Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.640-1.680 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS 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%

Cognex stock traded down $0.81 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $70.71. 2,894,613 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,832,561. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $64.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $56.90. Cognex has a 52 week low of $34.60 and a 52 week high of $72.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.77 billion, a PE ratio of 74.50 and a beta of 1.49.

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) 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 net margin of 13.62% and a return on equity of 10.89%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.25 EPS. 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 research analysts anticipate that Cognex will post 1.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on CGNX shares. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Cognex from $61.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. DA Davidson set a $62.00 target price on shares of Cognex and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $72.00 price target on Cognex in a report on Friday, May 8th. UBS Group set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Cognex in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price (up from $70.00) on shares of Cognex in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.31.

Insider Activity at Cognex

In other Cognex news, insider Mark Fennell sold 64,873 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.05, for a total transaction of $4,349,734.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 11,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $755,184.15. The trade was a 85.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Laura Ann Macdonald sold 41,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.56, for a total transaction of $2,727,296.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 5,258 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $344,714.48. This represents a 88.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 224,847 shares of company stock valued at $14,975,098 over the last ninety days. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Cognex by 402.2% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 919 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 736 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its position in Cognex by 74.8% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 764 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Cognex during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Cognex in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Cognex in the third quarter valued at about $52,000. 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.