Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Kadant Inc (KAI)

314 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in KAI. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

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Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +15
Streak
1Q ▲
Buyers last Q
58%

Smart Money Signals — KAI

Based on 315 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds added KAI than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
315 hedge funds hold KAI right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding KAI is almost the same as a year ago (+7 funds, +2% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 58% buying

180 buying131 selling
Last quarter: 180 funds bought or added vs 131 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
📈

More new buyers each quarter (+12 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new KAI position: 45 → 36 → 44 → 56. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔒

56% of holders stayed for 2+ years

56% conviction (2yr+) 24% medium 20% new
177 out of 315 hedge funds have held KAI for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
📈

Growing discovery — still being found

54 → 45 → 36 → 44 → 56 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 45 → 36 → 44 → 56. A growing number of institutions are discovering KAI each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 59% veterans vs 29% newcomers

59% veterans 12% 1-2yr 29% new
Entry-cohort mix of 320 holders: 188 (59%) are 2+ year veterans, 39 entered 1–2 years ago, and 93 (29%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.

Strong quality — 33% AUM from major funds

33% from top-100 AUM funds
50 of 314 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 33% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
3.5
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.5/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — KAI

In 2026 Q1, 180 hedge funds were net buyers of KAI (56 opened a new position, 124 added to an existing one), while 131 reduced or exited (90 trimmed, 41 sold completely) — a 58% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. 33% of total institutional value in KAI is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +15 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 315.

Hedge Fund Ownership: KAI

How many hedge funds hold KAI — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of KAI vs. share price

Market Analysis: KAI

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: KAI

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Kadant Inc (KAI) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much KAI has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLI) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 82d ago
KAI
+4.2%
XLI
+11.9%

KAI outperformed XLI by -7.7% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 37d ago
KAI
-4.2%
XLI
+5.5%

Since the filing became public, KAI outperformed XLI by -9.7% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

26 top-rated funds 0 high-conviction
Consensus
6.2
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
0.8
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: KAI
314 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in KAI. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 314 300 4.67%
13F Shares 13M 14M -5.57%
Total Value $3.72B $3.72B -0.06%
New Positions 56 44 +12
Increased Positions 123 90 +33
Closed Positions 42 54 -12
Reduced Positions 87 117 -30
Total Calls 4 3 33.33%
Total Puts 2 2 -
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.5 0.67 Bullish

Statistics: KAI

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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

314 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in KAI. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 KAI holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Grandeur Peak Global Advisors, LLC 7.78% 113,603 $33.2M
2 Dudley & Shanley, INC. 3.62% 75,735 $22.1M
3 Wasatch Advisors LP 2.02% 1,038,548 $303.6M
4 Southernsun Asset Management, LLC 1.82% 43,018 $12.6M
5 Riverbridge Partners LLC 1.80% 252,230 $73.7M
6 Conestoga Capital Advisors, LLC 1.23% 209,949 $61.4M
7 Clean Yield Group 1.00% 12,168 $3.6M
8 Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC 1.00% 1,161,595 $339.6M
9 Royce & Associates LP 0.69% 237,946 $69.6M
10 Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers LLC 0.58% 11,626 $3.4M
11 Champlain Investment Partners, LLC 0.48% 129,081 $37.7M
12 Numerai GP LLC 0.39% 13,398 $3.9M
13 Yorktown Management & Research Co Inc 0.35% 1,425 $417K
14 Emerald Investment Advisers, LLC 0.35% 13,247 $3.9M
15 EULAV Asset Management 0.34% 35,800 $10.5M
16 Paradigm Capital Management Inc/Ny 0.33% 29,800 $8.7M
17 Curi Capital, LLC 0.31% 58,735 $17.2M
18 ArrowMark Colorado Holdings LLC 0.29% 37,898 $11.1M
19 Wakefield Asset Management LLLP 0.29% 3,699 $1.1M
20 Df Dent & Co Inc 0.26% 46,393 $13.6M
21 Susquehanna Fundamental Investments, LLC 0.25% 22,473 $6.6M
22 Brown Brothers Harriman & Co 0.24% 151,837 $44.4M
23 nVerses Capital, LLC 0.21% 781 $228K
24 Impact Capital Partners LLC 0.17% 1,868 $546K
25 Linden Thomas Advisory Services, LLC 0.16% 5,721 $1.7M
Investor Ownership
History
% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Kadant Inc (KAI)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for KAI?

Buying streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds added KAI than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for KAI?

Slight buying edge — 58% buying: Last quarter: 180 funds bought or added vs 131 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for KAI holders?

Strong quality — 33% AUM from major funds: 50 of 314 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 33% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held KAI?

56% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 177 out of 315 hedge funds have held KAI for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Kadant Inc (KAI) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, KAI has moved -4.2% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +5.5% for the XLI sector ETF — an outperformance of -9.7%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), KAI has gained +4.2% vs +11.9% for XLI. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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