Cognex Corporation (CGNX) Key Metrics
CGNX valuation today
Trailing 12 months · as of October 18, 2026- Market cap
- $9.08B
- Enterprise value
- $9.46B
- P/E (TTM)
- 51.9 10-yr median 51.6
- Forward P/E
- 29.5
- PEG ratio
- 2.71
- Price / sales
- 8.3 10-yr median 9.6
- Price / book
- 6.1 10-yr median 5.9
- EV / EBITDA
- 35.4 10-yr median 37.5
- Dividend yield
- 0.63% $0.34 a year
- Beta
- 1.48
CGNX key metrics, 2016–2025
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 · U.S. dollarsCGNX valuation Price multiples at each fiscal year-end price.
CGNX returns How much profit the business earns on the capital it uses.
CGNX per-share figures Results divided by the shares outstanding at year-end.
CGNX financial health Debt, liquidity and how easily interest is covered.
CGNX efficiency & capital use Working capital cycle and where the cash goes.
CGNX valuation history
CGNX returns on capital
Net income (ROE, ROA) or after-tax operating income (ROIC) divided by the average of the opening and closing balance.
CGNX debt vs cash
Debt includes short- and long-term borrowings and, where reported, lease liabilities.
CGNX cash returned to shareholders
CGNX price vs earnings per share
CGNX key metrics
2016–2025| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | ||||||||||
| Market capitalization | $6.09B | $6.19B | $7.24B | $8.24B | $13.99B | $14.18B | $9.82B | $6.86B | $10.98B | $5.54B |
| Enterprise value | $5.83B | $6.01B | $6.98B | $7.88B | $13.69B | $13.83B | $9.43B | $6.33B | $10.59B | $4.83B |
| P/E ratio | 53.2 | 58.3 | 63.9 | 38.2 | 50.0 | 80.5 | 48.2 | 31.3 | 62.1 | 38.6 |
| Price / sales | 6.1 | 6.8 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 13.5 | 17.5 | 13.5 | 8.5 | 14.3 | 10.5 |
| Price / book | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 9.8 | 11.2 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 5.8 |
| Price / free cash flow | 25.7 | 46.2 | 80.6 | 36.8 | 46.9 | 61.9 | 42.4 | 36.8 | 56.2 | 32.7 |
| Price / operating cash flow | 24.8 | 41.5 | 64.1 | 33.8 | 44.5 | 58.5 | 38.8 | 30.7 | 49.0 | 30.4 |
| EV / sales | 5.9 | 6.6 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 13.2 | 17.1 | 13.0 | 7.9 | 13.8 | 9.1 |
| EV / EBITDA | 27.3 | 36.6 | 48.3 | 27.3 | 40.4 | 59.5 | 56.3 | 26.1 | 38.4 | 28.5 |
| EV / free cash flow | 24.6 | 44.9 | 77.7 | 35.2 | 45.9 | 60.4 | 40.7 | 34.0 | 54.2 | 28.5 |
| Earnings yield | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.6% | 2.0% | 1.2% | 2.1% | 3.2% | 1.6% | 2.6% |
| Free cash flow yield | 3.9% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 2.8% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Shareholder yield (dividends + buybacks) | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 3.0% | 1.5% | 3.1% | 1.0% | 3.4% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Share price at fiscal year-end | $35.98 | $35.86 | $41.74 | $47.11 | $77.76 | $80.29 | $56.04 | $38.67 | $61.16 | $31.81 |
| Per share | ||||||||||
| Revenue per share | $5.87 | $5.30 | $4.83 | $5.75 | $5.76 | $4.59 | $4.14 | $4.55 | $4.27 | $3.04 |
| Earnings per share | $0.68 | $0.62 | $0.65 | $1.23 | $1.56 | $1.00 | $1.16 | $1.24 | $0.98 | $0.83 |
| Operating cash flow per share | $1.45 | $0.86 | $0.65 | $1.39 | $1.75 | $1.37 | $1.44 | $1.26 | $1.25 | $1.05 |
| Free cash flow per share | $1.40 | $0.78 | $0.52 | $1.28 | $1.66 | $1.30 | $1.32 | $1.05 | $1.09 | $0.97 |
| Cash per share | $1.99 | $1.43 | $1.91 | $2.29 | $1.80 | $2.11 | $2.35 | $3.02 | $2.25 | $4.28 |
| Book value per share | $8.81 | $8.79 | $8.68 | $8.23 | $7.95 | $7.15 | $7.74 | $6.40 | $6.10 | $5.53 |
| Tangible book value per share | $6.05 | $6.04 | $5.76 | $6.77 | $6.54 | $5.68 | $6.12 | $5.70 | $5.40 | $4.93 |
| Dividends per share | $0.32 | $0.30 | $0.28 | $0.26 | $0.24 | $2.21 | $0.20 | $0.18 | $0.16 | $0.14 |
| Capex per share | $0.05 | $0.09 | $0.13 | $0.11 | $0.09 | $0.08 | $0.12 | $0.21 | $0.16 | $0.07 |
