Core Insights - Industry rumors indicate that Mana Products, a long-established beauty contract manufacturer, is exploring "strategic options" amid workforce furloughs and an uncertain future [1][2] Company Overview - Mana Products was founded by Nikos Mouyiaris approximately 50 years ago and was acquired by Traub Capital Partners in 2020 following Mouyiaris's death in 2019 [2] - The company had previously pursued a sale that did not materialize, leading to its current operational challenges [2] Financial Performance - When exploring deal options, Mana Products reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of around $20 million [3] Product Lines and Initiatives - Historically focused on makeup, Mana Products has expanded into skincare in recent years [4] - The company launched the "Artists at the Bench" initiative in 2022, featuring three makeup lines developed by Meredith Baraf, Marco Castro, and Rudy Miles [4] - Mana Products previously owned the Black Opal brand, which was sold in 2019 [4]

Core Insights - The Carillon Scout Mid Cap Fund's third-quarter 2025 investor letter highlights strong corporate earnings and AI infrastructure momentum as key drivers for the Russell Midcap Index's positive returns [1] - Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) is emphasized as a significant holding, showcasing a remarkable 239.87% increase in share value over the past 52 weeks despite a recent one-month decline of 13.70% [2][3] Company Performance - Celestica Inc. reported Q3 2025 revenue of $3.19 billion, reflecting a 28% increase from Q3 2024 [4] - The company is recognized for its contract manufacturing capabilities, particularly in data center hardware and aerospace components, with strong demand for networking switches driving positive quarterly results [3] Market Position - Celestica Inc. is gaining market share in the networking industry through private label solutions, which offer lower total costs and flexible designs compared to branded vendors [3] - The company is expected to see rising earnings estimates as it secures new deals and benefits from existing hyperscaler programs ramping up faster than anticipated [3]

Core Insights - Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) is recognized as a strong investment opportunity within the consumer cyclical sector, particularly due to its role in the AI ecosystem by providing essential infrastructure for data centers [1] Group 1: Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Barclays maintained an Overweight rating on Celestica's shares and raised the price target to $359 from $357 [2] - Citi upgraded Celestica's stock to Buy from Hold, keeping its price target at $375, citing expectations of over 40% growth in hyperscaler capital expenditure in 2026 after a 75% increase in 2025 [2] Group 2: Financial Performance - Celestica reported third-quarter earnings on October 27th, achieving $3.19 billion in revenue and $1.58 in adjusted EPS, surpassing analyst expectations of $3.04 billion and $1.49 respectively [3] - Following the earnings announcement, Celestica's shares rose by as much as 10%, and management increased the full-year revenue guidance to $12.2 billion from $11.55 billion due to strong demand [3] Group 3: Demand Insights - During the third-quarter earnings call, management indicated strong visibility into customer demand, with forecasts extending 12 to 15 months ahead, particularly related to 2026 budgeting and spending commitments [4] - Management noted that certain customers have made commitments that provide assurance regarding the longevity and scale of their programs, enhancing visibility into future demand [4]

Core Insights - AI stocks have shown strong performance in 2025, with the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ) gaining 28.9% and the Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF (CHAT) up by 47.2% year-to-date, outperforming the NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500 [2] Industry Overview - The AI market is primarily dominated by major technology companies, with NVIDIA leading in hardware and Amazon, Google, and Microsoft in software [4] - Concerns have emerged regarding the costs of AI development, particularly related to the depreciation of older chips as newer versions are released, drawing parallels to the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s [5] Company Insights - **Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS)**: - The company reported $3.19 billion in revenue and $1.58 in adjusted EPS for Q3, exceeding analyst expectations [12] - Barclays and Citi have upgraded the stock, with price targets of $359 and $375 respectively, citing expected growth in hyperscaler capital expenditure [11] - Management indicated strong demand visibility for 12 to 15 months, with some customers providing insights into long-term commitments [13] - **HubSpot, Inc. (NYSE:HUBS)**: - The company reported $809.5 million in revenue, driven by a 21% growth in subscription revenue and 10,900 new customer additions [16] - Despite a reduction in price target by Evercore ISI to $500, the firm noted that net new annual recurring revenue is growing faster than overall revenue [15] - HubSpot's CEO emphasized the strategy of embedding AI across all platforms, which has led to improved customer outcomes, including a 10% increase in sales win rates [17]

Group 1: Fund Performance - The FPA Queens Road Small Cap Value Fund returned 7.46% in Q3 2025, underperforming the Russell 2000 Value Index which returned 12.60% [1] - For the first three quarters of 2025, the fund achieved a return of 13.77%, outperforming the index's return of 9.04% [1] Group 2: Fabrinet Overview - Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) specializes in optical packaging and precision manufacturing services, with a one-month return of -4.85% and a 52-week gain of 76.79% [2] - As of November 24, 2025, Fabrinet's stock closed at $462.67 per share, with a market capitalization of $16.576 billion [2] Group 3: Fabrinet's Market Position - Fabrinet dominates its niche in optical networking equipment and has shown impressive historical revenue growth and increasing operating margins [3] - The company has a significant customer in Nvidia, which accounts for 10% of its revenue, and has seen its stock price double since April due to rising expectations for data center spending [3] - Fabrinet is expected to continue being a "compounder" in the market, with ongoing demand for high bandwidth networking [3] Group 4: Revenue and Hedge Fund Interest - Fabrinet generated $978 million in revenue for fiscal Q1 2026, marking a 22% year-over-year increase and an 8% increase from the previous quarter [4] - The number of hedge funds holding Fabrinet decreased from 38 to 32 from the previous quarter [4]

