Core Insights - The article reflects on the author's journey into value investing, sparked by dissatisfaction with mutual fund performance and a desire to learn about capital allocation [1]. Company Analysis - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX) was previously trading in the range of $20 to $22, indicating a potential area of interest for value investors [1].

Financial Performance - Net sales for Q1 2025 were $576.8 million, a decrease of 2% compared to $590.2 million in Q1 2024[102]. - Automotive net sales in Q1 2025 were $563.9 million, down 2% from $577.6 million in Q1 2024, with a 7% decrease in auto-dimming mirror unit shipments to 11.5 million units[81]. - Net income for Q1 2025 was $94.9 million, down from $108.2 million in Q1 2024, with earnings per diluted share decreasing to $0.42 from $0.47[90]. - Cash flow from operating activities increased by $18.6 million to $148.5 million in Q1 2025 compared to $129.9 million in the same period last year[95]. Expenses and Costs - Cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales increased to 66.8% in Q1 2025 from 65.7% in Q1 2024, primarily due to lower sales levels and new tariff costs[84]. - Total operating expenses rose by 8% to $78.7 million in Q1 2025, influenced by a $2.9 million severance expense[85]. - Engineering, research, and development expenses increased by $3.7 million in Q1 2025, primarily due to staffing and professional fees[86]. Market and Production Insights - The light vehicle production forecast for Q2 2025 is 18.18 million units, a 2% decrease from Q2 2024[122]. - The Company expects light vehicle production in North America to decrease by 10% in Q2 2025 compared to Q2 2024[122]. - The Company has halted production of mirrors for the China market due to tariff escalations, leading to canceled or paused orders from customers[121]. Strategic Initiatives - The company reported 21 net new nameplate launches of auto-dimming mirrors in Q1 2025, with advanced feature launches making up 60% of these[103]. - The Company launched the Gentex ReVu app in Q1 2025, allowing users to download images or recordings from the Full Display Mirror with DVR capability[109]. - The Company expanded its distribution center by 300,000 square feet at a cost of approximately $40 million, funded with cash and cash equivalents[97]. - The Company closed the strategic merger with VOXX, expecting to add between $325 and $375 million in annualized revenue[127]. Revenue Projections - Revenue in North America, Europe, and Japan/Korea is expected to be between $2.1 and $2.2 billion[125]. - Revenue in the China market is expected to be between $50 and $120 million[125]. - Expected revenue contribution from the VOXX merger for calendar year 2025 is approximately $240 to $280 million[127]. - The Company has withdrawn revenue guidance for calendar year 2026 due to significant uncertainty surrounding the China market[124]. Shareholder Actions - The company has a share repurchase plan, having repurchased 3,100,351 shares in Q1 2025, with 6,349,047 shares remaining under the plan[101]. - The Company has 6.3 million shares remaining available for repurchase under the share repurchase plan[126]. Future Expectations - Gross Margin is expected to be between 33% and 34%[125]. - Operating Expenses are expected to be approximately $300 to $310 million[125]. - Capital Expenditures are expected to be between $100 and $125 million[125]. - Estimated Annual Tax Rate is expected to be between 15% and 17%[125].

Core Viewpoint - Gentex Corporation (GNTX) reported a decline in adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and net sales for the first quarter of 2025, indicating challenges in the automotive products market and an unfavorable product mix [1][2]. Financial Performance - GNTX's adjusted EPS for Q1 2025 was 43 cents, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate but down 8.5% year over year [1]. - The company reported net sales of $576.8 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $587 million and decreasing by 2.3% from the previous year [2]. - Gross margin fell to 33.2%, a decline of 110 basis points from Q1 2024, attributed to lower sales, an unfavorable product mix, and new tariff costs [2]. Segmental Performance - The Automotive segment, which is the largest revenue contributor, had net sales of $563.9 million, down from $577.6 million year over year and below the estimate of $570.4 million [3]. - Auto-dimming mirror shipments in North America decreased by 7% to 3,619,000 units, while international shipments fell by 8% to 7,923,000 units, leading to a total shipment decline of 7% to 11,542,000 units [3]. Other Sales and Products - Other net sales, including dimmable aircraft windows and fire protection products, increased slightly from $12.6 million to $12.9 million but were below the estimate of $15.2 million [4]. - Fire protection sales decreased by 1.5% year over year, and dimmable aircraft window sales fell by 15.5% year over year [4]. Operating Expenses - Total operating expenses rose by 8% year over year to $78.7 million in Q1 2025 [5]. - Engineering and R&D expenses increased to $45.92 million from $42.18 million in the same quarter of 2024, while SG&A expenses decreased to $29.93 million from $30.71 million [5]. Shareholder Returns and Cash Position - GNTX paid a dividend of 12 cents per share and repurchased 3.1 million shares at an average price of $24.52 per share [6]. - As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $286.6 million in cash and cash equivalents [6]. 2025 Guidance - GNTX revised its 2025 sales guidance to a range of $2.10-$2.2 billion for the primary market and $50-$120 million for the Chinese market, highlighting exposure to tariffs [6]. - The gross margin is projected to be between 33-34%, down from the previous guidance of 33.5-34.5% [7]. - Capital expenditure is anticipated to be between $100 million and $125 million, and operating expenses are estimated to be in the range of $300-$310 million [7].

