Cognex Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results

PR Newswire

NATICK, Mass., Aug. 5, 2026

NATICK, Mass., Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX), the global technology leader in industrial machine vision, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended July 5, 2026.

Cognex

Second-Quarter Financial and Operating Highlights

"Q2 was another strong quarter for Cognex and further evidence that our strategy is driving results," said Matt Moschner, President and CEO. "We delivered exceptional performance, highlighted by record revenue, strong margin expansion, and significant earnings growth, which we believe reflects both a more favorable demand environment and focused execution across the business. We continue to make meaningful progress against our strategic objectives to extend our leadership in AI-enabled machine vision, deliver the leading customer experience in the industry, and double our customer base."

Mr. Moschner continued, "We believe that diversification is central to the next chapter of Cognex's growth. We are focused on broadening our reach across customers, channels, adjacencies and end markets, while prioritizing the automation challenges where we expect our technology can create the most value. We believe this strategy will position Cognex to shape the future of AI-enabled machine vision and deliver more sustainable and profitable growth over time."

Dennis Fehr, CFO, added, "We believe that our Q2 performance underscores the strength of our profitable growth strategy and the strong leverage in our financial model. We are continuing to transform our operating model to drive higher productivity, support sustainable margin expansion, and strengthen our ability to scale efficiently over time. We believe that this disciplined approach will enable us to support Cognex's long-term growth objectives while reinforcing our commitment to creating shareholder value."

Financial Performance Highlights for the Second Quarter
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)


Three-months ended




July 05, 2026


June 29, 2025


Y/Y Change

Revenue

$291


$249


+17 %







Operating Income

$86


$43


+100 %

% of Revenue

29.4 %


17.4 %


+1,200 bps

Adjusted EBITDA1

$94


$52


81 %

% of Revenue

32.2 %


20.7 %


+1,150 bps

Net Income per Diluted Share

$0.43


$0.24


+79 %







Adjusted EPS (Diluted)1

$0.45


$0.25


+80 %


1Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS (Diluted) include non-GAAP adjustments. A reconciliation from GAAP to non-GAAP metrics is provided in this news release.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Highlights

Dividend

On August 5, 2026, Cognex's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.085 per share. The dividend is payable on September 3, 2026, to all shareholders of record at the close of business on August 20, 2026.

Guidance

Cognex issued third-quarter and full-year 2026 guidance; details are summarized in the tables below.

Table 1: Third-Quarter 2026 Guidance

(Dollars in millions, except per
share amounts)

Q3 2026
Guidance


Q3 2025
Results


Q3 2025
Results
ex CP*

Y/Y 
Change**

Y/Y Change**
ex CP*

Revenue

$300 - $320


$277


$264

+12 %

+17 %









Adj. EBITDA Margin1

32% - 35%


24.9 %


22.1 %

+860 bps

+1,140 bps









Adj. EPS (diluted)1

$0.50 - $0.54


$0.33


$0.28

+58 %

+86 %

Table 2: Full-Year 2026 Guidance

(Dollars in millions, except per
share amounts)

 2026 
Guidance


 2025
Results


2025 Results
ex CP*

Y/Y 
Change**

Y/Y Change**
ex CP*

Revenue

$1,130 - $1,150


$994


$982

+15 %

+16 %









Adj. EBITDA Margin1

29% - 31%


21.5 %


20.7 %

+850 bps

+930 bps









Adj. EPS (diluted)1

$1.64 - $1.68


$1.02


$0.97

+63 %

+71 %


* Excluding the one-time benefit from the commercial partnership with a medical lab automation channel partner (the "CP").

** At the midpoint of guidance.


1Cognex has provided the forward-looking non-GAAP measures of adjusted EBITDA margin, and adjusted earnings per share (diluted), but cannot, without unreasonable effort, forecast such items to present or provide a reconciliation to corresponding forecasted GAAP measures. These include special items such as reorganization charges, acquisition and integration charges, and amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, all of which are subject to limitations in predictability of timing, ultimate outcome and numerous conditions outside of Cognex's control. Additionally, these items are outside of Cognex's normal business operations and not used by management to assess Cognex's operating results. Cognex believes these limitations would result in a range of projected values so broad as to not be meaningful to investors. For these reasons, Cognex believes that the probable significance of such information is low. Information with respect to special items for certain historical periods is included in the section entitled "Reconciliation of Selected Items From GAAP to Non-GAAP". In Q3 2025 the GAAP operating margin was 20.9% and GAAP earnings per share (diluted) were $0.10, and in full-year 2025, the GAAP operating margin was 16.3% and GAAP earnings per share (diluted) were $0.68.

