KADANT INC (KAI)

Item 2 – Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

When we use the terms "we," "us," "our," and the "Company," we mean Kadant Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries, taken as a whole, unless the context otherwise indicates.

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the documents we incorporate by reference in this report include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and may include statements regarding possible or assumed future results of operations. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of our management, using information currently available to our management. When we use words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "seeks," "should," "likely," "will," "would," "may," "continue," "could," or similar expressions, we are making forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Our future results of operations may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Many of the important factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. For a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, you should read carefully the section captioned Risk Factors, included in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2026 (Annual Report), as further amended in Part II, Item 1A, within this report, and as may be further amended and/or restated in subsequent filings with the SEC.

Overview

Company Background

We are a global supplier of technologies and engineered systems that drive Sustainable Industrial Processing®. Our products and services play an integral role in enhancing efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in process industries while helping our customers advance their sustainability initiatives with products that reduce waste or generate more yield with fewer inputs, particularly fiber, energy, and water. Producing more while consuming less is a core aspect of Sustainable Industrial Processing and a major element of the strategic focus of our business.

Our financial results are presented in three reportable segments consisting of our Flow Control segment, Industrial Processing segment, and Material Handling segment. A description of each reportable segment is as follows:

•Flow Control – Custom-engineered products, systems, and technologies that control the flow of fluids used in industrial and commercial applications to keep critical processes running efficiently in the packaging, paper and tissue, food, energy, defense, and numerous other industrial sectors. Our primary products include rotary sealing devices, steam systems, expansion joints, doctor systems, roll and fabric cleaning devices, and filtration and fiber recovery systems.

•Industrial Processing – Equipment, machinery, and technologies used to recycle paper and paperboard, process timber, and optimize industrial steam boiler efficiency in the packaging, paper, tissue, wood products, and food processing industries, among others. Our primary products include fiber processing systems and recycling equipment, chemical pulping equipment, debarkers, stranders, chippers, custom-engineered profiles and industrial blades, boiler cleaning technologies, and continuous dewatering equipment.

•Material Handling – Products and engineered systems used to handle bulk and discrete materials for secondary processing or transport in the aggregates, mining, food, and waste management industries, among others. Our primary products include conveying and vibratory equipment and balers. In addition, we manufacture and sell biodegradable, absorbent granules used as carriers in agricultural, home lawn and garden, professional lawn, turf and ornamental applications, and for oil and grease absorption.

See Note 9, Business Segment Information, in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements for financial information on our reportable segments.

Industry and Business Overview

Consolidated bookings increased 16% to $312 million in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the second quarter of 2025, led by contributions from our recent acquisitions, and record demand for our parts and consumables products at our Industrial Processing segment. Our large installed base throughout the world continues to generate a stable stream of recurring

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business from aftermarket parts, maintenance upgrades, and related service requirements. Parts and consumables product bookings increased 25% compared to the second quarter of 2025 and represented 72% of consolidated bookings. Capital equipment product bookings decreased 3% compared to the second quarter of 2025. While customer requests and quotation activity remain healthy across all our segments, the timing for securing large capital equipment project orders remains uncertain. The volatility in trade policies, inflation, and geopolitical conflicts have led to pressure on input costs. As a result, customers remain cautious in approving large capital projects pending greater clarity regarding input costs and broader economic conditions. This has led to longer customer approval cycles and increased volatility in the timing of capital project orders. This dynamic is more pronounced in our Industrial Processing segment, where average capital order values are significantly higher than in our other segments. Based on the current level of quote activity, we anticipate stronger capital bookings in the second half of 2026 compared to the first half.

Overall, we expect bookings in 2026 to exceed 2025 levels, largely driven by our Industrial Processing segment and incremental contributions from our recent acquisitions. We continue to see long-term strength in our end markets as customers rely on our products to enhance productivity through more efficient production processes. Additionally, we anticipate growth opportunities related to industrial automation and modernization investments as well as in the energy and defense sectors.

An overview of our business by reportable segment is as follows:

•Flow Control – Our Flow Control segment bookings increased 11% compared to the second quarter of 2025, reflecting strong demand for our parts and consumables products across all regions. Stronger demand in North America, fueled by factory automation projects, was tempered by weaker demand in Europe, which was negatively impacted by mill closures and low factory utilization rates. Demand for our capital equipment products was limited as customers remained cautious regarding their capital spending decisions amid market uncertainty. We expect consistent demand for the remainder of 2026 and long-term strength in this segment due to its diversified market exposure.

•Industrial Processing – Our Industrial Processing segment bookings increased 29% compared to the second quarter of 2025, as recent acquisitions drove record aftermarket parts bookings in the quarter. Demand for our capital equipment products was negatively impacted by the volatility in timing of capital project orders. Quotation activity remains high and project discussions continue across most regions, however, customers continue to defer larger capital investments. Overall, we expect demand for our capital equipment products to strengthen in the second half of 2026, supported by the anticipated receipt of several large capital orders currently in the pipeline. In addition, we expect demand for our aftermarket parts to remain stable in 2026.

