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Kadant Inc. (KAI) Total Return Calculator with Dividends Reinvested

Kadant Inc.

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The total return for Kadant Inc. (KAI) stock is +14.04% over the past 12 months. So far it's up 14.60% this year. The 5-year total return is +84.35%, meaning $10,000 invested in KAI stock 5 years ago would be worth $18,435 today. Total return includes price appreciation plus reinvesting any dividends paid out.

If you invested $10,000 in KAI 1 year ago, it would be worth $11,318 today — you'd have gained $1,318 with dividends reinvested.

With Dividends Reinvested$11,318+13.18%

Price Only (No DRIP)$11,269+12.69%

Dividend Boost+$504 payments · +0.50% extra

Period2025-05-07 → 2026-05-06

Price

Total Return (DRIP)

Dividends

S&P 500

If You Invested $10,000 in KAI

1Y$11,404+$1,404 (+14.0%)14.0% CAGR

3Y$16,946+$6,946 (+69.5%)19.2% CAGR

5Y$18,435+$8,435 (+84.3%)13.0% CAGR

10Y$69,070+$59,070 (+590.7%)21.3% CAGR

15Y$109,703+$99,703 (+997.0%)17.3% CAGR

20Y$132,913+$122,913 (+1229.1%)13.8% CAGR

30Y$42,706+$32,706 (+327.1%)5.0% CAGR

Dividend Reinvestment History (4)▲ Hide

Ex-Date	Dividend	Reinvest Price	Shares Added
2025-07-10	$0.34	$339.07	+0.001003
2025-10-09	$0.34	$286.33	+0.001189
2026-01-08	$0.34	$311.01	+0.001096
2026-04-15	$0.36	$324.86	+0.001112

Loading KAI total return...

As of 2026-05-07

Returns at a Glance

Period	Total Return	CAGR	Price Only	Div. Contrib.	$10K →
YTD	+14.60%	—	+14.36%	+0.24 pp	$11,460
1Y	+14.04%	14.04%	+13.56%	+0.48 pp	$11,404
3Y	+69.46%	19.22%	+67.48%	+1.98 pp	$16,946
5Y	+84.35%	13.01%	+81.06%	+3.29 pp	$18,435
10Y	+590.70%	21.32%	+569.50%	+21.20 pp	$69,070
15Y	+997.03%	17.31%	+957.20%	+39.83 pp	$109,703
20Y	+1229.13%	13.81%	+1180.87%	+48.26 pp	$132,913
30Y	+327.06%	4.96%	+311.56%	+15.51 pp	$42,706

Risk & Highlights

Best Year+95.67%1995

Worst Year-54.10%2008

Max Drawdown-30.99%2025-07-30 → 2025-11-18

Annual Returns

Year	Total Return	Price Return	Div.	S&P 500	vs S&P
2026YTD	+18.54%	+18.43%	+0.1pp	+0.41%	+18.1pp
2025	-17.48%	-17.87%	+0.4pp	+16.64%	-34.1pp
2024	+26.18%	+25.72%	+0.5pp	+24.00%	+2.2pp
2023	+56.82%	+56.19%	+0.6pp	+24.81%	+32.0pp
2022	-21.56%	-22.02%	+0.5pp	-19.95%	-1.6pp

KAI underperformed the S&P 500 by 17.28pp over the past year (+14.04% vs +31.32%).