Analyst Conference Call and Simultaneous Webcast

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this report, as well as oral statements made by Cognex Corporation ("Cognex", "we", "us", "our", or the "Company") from time to time, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Readers can identify these forward-looking statements by our use of the words "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "potential," "believes," "projects," "intends," "plans," "aims," "will," "may," "shall," "could," "should," "opportunity," "goal," "objective," "target," "milestone" and similar words and other statements of a similar sense. These statements are based on our current estimates and expectations as to prospective events and circumstances, which may or may not be in our control and as to which there can be no firm assurances given. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding business and market trends, future financial performance, financial targets, milestones and related timing expectations, the impacts of our strategic portfolio review, the impact of tariffs, customer demand and order rates and timing of related revenue, future product or revenue mix, research and development activities, sales and marketing activities including our salesforce transformation, new product offerings, innovation and product development activities, customer acceptance of our products, commercial partnerships, capital expenditures, cost management activities including expected annualized operating expense reductions, investments, liquidity, dividends and stock repurchases, strategic and growth plans and opportunities, financial and operating models, acquisitions, and estimated tax benefits and expenses, changes in tax legislation, and other tax matters, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks and uncertainties include: (1) the technological obsolescence of current products, the inability to develop new products, and the inability to achieve growth through expanding and adjacent markets; (2) the impact of competitive pressures; (3) the inability to attract and retain skilled employees and effectively plan for succession, while maintaining our unique corporate culture; (4) the failure to properly manage the distribution of products and services; (5) economic, political, and other risks associated with international sales and operations, including the impact of trade disputes, the imposition of tariffs, the economic climate in China, and the wars and conflicts involving Iran, Ukraine, and Israel and those that may arise in the future in the geographies where we conduct business; (6) the challenges in integrating and achieving expected results from acquired businesses; (7) uncertainty surrounding our future capital needs; (8) the inability to effectively scale our operations and salesforce to support a significantly expanded customer base in an increasing number of geographies; (9) information security breaches and other cybersecurity threats; (10) the failure to comply with laws or regulations relating to data privacy, data protection, artificial intelligence, or other automated technologies; (11) the inability to protect our proprietary technology and intellectual property; (12) the inability to manage direct and indirect disruptions to our supply chain, which could cause delays in obtaining components for our products at reasonable prices; (13) the failure to manufacture and deliver products in a timely manner; (14) the inability to obtain, or the delay in obtaining, components for our products at reasonable prices, including memory chips; (15) the inability to design and manufacture high-quality products; (16) the loss of, or curtailment of purchases by, large customers in the logistics, consumer electronics, or automotive end markets; (17) challenges in accurately forecasting our financial results due to seasonal and cyclical variations in customer purchasing patterns and economic and market volatility; (18) potential impairment charges with respect to our investments or acquired intangible assets; (19) exposure to additional tax liabilities, increases and fluctuations in our effective tax rate, and other tax matters; (20) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and the use of derivative instruments; (21) unfavorable global economic conditions, including, without limitation, increases in interest rates, elevated inflation rates, and recession risks; (22) business disruptions from natural or man-made disasters, public health crises, or other events outside our control; (23) stock price volatility; (24) our involvement in time-consuming and costly litigation or activist shareholder activities; and (25) the failure to effectively transform our operating model, manage our expenses, and achieve expected cost reductions.  The foregoing list should not be construed as exhaustive and we encourage readers to refer to the detailed discussion of risk factors included in Part I - Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (the "Annual Report"), as updated by Part II - Item 1A of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as filed with the SEC. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company disclaims any obligation to subsequently revise forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date such statements are made.

COGNEX CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)


July 5, 2026


December 31, 2025


(unaudited)



ASSETS




Current assets:




Cash and cash equivalents

$       302,521


$            262,925

Current investments

101,849


74,037

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $726 and $728 in 2026 and
2025, respectively

216,232


146,713

Unbilled revenue

12,684


16,980

Inventories

142,839


137,889

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

73,755


58,702

Total current assets

849,880


697,246

Non-current investments

350,643


305,339

Property, plant, and equipment, net

81,452


86,015

Operating lease assets

68,543


72,310

Goodwill

381,385


386,279

Intangible assets, net

64,464


81,100

Deferred income taxes

377,830


383,272

Other assets

4,453


4,994

Total assets

$    2,178,650


$          2,016,555





LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY




Current liabilities:




