This Dredging Stock Rises 233% in 1 Year: Port Orders, Green Tugs and a Profit Surge

This dredging stock has risen approximately 233% in one year, placing it among the top 31 performers on a screen of 195 NSE small-cap stocks dated 11 September 2026. Port dredging contracts, long-term green tug charters and a sharp jump in quarterly profit have powered the move.

The company is Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works Ltd (NSE: KMEW), a marine services firm that dredges ports and channels, owns and charters vessels, and is building its own shipyard. The Knowledge Marine share price closed at Rs 2,915.60 on 10 September 2026, giving the company a market value of approximately Rs 7,398 crore. It started life on the SME platform in March 2021 and moved to the main board of both exchanges in November 2024.

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How Much Has This Dredging Stock Gained in 1 Year?

This dredging stock returned approximately 232.85% between 10 September 2025 and 10 September 2026, rising from a split-adjusted close of Rs 875.95 to Rs 2,915.60. That placed it among the top 31 performers on a screen of 195 NSE small-cap stocks dated 11 September 2026. Shorter periods also show strong gains for this dredging stock.

Period	Start Close (Rs)	Return (%)
1 Month (from 10 Aug 2026)	2,596.80	Approximately 12.3%
6 Months (from 10 Mar 2026)	1,638.70	Approximately 77.9%
1 Year (from 10 Sep 2025)	875.95 (split-adjusted)	Approximately 232.9%

The company split each Rs 10 share into two shares of Rs 5 with a record date of 22 December 2025. All prices before that date in this article are adjusted for the split, so the return of this dredging stock reflects real price movement rather than a change in share count. No bonus issue took place during the period.

Much of the move came early. This dredging stock jumped approximately 39% in the week after 10 September 2025, to around Rs 1,217 by 17 September, after a new port dredging order, and then roughly doubled again over the following eleven months.

The 52-week range runs from Rs 868.50 to Rs 3,175, with the high touched on 3 September 2026. In trade on 11 September, this dredging stock was around Rs 2,872, down about 1.5% on the day and roughly 10% below its peak.

Why Did This Dredging Stock Rise So Sharply?

This dredging stock rose because the company won a string of large, long-dated contracts, profits jumped once big dredging projects moved into execution, and institutional investors bought in through fresh share issues. A national push to modernise ports and switch to green harbour tugs gave the story a clear sector tailwind.

1. A Port Dredging Order Sparked the September 2025 Breakout

On 9 September 2025, the company won a Rs 47.59 crore order from Deendayal Port Authority to dredge the approach channel and turning circle at the Ghogha Ro-Ro terminal in Gujarat. This dredging stock rose about 25% in two sessions, and volumes spiked to several times their usual level.

That order mattered because it confirmed the company could keep winning maintenance and capital dredging work from major ports. For a dredging stock of this size, a single contract of that scale is a meaningful addition to revenue.

2. Green Tug Contracts Added 15 Years of Visibility

In October 2025, the company behind this dredging stock secured a Rs 385.76 crore, 15-year contract from V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority to supply, man and maintain a battery-operated green tug. In November 2025, it won a second green tug order worth Rs 384.33 crore from Visakhapatnam Port Authority, also for 15 years.

These charters sit under the government's Green Tug Transition Programme, which asks major ports to replace diesel harbour tugs. Management has said charter contracts of this kind can earn EBITDA margins of around 75%, which is why the market rewarded this dredging stock for moving beyond one-off projects.

3. Order Book Diversified Into Shipbuilding

During the first half of FY26, the company won seven significant orders worth about Rs 968.69 crore, including two inland waterways shipbuilding orders for 24 crafts. By 30 September 2025, the outstanding order book stood near Rs 2,000 crore, split between charter hire, dredging and shipbuilding.

As of the June 2026 quarter, management put the external order book at over Rs 1,300 crore, with roughly Rs 850 crore in charter hire, Rs 240 crore in dredging and Rs 240 crore in shipbuilding. It also reported a bid pipeline of more than Rs 3,500 crore, a healthy funnel for a dredging stock of this size.

4. A Rock Dredging Project Drove a Record Quarter

In December 2025, the company won a Rs 58.39 crore rock dredging contract at Jawaharlal Nehru Port. Execution of this technically complex job, along with maintenance dredging at Puducherry, made dredging the main revenue driver in the June 2026 quarter.

