On February 13, 2026, Robert Willett, a member of the board of Cognex Corp. (NASDAQ: CGNX), completed a sale of 2,148 shares of common stock at $59.5011 per share, producing proceeds of $127,808.
That same day Willett exercised stock options to acquire 2,148 shares at an exercise price of $39.44, representing a total exercise cost of $84,717. The concurrent exercise-and-sale activity took place while the company's shares were trading close to their 52-week high of $59.88 and with a market capitalization reported at $9.48 billion.
Following these moves, Willett's reported holdings consist of 292,246 shares held directly through stock options and an indirect holding of 15,804 shares held via a trust.
Valuation and technical indicators noted alongside the transaction point to an elevated multiple and momentum. The company was cited as trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 83.93, a level substantially above typical market averages. Momentum metrics also flagged the stock as residing in overbought territory, based on the relative strength index referenced in the accompanying data.
Beyond the insider transactions and valuation snapshot, Cognex reported a strong fourth quarter. Revenue for the period reached $252 million, exceeding management guidance of $230 million to $245 million, and representing a 10% increase year-over-year. Excluding foreign exchange effects, the company recorded 9% revenue growth.
Analysts responded to the quarter and to Cognex's margin and cost actions with multiple adjustments: one firm upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold, citing margin improvement and cost-reduction initiatives that contributed to a fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted EBITDA margin of 22.7%. Other broker-dealer moves included a price-target increase to $55 from one shop, a price-target lift to $52 from another while maintaining a Hold rating, and a separate price-target increase to $70 tied to the company’s execution and an above-consensus outlook for the coming quarter.
Cognex has also maintained a 12-year record of dividend payments, with the most recent quarterly payout at $0.34 per share.
The juxtaposition of director-level option exercises and share sales, an elevated P/E, overbought momentum indicators, and upbeat quarterly results with analyst optimism frames a complex picture for investors watching the machine vision systems provider and related industrial technology sectors.