Jabil Rises 58% in a Year on Secular Growth Drivers: Worth Buying Now?

Jabil, Inc. JBL has soared 58.1% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 97.6%. It has outperformed peers like Flex Ltd. FLEX but lagged Celestica Inc. CLS over this period. While Flex gained 57.3%, Celestica surged 206.2%. 

With a presence across 100 locations in 30 countries, Jabil is likely to gain from secular growth drivers with strong margins and cash flow dynamics. Moreover, its unmatched end-market experience, technical and design capabilities, manufacturing know-how, supply chain insights and global product management expertise have put it in good stead. Its extensive global footprint is further strengthened by a centralized procurement process, which, coupled with a single Enterprise Resource Planning system, aids customers with end-to-end supply chain visibility.

One-Year JBL Stock Price Performance

A Diversified Bouquet: JBL’s Key Growth Catalyst

Jabil’s focus on end-market and product diversification is a key catalyst. The company’s target that “no product or product family should be greater than 5% operating income or cash flows in any fiscal year” is commendable. The diversification increases the reliability of the company’s earnings and revenues, thereby driving long-term returns for investors. 

Jabil’s top line is expected to benefit from strength in AI data center infrastructure, capital equipment and warehouse automation markets. The company is likely to gain from the rapid adoption of 5G wireless and cloud computing in the long run. It is benefiting from solid demand in key end markets, diligent execution of operational plans and skillful management of supply chain dynamics. A large-scale portfolio of business sectors offers Jabil a high degree of resiliency during times of macroeconomic and geopolitical disruption.  

JBL Offers Bullish Guidance

Jabil has reorganized its internal structure to align its operations more closely with specific end markets. With this transition, the company aims to develop domain-specific expertise in core areas and become more responsive to market demands. This restructuring initiative is expected to position the company for long-term growth.

Management expects cloud and data center infrastructure, capital equipment and the digital commerce market to be the major growth drivers. For fiscal 2026, revenues are projected at $32.4 billion, up from $31.3 billion expected earlier. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be $11.55 per share compared with earlier expectations of $11.00. The company is expected to generate more than $1.3 billion in adjusted free cash flow.

AI Prowess: JBL’s X-Factor

Jabil's extensive manufacturing footprint and strong expertise position it as an ideal partner in the burgeoning AI/ML ecosystem. The company's commitment to providing unparalleled value to customers underscores its strategic importance in the optical module space. The company’s photonics-based optical transceiver modules are designed to fuel the AI/ML revolution, promise unparalleled performance and scalability, thanks to the collaborative efforts of industry giants.

The breakthrough technology leverages Intel Corporation's INTC cutting-edge silicon photonics platform, renowned for its manufacturing efficiency and reliability. The collaboration sets a new standard for speed, efficiency and reliability in data transmission. Intel's volume-proven silicon photonics platform, with on-chip laser sources fabricated, tested and burned-in at wafer scale, ensures unparalleled reliability and simplicity in module integration. With a focus on reliability, scalability and performance, its optical transceiver modules are poised to drive significant advancements in data-intensive applications with considerable improvement in the bandwidth capacity of data center racks without requiring modifications to existing infrastructure.

Estimate Revision Trend of JBL

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Jabil’s fiscal 2026 earnings has surged 12.4% to $11.55 per share over the past year, while the same for fiscal 2027 has increased 6.4% to $13.41. The positive estimate revision depicts bullish sentiments about the stock’s growth potential.

End Note

Jabil is bullish on its long-term prospects. The company is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities in areas such as AI data center hardware, power and energy infrastructure, software-defined electric and hybrid vehicles, and healthcare. Strong margins and robust free cash flow are likely to enable continued investment in profitable growth and capital returns to shareholders.

Management believes that the company's strategic direction and financial strength will allow it to navigate current challenges better and emerge stronger, with a focus on high-potential sectors for future growth.

The uptrend in estimate revisions further portrays positive sentiments about the stock’s growth potential. JBL has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 14.8% and delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 8.2%. It has a VGM Score of A. Jabil sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

With a solid Zacks Rank and healthy fundamentals, Jabil appears primed for further stock price appreciation. Consequently, investors are likely to profit if they bet on this high-flying stock now.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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