Cognex

CGNX · Nasdaq · Information Technology · Financials, fiscal 2016 to 2025

CGNX · Last close · October 26, 2026

$55.63

Cognex's revenue rose 8.7% to $994 million in fiscal 2025. Its operating margin was 16.4%, up from 12.6% a year earlier. Free cash flow was $237 million, up 76.6%. It paid out $206 million in dividends and buybacks, 87% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 1.9%.

COGNEX CORP Latest fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 10-K filed February 12, 2026 · 0000851205-26-000012 Updated October 16, 2026

Revenue

$994M

8.7%

Operating margin

16.4%

3.8 pts

Net income

$114M

7.8%

Free cash flow

$237M

76.6%

Return on capital

8.4%

0.8 pts

Market cap

$9.5B

Oct 26 close

P/E

53.5x

On $1.04 EPS, 4 qtrs

Operating margin is operating income as a share of revenue. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Return on capital is after-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash. Market cap is the last closing share price times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate. P/E is the last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters, or the latest fiscal year where the quarters aren't available; there is none when the company made a loss.

About these figures. Cognex has no borrowings (its balance sheets have no debt line), so debt is counted as zero.

Charts show fiscal years, from the 10-K filings.

Revenue and margins

Revenue

US$ billions, fiscal years

Margins

Percent of revenue

GrossOperatingNetFree cash flow

Net income and earnings per share

From fiscal 2016 to 2025, earnings per share fell 2.2% a year and net income 2.5% a year, while buybacks cut the share count by 3%.

Net income

US$ billions, fiscal years; loss years in red.

Diluted earnings per share

US$ per share, fiscal years, restated for any stock splits; loss years in red.

Returns on capital

Return on capital and on equity

Percent. Return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business (debt plus equity, minus cash); return on equity is net income over shareholders' equity. Both use the average of opening and closing balances.

Return on capitalReturn on equity

Cash flow

Free cash flow

US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure; negative years in red.

Payouts and share count

Dividends and buybacks

US$ billions, cash paid in each fiscal year

DividendsShare buybacks

Diluted share count

Weighted-average diluted shares, millions

Valuation

Two ways to value Cognex yourself, both starting from its filings: a discounted cash flow model and the price-to-earnings method.

Discounted cash flow (DCF)

A discounted cash flow (DCF) model values a business as the cash it may generate in future, discounted back to today. The starting figures come from Cognex's 10-K (or, for net cash and shares, its latest 10-Q) and the assumptions are yours: start from one of three example scenarios, then change any figure to see what it implies for a share, and how that compares with the last share price.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from Cognex's fiscal 2025 free cash flow of $237M, net cash of $337M at December 31, 2025 and 169 million diluted shares, from its filings. The scenarios are fitted to Cognex: the base scenario's growth in years 1 to 5 is its revenue growth over the last 3 years, -0.4% a year, kept between 0% and 20%; the cautious and optimistic ones are lower and higher, and growth in years 6 to 10 is halfway to the long-run rate. The base scenario's discount rate is 11%: 9% for a business of moderate risk (Electronic Equipment & Instruments), plus 1 point as a smaller company, worth $9.5B, plus 1 point for unsteady results (revenue fell in two of the last five years); the cautious and optimistic ones use a point more and a point less. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

From the filings

Starting free cash flow, US$ millions

Cash from operations minus capital spending in fiscal 2025.

Net cash, US$ millions

Cash and short-term investments minus debt and finance leases at December 31, 2025. Negative means net debt.

Diluted shares, millions

Weighted-average diluted shares in fiscal 2025.

Your assumptions

Start from

Fitted to Cognex's own revenue growth, as above. Cautious: growth of -2% then 0% a year, 2% after year 10, a 12% discount rate. Base: growth of 0% then 1% a year, 2.5% after year 10, a 11% discount rate. Optimistic: growth of 2% then 2.5% a year, 3% after year 10, a 10% discount rate.

