Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation, eight have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $47.0714.

CGNX has been the topic of several recent research reports. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $50.00 price objective on shares of Cognex in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of Cognex from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $35.00 price target (down from $45.00) on shares of Cognex in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Cognex from $47.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Cognex in a research report on Thursday.

Trending Headlines about Cognex

Here are the key news stories impacting Cognex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus: revenue rose ~10% y/y to ~$252M and the company reported adjusted EPS above several estimates, driving the initial rally. Cognex Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management issued constructive Q1 guidance (EPS range above consensus and revenue guidance roughly in line-to-better), signaling continued recovery in demand and margin leverage. Q4 Results / Guidance (Press Release)
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings call tone and commentary emphasized a turnaround in margin expansion and improving end-market activity, supporting investor confidence in sustainable profitability gains. Earnings Call Signals Turnaround Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Needham raised its price target to $67 and reiterated a Buy, adding sell‑side momentum to the rally. Needham Price Target Raise (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend declared (quarterly payout announced; ex‑dividend date Feb 26) — modest support for income investors but small yield (~0.8%). Dividend Announcement / MarketBeat
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports show a spike in trading and short‑interest data anomalies (reported as zero), suggesting data/reporting quirks rather than a clear short‑squeeze signal. QuiverQuant Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Some reporters note mixed metrics in third‑party feeds (conflicting EPS figures) and continued insider selling in recent months — items investors may watch for confirmation of the turnaround. Mixed Metrics & Insider Activity

Institutional Trading of Cognex

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Cognex by 173,138.2% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 10,477,448 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $376,979,000 after buying an additional 10,471,400 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in Cognex by 148.5% in the 2nd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 7,075,772 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $223,594,000 after purchasing an additional 4,228,729 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Cognex during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $73,103,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Cognex by 18,810.9% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its position in shares of Cognex by 27.9% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 7,013,184 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $252,360,000 after buying an additional 1,529,010 shares during the last quarter. 88.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cognex Trading Up 36.3%

Shares of CGNX stock opened at $58.67 on Friday. Cognex has a 12-month low of $22.67 and a 12-month high of $59.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 87.57 and a beta of 1.53. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $39.03 and its 200 day moving average is $41.31.

Cognex Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th will be given a $0.085 dividend. This represents a $0.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 26th. Cognex’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.13%.

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.