Knowles Corp (KN)
NYSE:KN
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Knowles
(NYSE:KN)
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Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
$33.00
▲(11.15% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:04/30/26
KN scores as moderately attractive primarily due to improving profitability/cash generation with low leverage, and a strong, upbeat earnings call with supportive forward guidance. Technicals also show a favorable uptrend. The main constraint on the score is valuation, with a high P/E and no dividend yield support, alongside the financial risk signal from recent revenue decline and historical earnings volatility.
Positive Factors
Gross margin expansion
Sustained gross margin improvement driven by pricing, higher capacity utilization and PD mix strengthens durable profitability. Higher structural margins improve cash conversion and provide margin buffer versus revenue cyclicality, supporting reinvestment and long‑term free cash flow generation.
Negative Factors
Revenue decline & earnings volatility
Material multi‑year revenue decline and episodic large losses indicate that topline and earnings drivers can swing sharply. Persistent volatility undermines predictability for investment, makes multi‑year planning harder, and raises execution risk when scaling capacity or committing to long‑lead product programs.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Gross margin expansion
Sustained gross margin improvement driven by pricing, higher capacity utilization and PD mix strengthens durable profitability. Higher structural margins improve cash conversion and provide margin buffer versus revenue cyclicality, supporting reinvestment and long‑term free cash flow generation.
Read all positive factors
Knowles (KN) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$2.60B
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)738.23K
Price to Earnings (P/E)56.5
Beta (1Y)1.57
Revenue Growth-1.25%
EPS GrowthN/A
CountryUS
Employees5,500
SectorTechnology
Sector Strength88
IndustryCommunication Equipment
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.27
Shares Outstanding85,529,660
10 Day Avg. Volume935,943
30 Day Avg. Volume738,231
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-0.35
Price to Book (P/B)2.37
Price to Sales (P/S)3.10
P/FCF Ratio22.45
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.04
Enterprise Value/Revenue4.41
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit10.52
Enterprise Value/Ebitda22.12
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$36.67Price Target Upside23.50% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering3
EPS Forecast (FY)1.25
Revenue Forecast (FY)$631.42M
Knowles Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Knowles Corporation offers micro-acoustic microphones and balanced armature speakers, audio solutions, high performance capacitors, and radio frequency products for the consumer electronics, medtech, defense, electric vehicle, industrial, and comm...
How the Company Makes Money
Knowles makes money primarily by selling engineered components and solutions to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other customers, typically under supply agreements and purchase orders. Key revenue streams include: (1) Micro-acoustic com...
Knowles Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Knowles Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Apr 23, 2026
(Q1-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 05, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed strong operational momentum: double-digit revenue growth (16% YoY), significant EPS improvement (50% YoY), expanding gross margins, a 1.19 book-to-bill in Precision Devices, and a funded energy order that should drive additional PD margin expansion in the back half of 2026. Management provided constructive Q2 guidance (revenue, margins, EPS) and highlighted conservative leverage and ample liquidity. Near-term headwinds include modest operating cash usage in Q1 (partly due to divestiture-related outflows), higher R&D/SG&A, temporary specialty film ramp costs, and the need for added direct labor as volumes increase. Overall, positives materially outweigh manageable, mostly transitory, lowlights.Positive Updates
Strong Top-Line and EPS Growth
Q1 revenue of $153.0M, up 16% year-over-year and at the high end of guidance. Adjusted EPS of $0.27, up 50% YoY and above the high end of guided range.