Revenue from operations in Q1 FY27 rose approximately 138% year on year to Rs 115.41 crore, and net profit rose more than fivefold. This dredging stock touched Rs 2,999.90 on the day after results in August 2026 and then went on to a fresh high of Rs 3,175 in early September.

5. Institutional Money and a Stock Split

The company raised approximately Rs 285 crore through a preferential issue in the first half of FY26, and a further Rs 150 crore in mid-2026 at Rs 1,962.53 per share, with institutional investors including a domestic mutual fund among the allottees. Foreign institutional holding jumped from under 1% in September 2025 to over 12% by August 2026.

The share split in December 2025 widened retail participation, and the shareholder count of this dredging stock more than tripled in a year. On the split's record date, the Knowledge Marine share price rose approximately 17% intraday.

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Knowledge Marine Share Price and Financial Performance

Profit at this dredging stock has scaled up faster than revenue as the mix shifted toward high-margin dredging and charter work. The table below shows the last five quarters on a consolidated basis.

Quarter	Total Income (Rs Cr)	EBITDA (Rs Cr)	Net Profit (Rs Cr)	Net Margin (%)
Jun 2025 (Q1 FY26)	49.03	20.50	11.08	23.25
Sep 2025 (Q2 FY26)	51.38	21.19	11.90	22.32
Dec 2025 (Q3 FY26)	93.23	41.77	32.89	33.81
Mar 2026 (Q4 FY26)	78.20	29.17	23.53	38.76
Jun 2026 (Q1 FY27)	118.62	76.61	62.75	53.49

For the full year FY26, revenue from operations was approximately Rs 256 crore and net profit approximately Rs 79 crore, compared with Rs 206 crore of total income and Rs 49.6 crore of profit in FY25. That is a profit jump of roughly 60% in a single year.

The June 2026 quarter stands out with an EBITDA margin of approximately 64%. Management has guided that normalised margins should be closer to 35% to 40%, so investors should not assume the Q1 FY27 level will repeat every quarter.

Management has raised its FY27 revenue growth outlook to potentially more than 60% and has set a target of Rs 1,000 crore of revenue by FY29. Hitting that would require a large step up in shipbuilding output from the new shipyard.

Knowledge Marine Share: Valuation and Shareholding

The Knowledge Marine share trades at a trailing PE of approximately 56.5, slightly above the industry PE of about 51.6. The price to book ratio is about 10.1, return on equity about 13.8% and debt to equity about 0.39.

Holder	Sep 2025 (%)	Dec 2025 (%)	Mar 2026 (%)	Jun 2026 (%)	Aug 2026 (%)
Promoters	60.69	53.63	53.63	51.56	49.99
FIIs	0.74	11.00	11.75	12.12	12.64
DIIs	0.15	0.46	1.71	1.54	3.90
Public	38.41	34.92	32.91	34.79	33.46

Promoter holding in this dredging stock has fallen by more than 10 percentage points, mainly because of dilution from the preferential issues rather than open market selling. Foreign and domestic institutions now hold over 16% combined, a big change for a dredging stock that was almost entirely held by promoters and retail investors a year ago.

The number of shareholders rose from about 7,500 in September 2025 to about 23,600 in August 2026. Two equity mutual fund schemes also hold positions in this dredging stock.

What Are the Key Risks for This Dredging Stock?

The biggest risk is that the Knowledge Marine share price already reflects years of expected growth. At over 10 times book value, any delay in order execution could trigger a sharp fall.

Dredging Stock Valuation and Margin Normalisation

A PE above 56 for this dredging stock assumes that margins stay high and revenue keeps compounding. Management itself expects margins to settle near 35% to 40%, well below the 64% seen in Q1 FY27, so profit could look softer in coming quarters even if revenue grows.

Lumpy, Government-Dependent Revenue

Most revenue for this dredging stock comes from port authorities and other public bodies through tenders. Revenue fell in FY24 after large projects ended, and quarterly numbers can swing sharply, as the drop from Rs 93 crore to Rs 78 crore between December 2025 and March 2026 showed. This dredging stock can react hard to a weak quarter.

Heavy Capex and Funding Needs

The company behind this dredging stock plans capex of about Rs 1,000 crore over roughly 18 months for bigger dredgers, green tugs and its shipyard. The board has approved up to Rs 500 crore of non-convertible debentures, so debt could rise, and further equity raises would dilute existing holders.

