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Cognex Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record revenue, up 17 percent: Revenue was $291 million, up 17% from $249 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EPS up 80 percent: Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.45 against $0.25, up 80%. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.43 against $0.24, and the company counted this as its eighth consecutive quarter of growth. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin widened 1,150 bps: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 32.2% against 20.7%, up 1,150 basis points. Adjusted EBITDA was $94 million against $52 million a year earlier. Source
  • Demand broad across end markets: Management said the revenue gain reflected broad-based strength across most major end markets. The document gives no revenue split by segment, end market or region. Source
  • OneVision reached general availability: OneVision is generally available. Management said hundreds of customers use the platform to speed configuration and deployment of AI-powered vision applications. Source
  • Third-quarter revenue guided up 12 percent: Third-quarter revenue is guided to $300 million to $320 million, against $277 million reported for Q3 2025. Source
  • Full-year revenue and profit guided higher: The company issued full-year revenue of $1,130 million to $1,150 million, adjusted EBITDA margin of 29% to 31%, and adjusted EPS of $1.64 to $1.68. Source

“Q2 was another strong quarter for Cognex and further evidence that our strategy is driving results,”

Matt Moschner, President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceThird quarter 2026$300 - $320New
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceThird quarter 202632% - 35%New
Adjusted EPS (diluted) SourceThird quarter 2026$0.50 - $0.54New
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$1,130 - $1,150New
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFull year 202629% - 31%New
Adjusted EPS (diluted) SourceFull year 2026$1.64 - $1.68New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Third-quarter 2026 guidance issued for revenue, adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted diluted EPS; the prior release gave only second-quarter guidance. Source
  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 guidance issued for revenue, adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted diluted EPS; the prior release contained no full-year guidance. Source
  • New: OneVision announced as generally available, with hundreds of customers using the platform. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Record revenue, up 17 percent: Revenue was $291 million, up 17% from $249 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EPS up 80 percent: Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.45 against $0.25, up 80%. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.43 against $0.24, and the company counted this as its eighth consecutive quarter of growth. Source
  • Operating income doubled: Operating income was $86 million, up from $43 million, and operating margin rose to 29.4% from 17.4%. Net income was $73 million against $41 million a year earlier. Source
  • Free cash flow rose 70 percent: Free cash flow was $68 million, up 70% from $40 million. Free cash flow conversion was 93% of net income and 89% of adjusted net income for the quarter. Source

Margins and cost control

  • Gross margin rose on mix and volume: GAAP gross margin was 70.6% against 67.4%, and adjusted gross margin 71.5% against 68.0%, up 350 basis points. Management said tariff refunds were not a material contributor. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin widened 1,150 bps: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 32.2% against 20.7%, up 1,150 basis points. Adjusted EBITDA was $94 million against $52 million a year earlier. Source
  • Operating expenses fell 3 percent: Operating expenses were $120 million against $124 million. Adjusted operating expenses fell 3% to $119 million, and 5% on a constant-currency basis, which management attributed to cost management. Source
  • Reorganization charges continued: Reorganization charges were $1.3 million in the quarter and $6.4 million for the six months, excluded from adjusted measures. The quarter's charges were mainly severance and consulting fees. Source

“We delivered exceptional performance, highlighted by record revenue, strong margin expansion, and significant earnings growth, which we believe reflects both a more favorable demand environment and focused execution across the business.”

Matt Moschner, President and CEO

End markets and demand

  • Demand broad across end markets: Management said the revenue gain reflected broad-based strength across most major end markets. The document gives no revenue split by segment, end market or region. Source
  • Constant-currency growth one point lower: Reported revenue growth was 17%; on a constant-currency basis it was 16%. Source
  • Six-month revenue higher: Six-month revenue was $559.7 million against $465.1 million a year earlier. First-quarter revenue was $268 million, as reported in the prior release. Source

Products and customers

  • OneVision reached general availability: OneVision is generally available. Management said hundreds of customers use the platform to speed configuration and deployment of AI-powered vision applications. Source
  • Focus on automation challenges: Management said it is prioritizing the automation challenges where its technology can create the most value. Source
  • Reach widened across channels and markets: Management said it is focused on broadening reach across customers, channels, adjacencies and end markets. Source

“We believe that our Q2 performance underscores the strength of our profitable growth strategy and the strong leverage in our financial model.”

Dennis Fehr, CFO

Third-quarter and full-year guidance

  • Third-quarter revenue guided up 12 percent: Third-quarter revenue is guided to $300 million to $320 million, against $277 million reported for Q3 2025. Source
  • Full-year revenue and profit guided higher: The company issued full-year revenue of $1,130 million to $1,150 million, adjusted EBITDA margin of 29% to 31%, and adjusted EPS of $1.64 to $1.68. Source
  • Partnership benefit excluded from comparisons: Comparisons exclude a one-time benefit from a commercial partnership with a medical lab automation channel partner. The company says forecasts of adjusted measures cannot be reconciled to GAAP without unreasonable effort. Source
  • Third-quarter margin and EPS ranges: Third-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin is guided to 32% to 35% and adjusted diluted EPS to $0.50 to $0.54. Source

Cash, balance sheet and shareholder returns

  • Cash and investments of $755 million: Cash and investments were $755 million at July 5, 2026, with no debt. Operating cash flow was $69 million and capital expenditures were $1.5 million in the quarter. Source
  • Dividends paid $14 million: The company paid $14 million in dividends in the second quarter. Six-month dividends per share were $0.170, against $0.160 a year earlier. Source
  • Receivables and customer deposits rose: Accounts receivable rose to $216.2 million from $146.7 million at year-end. Deferred revenue and customer deposits rose to $49.0 million from $21.1 million. Source

Strategy, portfolio and operating model

  • Diversification framed as next chapter: Management said diversification is central to the next chapter of growth and to more sustainable and profitable growth over time. Source
  • Trading business divestiture recorded loss: A pre-tax loss of $1.5 million on the Japan-focused trading business divestiture is excluded from adjusted results. The divestiture was completed in the first quarter. Source
  • Operating model being transformed: The CFO said the company is transforming its operating model to raise productivity, support sustainable margin expansion and scale efficiently over time. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • Dividend payable September 3: The $0.085 quarterly dividend, declared August 5, is payable September 3, 2026 to holders of record at the close of business August 20, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Customers worldwide Sourcemore than 30,000
OneVision customers Sourcehundreds

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: The company says special items in its forward-looking adjusted measures, such as reorganization and acquisition charges, have timing and outcomes that are hard to predict, so it does not reconcile them to GAAP. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it continues to make progress against these strategic objectives. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.