Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) Price Target Raised to $78.00 at Truist Financial

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNXFree Report) had its price objective hoisted by Truist Financial from $71.00 to $78.00 in a report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a hold rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Cognex in a report on Friday, May 15th. Robert W. Baird set a $72.00 price objective on Cognex in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Cognex in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Cognex from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $65.00 to $75.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $74.00 price target (up from $72.00) on shares of Cognex in a research report on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $75.85.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on CGNX

Cognex Stock Performance

NASDAQ CGNX opened at $66.89 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a PE ratio of 64.94 and a beta of 1.49. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $65.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $57.16. Cognex has a 52-week low of $34.60 and a 52-week high of $72.88.

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNXGet Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $291.26 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $292.10 million. Cognex had a net margin of 16.05% and a return on equity of 13.50%. Cognex’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.25 earnings per share. Cognex has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.640-1.680 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.540 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Cognex will post 1.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cognex Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.085 per share. This represents a $0.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Cognex’s payout ratio is currently 33.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cognex

In other news, VP Laura Ann Macdonald sold 98,122 shares of Cognex stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.80, for a total transaction of $6,554,549.60. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 5,258 shares in the company, valued at approximately $351,234.40. The trade was a 94.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Mark Fennell sold 64,873 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.05, for a total transaction of $4,349,734.65. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 11,263 shares in the company, valued at $755,184.15. This trade represents a 85.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 224,847 shares of company stock worth $14,975,098. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Cognex

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Michigan Retirement System increased its position in shares of Cognex by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 39,853 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,952,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Cognex by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 6,793 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $333,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors lifted its position in shares of Cognex by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 6,073 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Cognex by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 22,907 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $824,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Essential Partners LLC increased its holdings in Cognex by 12.5% in the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 2,153 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.12% of the company’s stock.

More Cognex News

Here are the key news stories impacting Cognex this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings and raised guidance: Cognex reported adjusted EPS of $0.45, exceeding the $0.42 consensus and rising from $0.25 a year ago. Revenue reached a record $291 million, up 16.9% year over year, while margin improvement, favorable product mix and cost controls boosted profitability. The company raised full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $1.64–$1.68, versus the $1.48 consensus, and projected third-quarter EPS of $0.50–$0.54. Cognex Q2 Earnings Beat on Margin Gains Despite Revenue Miss
  • Positive Sentiment: Growth opportunities are broadening: Management highlighted AI-enabled machine vision, data-center expansion and increasing business with existing customers as growth drivers. Investors are also encouraged by strength across most major end markets and improving margins. Cognex Q2 Earnings Call Centers on AI and Data Center Growth
  • Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets moved higher: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its target to $84 and assigned an overweight rating, Needham lifted its target to $80 with a buy rating, and Truist increased its target to $78 while maintaining a hold rating. The revisions signal greater confidence in Cognex’s earnings trajectory. Analyst price-target updates
  • Neutral Sentiment: Revenue modestly missed estimates: Quarterly revenue of approximately $291 million was slightly below the $292.1 million consensus, but the shortfall was offset by stronger margins and earnings. Cognex misses Q2 revenue estimates
  • Negative Sentiment: Insider selling may temper enthusiasm: Recent disclosures indicate company insiders made 16 sales and no purchases over the past six months. This does not necessarily indicate deteriorating fundamentals, but it can add a valuation-related overhang.

Cognex Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

Analyst Recommendations for Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX)

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