HGTECH Valuation Multiples

Apple is among the largest companies in the world, with a broad portfolio of hardware and software products targeted at consumers and businesses. Apple’s iPhone makes up a majority of the firm sales, and Apple’s other products like Mac, iPad, and Watch are designed around the iPhone as the focal point of an expansive software ecosystem. Apple has progressively worked to add new applications, like streaming video, subscription bundles, and augmented reality. The firm designs its own software and semiconductors while working with subcontractors like Foxconn and TSMC to build its products and chips. Slightly less than half of Apple’s sales come directly through its flagship stores, with a majority of sales coming indirectly through partnerships and distribution.

Samsung Electronics is a diversified electronics conglomerate that manufactures and sells a wide range of products including smartphones, televisions, home appliances, telecommunications network equipment, as well as electronic and device components such as semiconductors and flat panel displays. Samsung is the world's largest manufacturer of smartphones and televisions as well as memory semiconductor products. The Manufacturing and sale of mobile phones and semiconductors make up >70% of both the company’s revenue as well as its profit.

Cisco Systems is the largest provider of networking equipment in the world and one of the largest software companies in the world. Its largest businesses are selling networking hardware and software (where it has leading market shares) and cybersecurity software such as firewalls. It also has collaboration products, like its Webex suite, and observability tools. It primarily outsources its manufacturing to third parties and has a large sales and marketing staff—25,000 strong across 90 countries. Overall, Cisco employs 80,000 people and sells its products globally.

CATL, headquartered in Ningde, Fujian Province, is a global leading battery manufacturer founded in 2011. The company specializes in the development and production of lithium-ion batteries for EVs and energy storage systems. CATL is the largest EV battery manufacturer in the world and leads the industry in innovative battery technology development for higher-energy density and safety, longer battery service life and super-fast charging. CATL is also involved in the manufacturing of cathode and other related battery materials. Through its subsidiary Brunp, it works with customers to create a closed-loop battery life cycle from production, application, to recycling.

Incorporated in 1911, International Business Machines, or IBM, is one of the oldest technology companies in the world. It provides software, IT consulting services, and hardware to help business customers modernize their technology workflows. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 300,000 people. The company has a robust roster of business partners to service its clients, which includes 95% of all Fortune 500 companies. IBM’s products, including Red Hat, watsonx, and mainframes, handle some of the world’s most important data workloads in areas like finance and retail.

KLA is one of the largest semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment, or WFE, manufacturers in the world. It specializes in the market segment of semiconductor process control, wherein machines inspect semiconductor wafers during research and development and manufacturing for defects and verify precise measurements. In this section of the market, KLA holds a majority share. It also has a small exposure to the etch and deposition segments of the WFE market. It counts as top customers the largest chipmakers in the world, including TSMC and Samsung.

Dell Technologies is a broad information technology vendor, primarily supplying hardware to enterprises. It focuses on premium and commercial personal computers, as well as enterprise on-premises data center hardware. It holds top-three market shares in its core markets of personal computers, peripheral displays, mainstream servers, and external storage. Dell has a robust ecosystem of component and assembly partners, and also relies heavily on channel partners to fulfill its sales.

Siemens is a multi-industry company focused on the areas of automation, electrification, mobility, and healthcare. Its top three geographic regions—the United States, Germany, and China—contribute over half of group revenue. Siemens has a 71% investment in separately listed Siemens Healthineers. Recent portfolio activity included the listing of Siemens Energy, spinning out its power and gas and Siemens Gamesa business divisions in 2020.

Foxconn Industrial Internet Co Ltd is engaged in the design, research and development, manufacturing, and sales of various electronic equipment products. The company's main products include communications network equipment, cloud service equipment, precision tools, and industrial robots.

Arista Networks is a networking equipment provider that primarily sells Ethernet switches and software to data centers. Its marquee product is its extensible operating system, or EOS, that runs a single image across every single one of its devices. The firm operates as one reportable segment. It has steadily gained market share since its founding in 2004, with a focus on high-speed applications. Arista counts Microsoft and Meta Platforms as its largest customers and derives roughly three quarters of its sales from North America.

