Knowles Reports Q4 & Full Year 2021 Financial Results and Provides Outlook for Q1 2022

Q4 Gross Margin of 43.1%; Non–GAAP Gross Margin of 43.3%

Q4 Diluted EPS of $0.98; Non-GAAP Diluted EPS of $0.48

FY Earnings from Continuing Operations of $150 million; Adjusted EBIT of $174 million or 20.1% of Revenues

FY Cash from Operations of $182 million; Free Cash Flow of $134 million or 15.4% of Revenues

Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN), a market leader and global provider of advanced micro-acoustic microphones and balanced armature speakers, audio solutions, and high performance capacitors and radio frequency (“RF”) products, today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2021.

“We are very pleased to deliver strong quarterly results with GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins and EPS above the high end of our guidance range,” said Jeffrey Niew, president and CEO of Knowles. “The continued improvement adds conviction to our strategy to focus on the highest growth end-markets with a goal to maximize Adjusted EBIT margins and cash flow. Our fourth quarter results were driven by favorable product mix, primarily due to higher Precision Devices and Hearing Health sales. Precision Devices bookings and sales were up about 40 percent from the year ago period, driven by strong growth across a broad range of end markets. Our Adjusted EBIT margins of over 20% and strong free cash flow for the full year enabled us to fully repay our convertible notes and exit 2021 with essentially no net debt.”

“For the first quarter of 2022, we expect favorable product mix and improved operating leverage to drive non-GAAP gross margin and earnings above the year ago period. Going forward, with the momentum we have exhibited throughout 2021, we are confident in our progression towards our mid-term financial targets.” continued Niew.

Financial Highlights

The following table highlights the Company’s financial performance on both a GAAP and supplemental non-GAAP basis for continuing operations (in millions, except per share data):

* Current period results include a $59.1 million tax benefit related to a valuation allowance release for our U.S. subsidiaries, $6.5 million in stock-based compensation, $4.4 million in intangibles amortization expense, $0.3 million in other expenses, and $0.2 million in restructuring charges that are excluded from non-GAAP results.

First Quarter 2022 Outlook

The forward looking guidance for the quarter ending March 31, 2022 on a continuing operations basis is as follows:

Q1 2022 GAAP results are expected to include approximately $0.07 per share in stock-based compensation, $0.07 per share in restructuring charges, and $0.03 per share in amortization of intangibles.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the GAAP results included in this press release, Knowles has presented supplemental non-GAAP gross profit, earnings before interest and income taxes, adjusted earnings before interest and income taxes, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, free cash flow, net debt, as well as other metrics on a non-GAAP basis that exclude certain amounts that are included in the most directly comparable GAAP measure to facilitate evaluation of Knowles’ operating performance. Non-GAAP results are not presented in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP information should be considered a supplement to, and not a substitute for, financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release do not have standard meanings and may vary from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Knowles believes that non-GAAP measures are useful as supplements to its GAAP results of operations to evaluate certain aspects of its operations and financial performance, and its management team primarily focuses on non-GAAP items in evaluating Knowles’ performance for business planning purposes. Knowles also believes that these measures assist it with comparing its performance between various reporting periods on a consistent basis, as these measures remove from operating results the impact of items that, in Knowles’ opinion, do not reflect its core operating performance including, for example, stock-based compensation, certain intangibles amortization expense, impairment charges, restructuring, production transfer costs, and other charges which management considers to be outside our core operating results. Knowles believes that its presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful because it provides investors and securities analysts with the same information that Knowles uses internally for purposes of assessing its core operating performance. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, see the reconciliation table accompanying this release.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

Investors can listen to a live or replay webcast of the Company’s quarterly financial conference call at http://investor.knowles.com. The live webcast will begin today at 3:30 p.m. Central time. The webcast replay will be available after 7:00 p.m. Central time today.

Investors can also listen to the conference call at 3:30 p.m. Central time today by calling (888) 330-3292 (United States) or (646) 960-0857 (International). The conference call replay will be available after 7:00 p.m. Central time today through 11:59 p.m. Central time on February 18, 2022 at (800) 770- 2030 (United States) or (647) 362- 9199 (International). The conference ID is 8736083.

About Knowles

Knowles is a market leader and global provider of advanced micro-acoustic microphones and balanced armature speakers, audio solutions, and high performance capacitors and RF products, serving the consumer electronics, medtech, defense, electric vehicle, industrial, and communications markets. Knowles uses its leading position in SiSonic™ micro-electro-mechanical systems ("MEMS") microphones and strong capabilities in audio processing technologies to optimize audio systems and improve the user experience across consumer applications. Knowles is also a leader in hearing health acoustics, high performance capacitors, and RF solutions for a diverse set of markets. Knowles’ focus on the customer, combined with unique technology, proprietary manufacturing techniques, and global operational expertise, enables it to deliver innovative solutions across multiple applications. Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles is a global organization with employees in over a dozen countries. The company continues to invest in high value solutions to diversify its revenue and increase exposure to high growth markets. For more information, visit knowles.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements about our future plans, objectives, expectations, financial performance, and continued business operations. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate,” “budget,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “objective,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target,” and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The statements in this news release are based on currently available information and the current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions of Knowles’ management concerning risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those outcomes or results that are projected, anticipated, or implied in these statements, including risks relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and governmental responses to it, including but not limited to, the impact on our supply chain, and customer demand. Other risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: unforeseen changes in MEMS microphone demand from our largest customers, in particular, two North American, a Korean, and Chinese OEM customers; our ongoing ability to execute our strategy to diversify our end markets and customers; our ability to stem or overcome price erosion in our segments; fluctuations in our stock's market price; fluctuations in operating results and cash flows; our ability to prevent or identify quality issues in our products or to promptly remedy any such issues that are identified; the timing of OEM product launches; risks associated with increasing our inventories in advance of anticipated orders by customers; global economic instability; the impact of changes to laws and regulations that affect the Company’s ability to offer products or services to customers in different regions; our ability to achieve continued reductions in our operating expenses; the ability to qualify our products and facilities with customers; our ability to obtain, enforce, defend or monetize our intellectual property rights; difficulties or delays in and/or the Company’s inability to realize expected cost synergies from its acquisitions; increases in the costs of critical raw materials and components; availability of raw materials and components; managing new product ramps and introductions for our customers; our dependence on a limited number of large customers; our ability to maintain and expand our existing relationships with leading OEMs in order to maintain and increase our revenue; increasing competition and new entrants in the market for our products; our ability to develop new or enhanced products or technologies in a timely manner that achieve market acceptance; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, and test our products and sub-components; escalating international trade tensions, new or increased tariffs and trade wars among countries; financial risks, including risks relating to currency fluctuations, credit risks and fluctuations in the market value of the Company; market risk associated with fluctuations in commodity prices, particularly for various precious metals used in our manufacturing operation, and changes in tax laws, changes in tax rates and exposure to additional tax liabilities; and other risks, relevant factors, and uncertainties identified in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 as updated in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, subsequent Reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and our other filings we make with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Knowles disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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