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Performance beat in Q4 was driven by gradual end-market recovery in industrial and ADAS sectors combined with aggressive structural cost-cutting measures.
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Industrial sales, the company’s largest segment at 27% of revenue, saw high single-digit growth due to market recovery and market share gains from traditional customers.
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EV/HEV performance faced headwinds as growth in ADAS was offset by declining EMS sales, particularly in regions where EV demand remains challenged.
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Management implemented a simplified operating model and leaner cost profile in late 2025, resulting in an 8% reduction in full-year operating expenses.
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The company is shifting its primary strategic focus for 2026 toward top-line growth and market share expansion across all global regions.
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Strategic positioning is being enhanced by a ‘customer-centric’ reorganization designed to accelerate new product introductions and secure design wins in adjacent markets.
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A disciplined capital allocation strategy prioritized $52 million in share repurchases while maintaining a strong net cash position of $197 million.
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Q1 2026 guidance assumes continued strength in industrial markets but anticipates seasonal softness in portable electronics and ongoing uncertainty in the EV sector.
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Data centers are identified as a major new growth vertical, with management pursuing large-scale thermal management and signal integrity opportunities expected to impact revenue in late 2026 or 2027.
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Profitability initiatives are expected to deliver an additional $20 million in annualized savings by the end of 2026, including $13 million from the ceramic Germany restructuring.
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The company plans to maintain 2026 adjusted operating expenses in line with 2025 levels while increasing emphasis on M&A targets with specific strategic and financial profiles.
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Capital expenditures for 2026 are projected between $30 million and $40 million, focusing on facility investments and supporting the ceramic China facility ramp-up.
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The ceramic China facility expansion is progressing slower than management initially expected, resulting in $1.7 million in underutilization costs during Q4.
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Restructuring of ceramic operations in Germany is on track, with $5.4 million in charges incurred out of an estimated $12 million to $20 million total program cost.
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The full-year 2026 non-GAAP tax rate is projected at a higher 32% due to losses in certain jurisdictions where tax benefits cannot be realized.
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Management noted a strategic exit from certain portable electronics products in the AES business as they reached end-of-life status.
