Knowles Corporation (KN) Key Metrics

NYSE: KNValuation, returns, debt and efficiency ratios over 10 years.

KN valuation today

Trailing 12 months · as of October 17, 2026
Market cap
$2.86B
Enterprise value
$3.24B
P/E (TTM)
39.9
10-yr median 40.2
Forward P/E
15.2
PEG ratio
0.43
Price / sales
4.5
10-yr median 2.4
Price / book
3.9
10-yr median 1.5
EV / EBITDA
24.2
10-yr median 15.2
Dividend yield
—
Beta
1.59

KN key metrics, 2016–2025

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 · U.S. dollars

KN valuation Price multiples at each fiscal year-end price.

P/E ratio
42.3
2025 · hover or tap a bar for each year
2017: 221.12018: 18.4 (−91.7%)2019: 40.2 (+119.2%)2020: 259.4 (+544.4%)2021: 14.7 (−94.3%)2023: 22.72025: 42.3
20162025
Price / sales−2.8%
3.2
2025 · hover or tap a bar for each year
2016: 2.0 (+44.8%)2017: 1.8 (−9.6%)2018: 1.5 (−17.7%)2019: 2.3 (+57.5%)2020: 2.2 (−3.1%)2021: 2.5 (+13.7%)2022: 3.1 (+23.5%)2023: 3.6 (+14.2%)2024: 3.2 (−9.7%)2025: 3.2 (−2.8%)
20162025
Price / book+1.5%
2.4
2025 · hover or tap a bar for each year
2016: 1.5 (+28.6%)2017: 1.2 (−20.7%)2018: 1.0 (−14.5%)2019: 1.5 (+53.1%)2020: 1.3 (−14.4%)2021: 1.5 (+15.4%)2022: 1.5 (+0.1%)2023: 1.6 (+4.6%)2024: 2.4 (+49.7%)2025: 2.4 (+1.5%)
20162025
EV / EBITDA−11.7%
17.9
2025 · hover or tap a bar for each year
2016: 14.9 (+8.3%)2017: 15.1 (+1.3%)2018: 10.0 (−33.6%)2019: 15.4 (+54.3%)2020: 19.8 (+28.6%)2021: 12.4 (−37.7%)2022: 10.5 (−15.4%)2023: 26.0 (+148.1%)2024: 20.3 (−21.7%)2025: 17.9 (−11.7%)
20162025
Price / free cash flow+48.2%
22.8
2025 · hover or tap a bar for each year
2016: 21.7 (−71.4%)2017: 32.1 (+48.3%)2018: 66.0 (+105.4%)2019: 23.9 (−63.8%)2020: 17.8 (−25.5%)2021: 16.6 (−6.9%)2022: 27.8 (+67.7%)2023: 15.6 (−44.0%)2024: 15.4 (−0.9%)2025: 22.8 (+48.2%)
20162025
Free cash flow yield−2.1 pts
4.4%
2025 · hover or tap a bar for each year
2016: 4.6% (+3.3 pts)2017: 3.1% (−1.5 pts)2018: 1.5% (−1.6 pts)2019: 4.2% (+2.7 pts)2020: 5.6% (+1.4 pts)2021: 6.0% (+0.4 pts)2022: 3.6% (−2.4 pts)2023: 6.4% (+2.8 pts)2024: 6.5% (+0.1 pts)2025: 4.4% (−2.1 pts)
20162025

KN valuation history

Fiscal year-endToday10-year median

KN returns on capital

ROEROICROA

Net income (ROE, ROA) or after-tax operating income (ROIC) divided by the average of the opening and closing balance.

KN debt vs cash

Total debtCash & short-term investments

Debt includes short- and long-term borrowings and, where reported, lease liabilities.

KN cash returned to shareholders

DividendsBuybacksFree cash flow

KN price vs earnings per share

Share price at year-endEPS (right axis)