•Material Handling – Our Material Handling segment bookings increased 3% compared to the second quarter of 2025, reflecting stable demand as customers balance challenging macroeconomic conditions. In this environment, customers are prioritizing maintenance spending and smaller incremental investments over large expansion projects. We expect modest growth in demand for our products in this segment to continue for the remainder of 2026.

Our global operations have been and continue to be impacted by complex market conditions fueled by volatile trade policies, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical tensions. We expect our operating environment to continue to be challenging, especially for large capital equipment projects where the order timing is uncertain. However, we believe that the fundamentals of our business remain strong, supported by our solid market position in key product lines, experienced global operations teams, and long-term strength of our end markets. For more information related to these challenges, and other factors impacting our business, please see Risk Factors, included in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report, as further amended in Part II, Item 1A, within this report, and as may be further amended and/or restated in subsequent filings with the SEC.

International Sales

Approximately half of our sales are to customers outside the United States, mainly in Europe, Asia, and Canada. As a result, our financial performance can be materially affected by currency exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. To mitigate the impact of foreign currency transaction fluctuations, we generally seek to charge our customers in the same currency in which our operating costs are incurred. Additionally, we may enter into forward currency exchange contracts to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in currencies other than our subsidiaries' functional currencies. We currently do not use derivative instruments to hedge our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations created by the translation into the U.S. dollar of our foreign subsidiaries' results that are in functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Global Trade

The United States has imposed tariffs in the past and more recently proposed and implemented new tariffs on certain imports, which have and will continue to increase the cost of some of the parts and equipment we import. In addition, foreign

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countries have implemented and may in the future implement additional retaliatory tariffs in response to these actions by the United States, which have negatively impacted and may in the future negatively impact our operations. Although we are working to mitigate the impact of tariffs through pricing and sourcing strategies, we cannot be sure these strategies will effectively mitigate the impact of these costs. For more information on risks associated with our global operations, including tariffs, please see Risk Factors, included in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report, as further amended in Part II, Item 1A, within this report, and as may be further amended and/or restated in subsequent filings with the SEC.

Acquisitions

We expect that a significant driver of our long-term growth will be through the acquisition of businesses and technologies that complement or augment our existing products and services or may involve entry into a new process industry. We have acquired several businesses in recent years and continue to pursue acquisition opportunities.

On April 30, 2026, we completed the acquisition of voestalpine BÖHLER Profil GmbH & Co KG and voestalpine BÖHLER Profil VerwaltungsGmbH for a net purchase

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Item 7.    Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes set forth in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." The following discussion also contains forward-looking statements, including the outlook for our business, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. See Part I, "Forward-Looking Statements," for a discussion of the forward-looking statements contained below and Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," for a discussion of certain risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements.

A detailed discussion of the year-over-year results for 2024 compared with 2023 can be found in Part II, Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2024, filed with the SEC.

Overview

Company Background

We are a global supplier of technologies and engineered systems that drive Sustainable Industrial Processing®. Our products and services play an integral role in enhancing efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in process industries while helping our customers advance their sustainability initiatives with products that reduce waste or generate more yield with fewer inputs, particularly fiber, energy, and water. Producing more while consuming less is a core aspect of Sustainable Industrial Processing and a major element of the strategic focus of our businesses.

Our financial results are reported in three reportable segments consisting of our Flow Control segment, Industrial Processing segment, and Material Handling segment. We have aggregated our operating segments into reportable segments where they contained similar products and economic characteristics, and shared similar types of customers, and production and distribution methods. Our Flow Control segment consists of our fluid-handling and doctoring, cleaning, & filtration operating segments and our Industrial Processing segment consists of our wood processing and fiber processing operating segments. See Note 11, Business Segment and Geographical Information, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a description of and financial information on our reportable segments.

Industry and Business Overview

Our consolidated bookings increased 5% to a record $1.034 billion in 2025 compared to 2024, driven by strong demand for our parts and consumables products and contributions from our recent acquisitions. Demand for our capital equipment products in 2025 was consistent with the prior year, as market uncertainty impacted our customers' capital investment decisions. This uncertainty was driven by escalating tariff rates and economic policies impacting manufacturers’ operating costs. Persistent tariff uncertainty and ongoing trade negotiations continue to impact market conditions. This evolving trade environment has resulted in longer quote-to-order conversion times for capital orders. While customers continue to invest in maintenance and mission-critical equipment, those with discretion over project timing are deferring capital expenditures pending greater clarity regarding input costs and broader economic conditions. This impact is more pronounced in our Industrial Processing segment, where average capital order values are significantly higher than in our other segments.

From a geographic perspective, volatility in tariffs and trade policies has contributed to market uncertainty in North America, leading to cautious spending by manufacturers. In Europe, cost pressures and ongoing economic uncertainty related to trade tensions and geopolitical risks continue to impact market activity. In China, although government-led initiatives to stimulate domestic demand and manufacturing activity have been implemented, escalating trade tensions with the United States are generally expected to have a negative impact.

