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Knowles Corporation

KN
59
Hardware, Equipment & Parts · Technology
Price
$33.32
-0.69 (-2.03%)
Market Cap
$2.85B
Winston Score
59
Winston is curious
A decent business — some strong pillars, some weaker.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Good
Growth
Strong
Cash Flow
Strong
Stability
Exceptional
Valuation
Good

Share count falling — buybacks

7.8% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 94.7M (2021) → 87.3M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Knowles Corporation makes tiny microphones and electronic components used inside smartphones, hearing aids, and other devices. Its main products are micro-acoustic microphones and precision filters that help gadgets pick up sound clearly and block out interference. Knowles is one of the largest suppliers of these miniature acoustic components in the world, selling primarily to consumer electronics manufacturers and medical device companies.

The company earns revenue by selling hardware components to device makers, with major smartphone brands and hearing health companies among its biggest customers. Knowles operates globally, with manufacturing in Asia and customers across North America, Europe, and Asia, generating roughly $1 billion in annual revenue. Its competitive position comes from deep engineering expertise in miniaturized acoustics and long-standing customer relationships, but it faces ongoing risk from customer concentration — a small number of large smartphone makers account for a significant share of sales, meaning any shift in their supply chains or product volumes can meaningfully impact Knowles's results.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+14.3% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady revenue growth

EPS Growth

+156.1% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Strong earnings growth

R&D Spend

$40M/ year

Rising (+8% vs prior year)

6.8% of revenue

Below sector average (15%)

R&D investment increasing — building for the future

Insider Activity

1.8%ownership

Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$133M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Growth + cash flow

Knowles Corporation is a rare growth stock that's already generating positive cash flow while growing at 14%. The Winston Score doesn't fully credit this transition from "burner" to "earner."

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
42.4%
Healthy — 42.4% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
14.9%
Healthy — 14.9% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
10.0%
Below par — 10.0% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+12.8%
Fast-growing sales (+12.8% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+185.4%
Earnings growing fast (+185.4% YoY)

Earnings growing 25%+ a year. The compounder zone.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
5/8 quarters
Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
154%
Turns 154% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
10.0%
Modest free cash flow (10.0%)

FCF margin between 10% and 20%. Every $100 in sales becomes $10 to $20 in real cash.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.17
Conservative — low debt load (0.17)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
12.81x
Comfortably covers interest (12.8x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
42.2x
Pricey — P/E 42.2

P/E over 35. The market is pricing in heavy, sustained growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+13.1
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (42.2 → 29.1)

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Dividends

Not applicable for this business.
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