
Fundamental analysis: Cognex Corporation (CGNX)
Awarener score: 6.5
Conclusion
The higher the Awarener score, the more bang you get for the buck. It measures how much genuine funds the company generates for the stock price paid (Average), the business stability (Modest) and growth (Lacking), and the company's inclination to return cash to the stockholders (Superb).
Note: All scores range from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). Conclusions are updated daily with closing stock prices and new reported quarterly financial statements.
Revenue score: 4.5
- Business has been slightly shrinking. It's been below average when measured against peer companies.
- Cognex Corporation business trend isn't so stable. The higher the stability, the lower the risk. It looks mediocre against rivals.
Margins score: 8.8
- CGNX profit margins -on goods and services sold- are usually excellent. They stand top-notch against rival companies.
- Business profit on sales tends to be excellent. It's top tier when measured against competitors.
- Profits on sales made -available to repay debt and purchase properties- are usually very good. They remain impressive in relation to peers.
- Earnings -before income taxes and interests on loans taken- tend to be excellent in relation to total revenues. They're still top-notch against similar companies.
- Profits -before income taxes- are usually excellent considering total sales, and remain top tier when measured against rivals.
- Total net profit tends to be excellent when confronted to sales. Company stands top tier when measured against comparable firms.
Growth score: 3.1
- Cognex Corporation profit growth -on goods and services sold- has been almost stagnant. It's been lacking compared to competitors.
- In recent years, earnings -on operations- have been growing at a very low step, which has been somewhat worse than comparable firms.
- Profits growth -available to repay debt and purchase properties- have been almost stagnant, which compares weak when measured against peer enterprises.
- Earnings -before income taxes and interests on loans taken- have been growing at a very low tempo. It turns to be in a weak position compared to similar stocks.
- In past years, growth on profits -before income taxes- was almost stagnant. It was mediocre against rivals.
- In the previous years, growth on total net profit has been negative, and substantially worse when measured against peer companies.
- Earnings per share have been almost stagnant in past years. It's been in a weak position compared to industry peers.
Miscellaneous score: 6.3
- CGNX managed to pay no income taxes on profits made in the past years, sometimes even got a credit. It's been well ranked against peers.
- Research and development expenses consume a moderate portion of revenues. It's below average when measured against competitors.
- The company grows very little in relation to research and development efforts. It stands lacking compared to rival companies.
Profitability score: 9.0
- Cognex Corporation usually gets excellent returns on the resources it controls. It proves great when measured against peer firms.
- The company normally gets excellent proceeds -on the resources directly invested in the business-. They remain excellent in relation to similar companies.
- There's usually excellent profitability -in relation to owned resources-. It ranks more than average in relation to competitors.
- In the past, got excellent returns -on the tangible resources it controls-. This metric is usually related to the industry in which operates and combines profitability versus reinvestment needs. It's encouraging in relation to comparable enterprises.
Usage of Funds score: 6.8
- CGNX usually uses a sparse portion of genuine funds generated to buy or replace property, plant, or equipment. The need for reinvestments is modest. It stands encouraging in relation to rival firms.
- The company is usually somewhat investing in new property, plant, and equipment, to improve its operating capabilities, which is more than average in relation to industry peers.
- In the past twelve months it paid very little dividends, considering the current stock price. It came somewhat worse than competitors.
- Has greatly increased dividend payments in the past years. Business prospects are most likely good. The company has behaved a slight improvement compared to similar firms.
- The company usually uses some portion of genuine funds generated to pay dividends. Dividend payments should be safe, unless business prospects take a nosedive. Sustainability looks mediocre against comparable companies.
- The company usually significantly reduces the pool of investors, resulting in fewer mouths feeding on the pie of profits. It remains impressive in relation to peer enterprises.
- Repurchase effectiveness metric is very complex. Run again in analytical mode if you 're interested in a technical explanation. It stands excellent in relation to rivals.
- The company uses a large portion of genuine fund generation to reward investors, which can probably be sustained for as long as business doesn't turn sour. It still looks substantially worse when measured against competitors.
Balance Sheet score: 5.4
- Cognex Corporation intangible assets (like brands and goodwill) represent a small portion of resources controlled, according to accounting books. It isn't that a significant risk of liquidating them if the company ever gets in financial distress. It happens to be similar to peer companies.
- The company has more than enough short-term resources to face short-term obligations. Liquidity concerns are non-significant. It turns to be in good shape compared to similar firms.
- Very few resources controlled were provided for with financial debt. Financial strength is very solid. Company could increase debt if it wished so, to reinvest in business, to buy a smaller company or to reward stockholders. It remains better than most rival firms.