Free cash flow growth, years 1 to 5 (% a year)

Free cash flow growth, years 6 to 10 (% a year)

Growth after year 10 (% a year)Long-run growth forever after year 10. Usually close to inflation, and always below the discount rate.

Discount rate (% a year)The yearly return an investor wants for the risk. A higher rate gives a lower value.

Value per share on these assumptions

—

Last close, October 26, 2026: $55.63
Value on these assumptions, against the last close: —

Cash flows in years 1 to 10, valued today: —
Everything after year 10, valued today: —
Plus net cash: —
Share of value from after year 10: —

Projected free cash flow

US$ billions. Each column is one year's projected free cash flow, split into what it is worth today and the part removed by discounting.

Value todayRemoved by discounting

How the value changes with two assumptions

Value per share in US$, with the growth rates above. The highlighted cell matches the current assumptions.

How the model works. Free cash flow grows at the first rate for five years and the second rate for five more, and each year is discounted at the discount rate. Everything after year 10 is valued as year-10 cash flow × (1 + growth after year 10) ÷ (discount rate − growth after year 10), discounted back ten years. Net cash is added and the total is divided by diluted shares. The result depends entirely on the assumptions. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation. The last close is the consolidated US closing price, from Databento.

Price-to-earnings (P/E) method

Another common way to value a company is to multiply its earnings per share by a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple: the number of years of today's earnings an investor pays for a share. A higher multiple usually means investors expect earnings to grow. Choose a multiple, for example from similar companies, to see the value it gives.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from Cognex's earnings per share of $1.04 (over the last four quarters). Each grows earnings for a year at the cash flow scenarios' rates and applies a multiple to next year's earnings: 33.3×, the middle of Cognex's own P/E today, its peers' median and its sector's median (the Information Technology median) for the base scenario, 20% less and more for the cautious and optimistic ones. The price is brought back a year at 12%, 11% and 10%. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

Earnings per share, US$

Diluted earnings per share over the four quarters to July 5, 2026, from the 10-Qs and 10-K.

P/E multiple

P/E today is the last close divided by the latest earnings per share, the four quarters' where available. Peers: Novanta, Crane NXT, Vontier, Diebold Nixdorf.

Earnings growth in the years ahead (% a year) Starts at Cognex's revenue growth over the last 3 years, -0.4% a year, kept between 0% and 20%, as the base scenario does.

Earnings per share in the years ahead, US$

Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5

Type your own estimate for any year; the years after it carry on at the growth rate.

Apply the multiple to earnings

A multiple on a future year's earnings gives the price then, brought back to today at the discount rate below.

Discount rate (% a year) The yearly return an investor wants for the risk, as in the cash flow model.

Value per share today at this multiple

—

Last close, October 26, 2026: $55.63
Value at this multiple, against the last close: —
Cognex's P/E at the last close: 53.5×

Company	Last close	Earnings per share	P/E today
NovantaNOVT	$144.02	$1.57	91.7×
CognexCGNX	$55.63	$1.04	53.5×
Crane NXTCXT	$56.94	$2.41	23.6×
Diebold NixdorfDBD	$68.82	$3.03	22.7×
VontierVNT	$34.60	$2.42	14.3×

How the P/E method works. Value per share is earnings per share times the multiple. On a future year's earnings, that gives the price in that year, which is brought back to today at the discount rate: price ÷ (1 + discount rate) for each year ahead. It is quick and easy to compare across companies, but it ignores debt and cash, and earnings can swing with one-off gains and charges, so a multiple says most about steady, profitable businesses. Like the cash flow model, the result depends entirely on the assumptions you choose. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation.

