As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at electronic components & manufacturing stocks, starting with Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX).

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 very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 4.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 7% on average since the latest earnings results.

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 $6.80 billion, up 4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex, stated: "We achieved a record Q2, and we continue to execute with discipline and deliver value for customers across business segments. As we continue to shift our portfolio toward higher margin businesses, we remain confident in our data center position and ability to offer complete, integrated solutions to the world's leading technology companies as they navigate the AI era."

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 4.5% since reporting and currently trades at $61.39.

Is now the time to buy Flex? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Amphenol (NYSE: APH)

With over 90 years of connecting the world's technologies, Amphenol (NYSE: APH) designs and manufactures connectors, cables, sensors, and interconnect systems that enable electrical and electronic connections across virtually every industry.

Amphenol reported revenues of $6.19 billion, up 53.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 10.9%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

Amphenol achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 9.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $136.36.

Is now the time to buy Amphenol? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q3: CTS (NYSE: CTS)

With roots dating back to 1896 and a global manufacturing footprint, CTS (NYSE: CTS) designs and manufactures sensors, connectivity components, and actuators for aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and transportation markets.

CTS reported revenues of $143 million, up 8% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 4.8%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also posted a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 2.3% since the results and currently trades at $43.41.

Read our full analysis of CTS’s results here.

Coherent (NYSE: COHR)

Created through the 2022 rebranding of II-VI Incorporated, a company with roots dating back to 1971, Coherent (NYSE: COHR) develops and manufactures advanced materials, lasers, and optical components for applications ranging from telecommunications to industrial manufacturing.

Coherent reported revenues of $1.58 billion, up 17.3% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates and revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 36.8% since reporting and currently trades at $186.79.

Read our full, actionable report on Coherent here, it’s free for active Edge members.

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 $752.7 million, up 22.1% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 6%. It was a stunning quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 11.3% since reporting and currently trades at $70.40.

Read our full, actionable report on TTM Technologies here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Market Update

The Fed’s interest rate hikes throughout 2022 and 2023 have successfully cooled post-pandemic inflation, bringing it closer to the 2% target. Inflationary pressures have eased without tipping the economy into a recession, suggesting a soft landing. This stability, paired with recent rate cuts (0.5% in September 2024 and 0.25% in November 2024), fueled a strong year for the stock market in 2024. The markets surged further after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, with major indices reaching record highs in the days following the election. Still, questions remain about the direction of economic policy, as potential tariffs and corporate tax changes add uncertainty for 2025.

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