Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

Specialized Technology Stocks Q4 In Review: Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) Vs Peers

CGNX Cover Image

Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Cognex (NASDAQ: CGNX) and the best and worst performers in the specialized technology industry.

Companies in this sector, especially if they invest wisely, could see demand tailwinds as the world moves towards more IoT (Internet of Things), automation, and analytics. Enterprises across most industries will balk at taking these journeys solo and will enlist companies with expertise and scale in these areas. However, headwinds could include rising competition from larger technology firms, as digitization lowers barriers to entry in the space. Additionally, companies in the space will likely face evolving regulatory scrutiny over data privacy, particularly for surveillance and security technologies. This could make companies have to continually pivot and invest.

The 8 specialized technology stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 13.8% since the latest earnings results.

Cognex (NASDAQ: CGNX)

Founded in 1981 when computer vision was in its infancy, Cognex (NASDAQ: CGNX) develops machine vision systems and software that help manufacturers and logistics companies automate quality inspection and tracking of products.

Cognex reported revenues of $229.7 million, up 16.8% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 4%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Cognex Total Revenue

The stock is down 22.5% since reporting and currently trades at $30.42.

Is now the time to buy Cognex? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: PAR Technology (NYSE: PAR)

Operating at the intersection of food service and technology since 1968, PAR Technology (NYSE: PAR) provides cloud-based software and hardware solutions for restaurants, including point-of-sale systems, customer loyalty platforms, and digital ordering technologies.

PAR Technology reported revenues of $105 million, up 50.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. The business had an incredible quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ ARR and EPS estimates.

PAR Technology Total Revenue

PAR Technology pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 3.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $58.32.

Is now the time to buy PAR Technology? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Napco (NASDAQ: NSSC)

With roots dating back to 1969 and a focus on protecting people and property, Napco Security Technologies (NASDAQ: NSSC) manufactures electronic security devices, access control systems, and communication services for intrusion and fire alarm systems.

Napco reported revenues of $42.93 million, down 9.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 13.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Napco delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 32.7% since the results and currently trades at $24.71.

Read our full analysis of Napco’s results here.

Crane NXT (NYSE: CXT)

Born from a corporate separation in 2023 to focus on specialized technology, Crane NXT (NYSE: CXT) provides technology solutions for payment processing, banknote security, and authentication systems for financial institutions and businesses.

Crane NXT reported revenues of $399.1 million, up 11.8% year on year. This print came in 2.7% below analysts' expectations. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also recorded a miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 11.1% since reporting and currently trades at $52.11.

Read our full, actionable report on Crane NXT here, it’s free.

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA)

Named after the black and white stripes of its barcode products, Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) provides barcode scanners, mobile computers, RFID systems, and printers that help businesses track inventory, assets, and people in real-time.

Zebra reported revenues of $1.33 billion, up 32.2% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

The stock is down 22.6% since reporting and currently trades at $273.02.

Read our full, actionable report on Zebra here, it’s free.


Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

Join Paid Stock Investor Research

Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.