Machine vision company Cognex (CGNX -1.49%) recently received an analyst rating upgrade from hold to buy from HSBC. In addition, the price target was raised from $40 to $52. There's no doubt Cognex's fortunes are improving (the company returned to revenue growth in its last quarter). But is it enough to follow HSBC's lead and take a bullish opinion on the stock?
Cognex's long-term growth prospects
I last discussed Cognex in February, and the long-term arguments behind the company's revenue growth still apply now.
In the automotive industry, its machine vision solutions are an important part of the trend toward automated production and highly precise monitoring and guiding production, not least in the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
In logistics (principally e-commerce warehousing), its products play a critical role in enabling e-commerce fulfillment as it grows as a share of consumer spending.
Meanwhile, in its other key end market, consumer electronics, where Apple is a major customer, Cognex's solutions help its customers precisely manage and monitor production -- for example, the precise layering of multiple screens on smartphones. Consumer electronics spending can be lumpy and cyclical, but Cognex's customers constantly need to innovate and realize products with new features, and that means investment in production lines.
There's little doubt Cognex has a bright future, but what about near-term trading?
Data source: Cognex presentations. *Semiconductors, medical-related packaging. Chart by author.
Cognex's recovering near-term markets
While its long-term prospects are excellent, it's no secret that Cognex's end markets are challenging over the near term. Indeed, the HSBC analyst believes it's a turnaround and recovery story rather than one of a company firing on all cylinders.
According to Taiwan Semiconductor and others, some of Cognex's end markets are recovering; for example, the semiconductor market is firmly in recovery mode. Indeed, Cognex CEO Robert Willett is expecting some "pretty nice potential growth" from the semiconductor end market this year.
In addition, the logistics end market is finally recovering after a severe correction in 2022 and 2023 after a previous period of torrid growth in investment driven by the e-commerce boom caused by the pandemic. As Willett outlined on the earnings call, the logistics business grew 65% in 2021, then declined 25% in 2022, and a further 21% in 2023. However, it rose 24% in the first quarter of 2024, with Cognex working on a large contract in the quarter.
As the HSBC analyst notes, the semiconductor and logistics markets are improving in 2024. Moreover, the semiconductor industry is often seen as a very early-cycle industry. For example, customers tend to order semiconductors in preparation for a ramp up in production in response to positive demand trends.
Some cautionary notes
That said, there are several reasons for introspection here.
First, management noted tentativeness in EV battery spending: "We started to see delayed projects result in a reduction in the pace of greenfield investments from our EV customers," Willett said. In addition, the automotive market in general is challenging for Cognex in 2024.
Second, Cognex tends to win consumer electronics orders in the spring as its customers gear up for fourth-quarter production ramps. However, on the earnings call in early May, Willett said he didn't expect "2024 to be a significant growth year for consumer electronics."
Third, the major driver of the semiconductor recovery is high-performance computing demand coming from the expansion of artificial intelligence applications. That's fine for semiconductors overall and Cognex, but it doesn't necessarily translate to increased demand for consumer electronics hardware, which is where Cognex plays in consumer electronics.
Image source: Getty Images.
What it means to investors
All told, the cautionary points outlined above shouldn't detract from the long-term case for Cognex -- it's still a powerful one. However, with the stock up 26% since late February, this probably isn't the best entry point. Semiconductors and logistics end markets are improving for Cognex, but there are still question marks around its near-term outlook for automobiles and consumer electronics, and the recent run-up in the share price puts it at 64 times estimated 2024 earnings.
