KN vs QRVO: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: QRVO is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. KN and QRVO share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined KN and QRVO exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Knowles Corporation designs and manufactures specialized electronic components that perform critical, hard-to-replicate functions in demanding devices. It operates in two segments: Precision Devices (PD), which makes high-performance capacitors and radio-frequency and microwave filters for defense, medtech, industrial, and electrification markets, and MedTech & Specialty Audio (MSA), which makes balanced armature speakers, hearing-aid microphones, and specialty audio parts. After selling its lower-margin consumer MEMS microphone business, Knowles now positions itself as a focused supplier of differentiated, high-reliability components rather than a volume consumer-electronics vendor.

Full KN guide

Qorvo designs and manufactures radio-frequency (RF) chips, filters, power amplifiers, and front-end modules used in smartphones, defense and aerospace systems, Wi-Fi and connectivity devices, and power management. It reports through three segments: Advanced Cellular Group (ACG), which serves handset makers including Apple and Android OEMs; High Performance Analog (HPA), which covers defense, infrastructure, and base-station markets; and the Connectivity and Sensors Group (CSG). Handset RF content is the largest and most cyclical piece, while defense and infrastructure have been relative bright spots.

Full QRVO guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• KN drivers: Precision Devices growth; Margin and mix improvement.
• QRVO drivers: Pending Skyworks merger; Margin expansion despite soft revenue.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Knowles is a small-cap supplier exposed to cyclical industrial, electrification, and defense budget swings, and a slowdown in any large end market could pressure results. For QRVO, the largest risk is the merger itself: antitrust review triggered an FTC second request in February 2026, and the deal could be delayed, renegotiated, or blocked, which would collapse the arbitrage spread and re-expose QRVO to standalone fundamentals.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick KN if you believe its drivers more; QRVO if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the KN and QRVO guides.

KN. Revenue grew about 7 percent in 2025 and accelerated to roughly 16 percent year over year in Q1 2026, with non-GAAP EPS up about 50 percent that quarter. The stock trades near the upper end of its 52-week range (about $17 to $43), so the market is pricing in continued margin and cash-flow improvement. These are approximate figures drawn from recent filings and financial data providers.

QRVO. Qorvo's fiscal year ends in late March, and fiscal 2026 revenue came in around $3.7 billion, down about 1% year over year, with net income near $339 million. Reported valuation multiples such as a trailing P/E in the mid-20s and a lower forward P/E partly reflect market expectations around the pending Skyworks deal rather than a clean standalone read. EV/EBITDA sat near 10 to 11 times on roughly $674 million of fiscal 2026 EBITDA.

Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): KN shows revenue (ttm) ~$610M, fy2025 revenue ~$593M, adjusted ebit (fy2025) ~$120M, adjusted free cash flow (fy2025) ~$114M; QRVO shows revenue (fy2026) ~$3.7B, q4 fy2026 revenue ~$808M, net income (fy2026) ~$339M, diluted eps (fy2026) ~$3.62.

KN and QRVO are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined KN and QRVO exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.