ABB supplies electrical equipment and automation products. Founded in the late 19th century, the company was created out of the merger of two old industrial companies: ASEA and BBC. Its products include electrical equipment, industrial robots, and equipment used for industrial automation, sold via approximately 19 business divisions. ABB is the number-one or -two supplier in two-thirds of its product segments.

Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management and industrial automation. It holds leading positions in electrical distribution. Its four end-markets include: Buildings, Data Center & Networks, Infrastructure, and Industry. Its largest countries include the United States, China and India.

Tokyo Electron is a major supplier of semiconductor fabrication tools. It operates primarily in the etching, deposition, and cleaning segments, which involve adding and removing materials to and from semiconductor wafers. Customers include leading-edge logic, foundry, and memory chipmakers such as Samsung Electronics, Intel, TSMC, and SK Hynix.

Amphenol is a global supplier of connectors, sensors, and interconnect systems. It holds the second-largest connector market share globally and sells into the automotive, broadband, commercial air, industrial, IT and data communications, military, mobile devices, and mobile networks end markets. Amphenol is diversified geographically, with operations in 40 countries.

Founded in 1911 by Joseph Eaton, the eponymous company began by selling truck axles in New Jersey. Eaton has since become an industrial powerhouse largely through acquisitions in various end markets. Eaton's portfolio can broadly be divided into two parts: its electrical and industrial businesses. Its electrical portfolio (representing around 70% of company revenue) sells components within data centers, utilities, and commercial and residential buildings, while its industrial business (30% of revenue) sells components within commercial and passenger vehicles and aircraft. Eaton receives favorable tax treatment as a domiciliary of Ireland, but it generates over half of its revenue within the US.

Hitachi Ltd is engaged in diverse businesses spanning industries, energy, IT, and real estate. The company operates through four business segments. The Connective Industries segment covers elevators, escalators, home appliances, air conditioning, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, medical analyzers, industrial and distribution solutions, water and environmental solutions, and industrial equipment. The Digital Systems & Services segment offers system integration, consulting, cloud services, IT products, software, and ATMs. The Green Energy & Mobility segment focuses on power grids, renewable energy, nuclear power, and railway systems. The Others include real estate management, sales, and leasing. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Green Energy & Mobility segment.

Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL manufactures and distributes power supplies, electronic equipment, and components such as DC fans, EMI filters, solenoids, etc. The group's reportable segments are: Power electronics, Mobility, Infrastructure, Automation, and Others. The majority of its revenue is generated from the Power electronics segment, which designs, manufactures, and sells power supplies applied to computer, server, office automation equipment, and household electric appliances. The Mobility segment makes EV power systems, the Infrastructure segment builds ICT and energy systems, and the Automation segment offers industrial and building automation. Geographically, the group generates maximum revenue from the United States, followed by Singapore, Germany, Taiwan, and other markets.

Hon Hai Precision is the world's largest contract manufacturer of consumer electronics, communications, and computer products. It is the biggest supplier to Apple, whose business accounted for around 54% of overall revenue in 2023. Hon Hai is also involved in the production of upstream components such as electronic connectors, semiconductor packaging, and metal casings for smartphones, as well as producing servers. These upstream activities are mainly conducted through its listed majority-owned subsidiaries Foxconn Industrial Internet and FIH Mobile. In response to its traditional end markets of computers, smartphones, and telecom equipment maturing in 2019 it started on a strategy to develop expertise in three new growth areas-electric vehicles, digital health, and robotics.

Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Tokyo, Advantest specializes in semiconductor test systems and is a well-known leader in automated test equipment, or ATE. Advantest also has a high market share in test systems for nonmemory semiconductors, including application processors for mobile phones. The company is also involved in peripheral businesses, such as semiconductor device transport equipment. Following its acquisition of Verigy in July 2011, Advantest holds a market share of over 50% in the ATE market.

