Gentex China Trouble Spooks Investors

Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ:GNTX) stock fell Friday after the company matched profit expectations but fell short on quarterly revenue. Management pointed to steady core demand and a stronger margin profile, even as tariffs weighed on China-linked sales. Quarterly Metrics The company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 43 cents, in line with the analyst consensus estimate. Quarterly sales of $644.401 million (+19% year over year) missed the Street view of $651.904 million. VOXX added $103.4 million in fourth-quarter revenue. Core Gentex revenue was $541.0 million, roughly flat year over year. That held steady despite a 2% quarterly drop in light-vehicle production across North America, Europe, and Japan/Korea. “Revenue in these regions grew approximately 3% quarter‑over‑quarter, compared to a 2% decline in light‑vehicle production, representing a five‑point outperformance relative to the underlying market,” said CEO Steve Downing. “We came into 2025 with a focus on growth and improving profitability and hoping for a stable end market. Instead, we were confronted with a dynamic marketplace including headwinds created by the volatility of tariffs, counter-tariffs, weakening production in our primary markets, and cost inflation,” Downing added. Sales into China totaled approximately $34.5 million for the quarter, despite the impact of tariffs and counter-tariffs on exports to the China market. “This year our sales teams were able to offset a 29% year-over-year sales decline in China through increased sales in our primary markets that out-performed the market by 3% despite the turbulence in those markets,” the company said. The consolidated gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2025 was 34.8%, compared with a gross margin of 32.5% a year ago. Consolidated income from operations for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $120.1 million, compared to income from operations of $89.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Gentex Corporation exited the quarter with cash and equivalents worth $145.645 million. Outlook Gentex Corp. forecast fiscal 2026 sales of $2.60 billion to $2.70 billion, compared with analysts’ estimate of $2.66 billion. The firm expects a consolidated gross margin of 34% to 35% in 2026 and capital spending of $125 million to $140 million. GNTX Price Action: Gentex shares were down 5.41% at $22.74 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Photo by T. Schneider via Shutterstock