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Knowles Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter revenue exceeded guided range: Revenues from continuing operations were $162.2 million, up from $142.5 million a year earlier and above the $151 to $161 million guided range. Source
  • Full-year revenue grew 7%: Full-year 2025 revenues from continuing operations were $593.2 million, against $553.5 million in 2024, exceeding the high end of the five-year organic growth target. Source
  • Revenue growth accelerated in second half: Management said revenue growth accelerated in the back half of 2025 and that the company entered 2026 with momentum. Source
  • Gross margin higher in fourth quarter: Gross profit was $72.5 million, or 44.7% of revenues, against 42.7% a year earlier. Non-GAAP gross margin was 45.3% against 44.1%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter operating cash flow above range: Net cash provided by operating activities was $47.2 million in the fourth quarter, against $35.1 million a year earlier, above the $30 to $40 million guided range. Source
  • Buybacks and debt paydown: Full-year share repurchases totaled $65.0 million. Long-term debt was $114.0 million at year-end, against $134.0 million, and cash was $54.2 million, against $130.1 million. Source

“We finished 2025 with fourth quarter revenues and cash provided by operating activities exceeding the high end of our guided range”

Jeffrey Niew, President, and CEO of Knowles

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenues from continuing operations Sourcequarter ending March 31, 2026$143 to $153 millionNew
Diluted EPS from continuing operations, GAAP Sourcequarter ending March 31, 2026$0.09 to $0.13New
Non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations Sourcequarter ending March 31, 2026$0.22 to $0.26New
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities Sourcequarter ending March 31, 2026$(5) to $5 millionNew
GAAP items excluded from non-GAAP results SourceQ1 2026$0.09 per share stock-based compensation; $0.04 per share intangibles amortizationNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Guidance was issued for the quarter ending March 31, 2026; the prior release gave guidance for the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • New: The company recorded a non-cash dividend of $6.2 million on its Syntiant investment in the fourth quarter, paid in additional Series D-2 shares. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth-quarter revenue exceeded guided range: Revenues from continuing operations were $162.2 million, up from $142.5 million a year earlier and above the $151 to $161 million guided range. Source
  • Full-year revenue grew 7%: Full-year 2025 revenues from continuing operations were $593.2 million, against $553.5 million in 2024, exceeding the high end of the five-year organic growth target. Source
  • Earnings per share rose year over year: Fourth-quarter GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.29 against $0.12. Full-year non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.11 against $0.92. Source
  • Discontinued operations posted a loss: Discontinued operations produced a $4.5 million loss in the fourth quarter, against $8.1 million of earnings a year earlier. The full-year loss was $6.7 million. Source

Demand and backlog

  • Revenue growth accelerated in second half: Management said revenue growth accelerated in the back half of 2025 and that the company entered 2026 with momentum. Source
  • Backlog and design wins support 2026: Management cited a backlog of existing orders and new design wins expected to go into full production as support for the company's 2026 position. Source
  • Confidence in another year of growth: Management said it has confidence in achieving another year of revenue and earnings growth in 2026; the release gives no numeric 2026 figure. Source

“With revenue growth accelerating in the back half of 2025 and margins expanding year over year in the fourth quarter, we've entered 2026 with strong momentum.”

Jeffrey Niew, President, and CEO of Knowles

Products, strategy and end markets

  • Custom products scaled into production: Management described creating custom products through customer application intimacy, then scaling them into production with its operational capabilities, for end markets with secular growth trends. Source
  • Product lines named in release: The company named high performance capacitors, RF filters, advanced medtech microphones, and balanced armature speakers as its specialty component lines. Source
  • Served markets: medtech, defense, industrial: The company said it enables customers in the most demanding applications across medtech, defense and industrial markets. Source
  • Transformation into Industrial Technology completed: Management said the company completed its transformation into a high-margin Industrial Technology company with the December 2024 sale of the Consumer MEMS Microphone business. Source
  • Remaining portfolio positioned for margin expansion: Management said the remaining core portfolio is well positioned for revenue growth with margin expansion in 2026 and beyond. Source

Margins and costs

  • Gross margin higher in fourth quarter: Gross profit was $72.5 million, or 44.7% of revenues, against 42.7% a year earlier. Non-GAAP gross margin was 45.3% against 44.1%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose: Adjusted EBITDA was $41.3 million, or 25.5% of revenues, against $34.7 million and 24.4% a year earlier. Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $140.2 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating expenses increased: Non-GAAP operating expenses were $36.6 million in the fourth quarter, against $34.4 million a year earlier, and $140.7 million for the full year. Source
  • Restructuring and transfer costs excluded: These $0.01 per share items were excluded from non-GAAP results. Production transfer costs are duplicate costs incurred to migrate manufacturing to existing facilities. Source

“This gives me confidence in our ability to achieve another year of strong revenue and earnings growth”

Jeffrey Niew, President, and CEO of Knowles

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Fourth-quarter operating cash flow above range: Net cash provided by operating activities was $47.2 million in the fourth quarter, against $35.1 million a year earlier, above the $30 to $40 million guided range. Source
  • Full-year cash flow was 19.2% of revenues: Full-year net cash from operations was $114.0 million, against $130.1 million in 2024. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow reported: Adjusted free cash flow was $33.2 million in the fourth quarter and $114.4 million for the year, or 19.3% of revenues. Source
  • Capital spending increased: Capital expenditures were $15.3 million in the fourth quarter, against $3.3 million a year earlier, and $32.1 million for 2025, against $13.6 million. Source
  • Buybacks and debt paydown: Full-year share repurchases totaled $65.0 million. Long-term debt was $114.0 million at year-end, against $134.0 million, and cash was $54.2 million, against $130.1 million. Source
  • Share count lower year over year: Non-GAAP diluted average shares outstanding were 87.2 million in the fourth quarter, against 90.5 million a year earlier. Source

First-quarter 2026 guidance basis

  • Guidance covers continuing operations: Guidance for the quarter ending March 31, 2026 is on a continuing operations basis, except for net cash provided by operating activities. Source
  • Bridge shows no revenue adjustment: The GAAP-to-non-GAAP bridge shows no adjustment for revenue or operating cash flow; the only adjustment line is for diluted EPS. Source
  • GAAP items excluded from non-GAAP: Stock-based compensation and intangibles amortization are expected GAAP items for the quarter, and non-GAAP results exclude them. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations for the fourth quarter was above the mid-point of the guided range. Source
  • Ahead: Management said full-year 2025 revenue growth of 7% exceeded the high end of the five-year organic growth target. Source
  • Met: Management said the transformation was completed with the sale of the Consumer MEMS Microphone business in December 2024. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.