Virtus Advisers LLC Takes $2.53 Million Position in Knowles Corporation $KN

Key Points

• Virtus Advisers acquired 60,890 Knowles shares worth approximately $2.53 million, giving it a 0.07% stake and making Knowles about 1% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 96.35% of the company.
• Knowles reported quarterly EPS of $0.33, beating estimates by $0.02, while revenue rose 14.3% year over year to $166.8 million. The company guided for third-quarter EPS of $0.34–$0.38.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with Knowles carrying a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $40.67, although company insiders sold 32,997 shares worth about $1.24 million over the past 90 days.

Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Knowles Corporation (NYSE:KN - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 60,890 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,526,000. Knowles makes up about 1.0% of Virtus Advisers LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Virtus Advisers LLC owned 0.07% of Knowles as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its stake in Knowles by 212.9% in the 1st quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 973 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 662 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Knowles by 94.5% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,842 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Knowles during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Knowles in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Knowles by 35.9% in the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,151 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.35% of the company's stock.

Knowles Stock Performance

Shares of KN opened at $34.08 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.91 billion, a PE ratio of 44.26 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $38.08 and a 200-day moving average of $32.82. Knowles Corporation has a one year low of $20.10 and a one year high of $42.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 3.20 and a quick ratio of 1.75.

Knowles (NYSE:KN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The communications equipment provider reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.02. Knowles had a net margin of 10.63% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The company had revenue of $166.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $156.97 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.24 EPS. Knowles's quarterly revenue was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Knowles has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.340-0.380 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Knowles Corporation will post 1.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Knowles

In other news, COO Daniel J. Giesecke sold 20,201 shares of Knowles stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.32, for a total transaction of $753,901.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 175,855 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,562,908.60. The trade was a 10.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Raymond D. Cabrera sold 6,178 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.28, for a total value of $224,137.84. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 127,945 shares in the company, valued at $4,641,844.60. The trade was a 4.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 32,997 shares of company stock worth $1,237,928 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 2.24% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KN. Zacks Research raised Knowles from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Robert W. Baird set a $44.00 price target on Knowles in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Craig Hallum restated a "buy" rating and issued a $38.00 price target on shares of Knowles in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on Knowles from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Knowles from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Knowles presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $40.67.

Knowles Company Profile

Knowles Corporation NYSE: KN is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced micro-acoustic, audio processing and precision device solutions. The company's product portfolio includes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphones, balanced armature receivers, acoustic filters, and custom audio processing integrated circuits. These solutions are designed to enable clear speech, enhanced voice capture and intelligent audio performance in a variety of end markets.

Founded in 1946, Knowles has evolved from its roots in vacuum tube components to become a pure-play audio technology provider following its spin-off from Dover Corporation in 2014.

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