Dredging Stock Liquidity and Volatility Risk

As a small cap, this dredging stock trades only tens of thousands of shares on a typical day, and prices can move 5% to 15% in a single session on order news. This dredging stock fell from about Rs 1,960 in December 2025 to near Rs 1,409 in March 2026 before resuming its climb, a reminder that drawdowns of 25% or more are common.

Pending Corporate Action and Competition

The board has proposed a further split of each Rs 5 share into five shares of Rs 1, subject to shareholder approval at the AGM on 30 September 2026. Separately, high margins could attract new bidders in dredging and green tugs, which would pressure pricing for this dredging stock.

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Knowledge Marine Share: Analyst View

The business story is backed by real contracts and a visible jump in profit, but the valuation leaves little room for error. Investors tracking this dredging stock should watch quarterly execution, new green tug awards and progress at the shipyard.

Knowledge Marine Share Price Target

No verified brokerage Knowledge Marine share price target is available at the time of writing, as coverage of this small cap remains thin. In the absence of a published Knowledge Marine share price target, the 52-week high of Rs 3,175 acts as the near-term resistance, while the March 2026 low near Rs 1,409 marks a deeper support zone.

Any future Knowledge Marine share price target from analysts will likely hinge on how quickly the company converts its Rs 1,300 crore order book and Rs 3,500 crore bid pipeline into revenue. Until then, the Knowledge Marine share price is likely to move on order wins, quarterly results and the pending share split.

For long-term investors, a staggered approach to this dredging stock may reduce timing risk. The Knowledge Marine share price has already risen sharply, so position sizing and a clear exit plan matter more than usual.

Other Stocks to Track From the Same Return Screen

Beyond this dredging stock, a screen of 195 small-cap NSE stocks dated 11 September 2026 also includes related names such as MTAR Technologies with a 1-year return of 396.53%, Sigma Advanced Systems at 393.07% and Aeroflex Industries at 219.32%.

Among the names covered from that screen, V-Marc India returned 381.30% over one year. Readers can compare this dredging stock with the Nifty 50 benchmark and track each of these names on Univest before making any decision.

Conclusion

This dredging stock has earned its 233% one-year gain through real contract wins, a fivefold rise in quarterly profit and a shift toward 15-year green tug charters. Institutional buying and a share split added momentum to the dredging stock along the way.

The risks are just as real: a rich valuation, margins that management expects to cool, heavy capex and the volatility that comes with a thinly traded small cap. For this dredging stock, the next leg depends on whether execution keeps pace with the market's expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which dredging stock rose about 233% in one year?

Ans. Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works (NSE: KMEW) returned approximately 233% between 10 September 2025 and 10 September 2026 on a split-adjusted basis. The dredging stock was among the top 31 performers on a screen of 195 NSE small-cap stocks.

Why did the Knowledge Marine share price rise?

Ans. This dredging stock rose on new port dredging orders, two 15-year green tug contracts worth about Rs 770 crore combined, and a sharp jump in profit. Institutional investors also bought in through preferential issues.

Was the 233% gain affected by a stock split or bonus?

Ans. The company split each Rs 10 share into two Rs 5 shares with a record date of 22 December 2025. The return is adjusted for this split, and there was no bonus issue in the period.

What were Knowledge Marine Q1 FY27 results?

Ans. Revenue from operations rose approximately 138% year on year to Rs 115.41 crore in the June 2026 quarter. Net profit rose more than fivefold to around Rs 62 crore, helped by complex rock dredging work.

What is the Knowledge Marine share price target?

Ans. No verified brokerage target is available for the stock right now. The 52-week high of Rs 3,175 is the key resistance level, and the March 2026 low near Rs 1,409 is a deeper support zone.

Is this dredging stock overvalued?

Ans. It trades at a trailing PE of about 56.5 and roughly 10 times book value, above the industry PE of about 51.6. The price assumes strong growth, so any execution delay could hurt the stock.

Who are the major shareholders in Knowledge Marine?

Ans. Promoters held 49.99% as of August 2026, while foreign institutions held 12.64% and domestic institutions 3.90%. Promoter holding has fallen mainly due to dilution from fresh share issues.

What are the main risks for this dredging stock?

Ans. Key risks include a high valuation, margins expected to normalise to 35% to 40%, lumpy government contracts and heavy capex funded partly by debt. Low liquidity also makes the stock highly volatile.