Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) Releases Q2 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Cognex issued upbeat Q2 2026 guidance, forecasting EPS of $0.400–$0.440 (consensus $0.300) and revenue of $280–$300 million (consensus $269.3M).
• The stock jumped about 5.8% intraday to $62.26 on heavy volume, valuing the company at roughly $10.4 billion with a P/E around 93.
• In the most recent quarter Cognex beat estimates (EPS $0.34 vs. $0.25 and revenue $268.44M vs. $245.98M) and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.085 (annualized $0.34, ~0.5% yield).

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX - Get Free Report) issued an update on its second quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.400-0.440 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.300. The company issued revenue guidance of $280.0 million-$300.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $269.3 million.

Cognex Trading Up 5.8%

CGNX traded up $3.43 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $62.26. 6,791,253 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,122,356. The firm's fifty day moving average is $52.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.95. Cognex has a 1-year low of $27.82 and a 1-year high of $63.01. The company has a market cap of $10.40 billion, a PE ratio of 92.93 and a beta of 1.48.

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. Cognex had a return on equity of 9.02% and a net margin of 11.51%.The company had revenue of $268.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $245.98 million. Cognex has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.400-0.440 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Cognex will post 0.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Cognex Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th were issued a dividend of $0.085 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $0.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Cognex's dividend payout ratio is 50.75%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Cognex from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Cognex in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $55.00 price objective on Cognex in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $63.00 price target on shares of Cognex in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Cognex from $50.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $59.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Cognex news, Director Angelos Papadimitriou sold 4,150 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.58, for a total transaction of $230,657.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,222 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $901,618.76. This trade represents a 20.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Laura Ann Macdonald sold 14,881 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.16, for a total value of $850,597.96. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $126,437.92. The trade was a 87.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 196,083 shares of company stock valued at $11,419,321. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cognex

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Cognex by 402.2% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 919 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 736 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its position in shares of Cognex by 74.8% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 764 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Cognex in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Cognex in the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Cognex in the third quarter valued at $52,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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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