Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) Given New $67.00 Price Target at Needham & Company LLC

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) had its target price hoisted by Needham & Company LLC from $47.00 to $67.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on CGNX. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $50.00 price target on shares of Cognex in a research note on Friday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Cognex from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $42.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Barclays set a $54.00 price target on Cognex and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $35.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Cognex in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Cognex in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $47.07.

Cognex Stock Up 36.3%

Shares of Cognex stock opened at $58.67 on Thursday. Cognex has a 12 month low of $22.67 and a 12 month high of $59.88. The stock has a market cap of $9.83 billion, a PE ratio of 87.57 and a beta of 1.53. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.31.

Cognex Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 26th will be given a dividend of $0.085 per share. This represents a $0.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 26th. Cognex’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.13%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Cognex by 13.2% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 200,351 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $5,976,000 after purchasing an additional 23,326 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Cognex in the first quarter valued at about $291,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Cognex by 24.1% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 47,444 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,415,000 after buying an additional 9,223 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Cognex by 402.2% during the first 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 last quarter. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL increased its holdings in shares of Cognex by 58.8% during the second quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 33,641 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,067,000 after buying an additional 12,461 shares in the last quarter. 88.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting 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

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.