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KAI Peers' Total Return

Accurate peer set · 10 comparable names

Name	Mkt Cap	30D Rtn	YTD Total Rtn	1Y Total Rtn	Div Contrib	3Y Total Rtn	5Y Total Rtn	10Y Total Rtn
KAIKadant Inc.	$3.9B	+13.5%	+14.6%	+14.0%	+0.5pp	+69.5%	+84.3%	+590.7%
GTLSChart Industries, Inc.	$9.9B	+0.1%	+0.7%	+37.4%	—	+63.0%	+33.2%	+740.5%
FELEFranklin Electric Co., Inc.	$4.5B	+7.0%	+4.4%	+17.9%	+1.2pp	+10.8%	+21.2%	+233.1%
HLIOHelios Technologies, Inc.	$2.3B	+6.0%	+28.0%	+158.8%	+1.4pp	+14.1%	-4.1%	+112.1%
NNNextNav Inc.	$2.6B	+16.4%	+19.2%	+46.2%	—	+807.5%	+94.1%	+98.3%
NDSNNordson Corporation	$16.0B	+9.0%	+19.4%	+54.0%	+1.7pp	+35.8%	+44.0%	+302.8%
TRMKTrustmark Corporation	$2.6B	+4.2%	+15.5%	+33.0%	+2.8pp	+118.6%	+47.4%	+127.3%
IPInternational Paper Company	$17.7B	-4.0%	-14.4%	-19.4%	+5.2pp	+22.1%	-26.0%	+31.6%
PKGPackaging Corporation of America	$20.2B	+10.4%	+8.0%	+28.7%	+2.8pp	+77.8%	+63.7%	+307.0%
CLWClearwater Paper Corporation	$229M	-5.1%	-19.6%	-43.9%	—	-56.5%	-54.2%	-76.6%
SLVMSylvamo Corporation	$2.0B	+6.7%	-4.3%	-21.1%	+3.0pp	+8.9%	+102.4%	+102.4%

Compare:KAI vs GTLS KAI vs FELE KAI vs HLIO KAI vs GTLS vs FELE

About KAI Dividend Returns

Kadant Inc. (KAI) is a dividend-paying stock. When dividends are reinvested through a DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan), they purchase additional shares, which then generate their own dividends—creating a compounding effect that can significantly boost long-term returns.

How We Calculate Total Return

Our total return calculator simulates dividend reinvestment (DRIP) by assuming each dividend payment is used to purchase additional shares at the closing price on the ex-dividend date. This methodology provides an accurate representation of how a dividend reinvestment plan would perform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1What is the total return of KAI over the past year?

Kadant Inc. (KAI) delivered a total return of 14.04% over the past year when dividends are reinvested. The price-only return was 13.56%, meaning dividends contributed an additional 0.48 percentage points to total returns.

Q2How much would $10,000 invested in KAI be worth today?

A $10,000 investment in Kadant Inc. one year ago would be worth $11,404 today with dividends reinvested (DRIP). Without reinvesting dividends, the same investment would be worth $11,356. Dividend reinvestment added $48 to the portfolio value.

Q3Does KAI pay dividends?

Yes, Kadant Inc. (KAI) pays dividends. In the last year, KAI paid approximately $1.34 per share in dividends (0.41% yield). Reinvesting these dividends through a DRIP can significantly boost long-term returns — over 20+ years, dividend compounding can account for 30–50% of total returns for dividend-paying stocks.

Q4Did KAI beat the S&P 500?

No, Kadant Inc. (KAI) underperformed the S&P 500 by 17.28 percentage points over the past year. KAI delivered a total return of 14.04%, compared to the S&P 500's 31.32%. This means a passive S&P 500 index fund outperformed KAI by 17.28pp during this period.

Q5What is KAI's worst drawdown?

Kadant Inc. (KAI) experienced a maximum drawdown of -30.99% over the past year, declining from its peak on 2025-07-30 to its trough on 2025-11-18. The stock has not yet fully recovered to its prior peak. Maximum drawdown measures the worst peak-to-trough decline and is an important risk metric for investors.

Q6What is KAI's long-term total return over 10, 20, or 30 years?

Here are Kadant Inc. (KAI)'s long-term returns with dividends reinvested. Over 10 years, the total return is 590.7% (21.3% CAGR) — $10,000 would have grown to $69,070. Over 20 years: 1229.1% total return (13.8% CAGR) — $10,000 → $132,913. Over 30 years: 327.1% total return (5.0% CAGR) — $10,000 → $42,706. Long-term investors benefit from compounding: dividends buy additional shares, which generate their own dividends, creating an exponential growth effect.

Q7What was KAI's best and worst year?

Kadant Inc.'s best calendar year was 1995 with a total return of 95.7%. Its worst year was 2008 with a total return of -54.1%. This range shows the volatility investors should expect — the difference between the best and worst year is 149.8 percentage points.