Cognex Corporation CGNX
- Market cap
- $9.8B
- P/E
- 55.9×
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Target Price Range
Analyst price targets
Free account| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.01 | 31.18 | 34.88 | 35.60 | 35.20 | 72.85 | 40.21 | 34.28 | 34.79 | 22.67 |
Analyst estimates 2026–2028 Powerpack |
Low Price
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| 32.98 | 72.99 | 70.00 | 57.31 | 83.10 | 101.82 | 80.30 | 59.51 | 53.13 | 49.76 |
High Price
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| 1,421 | 1,771 | 2,124 | 2,267 | 2,055 | 2,257 | 2,441 | 2,992 | 2,914 | 2,745 |
Employees
|
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| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Revenue/Emp
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| 530 | 766 | 806 | 726 | 811 | 1,037 | 1,006 | 838 | 915 | 994 |
Revenue
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| 75.25% | 75.55% | 74.45% | 73.85% | 74.55% | 73.26% | 71.75% | 71.79% | 68.43% | 66.92% |
Gross Margin
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| 162 | 266 | 235 | 163 | 187 | 319 | 251 | 135 | 131 | 183 |
EBT
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| 30.61% | 34.78% | 29.09% | 22.46% | 23.05% | 30.75% | 24.92% | 16.16% | 14.38% | 18.38% |
EBT Margin
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| 144 | 177 | 219 | 204 | 176 | 280 | 216 | 113 | 106 | 114 |
Net Income
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| 15 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 33 | 30 |
Depreciation
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| 3.10 | 4.42 | 4.68 | 4.24 | 4.67 | 5.88 | 5.80 | 4.86 | 5.33 | 5.92 |
Revenue/Sh
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| 0.88 | 1.02 | 1.27 | 1.19 | 1.02 | 1.59 | 1.24 | 0.66 | 0.62 | 0.68 |
Earnings/Sh
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| 1.07 | 1.29 | 1.30 | 1.48 | 1.40 | 1.78 | 1.40 | 0.66 | 0.87 | 1.46 |
Cash Flow/Sh
|
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| (0.08) | (0.17) | (0.22) | (0.13) | (0.08) | (0.09) | (0.11) | (0.13) | (0.09) | (0.01) |
Capex/Sh
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| 0.99 | 1.13 | 1.08 | 1.35 | 1.32 | 1.69 | 1.29 | 0.52 | 0.78 | 1.45 |
Free CF/Sh
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| 5.64 | 6.32 | 6.59 | 7.92 | 7.28 | 8.10 | 8.29 | 8.74 | 8.85 | 8.88 |
Book Value/Sh
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| 171 | 173 | 172 | 171 | 173 | 176 | 173 | 172 | 171 | 168 |
Shares
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| 35.95 | 60.18 | 30.45 | 47.49 | 79.23 | 48.91 | 38.34 | 61.12 | 57.84 | 52.14 |
PE Ratio
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| 10.20 | 13.88 | 8.26 | 13.22 | 17.18 | 13.23 | 8.26 | 8.30 | 6.72 | 6.08 |
PS Ratio
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| 5.61 | 9.71 | 5.87 | 7.08 | 11.04 | 9.60 | 5.78 | 4.62 | 4.05 | 4.05 |
PB Ratio
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| 9.40 | 13.36 | 7.60 | 12.65 | 16.72 | 12.92 | 7.86 | 7.90 | 6.45 | 5.74 |
EV/Sales
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| 31.36 | 55.28 | 34.84 | 41.53 | 62.01 | 46.50 | 37.09 | 83.37 | 47.76 | 24.50 |
EV/FCF
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| 182 | 224 | 223 | 253 | 242 | 314 | 243 | 113 | 149 | 246 |
Op' Cash Flow
|
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| (13) | (29) | (37) | (22) | (13) | (15) | (20) | (23) | (15) | (2) |
Capex
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| 169 | 196 | 186 | 232 | 229 | 299 | 224 | 90 | 134 | 243 |
FCF
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| 461 | 517 | 689 | 487 | 469 | 451 | 530 | 527 | 444 | 514 |
Working Cap'
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| — | — | — | 18 | 26 | 26 | 39 | — | — | — |
Total Debt
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| (421) | (405) | (536) | (412) | (372) | (324) | (400) | (332) | (246) | (337) |
