Amphenol Corporation (NYSE: APH) shares rose 29.57% year to date, closing at $87.55 on October 7, 2026, with a market capitalization of $215.89 billion. Suncoast Equity Management (SEM), an SEC-registered investment advisory, highlighted the connector manufacturer in its Q3 2026 investor letter for the U.S. Equity Large Cap Select Growth Strategy. The firm stated that it sold its small Aon (AON) position to increase its holding in Amphenol, citing the company's role as a leading provider of high-performance interconnect, sensor, and antenna solutions.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Closing Price (Oct 7, 2026) | $87.55 |
| Market Capitalization | $215.89 billion |
| Year-to-Date Gain | 29.57% |
| 52-Week Range | $59.01 - $89.93 |
In the letter, SEM argued that Amphenol provides a superior blend of organic expansion, earnings strength, and sustained positioning in the growing datacenter and AI infrastructure sectors. The advisory noted that independent of the AI boom, Amphenol should continue to benefit from increasing connectivity and electronic content across diverse end markets, including aerospace, defense, industrial, and automotive applications.
Earnings estimates for Amphenol have risen materially, with expected growth of +60% in 2026 and +22% in 2027. SEM reported that its strategy advanced 4.2% after fees in Q3, compared to 2.3% for the S&P 500. Although the strategy lagged the S&P 500 over the four quarters ending June 30, 2026, the gap between portfolio earnings per share growth and returns is narrowing. Select Growth has risen 14.5% after fees since March.
Database records indicate that 112 hedge fund portfolios held Amphenol at the end of the second quarter, a figure unchanged from the previous quarter. The source noted that while Amphenol shows potential, certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk.