Topic: How To Invest

Q: I really enjoy your Inner Circle emails. I was hoping to get your opinion on Cognex Corp. Thanks!

Article Excerpt

A: Cognex Corp., $38.07, symbol CGNX on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 171.6 million; Market cap: $6.5 billion; www.cognex.com), makes vision systems, software, sensors and industrial barcode readers used in manufacturing automation. Cognex’s shares plunged over 21% on Thursday, August 1, 2024, when the company released its latest results (more on that below). Known as vision machine products, the company’s offerings aim to help companies improve product quality and lower manufacturing costs. Typical applications for machine vision include detecting defects, monitoring production lines, guiding assembly robots, and tracking, sorting and identifying parts. Boston-based Cognex serves customers worldwide from offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, and through a global network of distribution partners. The company sells to customers in nearly all industries in which discrete items, such as mobile phones, electric vehicle batteries and e-commerce packages, are manufactured on an assembly line or moved through a distribution centre. Cognex’s largest industries by revenue are the automotive, logistics and consumer electronics industries, which combined made up 65%…