While Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) might not have the largest market cap around , it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NASDAQGS, rising to highs of US$41.02 and falling to the lows of US$30.01. 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$30.01 reflective of the actual value of the mid-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.

Is Cognex Still Cheap?

According to our valuation model, Cognex seems to be fairly priced at around 20% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy Cognex today, you’d be paying a fair price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $37.41, then there’s not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. So, is there another chance 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 an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

View our latest analysis for Cognex

Can we expect growth from Cognex?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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 more than double 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? CGNX’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on CGNX, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Diving deeper into the forecasts for Cognex mentioned earlier will help you understand how analysts view the stock going forward. At Simply Wall St, we have the analysts estimates which you can view by clicking here.

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.

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

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.