Accounts payable

$        65,060


$              50,203

Accrued expenses

80,586


91,397

Accrued income taxes

9,126


9,141

Deferred revenue and customer deposits

48,978


21,094

Operating lease liabilities

12,281


11,716

Total current liabilities

216,031


183,551

Non-current operating lease liabilities

60,196


64,870

Deferred income taxes

248,888


250,512

Reserve for income taxes

21,963


24,269

Other liabilities

2,017


1,452

Total liabilities

549,095


524,654









Shareholders' equity:




Preferred stock, $.01 par value – Authorized: 400 shares in 2026 and 2025,
respectively; no shares issued and outstanding


Common stock, $.002 par value – Authorized: 300,000 shares in 2026 and 2025,
respectively; issued and outstanding: 168,217 and 166,997 shares in 2026 and 2025,
respectively

336


334

Additional paid-in capital

1,294,544


1,138,708

Retained earnings

397,135


406,355

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax

(62,460)


(53,496)

Total shareholders' equity

1,629,555


1,491,901

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$    2,178,650


$          2,016,555

 

COGNEX CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
 (In thousands, except per share amounts)


Three-months Ended


Six-months Ended


July 5, 2026


June 29, 2025


July 5, 2026


June 29, 2025









Revenue

$       291,263


$       249,093


$   559,700


$   465,129

Cost of revenue (1)

85,490


81,217


162,988


152,930

Gross profit

205,773


167,876


396,712


312,199

Percentage of revenue

70.6 %


67.4 %


70.9 %


67.1 %

Research, development, and engineering expenses (1)

32,391


33,102


69,416


67,829

Percentage of revenue

11.1 %


13.3 %


12.4 %


14.6 %

Selling, general, and administrative expenses (1)

87,865


91,341


181,906


174,845

Percentage of revenue

30.2 %


36.7 %


32.5 %


37.6 %

Operating income

85,517


43,433


145,390


69,525

Percentage of revenue

29.4 %


17.4 %


26.0 %


14.9 %

Foreign currency gain (loss)

(862)


(1,503)


(2,207)


(3,956)

Investment income

5,091


4,040


9,927


8,030

Other income (expense)

(446)


2,092


(2,053)


2,261

Income before income tax expense

89,300


48,062


151,057


75,860

Income tax expense

16,544


7,551


26,597


11,746

Net income

$         72,756


$         40,511


$   124,460


$     64,114

Percentage of revenue

25.0 %


16.3 %


22.2 %


13.8 %









Net income per weighted-average common and common-
equivalent share:








Basic

$            0.43


$            0.24


$       0.75


$       0.38

Diluted

$            0.43


$            0.24


$       0.74


$       0.38









Weighted-average common and common-equivalent
shares outstanding:








Basic

167,346


167,886


166,921


168,568

Diluted

169,989


168,563


169,166


169,553









Cash dividends per common share

$          0.085


$          0.080


$      0.170


$      0.160

























(1) Amounts include stock-based compensation expense, as follows:

Cost of revenue

$            592


$            537


$      1,517


$      1,205

Research, development, and engineering

3,388


3,443


8,482


8,139

Selling, general, and administrative

7,232


8,314


13,146


12,889

Total stock-based compensation expense

$         11,212


$         12,294


$    23,145


$     22,233

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted gross profit and margin, adjusted operating expense, adjusted operating income and margin, adjusted EBITDA and margin, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share of common stock, diluted, adjusted effective tax rate, and free cash flow and free cash flow conversion rate. Cognex defines its non-GAAP metrics as follows:

Cognex may disclose results on a constant-currency basis as one measure to evaluate its performance and compare results between periods as if the exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period.

Cognex believes these non-GAAP financial measures are helpful because they allow investors to more accurately compare results over multiple periods using the same methodology that management employs in its budgeting process, in its review of operating results, and for forecasting and planning for future periods. Cognex's definitions may differ from the definitions used by other companies and therefore comparability may be limited. In addition, other companies may not publish these or similar metrics. Furthermore, these measures have certain limitations in that they do not include the impact of certain non-recurring expenses that are reflected in our consolidated statement of operations that are necessary to run our business. Thus, our non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as substitutes for, or in isolation from, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Please see the section "Reconciliation of Selected Items from GAAP to Non-GAAP" below for more detailed information regarding non-GAAP financial measures herein, including the items reflected in our adjusted financial metrics and a description of these adjustments.

