TacticScaleWhat Knowles Does & How It Makes Money (KN)
Updated October 2026 · reflects Knowles's latest reported financials
Maker of specialty capacitors, RF filters, and hearing-aid audio components. Knowles sells custom-designed and standard components to original equipment manufacturers, their contract manufacturers, and suppliers, both directly and through sales representatives and distributors.
How Knowles makes money
Knowles sells custom-designed and standard components to original equipment manufacturers, their contract manufacturers, and suppliers, both directly and through sales representatives and distributors. Revenue comes from two segments: Precision Devices (capacitors and RF solutions) and Medtech & Specialty Audio (balanced armature speakers and microphones).
What Knowles does
Knowles Corporation, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, is a maker of specialized electronic components. It operates two segments. Precision Devices custom-designs high-performance capacitors (film, electrolytic, and mica) and RF/microwave filters for the defense, industrial, medtech, and electrification/energy markets. Medtech & Specialty Audio makes balanced armature speakers and microphones, mainly for hearing health and also for specialty audio uses in medtech and industrial markets. The company sells in Asia, the United States, Europe, and other regions. Its customers are OEMs and their contract manufacturers and suppliers, reached directly and through sales representatives and distributors. Its end markets include defense, medtech, electric vehicles, industrial, and communications.
Products & services
- Film, electrolytic, and mica capacitors
- RF and microwave filters
- Balanced armature speakers
- Medtech microphones for hearing health
- Specialty audio components
What is Knowles worth?
On an owner-earnings DCF, Knowles's most-likely value is about $19 versus a recent price near $38 (49% above fair value). But TacticScale only calls a stock undervalued when the price sits below its conservative no-growth floor (~$10) with a margin of safety — so the honest verdict here is “Fairly priced — no edge.” Fair value earns its keep only at the extremes, not in the wide middle.
Price sits in the normal range — fair value isn't actionable here; it earns its keep only when price drops below the no-growth floor, or runs to roughly double the optimistic case.
Analysis, not advice. Fair value is a margin-of-safety estimate from a deterministic owner-earnings DCF, not a price target or recommendation. See the full breakdown →
Related companies
Benchmark Electronics (BHE) · Keysight Technologies (KEYS) · Zhuzhou Hongda Electronics Corp.,Ltd (300726.SZ) · Vishay Intertechnology (VSH) · Fujian Torch Electron Technology (603678.SS)