Negative Updates
Operating Cash Usage in Q1 and CMM-Related Outflows
Cash used by operating activities was $1M in Q1. Operating cash included ~$8M of outflows related to the previously divested CMM business, though management indicated these payments are now substantially complete.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Strong Top-Line and EPS Growth
Q1 revenue of $153.0M, up 16% year-over-year and at the high end of guidance. Adjusted EPS of $0.27, up 50% YoY and above the high end of guided range.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Knowles guided Q2 2026 revenue of $152–162 million (midpoint +8% YoY), adjusted EBIT margin of 20–22%, EPS of $0.28–$0.32 (midpoint +$0.06 or +25% YoY), R&D of $9–11 million, SG&A of $26–28 million, interest of ~$2 million, an effective tax rate of 15–19%, weighted average diluted shares of ~87 million, cash from operations of $20–30 million, and Q2 capex of $8 million (full‑year capex expected to be ~4–5% of revenues). For the full year management expects revenue growth above the high end of its prior 4–6% organic target and adjusted EBITDA growth above its 10–14% cumulative annual target; segment guidance includes MSA gross margins roughly in line with 2025 (~51% despite Q1 at 53.5%, up 480 bps YoY) and continued PD gross margin expansion (Q1 PD margin 39.2%, up 350 bps YoY; management said they’d be surprised if PD doesn’t improve ~100 bps for the year and called out a potential 200–250 bps back‑half benefit from the specialty energy ramp). Recent operating and balance‑sheet metrics referenced on the call: Q1 revenue $153 million (+16% YoY), Q1 EPS $0.27 (+50% YoY), Q1 cash used in operations $1 million, a book‑to‑bill of 1.19, a $75M+ energy order (with ~$25M+ expected contribution in the rest of 2026), Q1 cash $41 million, $131 million drawn on the revolver, net leverage ~0.6x on trailing‑12M adjusted EBITDA, liquidity >$310 million, and 276k shares repurchased for $7.5 million.Knowles Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
58
Neutral
Balance Sheet
74
Positive
Cash Flow
67
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 614.10M | 593.20M | 553.50M | 456.80M | 478.80M | 868.10M |
| Gross Profit | 257.40M | 244.50M | 221.20M | 200.10M | 227.00M | 341.50M |
| EBITDA | 122.40M | 109.60M | 92.40M | 70.90M | 145.50M | 181.50M |
| Net Income | 55.90M | 44.20M | -239.50M | 72.40M | -430.10M | 150.40M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 1.05B | 1.05B | 1.12B | 1.46B | 1.18B | 1.73B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 41.00M | 54.20M | 130.10M | 87.30M | 48.20M | 68.90M |
| Total Debt | 151.20M | 150.30M | 213.00M | 286.70M | 64.50M | 102.40M |
| Total Liabilities | 273.70M | 275.30M | 362.20M | 428.70M | 191.00M | 275.10M |
| Stockholders Equity | 780.20M | 775.80M | 756.00M | 1.03B | 992.90M | 1.46B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 73.10M | 81.90M | 116.50M | 105.50M | 54.20M | 133.50M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 112.00M | 114.00M | 130.10M | 122.70M | 86.30M | 182.10M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -38.90M | -31.60M | 45.20M | -141.60M | -32.70M | -129.60M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -134.50M | -158.90M | -132.00M | 58.20M | -73.20M | -131.40M |
Knowles Technical Analysis
Positive
29.69
Price Trends
26.57
Positive
24.85
Positive
23.15
Positive
Market Momentum
0.95
Negative
71.18
Negative
89.60
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KN, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 29.69 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 26.89, above the 50-day MA of 26.57, and above the 200-day MA of 23.15, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.95 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 71.18 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 89.60 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for KN.
Knowles Risk Analysis
Knowles disclosed 22 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Knowles reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Knowles Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76 Outperform | $2.06B | 34.52 | 6.76% | ― | 6.40% | 16.96% | |
69 Neutral | $2.60B | 56.52 | 7.32% | ― | -1.25% | ― | |
64 Neutral | $1.35B | -15.18 | -30.65% | ― | 17.46% | 90.84% | |
62 Neutral | $1.14B | -25.95 | -10.08% | ― | -24.60% | -216.93% | |
62 Neutral | $10.54B | -21.27 | -5.44% | ― | 23.51% | -7.21% | |
61 Neutral | $37.18B | 12.37 | -10.20% | 1.83% | 8.50% | -7.62% | |
55 Neutral | $707.92M | -11.36 | -6.37% | ― | 3.88% | -237.03% |
* Technology Sector Average
KN
Knowles
30.36
14.36
89.75%
ADTN
Adtran
16.79
9.00
115.53%
DGII
Digi International
54.65
26.82
96.37%
HLIT
Harmonic
10.32
1.30
14.41%
NTGR
Netgear
25.89
-2.11
-7.54%
VIAV
Viavi Solutions
45.53
34.88
327.51%
Knowles Corporate Events
Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Knowles Shareholders Endorse Board, Executive Pay and Auditor
Positive
Apr 29, 2026
Knowles held its annual meeting of stockholders on April 28, 2026, at which shareholders elected eight directors to one-year terms expiring at the 2027 annual meeting and strongly backed the company’s leadership slate. Investors also approve...
Executive/Board Changes
Knowles Grants Performance-Based PSU Award to COO
Positive
Feb 20, 2026
On February 17, 2026, Knowles’ board compensation committee approved a special performance share unit award for Chief Operating Officer Daniel J. Giesecke under the company’s 2018 equity and cash incentive plan. The grant, with a targe...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.