Knife River: Low ROIC And Low Margins

Knife River Corporation remains rated Hold due to low ROIC, negative ROIC-WACC spread, and limited multiple expansion potential. Q2 results showed strong 13% revenue growth but margin compression from cost inflation and higher fuel prices, partially offset by 8% price increases. KNF's aggregates segment benefits from local monopolies, but overall industry capital returns remain structurally low versus peers like VMC and MLM.