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Should You Buy, Sell or Hold TTMI Stock Despite Its Massive YTD Rally?

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Key Takeaways

  • TTMI's mix shift toward complex programs is supporting margin expansion across the business.
  • TTMI plans $200$-300M in capex for AI capacity, supporting growth but weighing on near-term cash flow.
  • Zacks Consensus Estimate pegs TTMI's 2026 revenues at $3.4B and EPS at $3.25.

TTM Technologies (TTMI - Free Report) has staged a powerful rally, with shares up 116% year to date, sharply outperforming both the Zacks industry and sector performance. Shares in the industry and sector have appreciated 4.1% and 8.9%, respectively, over the same period.

This outperformance has driven a meaningful shift in valuation. TTMI currently trades at 4.3X forward 12-month price-to-sales, compared with a historical median of 2.07X. While still slightly below the industry multiple of 4.79X, the discount has narrowed significantly.

The strong outperformance has been driven by a shift in market perception. TTMI is increasingly being viewed alongside higher-growth players such as Amphenol (APH - Free Report) and Flex (FLEX - Free Report) , both of which benefit from AI-driven demand and complex electronics exposure. Compared to Sanmina (SANM - Free Report) , which offers more diversified but slower-moving end-market exposure, TTMI’s sharper rally reflects its higher concentration in AI infrastructure and defense.

TTMI’s Earnings Momentum and Estimates Trend Upward

TTM Technologies continues to witness strong earnings momentum, supported by favorable end-market demand and improving execution.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 revenues is pegged at $3.4 billion, indicating 16.95% growth. While the consensus mark for EPS is pegged at $3.25, up by a penny over the past 30 days and suggesting 32.11% year-over-year growth.

This momentum is supported by strong underlying drivers, with a significant portion of revenues tied to AI infrastructure and defense markets, both of which continue to see healthy demand trends. These dynamics are broadly aligned with trends seen at Amphenol and Flex, both of which continue to benefit from rising complexity in interconnect and electronics solutions.

The company’s fourth-quarter performance reinforces this trajectory, with revenues increasing 19% year over year and non-GAAP EPS reaching 70 cents, reflecting solid execution and operating leverage. Similar demand strength has also been visible at Sanmina, though with a more diversified exposure profile.

TTMI’s Profitability Trends and Operating Leverage

TTMI is demonstrating clear operating leverage, with profitability improving meaningfully as the business scales.

Non-GAAP operating margin expanded to 12.7% from 10.1% in the year-ago quarter, while gross margin improved to 21.7%. This expansion is being driven by a favorable mix shift toward higher-margin programs, particularly in complex, high-reliability applications.

This trend mirrors what is being seen across peers such as Flex and Amphenol, both of which are benefiting from mix improvements tied to higher-value products. At the same time, Sanmina continues to demonstrate steady margin progression, though without the same degree of AI-driven leverage.

As revenues scale, fixed costs are being absorbed more efficiently, translating into stronger margin expansion.

TTMI Increases Capex

TTMI is increasing capital expenditures to support capacity expansion, particularly in AI-related infrastructure. The company expects incremental investments of $200–$300 million over the next 2–3 years to expand data center capacity. While these investments position the company for sustained growth, they create a near-term disconnect between earnings growth and free cash flow generation.

This dynamic requires investors to adopt a longer-term perspective. Near-term return metrics may appear compressed, but the underlying investments aim to position the company for sustained growth.

TTMI’s Growth Versus Valuation Trade-Off

TTMI’s growth outlook remains supported by strong demand visibility across AI infrastructure and defense, along with continued earnings expansion.

The key question now is sustainability. With expectations already elevated, the focus shifts to whether growth can remain consistent as capacity ramps and end-market demand normalizes over time.

At this stage, upside is less about re-rating and more about execution. Continued estimate revisions, program ramps and demand strength will be critical to maintaining momentum. Any slowdown in growth or margin progression could have a more immediate impact given the current positioning.

This shifts the setup toward a more execution-driven story, where consistency in delivery becomes the primary driver of returns.

TTMI’s Risk Factors to Consider

Several risks remain relevant at current levels.

Customer concentration continues to be a structural factor, with reliance on key programs introducing variability. Exposure to defense markets also ties part of the growth outlook to government spending cycles.

Execution risk is rising as the company scales capacity and ramps new programs. Maintaining margins and delivery timelines during expansion will be critical.

TTMI’s Investment Thesis

TTM Technologies continues to benefit from strong earnings momentum, improving margins and sustained demand across AI infrastructure and defense markets.

The company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), supported by positive estimate revisions and a solid earnings outlook. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

While the recent rally has elevated expectations, the underlying fundamentals remain supportive. Continued growth visibility, operating leverage, and exposure to high-value end markets position the company well for further earnings expansion.

At current levels, the story is increasingly execution-driven, but with estimates still moving higher and demand trends intact, TTMI remains well-positioned for additional upside.

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