Net Debt
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| 963 | 1,096 | 1,135 | 1,356 | 1,262 | 1,430 | 1,438 | 1,505 | 1,518 | 1,492 |
Sh' Equity
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| 14.92% | 15.19% | 17.01% | 12.84% | 9.56% | 14.71% | 10.88% | 5.70% | 5.29% | 5.71% |
ROA
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| 17.77% | 23.41% | 23.05% | 9.44% | 11.98% | 17.80% | 14.82% | 6.97% | 5.66% | 8.80% |
ROIC
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| 16.07% | 17.17% | 19.66% | 16.37% | 13.46% | 20.79% | 15.03% | 7.69% | 7.03% | 7.61% |
ROE
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Cognex Corporation peers in Scientific & Technical Instruments
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|---|---|---|---|
| TRMB Trimble Inc. | $13.5B | 0.0× | Compare |
| ESE ESCO Technologies Inc. | $7.0B | 22.1× | Compare |
| ST Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. | $6.0B | 69.2× | Compare |
| FTV Fortive Corporation | $16.7B | 32.6× | Compare |
| Company | Market cap | P/E | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKSI MKS Inc. | $17.7B | 39.9× | Compare |
| NOVT Novanta Inc. | $5.4B | 90.6× | Compare |
| VNT Vontier Corporation | $4.2B | 13.0× | Compare |
| ITRI Itron, Inc. | $4.0B | 14.8× | Compare |
Cognex Corporation (CGNX) key facts
- Cognex Corporation (CGNX) is a Scientific & Technical Instruments company in the Technology sector, listed on Nasdaq.
- Cognex Corporation’s revenue for fiscal 2025 (year ended December 2025) was $994.4 million, up 8.73% from fiscal 2024.
- Net income was $114.4 million, or $0.68 per share (basic), a net margin of 11.5%.
- As of September 25, 2026, CGNX traded at $58.66, a market capitalization of $9.8 billion.
- At that price the stock trades at 55.9× trailing-twelve-month earnings and 9.0× sales.
- Cognex Corporation pays an annual dividend of $0.28 per share, a yield of 0.82%, with a payout ratio of 27.8%.
- Return on equity was 7.61% and debt-to-equity 0.00.
Cognex Corporation (CGNX) Latest News
24 Sep
Cognex announced a roughly $500 million acquisition of 3D vision specialist RealSense and unveiled the In-Sight 1750 wafer-identification system for semiconductor customers. The deals come after a strong year for the company, with year-to-date and one-year gains, but recent momentum has cooled. Cognex could be undervalued, with a fair value around $80.42 and the current price near $58.19, though the stock trades at elevated multiples (P/E around 56x) versus peers. Risks include continued commoditization of machine-vision hardware in China and a slower shift to cloud AI software limiting recurring revenue. Growth is supported by diversification into logistics, packaging, and consumer electronics demand. Investors face a decision whether to embrace the reset now or wait for a cheaper entry later on. Strategic RealSense deal and In-Sight 1750 launch could meaningfully shift Cognex's growth trajectory and valuation.
Cognex shares have surged 57.6% in 2026, raising questions about valuation relative to earnings power. The company plans a $500 million RealSense acquisition funded from cash, which could shift the earnings path and cash generation as robotic-vision adoption accelerates profitability. The stock trades around 56x earnings—above the electronics sector average (~30x) but below the robotics/vision peer average (~83.6x). A fair-value model suggests the current price is higher than earnings potential would warrant, implying the market is paying a premium for the added capital and the expectation that RealSense will lift profits. Context is provided by comparisons to roughly 94 robotics and automation stocks and by community narratives on Simply Wall St about growth, margins, and upside scenarios. Acquisition funded from cash could materially alter earnings trajectory and valuation, potentially reshaping investor sentiment.