COGNEX CORPORATION
RECONCILIATION OF SELECTED ITEMS FROM GAAP TO NON-GAAP
Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts 
(Unaudited)



Three-months Ended


Six-months Ended



July 5, 2026


June 29, 2025


July 5, 2026


June 29, 2025










Gross profit (GAAP)


$    205,773


$    167,876


$    396,712


$    312,199

Acquisition and integration costs


218


211


434


453

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


1,323


1,382


2,660


2,720

Reorganization charges


921



1,295


86

Adjusted gross profit


$    208,235


$    169,469


$    401,101


$    315,458

GAAP gross margin


70.6 %


67.4 %


70.9 %


67.1 %

Adjusted gross margin


71.5 %


68.0 %


71.7 %


67.8 %










Operating expense (GAAP)


$    120,256


$    124,443


$    251,322


$    242,674

Acquisition and integration costs


(15)


(259)


(30)


(797)

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


(972)


(1,296)


(2,167)


(2,586)

Reorganization charges


(335)



(5,090)


(1,622)

Adjusted operating expense


$    118,934


$    122,888


$    244,035


$    237,669










Operating income (GAAP)


$     85,517


$     43,433


$    145,390


$      69,525

Acquisition and integration costs


233


470


464


1,250

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


2,295


2,678


4,827


5,306

Reorganization charges


1,256



6,385


1,708

Adjusted operating income


$      89,301


$     46,581


$    157,066


$      77,789

GAAP operating margin


29.4 %


17.4 %


26.0 %


14.9 %

Adjusted operating margin


30.7 %


18.7 %


28.1 %


16.7 %

Depreciation (adjusted for amounts included in Acquisition and
integration costs)


4,358


5,095


8,830


10,178

Adjusted EBITDA


$     93,659


$     51,676


$    165,896


$      87,967

Adjusted EBITDA margin


32.2 %


20.7 %


29.6 %


18.9 %










Net income (GAAP)


$     72,756


$     40,511


$    124,460


$      64,114

Acquisition and integration costs


233


470


464


1,250

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


2,295


2,678


4,827


5,306

Reorganization charges


1,256



6,385


1,708

Loss on sale of business




1,539


Discrete tax (benefit) expense


450


(211)


(729)


(518)

Tax impact of reconciling items


(1,102)


(891)


(3,740)


(2,256)

Adjusted net income


$      75,888


$     42,557


$    133,206


$      69,604










Earnings per share of common stock, diluted (GAAP)


$        0.43


$        0.24


$        0.74


$        0.38

Acquisition and integration costs


0.00


0.00


0.00


0.01

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets


0.01


0.02


0.03


0.03

Reorganization charges


0.01



0.04


0.01

Loss on sale of business




0.01


Discrete tax (benefit) expense


0.00


0.00


0.00


0.00

Tax impact of reconciling items


(0.01)


(0.01)


(0.02)


(0.01)

Adjusted earnings per share of common stock, diluted


$        0.45


$        0.25


$        0.80


$        0.41










Effective tax rate (GAAP)


18.5 %


15.7 %


17.6 %


15.5 %

Discrete tax benefit (expense)


(0.5) %


0.4 %


0.5 %


0.7 %

Net impact of other reconciling items


0.4 %


0.7 %


0.8 %


1.1 %

Adjusted effective tax rate


18.5 %


16.9 %


18.9 %


17.3 %










Cash provided by operating activities (GAAP)


$     69,153


$     42,625


$    114,246


$      83,127

Capital expenditures


(1,532)


(2,194)


(4,289)


(4,695)

Free cash flow


$      67,621


$     40,431


$    109,957


$      78,432

Description of adjustments:

In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company also provides various non-GAAP measures that incorporate adjustments for the impacts of special items. Adjustments incorporated in the preparation of these non-GAAP measures for the periods presented include the items described below:

Depreciation:

Acquisition and integration costs:

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets:

Reorganization charges:

Loss on sale of business:

Discrete tax (benefit) expense and tax impact of reconciling items:

About Cognex Corporation

For over 40 years, Cognex has been making advanced machine vision easy, paving the way for manufacturing and distribution companies to become faster, smarter, and more efficient through automation. Innovative technology in our vision sensors and systems solves critical manufacturing and distribution challenges, providing unparalleled performance for industries from automotive to consumer electronics to packaged goods.

Cognex makes these tools more capable and easier to deploy thanks to a longstanding focus on AI, helping factories and warehouses improve quality and maximize efficiency without needing highly technical expertise. We are headquartered near Boston, USA, with locations in over 30 countries and more than 30,000 customers worldwide. Learn more at cognex.com.

Investor Relations Contact:
Greer Aviv – Head of Investor Relations
Cognex Corporation
Greer.Aviv@cognex.com

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SOURCE Cognex Corporation