Investment Rating - The report assigns an "Overweight" (OW) rating to General Motors (GM) and Ford, while Tesla and Rivian are rated "Underweight" (UW) [6][7]. Core Insights - The automotive industry is experiencing varied performance metrics across different companies, with GM and Ford showing potential upside in their stock prices, while Tesla and Rivian face significant downside risks [6][7]. - The report highlights the importance of valuation metrics such as EV/EBITDA, P/E ratios, and sales growth projections for assessing investment opportunities within the automotive sector [6][22]. Global Auto OEMs Investment Comparables - General Motors (GM) has a current price of $44.57 with a market cap of $43.067 billion and a target price of $53.00, indicating a 19% upside potential [6]. - Ford (F) is priced at $9.63 with a market cap of $38.294 billion and a target price of $11.00, representing a 14% upside [6]. - Ferrari (RACE) is valued at $439.97 with a target price of $460.00, showing a 5% upside [6]. - Tesla (TSLA) is currently priced at $241.37 with a target price of $120.00, indicating a -50% downside [6]. - Rivian (RIVN) has a price of $11.60 with a target price of $11.00, reflecting a -5% downside [6]. Global Auto Parts Suppliers Valuation Metrics - The average EV/EBITDA for US auto parts suppliers is projected at 1.8x for 2024, with a corresponding EBITDA margin of 12% [22]. - Aptiv (APTV) is rated "Overweight" with a current price of $51.71 and a target price of $102, indicating a 97% upside [22]. - Borg Warner (BWA) is rated "Overweight" with a price of $26.45 and a target price of $46, representing a 74% upside [22]. - Lear Corp (LEA) is rated "Overweight" with a price of $79.42 and a target price of $140, indicating a 76% upside [22]. Performance Metrics - The report indicates that the average revenue CAGR for US auto parts suppliers is projected to be 2% from 2023 to 2025 [74]. - The EBITDA margin for US auto parts suppliers is expected to be around 12% in 2025, with some companies showing higher margins [74][83]. - The report also highlights the financial returns of various suppliers, with some companies achieving significant returns on invested capital (ROIC) [54][56].

Company Performance - Gentex reported quarterly earnings of $0.43 per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but down from $0.47 per share a year ago [1] - The company posted revenues of $576.77 million for the quarter ended March 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.74% and down from $590.23 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Gentex has surpassed consensus EPS estimates only once and has not beaten consensus revenue estimates [2] Stock Movement and Outlook - Gentex shares have declined approximately 23.5% since the beginning of the year, compared to a 6.8% decline in the S&P 500 [3] - The future performance of Gentex's stock will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the earnings outlook [3][4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.45 on revenues of $586.76 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.87 on revenues of $2.39 billion [7] Industry Context - The Automotive - Original Equipment industry, to which Gentex belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 40% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges ahead [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which could impact Gentex's stock performance [5][6]

consumer electronics, today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. 1st Quarter 2025 Summary Exhibit 99.1 GENTEX REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2025 FINANCIAL RESULTS ZEELAND, MI -- (GLOBE NEWSWIRE - April 25, 2025) - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX), a leading supplier of digital vision, connected car, dimmable glass, fire protection technologies, medical devices, and For the first quarter of 2025, the Company reported net sales of $576.8 million, compared to net sales of $590.2 milli ...