23 Sep
Cognex announced the In-Sight 1750 Series, a wafer ID and panel reader combining AI, advanced imaging and purpose-built illumination to read difficult wafer markings and substrates. It aims to reduce disruptions, improve traceability, and maintain throughput as semiconductor capacity expands for AI infrastructure. The system handles degraded marks, supports easy upgrades from the In-Sight 1740, and includes a new web-based setup and built-in read logging for quality control, designed to fit into existing lines with minimal disruption. Cognex positions it as a continuation of its wafer-ID leadership, enabling higher equipment utilization and more robust process control in challenging environments. Significant product launch with AI-enabled wafer ID capabilities could meaningfully boost Cognex's growth, margins, and competitive position in the expanding semiconductor market.
22 Sep
Cognex will pay $500 million in cash to acquire RealSense, expanding its machine-vision portfolio into 3D depth sensing, autonomous navigation and robotic perception. RealSense has shipped over 1 million units, ~160 employees, 70+ patents and ~20,000 active developers. Cognex sees the robotic-perception market growing from about $600 million today to $1.6 billion by 2030. RealSense is expected to generate $80–$90 million in revenue in 2026, with growth above 50%, and the deal is expected to close in Q4 2026 with no material impact on 2026 results. Cognex aims to preserve RealSense momentum, invest in its software platform, and pursue a measured integration while pursuing a full-stack visual-intelligence platform with depth sensing for real-time motion and collision avoidance. Expands Cognex into higher-growth 3D depth sensing and autonomous navigation with a scalable platform and meaningful long-term revenue potential.
Cognex will acquire RealSense for about $500 million in cash to enter the robotic perception market, adding a leading 3D depth-sensing platform to Cognex's offerings and expanding its served market toward industrial robotics, autonomous systems and Physical AI. RealSense, spun out from Intel in 2025, targets 3D perception for fixed-arm robots, autonomous mobile robots, quadrupeds and humanoids, with the robotic perception market valued at about $600 million today and projected to grow over 25% annually to roughly $1.6 billion by 2030. RealSense is expected to generate $80-90 million in 2026, more than 50% growth year over year. The deal, financed from Cognex's cash and investments, includes a three-year $56.5 million cash retention program for RealSense employees and roughly $50 million in RSUs, and RealSense will spin out its Facial Authentication line before closing. Closing is expected in Q4 2026. Expands Cognex into robotic perception, a $600 million market growing >25% annually, with 2026 RealSense revenue of $80-90 million and accretive growth potential.
21 Sep
Cognex reports AI-powered machine-vision growth across data centers, semiconductors, electronics, packaging and logistics. In-Sight 3900 and OneVision let customers train models in the cloud and run inspections on-device, boosting speed, security and predictable costs. The company cited more than 40% China growth year-to-date and rapid customer additions (9,000 in 2025; 4,500 in H1 2026), with packaging emerging as a significant diversification market. Its data-center applications include server-rack inspection (100–200 points) mounted on robotic arms. In semiconductors and electronics, demand is driven by capacity expansions and broad device adoption. Cognex expects adjusted EBITDA margins near 30% this year, but faces a 75-basis-point gross-margin headwind in Q3 from memory costs, while offsetting some price pressure through pricing. Management also plans opportunistic buybacks and potential acquisitions to sustain growth. AI-enabled vision tools and multi-market expansion, including China, support growth and margin upside, though memory-cost headwinds temper near-term gains.
3 Sep
Cognex reported Q2 earnings as part of specialized technology stocks review, detailing financial results and positioning within machine vision and automation markets. Q2 earnings release outlines financial performance and competitive stance but remains within standard quarterly updates.
18 Aug
Cognex Corporation shares surge 85% as AI adoption strengthens demand for its robotics vision and processing systems. AI-driven demand for robotics vision systems triggers major stock gains and accelerates long-term growth trajectory.
Cognex reported strong earnings and issued fresh guidance, prompting assessment of whether the stock offers value. Earnings results and guidance updates moderately shift near-term valuation and sentiment for Cognex.
Cognex achieves elevated growth through disciplined cost management and robust sales performance. Cost discipline and sales strength underpin Cognex growth outlook.
