Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX) and the best and worst performers in the electronic components & manufacturing industry.

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 strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Luckily, electronic components & manufacturing stocks have performed well with share prices up 33.1% 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 $6.40 billion, up 3.7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

"We had a very strong finish to the year, with record adjusted operating margins for both Q4 and for the full year, and we delivered our fifth consecutive year of double-digit adjusted EPS growth," said Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex.

Flex delivered the weakest full-year guidance update of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 42.6% since reporting and currently trades at $52.38.

Read our full report on Flex here, it’s free.

Best Q1: 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 $648.7 million, up 13.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 123% since reporting. It currently trades at $44.69.

Is now the time to buy TTM Technologies? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Benchmark (NYSE: BHE)

Operating as a critical behind-the-scenes partner for complex technology products since 1979, Benchmark Electronics (NYSE: BHE) provides advanced manufacturing, engineering, and technology solutions for original equipment manufacturers across aerospace, medical, industrial, and technology sectors.

Benchmark reported revenues of $631.8 million, down 6.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a softer quarter as it posted revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a slight miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 5.4% since the results and currently trades at $40.36.

Read our full analysis of Benchmark’s results here.

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 $4.81 billion, up 47.7% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 12.2%. It was a very strong quarter as it also produced a solid 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 stock is up 49.5% since reporting and currently trades at $98.33.

Read our full, actionable report on Amphenol here, it’s free.

Jabil (NYSE: JBL)

With manufacturing facilities spanning the globe from China to Mexico to the United States, Jabil (NYSE: JBL) provides electronics design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions to companies across various industries, from healthcare to automotive to cloud computing.

Jabil reported revenues of $7.83 billion, up 15.7% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 11.2%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and full-year revenue guidance beating analysts’ expectations.

Jabil scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is up 21.8% since reporting and currently trades at $220.52.

Read our full, actionable report on Jabil here, it’s free.

Market Update

As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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