38
Q3 24
$2.68
$2.73
Q2 24
$2.66
$1.73
Q1 24
$2.10
$1.69

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$124.5M
$92.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$254.6M
$40.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$949.8M
$1.1B
Total Assets
$1.5B
$1.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.27×
0.04×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$92.8M
Q3 25
$124.5M
$130.6M
Q2 25
$95.3M
$111.0M
Q1 25
$91.7M
$90.4M
Q4 24
$94.7M
$76.1M
Q3 24
$88.4M
$84.8M
Q2 24
$73.8M
$136.2M
Q1 24
$81.4M
$94.0M
Total Debt
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$40.0M
Q3 25
$254.6M
$73.1M
Q2 25
$245.7M
$110.0M
Q1 25
$273.5M
$134.0M
Q4 24
$285.2M
$137.0M
Q3 24
$323.2M
$147.0M
Q2 24
$342.0M
Q1 24
$306.8M
Stockholders' Equity
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$1.1B
Q3 25
$949.8M
$1.1B
Q2 25
$926.0M
$1.0B
Q1 25
$876.0M
$1.0B
Q4 24
$847.1M
$980.2M
Q3 24
$851.7M
$983.5M
Q2 24
$807.7M
$945.8M
Q1 24
$782.7M
$924.7M
Total Assets
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$1.5B
Q3 25
$1.5B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$1.6B
Q1 25
$1.4B
$1.5B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$1.5B
Q3 24
$1.5B
$1.6B
Q2 24
$1.5B
$1.3B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$1.3B
Debt / Equity
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
0.04×
Q3 25
0.27×
0.07×
Q2 25
0.27×
0.11×
Q1 25
0.31×
0.13×
Q4 24
0.34×
0.14×
Q3 24
0.38×
0.15×
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
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$47.3M
$16.8M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$44.1M
$6.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.2%
1.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.2%
2.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.70×
0.68×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$145.9M
$148.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$16.8M
Q3 25
$47.3M
$66.2M
Q2 25
$40.5M
$62.8M
Q1 25
$22.8M
$39.3M
Q4 24
$51.9M
$12.8M
Q3 24
$52.5M
$34.2M
Q2 24
$28.1M
$50.7M
Q1 24
$22.8M
$9.6M
Free Cash Flow
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$6.4M
Q3 25
$44.1M
$56.5M
Q2 25
$36.5M
$52.6M
Q1 25
$19.0M
$33.1M
Q4 24
$46.3M
$4.6M
Q3 24
$48.3M
$28.6M
Q2 24
$23.1M
$42.8M
Q1 24
$16.6M
$3.7M
FCF Margin
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
1.7%
Q3 25
16.2%
14.8%
Q2 25
14.3%
14.0%
Q1 25
7.9%
8.9%
Q4 24
17.9%
1.3%
Q3 24
17.8%
8.4%
Q2 24
8.4%
14.2%
Q1 24
6.7%
1.2%
Capex Intensity
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
2.7%
Q3 25
1.2%
2.5%
Q2 25
1.6%
2.7%
Q1 25
1.6%
1.6%
Q4 24
2.2%
2.2%
Q3 24
1.5%
1.7%
Q2 24
1.8%
2.6%
Q1 24
2.5%
2.0%
Cash Conversion
KAI
KAI
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
0.68×
Q3 25
1.70×
1.69×
Q2 25
1.55×
2.65×
Q1 25
0.95×
1.22×
Q4 24
2.16×
2.10×
Q3 24
1.66×
0.80×
Q2 24
0.90×
1.89×
Q1 24
0.92×
0.37×

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%

NHC
NHC

Inpatient Services Segment$333.7M86%
Homecare Services Segment$40.0M10%
Other$11.2M3%
National$1.6M0%

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