Financial Performance - For Q1 2025, the company reported net sales of $576.8 million, a decrease of 2% compared to $590.2 million in Q1 2024 [3][8] - Gross margin for Q1 2025 was 33.2%, down from 34.3% in Q1 2024, but improved by 70 basis points from Q4 2024 [4][8] - Operating income for Q1 2025 was $113.0 million, compared to $129.3 million in Q1 2024 [6][8] - Net income for Q1 2025 was $94.9 million, down from $108.2 million in Q1 2024, with earnings per diluted share at $0.42, a decrease of 11% from $0.47 in Q1 2024 [8][9] Market Conditions - Global light vehicle production increased by approximately 1% year-over-year but decreased by 3% quarter-over-quarter in primary markets [3] - The company experienced a shortfall of expected sales of approximately $25 - $30 million due to a weaker trim-mix in light vehicle production [3] Operating Expenses - Operating expenses rose by 8% to $78.7 million in Q1 2025, influenced by severance expenses of $2.9 million and one-time merger-related costs of $0.9 million [5][8] - Core operating expense growth was less than 3% for the quarter, excluding severance and merger-related expenses [5] Future Guidance - The company revised its revenue guidance for 2025 to $2.10 - $2.20 billion, down from the previous estimate of $2.40 - $2.45 billion, due to tariff impacts [18] - Light vehicle production in primary markets is expected to decline approximately 5% in 2025 compared to 2024, with a forecasted decrease of about 11% in the last three quarters of 2025 [15][16] Share Repurchases - During Q1 2025, the company repurchased 3.1 million shares at an average price of $24.52 per share, with approximately 6.3 million shares remaining available for repurchase [12]

Core Viewpoint - Analysts forecast Gentex (GNTX) will report quarterly earnings of $0.43 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 8.5%, with revenues expected to be $584.51 million, a decrease of 1% compared to the previous year [1]. Earnings Projections - Over the last 30 days, there has been no revision in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, indicating that analysts have not changed their initial forecasts [2]. - Changes in earnings projections are crucial for predicting investor reactions, as empirical studies show a strong correlation between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock price movements [3]. Revenue Estimates - Analysts estimate 'Revenue- Other' to be $15.06 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 19.5% [5]. - 'Revenue- Automotive Products' is projected to reach $568.61 million, indicating a decline of 1.6% from the year-ago quarter [5]. Shipment Estimates - Total Interior Mirrors shipments are expected to be 7.59 million, down from 7.82 million year-over-year [6]. - Total Exterior Mirrors shipments are forecasted at 4.42 million, compared to 4.66 million in the previous year [6]. - Total Auto-Dimming Mirror Units are anticipated to reach 12.02 million, down from 12.47 million year-over-year [7]. - North American Mirror Units are expected to be 3.69 million, a decrease from 3.88 million in the same quarter last year [7]. - International Exterior Mirrors shipments are projected at 2.85 million, down from 3.03 million year-over-year [8]. - North American Exterior Mirrors shipments are estimated at 1.57 million, compared to 1.62 million in the previous year [8]. - Total International Mirror Units are expected to be 8.33 million, down from 8.59 million year-over-year [9]. - International Interior Mirrors shipments are forecasted at 5.48 million, compared to 5.55 million in the previous year [9]. - North American Interior Mirrors shipments are estimated at 2.11 million, down from 2.26 million year-over-year [10]. Stock Performance - Gentex shares have shown a return of -12.9% over the past month, compared to a -8.9% change in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [10].

The market expects Gentex (GNTX) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on Apri ...

Core Points - Gentex Corporation will release its first quarter 2025 financial results on April 25, 2025, before the market opens [1] - A conference call for the investment community will take place at 9:30am ET to discuss the results [1] - The call will be accessible to the general public via a live audio webcast [2] Registration and Participation - Participants wishing to ask questions can register for the call to receive dial-in numbers and a unique PIN [2] - It is recommended for participants to join 10 minutes prior to the event start [2] - A listen-only webcast option is available for those who do not plan to ask questions [2] Post-Event Information - A replay of the webcast will be available approximately 24 hours after the conclusion of the call [3] - Contact information for Gentex Investor Relations is provided for further inquiries [3]