| Debt per share | $0.45 | $0.41 | $0.45 | $0.23 | $0.14 | $0.15 | $0.10 | $0.03 | $0.09 | $0.18 |
| Shares outstanding | 169.4M | 172.6M | 173.4M | 174.9M | 179.9M | 176.6M | 175.3M | 177.4M | 179.6M | 174.1M |
| Change in shares outstanding | −1.9% | −0.5% | −0.8% | −2.8% | +1.9% | +0.8% | −1.2% | −1.2% | +3.1% | −1.0% |
| Returns & profitability | ||||||||||
| Return on equity (ROE) | 7.6% | 7.0% | 7.7% | 15.0% | 20.8% | 13.5% | 16.4% | 19.7% | 17.2% | 16.1% |
| Return on invested capital (ROIC) | 7.9% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 19.2% | 27.0% | 17.1% | 18.2% | 31.5% | 35.9% | 56.9% |
| Return on assets (ROA) | 5.7% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 10.9% | 14.7% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 17.0% | 15.2% | 14.9% |
| Return on tangible assets | 7.4% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 12.7% | 16.0% | 11.4% | 12.7% | 18.8% | 15.2% | 15.4% |
| Free cash flow margin | 23.8% | 14.7% | 10.7% | 22.2% | 28.8% | 28.2% | 31.9% | 23.1% | 25.5% | 32.0% |
| Income quality (OCF / net income) | 2.15 | 1.40 | 1.00 | 1.13 | 1.12 | 1.38 | 1.24 | 1.02 | 1.27 | 1.27 |
| Financial health | ||||||||||
| Total debt | $76.6M | $70.2M | $78.6M | $39.8M | $25.6M | $26.2M | $18.0M | $5.1M | $16.7M | $32.0M |
| Cash & short-term investments | $337.0M | $246.1M | $332.0M | $400.1M | $323.6M | $372.3M | $411.9M | $535.6M | $404.5M | $745.2M |
| Net debt | −$260.4M | −$175.8M | −$253.4M | −$360.4M | −$298.0M | −$346.1M | −$393.9M | −$530.5M | −$387.9M | −$713.2M |
| Debt / equity | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| Debt / assets | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| Net debt / EBITDA | −1.22 | −1.07 | −1.75 | −1.25 | −0.88 | −1.49 | −2.35 | −2.19 | −1.41 | −4.22 |
| Current ratio | 3.80 | 3.62 | 4.47 | 3.82 | 3.39 | 4.55 | 5.04 | 8.54 | 5.59 | 11.67 |
| Quick ratio | 3.05 | 2.69 | 3.40 | 3.17 | 2.79 | 4.09 | 4.54 | 7.63 | 4.99 | 11.29 |
| Interest coverage | — | — | — | 15.1 | 11.3 | 4.5 | 2.2 | — | — | — |
| Working capital | $513.7M | $444.0M | $527.1M | $530.0M | $451.2M | $469.4M | $486.8M | $689.0M | $517.4M | $758.7M |
| Invested capital | $1.23B | $1.34B | $1.25B | $1.08B | $1.13B | $916.1M | $961.8M | $604.8M | $707.5M | $249.4M |
| Tangible asset value | $1.02B | $1.04B | $998.6M | $1.18B | $1.18B | $1.00B | $1.07B | $1.01B | $969.0M | $859.0M |
| Net current asset value | $172.6M | $138.0M | $165.9M | $198.0M | $66.2M | $63.2M | $77.0M | $625.9M | $437.5M | $753.8M |
| Graham number | $11.57 | $11.03 | $11.29 | $15.10 | $16.68 | $12.67 | $14.23 | $13.34 | $11.62 | $10.13 |
| Graham net-net per share | $0.02 | −$0.24 | −$0.07 | $0.21 | −$0.51 | −$0.21 | −$0.04 | $2.92 | $1.90 | $4.17 |
| Capital allocation | ||||||||||
| Dividends paid | $54.6M | $52.3M | $49.1M | $45.9M | $43.3M | $390.5M | $35.1M | $31.9M | $29.0M | $25.2M |
| Share buybacks (net) | $151.2M | $67.1M | $79.8M | $204.3M | $161.7M | $51.0M | $61.7M | $203.8M | $123.7M | $47.1M |
| Dividend payout ratio | 47.7% | 49.3% | 43.3% | 21.3% | 15.5% | 221.6% | 17.2% | 14.5% | 16.4% | 17.5% |
| Dividends + buybacks / free cash flow | 86.9% | 89.1% | 143.4% | 111.8% | 68.6% | 192.7% | 41.8% | 126.5% | 78.1% | 42.8% |
| Capex / revenue | 0.9% | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2.0% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 3.0% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.4% |
| Capex / operating cash flow | 3.6% | 10.1% | 20.4% | 8.1% | 4.9% | 5.5% | 8.6% | 16.6% | 12.8% | 7.0% |
| Capex / depreciation | 0.28 | 0.46 | 1.05 | 1.00 | 0.76 | 0.50 | 0.87 | 1.72 | 1.69 | 0.85 |
| Stock-based compensation / revenue | 4.9% | 5.7% | 6.5% | 5.4% | 4.2% | 5.3% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| R&D / revenue | 14.0% | 15.3% | 16.6% | 14.0% | 13.1% | 16.2% | 16.5% | 14.4% | 12.9% | 14.8% |
| SG&A / revenue | 36.6% | 40.6% | 38.8% | 31.0% | 29.8% | 33.0% | 37.7% | 32.6% | 28.8% | 31.4% |