- Controlled resources might be turned into cash and equivalents neither fast nor too slow. Liquidity and risk might be run-of-the-mill. It looks almost average when measured against rivals.
- For every dollar of short-term obligations, the company has more than enough dollars in cash and short-term receivables. It's lacking compared to peer firms.
- For every dollar of short-term obligations, the company has almost another of cash and equivalents, which is slightly worse than similar enterprises.
- Usually, sales are on a two-months credit. It still ranks similar to peers.
- Normally has approximately six months of sales worth in inventory. It comes up as in a weak position compared to competitors.
- On average, it takes a lot of months from the purchase to charging customers. It happens to be mediocre against peers.
- On average pays suppliers after a month and a half from the purchase. It ranks weak when measured against industry peers.
- The company pays its suppliers six months or more before charging its customers, so there's abundant money invested in working capital. It's in a very weak position compared to similar companies.
- Net interest expenses consume a slight portion of usual business earnings, and are very easily bearable. It stands slightly better than rival firms.
- Business earnings have usually been great when measured against loans taken. Debt might be repaid almost as soon as desired. It ranks great when measured against comparable enterprises.
- Revenues are quite good in relation to property, plant, and equipment required to operate. This metric is likely dependent on the industry the company operates in. The more property, plant, and equipment used, the more the company must reinvest to fight obsolescence, which usually means less available funds for the shareholders in the long run. It looks rather normal in relation to similar firms.
- Resource exploitation is reasonable when yearly sales are considered. This metric is normally tied to the industry where the firm belongs. It's still somewhat worse than peer companies.
Valuation score: 5.0
- Cognex Corporation looks heavily expensive in relation to profits and financial position. It happens to be below average when measured against competitors.
- Price-to-Tangible-Book-Value is a fairly complex metric. Run again in analytical mode if you're interested in a technical explanation. It remains in a weak position compared to peers.
- In the past twelve months, the company generated some slightly better free funds in relation to the stock price, which stands somewhat better than similar companies.
- The company usually generates reasonably more than enough genuine funds to cover up for its business needs. Surplus cash may be used to repay loans, to eventually buy new businesses, or to reward investors. Considering the financial position and stock price, the current valuation might be fair. It's still similar to industry firms.
- In the past twelve months, the company has significantly rewarded investors, considering both dividends and share on the pie of earnings. It came up impressive in relation to peer ventures.
- The company has more cash than debt. It might be poised to increase stockholder payments, or to fund new business projects. It looks somewhat better than similar enterprises.
- Considering the past twelve months, traditional Price-to-Earnings relation is huge, as profits were extremely low in relative terms. It ranks below average when measured against peer companies.
- Comparing the current stock price with the past twelve-months revenues gives a very large relationship. The stock price might rely more on expectations and resources controlled than on anything else. It looks a disappointment compared to rival firms.
- The relation between the stock price and accounting book value is really high, which may be good or bad depending on context. Run again in analytic mode if you want to dig deeper. The company remains mediocre against peer firms.
- In the past twelve months, the operating business lost a little money. It happens to be similar to industry peers.
- In an alternate metric of bang for the buck, the company has usually shown a modest earnings power ability when measured against the current stock price and financial position. It's still rather normal in relation to peer companies.
Total score: 6.1

Company at a glance: Cognex Corporation (CGNX)
Sector, industry: Technology, Scientific & Technical Instruments
Market Cap: 9.46 billions
Revenues TTM: 0.92 billions
Cognex Corporation provides machine vision products that capture and analyze visual information in order to automate manufacturing and distribution tasks worldwide. Its machine vision products are used to automate the manufacturing and tracking of discrete items, including mobile phones, aspirin bottles, and automobile tires by locating, identifying, inspecting, and measuring them during the manufacturing or distribution process. The company offers VisionPro software, a suite of patented vision tools for advanced programming; QuickBuild that allows customers to build vision applications with a graphical, flowchart-based programming interface; and Cognex deep learning vision software. It also provides a range of inspection tasks, including part location, identification, measurement, assembly verification, and robotic guidance; vision sensors for vision applications, such as checking the presence and size of parts; and the In-Sight product line of vision systems and sensors. In addition, the company offers DataMan, an image-based barcode readers and barcode verifiers. It sells its products to consumer electronics, automotive, consumer products, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices industries, as well as through a network of distributors and integrators. Cognex Corporation was incorporated in 1981 and is headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts.
Awarener score: 6.5
Conclusion
The higher the Awarener score, the more bang you get for the buck. It measures how much genuine funds the company generates for the stock price paid (Average), the business stability (Modest) and growth (Lacking), and the company's inclination to return cash to the stockholders (Superb).