TLDR
- Investment bank Morgan Stanley predicts Japanese smartphone component manufacturers will surpass consensus earnings estimates for Q3 fiscal year 2027, fueled by artificial intelligence device growth.
- TDK secured top-tier status with an overweight designation, supported by anticipated expansion in rechargeable battery units and hard disk drive components.
- Murata Manufacturing earned an overweight classification driven by increasing requirements for premium multilayer ceramic capacitor technology.
- Alps Alpine achieved overweight status as advanced camera actuator manufacturing accelerates during the April through June timeframe.
- Hirose Electric obtained an overweight designation based on projected growth in industrial equipment and AI server connectivity solutions.
Morgan Stanley has directed attention toward Japanese smartphone component manufacturers, projecting that multiple companies will exceed earnings expectations during the third quarter of fiscal 2027.
The financial institution assigned overweight designations to four industry participants — TDK (6762), Murata Manufacturing (6981), Alps Alpine (6770), and Hirose Electric (6806) — highlighting artificial intelligence computing hardware as the primary catalyst for enhanced market demand.
TDK emerged as the standout selection among the quartet.
What Makes TDK the Leading Choice
Morgan Stanley maintains an optimistic outlook on TDK’s financial performance, emphasizing particularly its rechargeable battery division and hard disk drive-associated products. Both segments are experiencing heightened importance as AI infrastructure and consumer electronics proliferate.
TDK’s battery technology powers an extensive array of devices, and with AI-capable products requiring greater energy consumption, the battery segment enjoys a structural advantage. The hard disk drive component benefits from expanding data center requirements, which have risen in tandem with artificial intelligence processing demands.
Shares concluded trading at ¥1,942 prior to the analyst report, representing an 8.22% daily increase.
Additional Elevated Ratings
Murata Manufacturing also received an overweight classification. Morgan Stanley identified rising requirements and enhanced capacity utilization for its multilayer ceramic capacitors — a sophisticated component present in nearly all smartphones and increasingly integrated into AI equipment.
Alps Alpine completes the imaging technology narrative within this group. Its advanced camera actuator systems are scheduled to commence production scaling during the April through June period, with results anticipated to materialize in financial reports.
Hirose Electric, recognized for connector solutions, earned recognition based on anticipated earnings expansion in both general industrial equipment and AI server connectivity products. The server connector narrative represents a consistent theme throughout the sector — artificial intelligence data center expansion continues driving increased demand for precision connection technology.
Morgan Stanley’s analysis indicates a comprehensive perspective that AI is transforming which components qualify as “premium value” — and Japanese manufacturers positioned within this segment possess additional growth potential.
Hirose Electric advanced 3.75% during the trading session. Murata climbed 12.73%, while Alps Alpine declined 1.74%.