Vertiv has roots tracing back to 1946 when its founder, Ralph Liebert, developed an air-cooling system for mainframe data rooms. As computers started making their way into commercial applications in 1965, Liebert developed one of the first computer room air conditioning, or CRAC, units, enabling the precise control of temperature and humidity. The firm has slowly expanded its data center portfolio through internal product development and the acquisition of thermal and power management products like condensers, busways, and switches. Vertiv has global operations today; its products can be found in data centers in most regions throughout the world.

Eoptolink Technology Inc Ltd is engaged in the research & development, production, and sales of optical modules. The company's main products include point-to-point optical modules; and passive optical network optical modules.

Murata Manufacturing produces passive components for electronic devices. Passive components are necessary for all electronic circuits, used to enable wireless communication, store electricity and handle electric flow, remove electromagnetic noise from circuits, and so on. Thus, passive components are imperative for electronic circuits. For instance, one high-end smartphone contains more than 1,000 passive components. Murata Manufacturing is the world's leading supplier of passive components, such as MLCC and SAW filters.

Mitsubishi Corp. is Japan’s largest general trading house, or sogo shosha, a type of conglomerate unique to Japan. Its core role is that of a trading intermediary in a variety of industrial sectors, including resources businesses like energy and metals as well as non-resources businesses, both industrial ones like automotive and non-industrial ones like food, healthcare, and retail. In addition to acting as a trading intermediary (including midstream processing functions to convert inputs into final products), Mitsubishi also participates in upstream production businesses and downstream distribution businesses.

Nokia provides telecom equipment and services that are used to build wireless and fixed-line networks. It operates in four segments. The mobile networks segment sells equipment and services to telecom carriers to power public wireless networks. Network infrastructure focuses on fixed-line networks, including switching and routing equipment, optical components, and devices used in fiber-to-the-premises networks. The cloud and network services segment develops software used to operate the core of carrier wireless networks and build private networks for enterprises. Nokia also has a sizable research and patent business, where it licenses technology used by handset providers, consumer electronics firms, and other firms making electronic and Internet of Things products.

Bloom Energy designs, manufactures, sells, and installs solid oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation. Bloom Energy Servers are fuel-flexible and can use natural gas, biogas, and hydrogen to create 24/7 electricity for stationary applications. Bloom sells its systems in the United States and internationally.

Founded in 2004, Luxshare Precision is one of the world's largest manufacturers of cables and connectors and is a major supplier to Apple, which accounts for over 70% of revenue. Of Luxshare's 2024 sales, 83% is derived from the consumer electronics end market, while the remaining 16% is spread across the computer, communication, and automobile verticals. In nonconsumer businesses, Luxshare supplies cooling systems, optical interconnects, cables, power supplies, and other electric hardware. Luxshare employs almost 280,000 people and has manufacturing bases in China, India, and Vietnam. Through acquiring German automotive cabling firm Leoni, it has added 26 more production sites mainly in Europe and Africa.

Mitsubishi Electric is a leading Japanese diversified industrial manufacturer, specializing in factory automation systems, power and energy systems, infrastructure solutions, automotive equipment, electronic devices, and home appliances. Founded in 1921 and headquartered in Tokyo, the company operates globally with a strong presence in Asia, Europe, and North America. Known for its technological expertise and high reliability, Mitsubishi Electric plays a vital role in sectors ranging from smart manufacturing and transportation to energy management and defense. The company emphasizes sustainability, innovation, and long-term growth through its focus on electrification, automation, and digitalization.

Ciena is a telecommunications equipment provider focused on optical transport technologies, with clients in a number of industries such as communication services providers, web-scale providers, cable operators, government, and large enterprises worldwide. The company provides equipment, software, and services that support transport, switching, aggregation, service delivery, and data traffic management.

Lumentum Holdings Inc is a California-based technology firm. The company provides two types of optical and photonic products: optical components that are used in telecommunications networking equipment, and commercial lasers for manufacturing, inspection, and life-science lab uses. Its segments are Optical Communications and Commercial Lasers. The firm is also expanding into new optical applications, such as 3-D sensing laser diode for consumer electronics. It generates maximum revenue from the OpComms segment. The OpComms segment products include a wide range of components, modules, and subsystems to support customers including carrier networks for access (local), metro (intracity), long-haul, and submarine (undersea) applications.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is an information technology vendor that provides hardware and software to enterprises. Its primary product lines are compute servers, storage arrays, and networking equipment; it also has a high-performance computing business. HPE's stated goal is to be a complete edge-to-cloud company. Its portfolio enables hybrid clouds and hyperconverged infrastructure.

Motorola Solutions is a leading provider of communications and analytics, primarily serving public safety departments as well as schools, hospitals, and businesses. The bulk of the firm's revenue comes from sales of land mobile radios and radio network infrastructure, but the firm also sells surveillance equipment, dispatch software, and other networking capabilities. Most of Motorola's revenue comes from government agencies, while roughly 25% comes from schools and private businesses. Motorola has customers in over 100 countries and in every state in the United States.

NAURA Technology Group Co Ltd engages in the research, development, manufacture, sale, and service of electronic equipment and components in the People's Republic of China. The company offers semiconductor equipment, including etching equipment, PVD and CVD equipment, oxidation/diffusion equipment, cleaning equipment, novel display equipment, gas mass flow controllers, etc., and vacuum heat treatment equipment and technical solutions for the semiconductors, photovoltaic equipment, vacuum electronic devices, magnetic materials, aerospace, and smart power grid sectors.

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd manufactures and sells electric wires and cables, and other products. The company operates through five segments. The Automotive related business covers wire harnesses, anti-vibration rubber, hoses, electrical parts, and traffic control systems. The Electronics related business provides electronic wires, flexible printed circuits, fluoropolymer products, and metal components. The Environment and Energy related business handles power transmission equipment, substation systems, vacuum and beam equipment, and conductive products. The Industrial Materials business includes steel wire, tools, optical components, and sintered parts. The Information and Communication business offers fiber optic cables, communication equipment, and optical devices.

LG Energy Solution is the third-largest battery maker for electric vehicles with about 11% global share in 2024, according to SNE Research. The EV battery segment is the largest revenue contributor, which accounted for more than 60% of total revenue in 2024. LGES also manufactures batteries for mobility, mobile phones, laptops, electrical devices, and energy storage systems. The company was spun off from LG Chem’s battery division in December 2020 and listed on the Korea Exchange in January 2022. It has global manufacturing facilities in Korea, China, Poland, and the United States. Key customers include General Motors, Tesla, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Stellantis.

TE Connectivity is the largest electrical connector supplier in the world, supplying interconnect and sensor solutions to the transportation, industrial, and communications markets. With operations in 150 countries and over 500,000 stock-keeping units, TE has a broad portfolio that forms the electrical architecture of its end customers' cutting-edge innovations.

Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co Ltd is a China-based company mainly engaged in the research and development, production and sales of electronic circuit products, precision components, touch display modules, and light-emitting diode (LED) display devices. Its offerings include flexible, rigid, and rigid-flex printed circuit boards, high-precision metal parts, touch screens, LCD modules, and automotive display systems.

Teradyne provides testing equipment, including automated test equipment for semiconductors, system testing for hard disk drives, circuit boards, and electronics systems, and wireless testing for devices. The firm entered the industrial automation market in 2015 and sells collaborative and autonomous robots for factory applications. Teradyne serves numerous end markets and geographies, directly and indirectly, through its products, but its most significant exposure is to semiconductor testing. Teradyne serves vertically integrated, fabless, and foundry chipmakers with its equipment.

Keysight Technologies is a leader in the field of testing and measurement, helping electronics OEMs and suppliers alike bring products to market to fit industry standards and specifications. Keysight specializes in the communications market, but also supplies into the government, automotive, industrial, and semiconductor manufacturing markets. Keysight’s solutions include testing tools, analytical software, and services. The firm’s stated objective is to reduce time to market and improve efficiency at its more than 30,000 customers.

Flex Ltd is a contract manufacturing company providing comprehensive electronics design, manufacturing, and product management services to electronics and technology companies. The company's operating segments include Flex Agility Solutions (FAS) and Flex Reliability Solutions (FRS). Flex Agility Solutions segment includes markets such as Communications, Enterprise and Cloud; Lifestyle; and Consumer Devices. Flex Reliability Solutions segment includes markets such as Automotive, Health Solutions, and Industrial.

