Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Cognex issued FY 2026 guidance above analyst expectations, forecasting EPS of $1.64–$1.68 versus the $1.48 consensus estimate. Revenue is projected at $1.1 billion–$1.2 billion, while Q3 2026 EPS guidance was set at $0.50–$0.54.
• The company’s latest quarterly results beat estimates, with EPS of $0.45 compared with the $0.42 consensus. Shares fell 1.1% to $70.71 during Wednesday trading.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with Cognex carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $72.31; however, insiders have sold roughly $15.0 million of stock over the past 90 days.

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX - Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.640-1.680 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.480. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.1 billion-$1.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.1 billion. Cognex also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 0.500-0.540 EPS.

Cognex Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of CGNX traded down $0.81 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $70.71. The stock had a trading volume of 2,867,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,209,756. The company has a market cap of $11.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 84.18 and a beta of 1.49. Cognex has a 52 week low of $34.60 and a 52 week high of $72.88. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $64.88 and a 200 day moving average of $56.69.

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.03. Cognex had a return on equity of 10.89% and a net margin of 13.62%.Cognex has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.640-1.680 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.540 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Cognex will post 1.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CGNX. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $75.00 price objective (up from $64.00) on shares of Cognex in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Cognex from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of Cognex from $67.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Cognex from $61.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of Cognex from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cognex presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $72.31.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Darren Marc Long sold 20,252 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.34, for a total value of $1,343,517.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 3,990 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $264,696.60. This trade represents a 83.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Laura Ann Macdonald sold 41,600 shares of Cognex stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.56, for a total transaction of $2,727,296.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 5,258 shares in the company, valued at $344,714.48. The trade was a 88.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 224,847 shares of company stock worth $14,975,098 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Cognex

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Cognex during the 4th quarter worth approximately $68,388,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Cognex by 18,810.9% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,794,649 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $56,657,000 after buying an additional 1,785,159 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Cognex by 31.0% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,314,896 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $191,231,000 after buying an additional 1,258,629 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Cognex by 10,861.7% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 782,776 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $35,460,000 after buying an additional 775,635 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Cognex by 55.4% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,441,646 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $65,307,000 after buying an additional 514,046 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.12% of the company's stock.

About Cognex

Cognex Corporation is a leading provider of machine vision systems, software, sensors and industrial barcode readers used to automate manufacturing, logistics and distribution processes. The company designs and develops vision-based products that help manufacturers and logistics operators inspect, identify and guide parts, assemblies and packaged goods in real time. Its solutions are applied in a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and general manufacturing.

The company's product portfolio includes stand-alone vision systems, vision sensors and deep learning-based software platforms that enable automated inspection, quality control and traceability.

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