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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Cognex vs Cisco Systems: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Cisco Systems holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across profitability and stability. Cognex still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The lead is spread across profitability and stability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. Cisco Systems, Inc. leads by 37 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.71
Similar
Peer-set rank: #4
within Cognex Corporation's functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

Most of the shared profile comes through investment intensity and revenue growth trajectory.

Similarity drivers
investment intensityrevenue growth trajectory
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
CGNX
Cognex Corporation
30
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
CSCO
Cisco Systems, Inc.
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: CGNX vs CSCO Profitability 9 85 Stability 22 72 Valuation 23 48 Growth 82 61 CGNX CSCO
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +76
#2 Stability +50
#3 Valuation +25
#4 Growth +21
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CGNX and CSCO Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CGNXCSCO Relative valuation Structural strength

Cisco Systems, Inc. looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CGNX and CSCO each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CGNX Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 16 pct gap CSCO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 83rd 99th
Today CGNX sits in the upper portion of its own 5-year history (83rd percentile), while CSCO sits higher in its own history (99th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, CGNX is at a historically more favourable entry position than CSCO. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Cisco Systems, Inc. ranks near the top of the group on profitability; Cognex Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Stability
The same broad pattern appears on stability: Cisco Systems, Inc. ranks near the top of the group, while Cognex Corporation stays in the weaker half.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
CGNX
9
CSCO
85
Gap+76in favour of CSCO

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 10.5-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Earnings growth also leans toward CGNX, which keeps the score lead from reading as a full growth sweep.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and stability — though growth still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CGNX vs CSCO comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how CGNX and CSCO each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.