Balance sheet

Fiscal year end	FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Cash and short-term investments	324	400	332	246	337
Debt incl. finance leases	0	0	0	0	0
Net debt (negative means net cash)	−324	−400	−332	−246	−337
Net debt to EBITDA	−1.0x	−1.5x	−2.2x	−1.7x	−1.7x
Debt to equity	0.0x	0.0x	0.0x	0.0x	0.0x
Interest coverage	—	—	—	—	—
Current ratio	3.4x	3.8x	4.5x	3.6x	3.8x
Quick ratio	2.8x	3.2x	3.4x	2.7x	3.0x

US$ millions unless stated, at each fiscal year end. Net debt to EBITDA is debt minus cash, divided by operating income before depreciation and amortization: roughly how many years of those earnings the net debt equals. Debt to equity is debt as a multiple of shareholders' equity. Interest coverage is operating income divided by interest expense. The current ratio is current assets over current liabilities; the quick ratio leaves out inventory.

Insider trades

Over the 12 months between October 27, 2025 and October 26, 2026, no insider bought Cognex shares on the open market, and 9 insiders sold $34.8 million, $13.7 million of it under trading plans set up in advance.

Date	Insider	Trade	Shares	Price	Value	Filing
Aug 11, 2026	Matthew MoschnerCEO & President, Director	Sold plan	24,962	$64.01	$1.6 million	Form 4
May 27, 2026	Darren Marc LongVice President	Sold	20,252	$66.34	$1.3 million	Form 4
May 12, 2026	Laura Ann MacdonaldVP and PAO	Sold	41,600	$65.56	$2.7 million	Form 4
May 11, 2026	Laura Ann MacdonaldVP and PAO	Sold	98,122	$66.80	$6.6 million	Form 4
May 11, 2026	Mark FennellChief Legal Officer &Secretary	Sold	64,873	$67.05	$4.3 million	Form 4
Mar 2, 2026	Dianne M ParrotteDirector	Sold	44,000	$54.00	$2.4 million	Form 4
Feb 23, 2026	Carl GerstEVP, Global Sales and Products	Sold plan	10,532	$55.93	$589,055	Form 4
Feb 23, 2026	Angelos PapadimitriouDirector	Sold	4,150	$55.58	$230,657	Form 4
Feb 20, 2026	Joerg KuechenHead of Corporate M&A	Sold	61,900	$56.03	$3.5 million	Form 4
Feb 20, 2026	Carl GerstEVP, Global Sales and Products	Sold plan	3,804	$55.99	$212,986	Form 4
Feb 13, 2026	Robert WillettDirector	Sold plan	2,148	$59.50	$127,806	Form 4
Feb 12, 2026	Robert WillettDirector	Sold plan	177,052	$58.39	$10.3 million	Form 4

The latest 12 of 13 trades. Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from their Form 4 filings with the SEC: one row per person, day and filing, at the day's average price. Grants, option exercises and shares withheld for tax aren't counted. Insiders buy and sell for many reasons, such as taxes, spreading their savings or a plan set up months earlier, so a trade on its own says little about where a company is heading. For information only, not investment advice. Insider trades at all companies

Piotroski F-score

The F-score counts how many of nine simple tests of profitability, funding and efficiency a company passed in a year (Piotroski, 2000). The more tests passed, the stronger the year: 8 or 9 is strong, 0 to 2 weak. Companies that report no gross profit are scored on the other eight.

Test	FY23	FY24	FY25
Net income is positive	Pass	Pass	Pass
Cash from operations is positive	Pass	Pass	Pass
Return on assets rose	Fail	Fail	Pass
Cash from operations exceeds net income	Fail	Pass	Pass
Debt fell relative to assets	Fail	Fail	Fail
Current ratio rose	Pass	Fail	Pass
Share count didn't rise	Pass	Pass	Pass
Gross margin rose	Pass	Fail	Fail
Revenue rose relative to assets	Fail	Pass	Pass
F-score	5 of 9	5 of 9	7 of 9
Accruals ratio	0.0%	−2.1%	−6.5%

The accruals ratio is net income minus cash from operations, over average total assets.

Compare

Put Cognex side by side with any other company we cover: revenue, growth, margins, cash flow and returns, with ten years of charts.