KN key metrics

2016–2025
Knowles Corporation key metrics by fiscal year
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Valuation
Market capitalization$1.87B$1.80B$1.64B$1.51B$2.21B$1.71B$1.98B$1.21B$1.33B$1.49B
Enterprise value$1.97B$1.88B$1.84B$1.52B$2.24B$1.77B$2.10B$1.30B$1.41B$1.74B
P/E ratio42.3—22.7—14.7259.440.218.4221.1—
Price / sales3.23.23.63.12.52.22.31.51.82.0
Price / book2.42.41.61.51.51.31.51.01.21.5
Price / free cash flow22.815.415.627.816.617.823.966.032.121.7
Price / operating cash flow16.413.813.417.412.113.416.012.314.313.9
EV / sales3.33.44.03.22.62.32.51.61.92.3
EV / EBITDA17.920.326.010.512.419.815.410.015.114.9
EV / free cash flow24.016.117.428.116.818.425.470.734.125.3
Earnings yield2.4%−13.3%4.4%−28.6%6.8%0.4%2.5%5.4%0.5%−1.1%
Free cash flow yield4.4%6.5%6.4%3.6%6.0%5.6%4.2%1.5%3.1%4.6%
Dividend yield0.3%—13.4%0.5%1.2%0.1%0.2%—0.0%0.0%
Shareholder yield (dividends + buybacks)3.8%3.0%16.3%3.4%3.2%1.1%0.5%0.4%0.4%0.1%
Share price at fiscal year-end$21.43$19.93$17.91$16.42$23.35$18.43$21.15$13.31$14.66$16.71
Per share
Revenue per share$6.79$6.14$4.99$5.22$9.17$8.23$9.15$9.07$8.22$8.47
Earnings per share$0.51−$2.66$0.79−$4.69$1.59$0.07$0.53$0.72$0.07−$0.19
Operating cash flow per share$1.31$1.44$1.34$0.94$1.92$1.38$1.33$1.08$1.03$1.21
Free cash flow per share$0.94$1.29$1.15$0.59$1.41$1.04$0.89$0.20$0.46$0.77
Cash per share$0.62$1.44$0.95$0.53$0.73$1.59$0.84$0.81$1.23$0.74
Book value per share$8.89$8.39$11.29$10.83$15.41$14.03$13.79$13.29$12.51$11.31
Tangible book value per share$4.17$3.65$6.42$4.76$4.44$3.39$3.07$2.93$2.14$0.41
Dividends per share$0.07—$2.41$0.08$0.27$0.02$0.04—$0.00$0.00
Capex per share$0.37$0.15$0.19$0.35$0.51$0.34$0.44$0.88$0.57$0.43
Debt per share$1.72$2.36$3.13$0.70$1.08$2.18$2.15$1.76$2.16$3.52
Shares outstanding87.3M90.1M91.6M91.7M94.7M92.9M93.4M91.2M90.5M89.2M
Change in shares outstanding−3.1%−1.6%−0.1%−3.2%+2.0%−0.6%+2.5%+0.8%+1.5%+2.7%
Returns & profitability
Return on equity (ROE)5.8%−26.8%7.1%−35.1%10.9%0.5%3.9%5.6%0.6%−1.7%
Return on invested capital (ROIC)7.2%3.7%4.4%5.5%8.3%1.7%4.9%6.4%2.9%3.0%
Return on assets (ROA)4.1%−18.6%5.5%−29.5%8.9%0.4%3.1%4.3%0.4%−1.0%
Return on tangible assets6.9%−34.7%7.1%−68.5%21.7%1.0%7.5%11.0%1.0%−3.1%
Free cash flow margin13.8%21.0%23.1%11.3%15.4%12.6%9.7%2.2%5.5%9.1%
Income quality (OCF / net income)2.58—1.69—1.2119.412.521.4915.48—
Financial health
Total debt$150.3M$213.0M$286.7M$64.5M$102.4M$202.1M$200.5M$160.5M$195.1M$313.8M
Cash & short-term investments$54.2M$130.1M$87.3M$48.2M$68.9M$147.8M$78.4M$73.5M$111.7M$66.2M
Net debt$96.1M$82.9M$199.4M$16.3M$33.5M$54.3M$122.1M$87.0M$83.4M$247.6M
Debt / equity0.190.280.280.060.070.160.160.130.170.31
Debt / assets0.140.190.200.050.060.120.120.100.130.21
Net debt / EBITDA0.880.902.810.110.180.610.900.670.892.12
Current ratio2.751.832.613.662.291.412.562.572.602.22
Quick ratio1.581.231.831.951.370.971.631.591.781.49
Interest coverage8.42.86.721.18.22.85.84.83.52.8
Working capital$185.5M$163.8M$264.2M$263.3M$214.1M$122.3M$236.9M$223.2M$243.3M$181.1M
Invested capital$871.9M$838.9M$1.23B$1.01B$1.49B$1.36B$1.41B$1.30B$1.22B$1.26B
Tangible asset value$364.4M$328.8M$588.0M$436.8M$417.9M$314.8M$279.3M$267.0M$193.7M$36.5M
Net current asset value$16.1M−$800,000$100,000$171.4M$105.2M$68.2M$14.7M$28.7M−$22.8M−$176.5M
Graham number$10.06—$14.17—$23.47$4.74$12.77$14.72$4.32—
Graham net-net per share−$0.94−$1.05−$2.29$0.47−$0.21−$0.43−$1.12−$0.96−$1.46−$3.11
Capital allocation
Dividends paid$6.2M—$220.6M$7.5M$25.6M$1.8M$3.4M—$0$0
Share buybacks (net)$65.0M$53.7M$47.5M$44.0M$44.5M$16.2M$6.4M$4.7M$5.1M$1.5M
Dividend payout ratio14.0%—304.7%—17.0%27.3%6.9%—0.0%—
Dividends + buybacks / free cash flow86.9%46.1%254.1%95.0%52.5%18.7%11.9%25.5%12.3%2.2%
Capex / revenue5.4%2.5%3.8%6.7%5.6%4.2%4.8%9.7%6.9%5.1%
Capex / operating cash flow28.2%10.5%14.0%37.2%26.7%24.9%33.3%81.3%55.5%36.0%
Capex / depreciation0.880.360.660.600.780.530.761.530.960.56
Stock-based compensation / revenue4.8%4.1%6.3%6.0%3.7%2.3%2.9%3.3%3.4%2.8%
R&D / revenue6.8%6.7%6.9%17.1%10.7%12.2%11.3%12.2%12.6%12.2%
SG&A / revenue24.1%25.7%30.3%26.9%16.9%17.2%17.0%17.2%17.0%22.6%
Efficiency
Days sales outstanding63.964.590.1107.258.469.564.063.671.870.1
Days of inventory on hand127.0134.6210.8233.898.198.396.995.092.786.8
Days payables outstanding53.151.855.095.955.957.156.758.262.457.1
Cash conversion cycle (days)137.8147.2245.9245.1100.7110.6104.2100.4102.199.8
Receivables turnover5.715.664.053.406.255.255.705.745.085.21
Payables turnover6.887.046.643.816.536.396.446.275.856.39
Inventory turnover2.872.711.731.563.723.713.773.843.944.20
Asset turnover0.550.430.350.330.510.460.530.530.490.47
Average receivables$103.9M$97.8M$112.7M$140.7M$139.0M$145.5M$149.9M$144.0M$146.4M$145.2M
Average payables$50.7M$47.2M$38.6M$66.2M$80.6M$79.0M$82.5M$81.4M$78.7M$74.5M
Average inventory$121.3M$122.5M$148.2M$161.3M$141.6M$135.9M$140.9M$132.8M$116.9M$113.3M
Intangibles / total assets39.1%38.2%30.5%47.0%60.0%59.7%60.5%61.0%60.5%64.2%

