KNF Stock Analysis — Knife River Corporation
Sector: Industrials
AI Verdict
KNF trades at 24.2x next year's earnings while analysts expect 23.1% EPS growth—you're paying a fair price for real growth, but the premium depends on its regional moat holding up.
Competitive Moat
Knife River operates in aggregates and construction materials, benefiting from local market dominance and high transportation costs that create natural geographic barriers to entry. Its vertically integrated operations—from quarries to delivery—help lock in regional contracts and pricing power.
Summary
Knife River is trading at a 24.2x forward P/E with analysts forecasting 23.1% EPS growth, putting it on the radar for growth-at-a-reasonable-price investors.
Where It Stands
With a 24.2x forward P/E versus the 20x industrials median and 23.1% expected EPS growth, the stock is priced at a slight premium but with growth to back it up.
Key Metrics
- Trailing P/E: 29.8x
- Forward P/E: 24.2x
- PEG Ratio: 1.29
- Earnings Growth: +0.2%
- Revenue Growth: +0.1%
- 52-Week High: $103.17
- 52-Week Low: $58.72
Analyst Consensus
11 Buy · 3 Hold · 1 Sell (15 analysts)
Bull Case
Forward EPS growth of 23.1% justifies the 24.2x forward P/E, making the stock cheap for the growth you're getting if execution holds.
Bear Case
If the P/E reverts to the sector median of 20x, that would imply a 17% valuation drop even if earnings deliver as expected.
Catalyst to Watch
Upcoming infrastructure contract wins or regulatory changes affecting aggregates pricing could quickly shift growth expectations and valuation.