Knife River (NYSE:KNF) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Zacks Research

Knife River (NYSE:KNF) was downgraded by Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Knife River in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Knife River from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Knife River from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Knife River from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Knife River from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.14.

Knife River Price Performance

Shares of KNF opened at $69.04 on Monday. Knife River has a 1-year low of $58.72 and a 1-year high of $96.28. The stock has a market cap of $3.92 billion, a PE ratio of 26.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.42. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $80.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $81.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 2.67 and a quick ratio of 1.31.

Knife River (NYSE:KNF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.13 by ($0.36). Knife River had a return on equity of 9.35% and a net margin of 4.58%.The company had revenue of $938.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.39 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 12.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Knife River will post 3.32 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Knife River

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Knife River by 184.3% in the fourth quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 36,659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,586,000 after acquiring an additional 23,764 shares in the last quarter. Paradice Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Knife River in the fourth quarter valued at $22,001,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Knife River by 111.6% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 63,904 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,648,000 after purchasing an additional 33,698 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Knife River by 30.8% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 578,023 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,664,000 after purchasing an additional 135,982 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its stake in Knife River by 87.8% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 255,557 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,978,000 after purchasing an additional 119,452 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.11% of the company’s stock.

Knife River News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Knife River this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue rose 12.6% year over year to $938.6 million, exceeding analysts’ estimate of approximately $931 million. The company also raised its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook to $3.4 billion-$3.6 billion, compared with its prior range of $3.3 billion-$3.5 billion. Knife River Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Knife River’s earnings call provided additional commentary on the quarterly results and full-year outlook, which investors are evaluating for indications about construction demand, margins, backlog and the company’s ability to reach its guidance. Knife River Corporation Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning was mixed, with some large investors adding shares while others reduced or exited positions. Analysts’ recent price targets remained generally above the market price, with a reported median target of $100, but these targets did not offset concerns about the quarterly results. Knife River Slides as Investors Appear Cautious Around Quarterly Update
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted earnings came in at $0.77 per share, well below consensus estimates of $1.11-$1.13 and down from $0.89 a year earlier. Net income fell 13% to $43.9 million, while net margin declined to 4.7% from 6.1%, pointing to weaker profitability despite higher sales. Knife River Q2 Earnings Lag Estimates

Knife River Company Profile

Knife River Corporation, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, is a leading integrated construction materials and contracting company in the western United States. The company specializes in producing and supplying aggregates, asphalt mix, ready-mixed concrete and other heavy construction materials used in highway, commercial and residential projects.

In addition to material production, Knife River offers a comprehensive suite of contracting services, including heavy civil construction, road building, underground and open-pit mining and logistics support.