Similar companies

Company	Year	Revenue growth	Operating margin	Free cash flow margin	Return on capital	Net debt to EBITDA	F-score	Compare
Cognex	FY25	8.7%	16.4%	23.8%	8.4%	−1.7x	7
Novanta	FY25	3.3%	9.6%	4.9%	6.5%	−0.8x	5	Compare
Crane NXT	FY25	11.4%	14.9%	12.0%	10.4%	2.6x	4	Compare
Vontier	FY25	3.2%	18.3%	14.3%	15.8%	2.6x	6	Compare
Diebold Nixdorf	FY25	1.5%	6.4%	7.2%	12.0%	1.5x	—	Compare

Each company's latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so the periods don't line up exactly. Free cash flow margin is free cash flow as a share of revenue. Net debt to EBITDA is explained under the balance sheet, and the F-score above.

10 years of figures

Fiscal year	FY16	FY17	FY18	FY19	FY20	FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Income statement
Revenue	530	766	806	726	811	1,037	1,006	838	914	994
Revenue growth	17.5%	44.7%	5.2%	−10.0%	11.8%	27.9%	−3.0%	−16.8%	9.2%	8.7%
Gross profit	398	579	600	536	605	760	722	601	626	665
Research and development	78	99	116	119	131	135	141	139	140	139
Operating income	154	259	221	143	170	315	246	131	115	163
Net income	144	177	219	204	176	280	216	113	106	114
Diluted EPS (US$)	0.83	0.98	1.24	1.16	1.00	1.56	1.23	0.65	0.62	0.68
Diluted shares (millions)	174	180	177	175	177	180	175	173	173	169
Cash flow
Cash from operations	182	224	224	253	242	314	243	113	149	246
Capital expenditure	13	29	37	22	13	16	20	23	15	9
Free cash flow	169	196	186	232	229	299	224	90	134	237
Dividends paid	25	29	32	35	390	43	46	49	52	55
Share buybacks	47	124	204	62	51	162	204	80	67	151
Acquisitions	14	24	4	167	1	0	5	257	1	0
Stock-based compensation	21	32	41	46	1	44	54	55	52	48
Balance sheet at fiscal year end
Cash and short-term investments	421	404	536	412	372	324	400	332	246	337
Debt incl. finance leases	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total assets	1,039	1,288	1,290	1,886	1,801	2,004	1,958	2,018	1,993	2,017
Total liabilities	76	192	154	530	538	574	520	513	475	525
Shareholders' equity	963	1,096	1,135	1,356	1,262	1,430	1,438	1,505	1,518	1,492
Margins and ratios
Gross margin	75.2%	75.5%	74.5%	73.8%	74.5%	73.3%	71.8%	71.8%	68.4%	66.9%
Operating margin	29.1%	33.8%	27.4%	19.6%	21.0%	30.4%	24.5%	15.6%	12.6%	16.4%
Net margin	27.1%	23.1%	27.2%	28.1%	21.7%	27.0%	21.4%	13.5%	11.6%	11.5%
Free cash flow margin	32.0%	25.5%	23.1%	31.9%	28.2%	28.8%	22.2%	10.7%	14.7%	23.8%
Return on capital	26.7%	27.8%	32.0%	18.5%	17.5%	27.7%	19.7%	9.9%	7.6%	8.4%
Return on equity	16.0%	17.2%	19.7%	16.4%	13.5%	20.8%	15.0%	7.7%	7.0%	7.6%
Return on assets	14.9%	15.2%	17.0%	12.8%	9.6%	14.7%	10.9%	5.7%	5.3%	5.7%
Net debt to EBITDA	−2.5x	−1.5x	−2.2x	−2.5x	−1.9x	−1.0x	−1.5x	−2.2x	−1.7x	−1.7x

US$ millions unless stated. Where a later 10-K restated a year, the latest filed figure is shown. Download all figures (CSV, US$ millions)

Source: Cognex's Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR. For information only, not investment advice. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with Cognex.