KAI vs. NOW
KAI (Kadant Inc.) and NOW (ServiceNow, Inc) are both stocks. KAI operates in Specialty Industrial Machinery (Industrials), while NOW operates in Software - Application (Technology). Over the past 10 years, KAI returned 21.05%/yr vs 23.14%/yr for NOW. At a 0.28 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
KAI vs. NOW - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, KAI achieves a 9.80% return, which is significantly higher than NOW's -23.04% return. Over the past 10 years, KAI has underperformed NOW with an annualized return of 21.05%, while NOW has yielded a comparatively higher 23.14% annualized return.
KAI
- 1D
- -2.88%
- 1M
- 9.05%
- YTD
- 9.80%
- 6M
- 7.26%
- 1Y
- 0.20%
- 3Y*
- 16.07%
- 5Y*
- 13.43%
- 10Y*
- 21.05%
NOW
- 1D
- -7.64%
- 1M
- 28.19%
- YTD
- -23.04%
- 6M
- -29.22%
- 1Y
- -41.68%
- 3Y*
- 2.45%
- 5Y*
- 5.06%
- 10Y*
- 23.14%
KAI vs. NOW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KAI Kadant Inc. | 9.80% | -17.03% | 23.59% | 58.69% | -22.50% | 64.41% | 35.18% | 30.68% | -18.14% | 65.97% |
NOW ServiceNow, Inc | -23.04% | -27.75% | 50.05% | 81.96% | -40.18% | 17.93% | 94.97% | 58.56% | 36.55% | 75.40% |
Correlation
The correlation between KAI and NOW is 0.01, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.01 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.32 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.28 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 2, 2012 | 0.28 |
Over the past year, the correlation between KAI and NOW has dropped to 0.01 - well below their long-term average of 0.28, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
Fundamentals
KAI:
$3.69B
NOW:
$122.62B
KAI:
$8.77
NOW:
$1.68
KAI:
35.61
NOW:
70.18
KAI:
5.59
NOW:
0.59
KAI:
3.36
NOW:
8.83
KAI:
4.17
NOW:
9.03
KAI:
$1.09B
NOW:
$13.96B
KAI:
$492.10M
NOW:
$10.69B
KAI:
$216.11M
NOW:
$2.80B
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Return for Risk
KAI vs. NOW — Risk / Return Rank
KAI
NOW
KAI vs. NOW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Kadant Inc. (KAI) and ServiceNow, Inc (NOW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| KAI | NOW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.85 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.42 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.03 | 0.85 | +0.18 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.01 | -0.69 | +0.70 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.01 | -1.26 | +1.28 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| KAI | NOW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.01 | -0.85 | +0.85 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.40 | 0.12 | +0.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.60 | 0.57 | +0.03 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.22 | 0.62 | -0.39 |
Drawdowns
KAI vs. NOW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum KAI drawdown since its inception was -93.36%, which is greater than NOW's maximum drawdown of -64.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for KAI and NOW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| KAI | NOW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -93.36% | -64.54% | -28.82% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -30.91% | -60.28% | +29.37% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -41.23% | -64.54% | +23.31% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -41.23% | -64.54% | +23.31% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -51.98% | -64.54% | +12.56% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -25.69% | -49.63% | +23.94% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -47.87% | -13.71% | -34.16% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.86% | 33.08% | -19.22% |
Volatility
KAI vs. NOW - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Kadant Inc. (KAI) is 16.20%, while ServiceNow, Inc (NOW) has a volatility of 24.43%. This indicates that KAI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NOW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| KAI | NOW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 16.20% | 24.43% | -8.23% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 28.83% | 46.21% | -17.38% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 38.15% | 49.35% | -11.20% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 34.15% | 43.32% | -9.17% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 34.96% | 40.78% | -5.82% |
Dividends
KAI vs. NOW - Dividend Comparison
KAI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.44%, while NOW has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KAI Kadant Inc. | 0.44% | 0.47% | 0.36% | 0.40% | 0.58% | 0.43% | 0.67% | 0.86% | 1.07% | 0.82% | 1.21% | 1.63% |
NOW ServiceNow, Inc | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
KAI vs. NOW - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Kadant Inc. and ServiceNow, Inc. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
KAI vs. NOW - Profitability Comparison
KAI - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Kadant Inc. reported a gross profit of 126.70M and revenue of 281.51M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 45.0%.
NOW - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported a gross profit of 2.83B and revenue of 3.77B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 75.1%.
KAI - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Kadant Inc. reported an operating income of 40.11M and revenue of 281.51M, resulting in an operating margin of 14.3%.
NOW - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported an operating income of 503.00M and revenue of 3.77B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.3%.
KAI - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Kadant Inc. reported a net income of 25.51M and revenue of 281.51M, resulting in a net margin of 9.1%.
NOW - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported a net income of 469.00M and revenue of 3.77B, resulting in a net margin of 12.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions
KAI and NOW have a correlation of 0.01, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
NOW has higher volatility (24.43%) compared to KAI (16.20%). In terms of maximum drawdown, KAI dropped -93.36% vs NOW's -64.54%.
KAI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.01 vs -0.85), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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