Computed from KN's annual financial statements (latest annual report filed February 9, 2026) and the closing share price on each fiscal year-end, adjusted for stock splits. Figures in U.S. dollars; data from EODHD. Averages use the opening and closing balance of each year.

KN valuation and financial ratios

At the end of fiscal 2025 (December 31, 2025), Knowles traded at 42.3 times earnings, against a 10-year median of 40.2. Based on the latest twelve months, the trailing P/E is 39.9 and the forward P/E is 15.2. Knowles earned a return on equity of 5.8% and a return on invested capital of 7.2% in fiscal 2025. It ended the year with $150.3 million of debt and $54.2 million in cash and short-term investments, net debt of $96.1 million. It returned $71.2 million to shareholders: $6.2 million in dividends and $65.0 million in share buybacks, 87% of free cash flow.

See the KN income statement, the KN chart for price history, or the KN stock overview for the latest quote and news.

KN key metrics FAQ

What is Knowles's P/E ratio?

Knowles's trailing P/E ratio is 39.9 based on the last twelve months of earnings (as of October 17, 2026), and its forward P/E is 15.2. At the end of fiscal 2025 it was 42.3, compared with a 10-year median of 40.2.

What is Knowles's EV/EBITDA?

Knowles's enterprise value was 17.9 times EBITDA at the end of fiscal 2025 (enterprise value $2.0 billion, EBITDA $109.6 million); the current EV/EBITDA is 24.2.

What is Knowles's return on equity?

Knowles's return on equity (ROE) was 5.8% in fiscal 2025: net income of $44.2 million on average shareholders' equity of $765.9 million.

What is Knowles's ROIC?

Knowles's return on invested capital was 7.2% in fiscal 2025, using after-tax operating income divided by average debt plus equity minus cash.

How much debt does Knowles have?

Knowles had total debt of $150.3 million at the end of fiscal 2025, a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19 and $96.1 million of net debt (0.88 times EBITDA).

What is Knowles's dividend yield?

Knowles paid $6.2 million in dividends in fiscal 2025 ($0.07 per share), a payout ratio of 14.0%.

Does Knowles buy back its shares?

Yes. Knowles spent $65.0 million on net share repurchases in fiscal 2025 Shares outstanding changed −3.1% over the year, to 87.3M..

What is Knowles's free cash flow yield?

Knowles generated $81.9 million of free cash flow in fiscal 2025, a free cash flow yield of 4.4% on its market value at year-end ($1.9 billion).

What is Knowles's current ratio?

Knowles's current ratio was 2.75 at the end of fiscal 2025: current assets were 2.75 times current liabilities.

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