Robert W. Baird Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Knowles (NYSE:KN) Stock

Knowles (NYSE:KN) had its price target hoisted by equities researchers at Robert W. Baird from $30.00 to $39.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the communications equipment provider’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s target price points to a potential upside of 27.73% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on KN. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of Knowles in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Knowles in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Knowles from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.33.

Knowles Trading Down 2.4%

Knowles stock opened at $30.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 2.75. The firm has a market cap of $2.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.71 and a beta of 1.49. Knowles has a 1 year low of $15.31 and a 1 year high of $31.95. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $26.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.57.

Knowles (NYSE:KN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The communications equipment provider reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $153.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $147.40 million. Knowles had a net margin of 9.10% and a return on equity of 10.74%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.18 earnings per share. Knowles has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.280-0.320 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Knowles will post 0.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Knowles

In related news, SVP Raymond D. Cabrera sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.75, for a total value of $267,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 102,019 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,729,008.25. This trade represents a 8.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Daniel J. Giesecke sold 15,885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.22, for a total transaction of $432,389.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 164,963 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,490,292.86. This represents a 8.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 198,742 shares of company stock worth $5,312,280. 2.24% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Knowles

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 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 valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 895 shares during the period. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Knowles during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Knowles during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Knowles during the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Knowles during the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.35% of the company’s stock.

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 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.