Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) Updates Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) updated its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.500-0.540 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.370. The company issued revenue guidance of $300.0 million-$320.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $279.2 million. Cognex also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.640-1.680 EPS.

Cognex Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CGNX traded down $0.81 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $70.71. 2,867,925 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,209,756. Cognex has a 12-month low of $34.60 and a 12-month high of $72.88. The firm has a market cap of $11.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 84.18 and a beta of 1.49. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $64.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.69.

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.45 EPS 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%. 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

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Truist Financial raised their target price on Cognex from $61.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Stephens upped their price target on Cognex from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson set a $62.00 price objective on Cognex and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Cognex in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, UBS Group set a $75.00 target price on shares of Cognex in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.31.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Darren Marc Long sold 20,252 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.34, for a total value of $1,343,517.68. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $264,696.60. The trade was a 83.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Laura Ann Macdonald sold 98,122 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.80, for a total value of $6,554,549.60. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 5,258 shares in the company, valued at $351,234.40. The trade was a 94.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 224,847 shares of company stock worth $14,975,098. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cognex

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its position in shares of Cognex by 74.8% in 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. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Cognex by 402.2% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 919 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Cognex during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in Cognex during the 3rd quarter valued at about $52,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Cognex during the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. 88.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.