Knowles Corporation (NYSE:KN) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst view: Knowles has a consensus "Hold" from five brokers (three holds, two buys) with an average 1‑year price target of $33.33, while Robert W. Baird upgraded to an "outperform" with a $39 target.
• Q1 beat and guidance: Q1 revenue rose 15.8% Y/Y to $153.1M and EPS was $0.27 (vs. $0.24 est.), and management guided Q2 EPS $0.28–$0.32, citing a Precision Devices energy order ramp as a near‑term revenue driver.
• Risks: Short interest jumped ~13.6% to ~2.84M shares (~3.4% of float) and insiders sold roughly 198,742 shares in the last 90 days, which could amplify downward pressure despite the earnings beat.

Knowles Corporation (NYSE:KN - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the five brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $33.3333.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Craig Hallum reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $38.00 target price on shares of Knowles in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Knowles from $30.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Knowles in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Knowles from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th.

Key Knowles News

Here are the key news stories impacting Knowles this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: revenue $153.1M (+15.8% Y/Y) and non‑GAAP EPS at/above guided ranges — management framed the quarter as a strong start to 2026. Knowles Reports Q1 2026 Financial Results and Provides Outlook for Q2 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Company issued Q2 FY2026 guidance: EPS $0.28–$0.32 and revenue $152M–$162M; management cited a ramp in Precision Devices energy orders by end of Q2 as a near‑term revenue driver. Knowles forecasts Q2 2026 EPS of $0.28 to $0.32 as Precision Devices ramps energy order by end of Q2
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $39 and has an "outperform" rating, implying notable upside vs. the prior target and supporting bullish sentiment. Baird raises price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and transcripts are available; management highlighted profitable growth and provided detail on product ramps and margins — useful for due diligence but not new information beyond the release. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~13.6% in April to ~2.84M shares (≈3.4% of float) with a ~5.4 days-to-cover ratio, signaling increased bearish positioning that can amplify downward pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Third‑party data flagged mixed fundamentals: while revenue and operating profit improved, cash and net income measures showed weakness YoY and insiders have been net sellers (multiple recent insider sales), which may concern long‑term investors. Quiver Quantitative coverage

Knowles Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of Knowles stock opened at $30.53 on Monday. Knowles has a fifty-two week low of $15.31 and a fifty-two week high of $31.95. The firm has a market cap of $2.61 billion, a PE ratio of 47.71 and a beta of 1.49. The business's fifty day moving average is $26.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 3.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Knowles (NYSE:KN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The communications equipment provider reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $153.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $147.40 million. Knowles had a return on equity of 10.66% and a net margin of 9.10%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 15.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.18 EPS. Knowles has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.280-0.320 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Knowles will post 0.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Knowles

In other news, Director Keith Barnes sold 41,048 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.16, for a total transaction of $1,114,863.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Daniel J. Giesecke sold 15,885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.22, for a total value of $432,389.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 164,963 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,490,292.86. This represents a 8.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 198,742 shares of company stock worth $5,312,280. Company insiders own 2.24% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Knowles

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in Knowles by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,108,184 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $119,072,000 after purchasing an additional 484,500 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Knowles by 7.9% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,806,916 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $60,152,000 after acquiring an additional 205,573 shares in the last quarter. Cramer Rosenthal Mcglynn LLC grew its stake in shares of Knowles by 5.6% during the third quarter. Cramer Rosenthal Mcglynn LLC now owns 1,421,713 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $33,140,000 after acquiring an additional 75,367 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Knowles by 365.4% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,394,341 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $32,502,000 after acquiring an additional 1,094,715 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Knowles by 52.8% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,360,918 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $31,723,000 after acquiring an additional 470,100 shares in the last quarter. 96.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Knowles

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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