The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Knowles (NYSE: KN) and the rest of the electronic components & manufacturing stocks fared in Q1.

The sector could see higher demand as the prevalence of advanced electronics increases in industries such as automotive, healthcare, aerospace, and computing. The high-performance components and contract manufacturing expertise required for autonomous vehicles and cloud computing datacenters, for instance, will benefit companies in the space. However, headwinds include geopolitical risks, particularly U.S.-China trade tensions that could disrupt component sourcing and production as the Trump administration takes an increasingly antagonizing stance on foreign relations. Additionally, stringent environmental regulations on e-waste and emissions could force the industry to pivot in potentially costly ways.

The 10 electronic components & manufacturing stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Luckily, electronic components & manufacturing stocks have performed well with share prices up 33.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Knowles (NYSE: KN)

With roots dating back to 1946 and a focus on components that must perform flawlessly in critical situations, Knowles (NYSE: KN) designs and manufactures specialized electronic components like high-performance capacitors, microphones, and speakers for medical technology, defense, and industrial applications.

Knowles reported revenues of $132.2 million, down 32.7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a solid beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

“I am pleased we completed the first quarter of 2025 with revenues at the high end of our guided range, cash provided by operating activities above our guided range, and non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations at the mid-point of our guided range,” commented Jeffrey Niew, President, and CEO of Knowles.

Knowles delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 17.6% since reporting and currently trades at $18.41.

Is now the time to buy Knowles? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: TTM Technologies (NASDAQ: TTMI)

As one of the world's largest printed circuit board manufacturers with facilities spanning North America and Asia, TTM Technologies (NASDAQ: TTMI) manufactures printed circuit boards (PCBs) and radio frequency (RF) components for aerospace, defense, automotive, and telecommunications industries.

TTM Technologies reported revenues of $648.7 million, up 13.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 123% since reporting. It currently trades at $44.69.

Is now the time to buy TTM Technologies? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Benchmark (NYSE: BHE)

Operating as a critical behind-the-scenes partner for complex technology products since 1979, Benchmark Electronics (NYSE: BHE) provides advanced manufacturing, engineering, and technology solutions for original equipment manufacturers across aerospace, medical, industrial, and technology sectors.

Benchmark reported revenues of $631.8 million, down 6.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a softer quarter as it posted revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

Interestingly, the stock is up 5.4% since the results and currently trades at $40.36.

Read our full analysis of Benchmark’s results here.

Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS)

With over 20,000 team members across 26 global facilities, Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS) designs, manufactures, and services complex electronic products for companies in aerospace/defense, healthcare, and industrial sectors.

Plexus reported revenues of $980.2 million, up 1.4% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

The stock is up 7% since reporting and currently trades at $136.06.

Read our full, actionable report on Plexus here, it’s free.

Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX)

Originally known as Flextronics until its 2016 rebranding, Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX) is a global manufacturing partner that designs, engineers, and builds products for companies across industries from medical devices to solar trackers.

Flex reported revenues of $6.40 billion, up 3.7% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a decent beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

Flex had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 42.6% since reporting and currently trades at $52.38.

Read our full, actionable report on Flex here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

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