| Efficiency | ||||||||||
| Days sales outstanding | 56.9 | 52.5 | 53.2 | 47.5 | 46.7 | 53.9 | 59.3 | 57.6 | 44.0 | 34.6 |
| Days of inventory on hand | 163.9 | 202.2 | 219.9 | 151.3 | 114.5 | 107.1 | 138.1 | 133.9 | 92.5 | 89.6 |
| Days payables outstanding | 49.0 | 37.6 | 37.5 | 45.7 | 39.7 | 30.2 | 32.8 | 35.2 | 73.9 | 130.2 |
| Cash conversion cycle (days) | 171.8 | 217.0 | 235.6 | 153.1 | 121.5 | 130.8 | 164.5 | 156.3 | 62.5 | -6.0 |
| Receivables turnover | 6.41 | 6.96 | 6.86 | 7.68 | 7.81 | 6.77 | 6.16 | 6.34 | 8.30 | 10.54 |
| Payables turnover | 7.46 | 9.70 | 9.73 | 7.99 | 9.19 | 12.09 | 11.13 | 10.38 | 4.94 | 2.80 |
| Inventory turnover | 2.23 | 1.81 | 1.66 | 2.41 | 3.19 | 3.41 | 2.64 | 2.73 | 3.95 | 4.08 |
| Asset turnover | 0.50 | 0.46 | 0.42 | 0.51 | 0.55 | 0.44 | 0.46 | 0.63 | 0.66 | 0.55 |
| Average receivables | $155.1M | $131.5M | $122.1M | $131.0M | $132.8M | $119.8M | $117.9M | $127.2M | $92.2M | $50.3M |
| Average payables | $44.1M | $29.8M | $24.3M | $35.6M | $30.2M | $17.1M | $17.0M | $19.8M | $37.9M | $46.8M |
| Average inventory | $147.7M | $159.9M | $142.4M | $117.8M | $87.0M | $60.5M | $71.8M | $75.6M | $47.5M | $32.2M |
| Intangibles / total assets | 23.2% | 23.9% | 25.1% | 13.0% | 12.7% | 14.4% | 15.0% | 9.6% | 9.8% | 10.0% |
Computed from CGNX's annual financial statements (latest annual report filed February 12, 2026) and the closing share price on each fiscal year-end, adjusted for stock splits. Figures in U.S. dollars; data from EODHD. Averages use the opening and closing balance of each year.
CGNX valuation and financial ratios
At the end of fiscal 2025 (December 31, 2025), Cognex traded at 53.2 times earnings, against a 10-year median of 51.6. Based on the latest twelve months, the trailing P/E is 51.9 and the forward P/E is 29.5. Cognex earned a return on equity of 7.6% and a return on invested capital of 7.9% in fiscal 2025. It ended the year with $76.6 million of debt and $337.0 million in cash and short-term investments, a net cash position of $260.4 million. It returned $205.9 million to shareholders: $54.6 million in dividends and $151.2 million in share buybacks, 87% of free cash flow.
See the CGNX income statement, the CGNX chart for price history, or the CGNX stock overview for the latest quote and news.
CGNX key metrics FAQ
What is Cognex's P/E ratio?
Cognex's trailing P/E ratio is 51.9 based on the last twelve months of earnings (as of October 18, 2026), and its forward P/E is 29.5. At the end of fiscal 2025 it was 53.2, compared with a 10-year median of 51.6.
What is Cognex's EV/EBITDA?
Cognex's enterprise value was 27.3 times EBITDA at the end of fiscal 2025 (enterprise value $5.8 billion, EBITDA $213.6 million); the current EV/EBITDA is 35.4.
What is Cognex's return on equity?
Cognex's return on equity (ROE) was 7.6% in fiscal 2025: net income of $114.4 million on average shareholders' equity of $1.5 billion.
What is Cognex's ROIC?
Cognex's return on invested capital was 7.9% in fiscal 2025, using after-tax operating income divided by average debt plus equity minus cash.
How much debt does Cognex have?
Cognex had total debt of $76.6 million at the end of fiscal 2025, a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05 and more cash than debt.
What is Cognex's dividend yield?
Cognex's forward dividend yield is 0.63%. Cognex paid $54.6 million in dividends in fiscal 2025 ($0.32 per share), a payout ratio of 47.7%.
Does Cognex buy back its shares?
Yes. Cognex spent $151.2 million on net share repurchases in fiscal 2025 Shares outstanding changed −1.9% over the year, to 169.4M..
What is Cognex's free cash flow yield?
Cognex generated $236.8 million of free cash flow in fiscal 2025, a free cash flow yield of 3.9% on its market value at year-end ($6.1 billion).
What is Cognex's current ratio?
Cognex's current ratio was 3.80 at the end of fiscal 2025: current assets were 3.80 times current liabilities.