Core Viewpoint - Zetwerk Pvt, an Indian contract manufacturer, is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) that may raise up to $750 million, indicating strong interest in the Indian IPO market [1][2]. Company Overview - Zetwerk specializes in manufacturing fabricated metal products and serves clients across various sectors, including aerospace components, consumer electronics, and capital goods [4]. IPO Details - The company is likely to file a draft prospectus early next year through a confidential route, with the offering expected to include a mix of new and existing shares, primarily consisting of a fresh issue [2]. - The IPO is part of a broader trend in India's booming IPO market, where companies have raised approximately $19.5 billion so far this year, following a record $21 billion in 2024 [3]. Underwriters - Zetwerk has mandated several financial institutions, including Kotak Mahindra Capital Co., JM Financial Services Ltd., Avendus Capital Pvt., and the Indian units of HSBC Holdings Plc, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to manage the share sale [1].

IPO Plans - Zetwerk Pvt, an Indian contract manufacturer, is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) [1] - The IPO may raise as much as $750 million [1]

Group 1 - Celestica Inc. has transitioned from being a contract manufacturer to a design-centric platform integrator, focusing on key control points in AI data centers such as high-bandwidth switching, compute, storage, and rack-scale integration [1] - The company's hardware platform portfolio is expanding, indicating a strategic shift towards more integrated solutions in the AI sector [1] Group 2 - The article highlights the importance of expertise in AI and machine learning, suggesting that professionals in the field are increasingly pursuing advanced certifications to enhance their knowledge and skills [1]

Core Insights - Celestica has transitioned from being a contract manufacturer to a design-centric platform integrator, focusing on key control points in AI data centers [1] - The company is expanding its hardware platform portfolio and enhancing its regional rack-build capabilities [1] Company Overview - Celestica is now involved in high-bandwidth switching, compute, storage, and rack-scale integration within AI data centers [1] - The company is recognized as an "AWS Certified AI Practitioner Early Adopter," indicating its commitment to advanced AI and machine learning technologies [1] Industry Position - The shift towards a design-centric model positions Celestica favorably in the growing AI data center market, which is increasingly reliant on integrated hardware solutions [1] - The expansion of its capabilities aligns with industry trends towards more sophisticated AI applications and infrastructure [1]

Kimball Electronics Conference Call Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Kimball Electronics (NasdaqGS:KE) - **Industry**: Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) and Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) focused on medical devices, automotive, and industrial sectors - **Headquarters**: Jasper, Indiana, with global operations in Asia (Thailand, Nanjing, China), Europe (Romania, Poland), and North America [4][6] Key Financials - **Revenue**: Approximately $1.5 billion in fiscal 2025 [5] - **Medical Segment**: Represents 27% of total revenue, with expectations for significant growth [48] Strategic Focus - **Core Business**: Emphasis on complex, high-quality products with stringent regulatory requirements, particularly in the medical sector [4][12] - **Growth Strategy**: Focus on expanding the medical CMO space, leveraging cash flow from automotive and industrial sectors to reinvest in medical [7][12] - **Recent Performance**: Double-digit growth in the medical segment for the last three quarters, with expectations for continued strong growth [12][13] Market Position and Competitive Advantages - **Quality Standards**: FDA qualified with a 99.999% quality expectation, differentiating Kimball in the medical CMO space [13] - **Customer Relationships**: 75% of customers have been with Kimball for over a decade, indicating strong long-term partnerships [14] - **Flexibility and Responsiveness**: High marks for flexibility and senior management attention to customer needs [14] Product and Service Offerings - **Medical Products**: Focus on respiratory care, drug delivery systems, surgical devices, and patient monitoring equipment [25][27] - **Manufacturing Capabilities**: Transitioning to higher-level assembly, with over half of medical products now involving full assembly [27] Future Growth Opportunities - **Facility Expansion**: New facility in Indianapolis aimed at increasing capacity for medical device production, with potential for further expansion [11][16] - **Inorganic Growth**: Actively considering mergers and acquisitions to enhance capabilities and market reach, particularly in the medical CMO space [17][41] - **Market Trends**: Observing a trend towards outsourcing manufacturing in the medtech and pharmaceutical sectors, which could benefit Kimball [70][71] Customer Insights - **Major Client**: Long-term partnership with Philips, serving multiple business units and adapting to their needs amid regulatory challenges [50][55] - **Geographic Growth**: Medical business growth is split between North America, Asia, and Europe, with robust performance in Asia and Europe [57][58] Conclusion - **Investment Potential**: Kimball Electronics is positioned for significant growth in the medical sector, supported by strong customer relationships, a focus on quality, and strategic investments in new facilities and capabilities [12][14][67]