Overall, we anticipate higher bookings in 2026 compared to 2025, especially in our Industrial Processing segment where customer delays associated with pending orders from 2025 have resulted in a number of capital orders in the pipeline. We continue to see long-term strength in our end markets as customers rely on our products to enhance productivity through more efficient production processes. In addition, we anticipate growth opportunities resulting from both proposed and enacted legislation in the United States and internationally that is designed to stimulate investment.

An overview of our business by reportable segment is as follows:

•Flow Control – Our Flow Control segment bookings increased 4% in 2025 compared to 2024. This increase was primarily driven by strong demand for our parts and consumables products, especially in North America, partially offset by weaker demand for our capital equipment products in all regions. While quote activity related to capital projects remains strong, there have been delays in the timing for securing orders as customers remain cautious regarding their capital spending decisions. In certain European markets, excess production capacity and declining demand have resulted in the closure of several mills, adversely affecting demand for our capital equipment products. We expect steady demand in our Flow Control segment in 2026 and long-term strength in our end markets.

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•Industrial Processing – Our Industrial Processing segment bookings increased 6% in 2025 compared to 2024, while organic bookings remained flat as strong performance at our wood processing product line was offset by weaker results in our fiber processing product line. Within our wood processing product line, capital equipment bookings increased 66% in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily driven by demand from the engineered wood industry in North America, where customers select our products for their ability to maximize wood fiber utilization. Despite these positive results, overall demand for our capital equipment in the wood processing product line was constrained by uncertain market conditions. While quote activity for large capital projects remains active, economic and tariff-related uncertainty has led to a lengthening in quote-to-order times as customers await improved market conditions, with some customers delaying capital orders into 2026. Capital bookings at our fiber processing product line decreased 26% in 2025 compared to 2024 due to constrained capital spending related to macroeconomic conditions. These conditions have resulted in the deferral of capital orders into 2026. Tariff-related uncertainty has had a greater impact in this segment due to higher average capital order values and our customers’ ability to delay the timing of large capital projects. Despite these factors, demand for our aftermarket parts in our Industrial Processing segment has remained strong as customers prioritize maintenance spending. We expect steady demand for our aftermarket parts to continue in 2026. In addition, we anticipate a strengthening in demand for our capital equipment products in this segment in 2026, supported by the expected receipt of several large capital orders currently in the pipeline.

•Material Handling – Our Material Handling segment bookings increased 6% in 2025 compared to 2024, due to increased demand for our capital equipment products at our conveying and vibratory business. This increase was driven by underground mineral mining projects where customers placed substantial equipment orders to meet their operational requirements, partially offset by a decrease in demand for parts and consumables. In addition, there was higher demand at our baling business for both capital equipment and aftermarket products. In 2026, we expect steady demand for aftermarket parts and increased demand for capital equipment products in this segment.

Our global operations have been and continue to be impacted by complex market conditions fueled by tariff-related uncertainty, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical tensions. We expect our operating environment to continue to be challenging, resulting in continued uncertainty for 2026. However, we believe that the fundamentals of our business remain strong, supported by our solid market position in key product lines, experienced global operations teams, and the long-term strength of our end markets. For more information related to these challenges, and other factors impacting our business, please see Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors."

International Sales

Approximately half of our sales are to customers outside the United States, mainly in Europe, Asia, and Canada. As a result, our financial performance can be materially affected by currency exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. To mitigate the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, we generally seek to charge our customers in the same currency in which our operating costs are incurred. Additionally, we may enter into forward currency exchange contracts to hedge certain firm purchase and sale commitments denominated in currencies other than our subsidiaries' functional currencies. We currently do not use derivative instruments to hedge our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations created by the translation into the U.S. dollar of our foreign subsidiaries' results that are in functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Global Trade

The United States has imposed tariffs in the past and more recently proposed and implemented new tariffs on certain countries and imports, which has and will continue to increase the cost of some of the parts and equipment we import. In addition, foreign countries have implemented and may in the future implement additional retaliatory tariffs in response to these actions by the United States, which have negatively impacted and may in the future negatively impact our operations. Although we are working to mitigate the impact of tariffs through pricing and sourcing strategies, we cannot be sure these strategies will effectively mitigate the impact of these costs. For more information on risks associated with our global operations, including tariffs, please see Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors."

Acquisitions

We expect that a significant driver of our long-term growth will be through the acquisition of businesses and technologies that complement or augment our existing products and services or may involve entry into a new process industry. We have acquired several businesses in recent years and continue to pursue acquisition opportunities. See Note 2, Acquisitions, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further details.

On July 9, 2025, we acquired Babbini S.p.A and G.P.S. Engineering S.r.l (collectively, Babbini), two Italy-based companies specializing in industrial dewatering and engineered power transmission solutions, for approximately $16.5 million, net of cash acquired. On October 7, 2025, we acquired Clyde Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, Clyde Industries), a manufacturer of highly engineered boiler efficiency and cleaning system technologies for $173.7 million, net of

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cash acquired. Babbini and Clyde Industries are part of our Industrial Processing segment. We funded these acquisitions primarily through borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

We expect several synergies in connection with the acquisitions, including expansion of product sales into new markets by leveraging our global sales network and relationships, as well as broadening our product portfolio, strengthening ou

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