Zacks Research Downgrades Knife River (NYSE:KNF) to Hold

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

KNF has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Knife River from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Knife River from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Knife River from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Knife River in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Knife River from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $97.14.

Knife River Stock Performance

NYSE KNF opened at $69.04 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.86, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.42. The stock 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 quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 2.67. Knife River has a fifty-two week low of $58.72 and a fifty-two week high of $96.28.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Knife River

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in Knife River in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Knife River by 66.3% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of Knife River by 1,088.0% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 544 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Knife River in the 2nd quarter valued at about $50,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Knife River by 198.5% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 806 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 536 shares during 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.