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KAI vs PRLB: Kadant Inc. vs Protolabs

Kadant Inc. (KAI) and Protolabs (PRLB) on Torvanta's measures: KAI grades higher on 2 of the 4 factor families and PRLB on 2.

KAIPRLB
Value gradeCD
Growth gradeCB
Profitability gradeBC
Momentum gradeC-A+
Market value$3.2B$2.4B
P/E (trailing)28.7x78.9x
Revenue, last 12 months$1.2B$560.5M
Revenue growth (y/y)+12%+10%
Operating margin15.0%6.6%
Return on invested capital13.8%4.7%
Free-cash-flow yield5.1%2.4%
Total return, 1 year-12.1%+94.9%
Total return, 3 years+19.1%+279.1%

Full KAI analysis · Full PRLB analysis

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, KAI or PRLB?

Kadant Inc. (KAI) and Protolabs (PRLB) on Torvanta's measures: KAI grades higher on 2 of the 4 factor families and PRLB on 2. Which fits an investor depends on their goals; this is research, not a recommendation. Subscribers see where the model ranks each and its expected return.

Which is cheaper, KAI or PRLB?

On trailing earnings KAI trades at 28.7x and PRLB at 78.9x; their value grades are C and D against their sectors.

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Subscribers get the model's rank and expected return for every covered company, the reasoning behind each, and the Torvanta model portfolio's trades each trading day, sized and explained, at three risk levels.

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Torvanta is research only - not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Grades describe a company's reported data against its sector; they are not the model's view, change as data changes and can be wrong. Financial figures come from the company's SEC filings; returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results.

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