Carrier Global, spun out of United Technologies in 2020, manufactures and services commercial and residential HVAC systems and transportation refrigeration solutions under its flagship Carrier brand, as well as Bryant, Payne, Heil, and others across various price points. In 2024, Carrier acquired Viessmann Climate Solutions to expand its footprint in Europe with heat pumps, boilers, and solar PV equipment. Proceeds from the sale of Carrier’s fire and security (Honeywell) and commercial refrigeration (Haier) businesses reduced debt and focused the company on global HVAC and refrigeration solutions. Carrier generates 75% of sales from equipment and 25% from parts and services. The company derives 50% of revenue from the US, 30% from Europe, and 20% from the Asia-Pacific region.

Suzhou TFC Optical Communications Co Ltd is engaged in High-end passive component total solutions and high-speed optical component packaging OEM solutions.

Founded in 1930 and transformed over the decades through the acquisition of dozens of esteemed brands, Ametek owns more than 40 autonomous industrial businesses operating across research, aerospace, energy, medical, and manufacturing. Ametek segments its business into two operating groups: the electronic instruments group and the electromechanical group. The EIG sells a broad portfolio of analytical, test, and measurement instruments, while the EMG sells highly engineered components, interconnects, and specialty metals. The company emphasizes product differentiation and market leadership in the niche markets it operates in.

Prysmian SpA is an Italian manufacturer of electric power transmission and telecommunications cables and systems. Its business is organized in three segments--Projects, which focuses on the execution of underground and submarine cable projects; Energy Products, which provides power distribution, and industrial and network components; and Telecom, which makes cable systems and connectivity products. More than half of the firm's revenue is generated in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions, with the rest coming from North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific regions.

China-based Sungrow manufactures and sells power supply equipment for the new energy industry. It offers a wide range of products, including solar inverters, energy storage systems, wind power converters, electric vehicle drives, among others. It is one of the largest suppliers of solar inverters and energy storage systems globally. It is also one of the largest new energy project developers in the world. Solar inverters, energy storage systems, and new energy investment and development segment each accounted for 37%, 32%, and 27% of revenue in 2024, respectively.

Fujikura Ltd is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacturing and sales of telecommunication and other electronics equipment. The company operates through five segments. The Automotive division covers wiring harnesses and electrical components. The Electronics division provides printed wiring boards, electronic wires, connectors, and hard disk components. The Energy division includes power and communication cables, aluminum, and coated wires. The Information and Communication division offers optical fibers, cables, components, equipment, network solutions, and construction services. The Real Estate division engages in leasing. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Information and Communication Business Division segment.

Quanta Computer Inc is an original design manufacturer of notebook computers and electronic hardware for use in communication, networking, consumer electronics, auto electronics, and cloud computing solutions. Its products include enterprise network systems, home entertainment systems, rack-mount servers, data center networking switches, high-density storage solutions, encoding cameras, and smart home devices. The Majority of the firm's revenue is generated in the American region, with the rest coming from countries across the world.

Celestica Inc offers supply chain solutions. The company has two operating and reportable segments: Advanced Technology Solutions (ATS) and Connectivity & Cloud Solutions (CCS). The ATS segment consists of the ATS end market and is comprised of the Aerospace and Defense, Industrial, health tech, and Capital Equipment businesses. Its Capital Equipment business is comprised of the semiconductor, display, and robotics equipment businesses, and the CCS segment consists of Communications and Enterprise end markets, The Enterprise end market is comprised of its servers and storage businesses. The company generates a majority of its revenue from the Connectivity & Cloud Solutions segment.

Yageo produces passive components for electronic devices. Passive components are necessary for all electronic circuits; they are used to stabilize and control electric flow and remove electromagnetic noise from the circuit. Yageo’s main products are multilayer ceramic capacitors, chip resistors, inductors, and tantalum capacitors, which are ranked third, first, third, and first in global production volume, respectively.