Results: Cognex Corporation Exceeded Expectations And The Consensus Has Updated Its Estimates
Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) just released its latest third-quarter results and things are looking bullish. Cognex delivered a significant beat to revenue and earnings per share (EPS) expectations, with sales hitting US$251m, some 17% above indicated. Statutory EPS were US$0.49, an impressive 50% ahead of forecasts. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.
Check out our latest analysis for Cognex
After the latest results, the 17 analysts covering Cognex are now predicting revenues of US$867.9m in 2021. If met, this would reflect a meaningful 15% improvement in sales compared to the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to rise 8.5% to US$1.18. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$840.8m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$1.08 in 2021. So there seems to have been a moderate uplift in sentiment following the latest results, given the upgrades to both revenue and earnings per share forecasts for next year.
It will come as no surprise to learn that the analysts have increased their price target for Cognex 6.8% to US$64.41on the back of these upgrades. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. The most optimistic Cognex analyst has a price target of US$85.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$39.00. This is a fairly broad spread of estimates, suggesting that analysts are forecasting a wide range of possible outcomes for the business.
Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. It's clear from the latest estimates that Cognex's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 15% revenue growth noticeably faster than its historical growth of 11%p.a. over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 7.7% next year. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Cognex is expected to grow much faster than its industry.
The Bottom Line
The biggest takeaway for us is the consensus earnings per share upgrade, which suggests a clear improvement in sentiment around Cognex's earnings potential next year. Happily, they also upgraded their revenue estimates, and are forecasting revenues to grow faster than the wider industry. There was also a nice increase in the price target, with the analysts clearly feeling that the intrinsic value of the business is improving.
Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have forecasts for Cognex going out to 2024, and you can see them free on our platform here.
Plus, you should also learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Cognex .
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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