14 Aug
Cognex Corporation fielded analyst questions during its Q2 earnings call covering financial results, demand trends in machine vision, competitive pressures, margin outlook, and growth initiatives in key end markets. Q2 earnings call questions surface operational details and forward guidance that moderately shape near-term investor expectations without indicating transformative shifts.
12 Aug
Cognex Corporation (CGNX) released its Q2 2026 earnings call transcript covering quarterly financial results, operational updates, and forward-looking guidance. Quarterly earnings calls supply performance metrics and outlook that moderately sway investor views and near-term valuation.
10 Aug
Cognex posts record revenue and margin gains powered by AI growth in machine vision. Record revenue and AI-driven machine vision gains signal major positive shift in Cognex trajectory.
Cognex Corporation posted Q2 results showing AI-driven growth and product diversification shaping its outlook. AI initiatives and product diversification represent major strategic moves likely to alter Cognex trajectory and investor sentiment.
7 Aug
Cognex Corporation centered its Q2 earnings call on AI and data center growth as primary expansion drivers. Focus on AI and data centers signals major strategic emphasis likely to reshape growth trajectory.
Cognex posts record Q2 earnings beat, raises full-year guidance and hikes dividend, driving 7.6% stock gain. Record quarterly results with raised guidance and dividend increase indicate strong demand and improved financial outlook.
Cognex Corporation reports 80% profit jump and positions as diversified AI investment with potential entry point. Eighty percent profit growth plus AI positioning points to moderate influence on financial results and market view.
6 Aug
Cognex Corp posted record revenue and margin expansion in Q2 2026. Record revenue and margin gains signal major positive shifts in financial trajectory and investor outlook.
Cognex Q2 earnings beat estimates on margin gains despite revenue miss. Mixed Q2 results with earnings beat from margins and revenue miss point to moderate influence on near-term investor sentiment without altering long-term trajectory.
Cognex reports Q2 revenue of $239 million, net income $43 million, and EPS $0.25, with growth in logistics and electronics markets plus new 3D vision product launches. Quarterly results and product updates point to moderate effects on near-term financials and positioning without major trajectory changes.
Cognex Corporation reported Q2 2026 financial results and outlook during its earnings call. Quarterly earnings and guidance typically influence near-term stock movement and sentiment without transforming long-term strategy.
5 Aug
Cognex missed Q2 CY2026 revenue estimates. Revenue miss indicates weaker quarterly results likely to pressure near-term stock performance and sentiment.
Cognex Corporation reported second quarter 2026 financial results. Quarterly earnings release supplies updated revenue and profit data that can shift near-term valuation and sentiment.
29 Jul
Tesla positions robotics as the successor to Nvidia-led AI advances, signaling a potential industry transformation of historic scale. Tesla robotics expansion opens major new demand channels for machine vision systems in automated platforms.
21 Jul
Cognex Corporation reported strong Q1 earnings in specialized technology, earning top marks for performance and results. Positive Q1 earnings report may moderately support near-term investor sentiment and financial outlook for Cognex.
5 Jul
Cognex Corporation's machine vision focus positions it to benefit from AI-enabled factory automation trends. Cognex machine vision emphasis aligns with AI automation trends and may support competitive positioning.
2 Jul
Cognex Corporation AI stock tests entry levels while exhibiting strength as earnings accelerate. Accelerating earnings and demonstrated stock strength signal major positive shifts in Cognex financial trajectory and investor sentiment.
Cognex named IBD Stock of the Day as play on industrial automation trend. Stock-of-the-day recognition tied to industrial automation positions Cognex for moderate investor interest and sentiment shift.
1 Jul
Cognex Corporation is named among two top stocks for investors targeting the industrial automation trend. Positive analyst positioning for automation exposure can lift near-term investor interest and share performance.
25 Jun
Cognex Corp. leads robotics and automation sector via advanced machine vision technology, robust product portfolio, and strong market positioning that supports sustained revenue growth and investor appeal. Positive positioning around core automation strengths can moderately lift sentiment and near-term valuation without altering long-term fundamentals.