Is Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) Potentially Undervalued?

Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NASDAQGS over the last few months, increasing to US$93.99 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$73.17. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Cognex's current trading price of US$73.17 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Cognex’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for Cognex

What's the opportunity in Cognex?

According to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. In this instance, I’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. I find that Cognex’s ratio of 56.59x is above its peer average of 25.18x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Electronic industry. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Given that Cognex’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What does the future of Cognex look like?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by 60% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Cognex. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in CGNX’s positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe CGNX should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on CGNX for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for CGNX, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Cognex at this point in time. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Cognex and you'll want to know about these.

If you are no longer interested in Cognex, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

When trading Cognex or any other investment, use the platform considered by many to be the Professional's Gateway to the Worlds Market, Interactive Brokers. You get the lowest-cost* trading on stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds worldwide from a single integrated account. Promoted

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.
^*Interactive Brokers Rated Lowest Cost Broker by StockBrokers.com Annual Online Review 2020

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.