CGNX vs. NOW

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

CGNX (Cognex Corporation) and NOW (ServiceNow, Inc) are both stocks. Both are in the Technology sector — CGNX in Scientific & Technical Instruments, NOW in Software - Application. Over the past 10 years, CGNX returned 11.89%/yr vs 22.66%/yr for NOW. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

CGNX vs. NOW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Cognex Corporation (CGNX) and ServiceNow, Inc (NOW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CGNX achieves a 73.89% return, which is significantly higher than NOW's -25.46% return. Over the past 10 years, CGNX has underperformed NOW with an annualized return of 11.89%, while NOW has yielded a comparatively higher 22.66% annualized return.

CGNX

• 1D: 2.58%
• 1M: -4.85%
• YTD: 73.89%
• 6M: 62.85%
• 1Y: 107.46%
• 3Y*: 4.89%
• 5Y*: -3.98%
• 10Y*: 11.89%

NOW

• 1D: 1.55%
• 1M: 25.24%
• YTD: -25.46%
• 6M: -33.11%
• 1Y: -44.58%
• 3Y*: 2.25%
• 5Y*: 4.20%
• 10Y*: 22.66%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

CGNX vs. NOW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CGNX Cognex Corporation	73.89%	1.24%	-13.45%	-10.84%	-39.11%	-2.85%	47.69%	45.54%	-36.53%	92.91%
NOW ServiceNow, Inc	-25.46%	-27.75%	50.05%	81.96%	-40.18%	17.93%	94.97%	58.56%	36.55%	75.40%

Correlation

The correlation between CGNX and NOW is 0.03, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.03
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.22
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 2, 2012	0.39

Over the past year, the correlation between CGNX and NOW has dropped to 0.03 - well below their long-term average of 0.39, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap CGNX : $10.51B NOW : $118.76B
EPS CGNX : $0.84 NOW : $1.68
PE Ratio CGNX : 73.88 NOW : 67.97
PS Ratio CGNX : 10.06 NOW : 8.56
PB Ratio CGNX : 7.10 NOW : 8.75
Total Revenue (TTM) CGNX : $1.05B NOW : $13.96B
Gross Profit (TTM) CGNX : $712.01M NOW : $10.69B
EBITDA (TTM) CGNX : $224.08M NOW : $2.80B

Return for Risk

CGNX vs. NOW — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CGNX

CGNX Risk / Return Rank: 88
CGNX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
CGNX Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
CGNX Omega Ratio Rank: 90
CGNX Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
CGNX Martin Ratio Rank: 86

NOW

NOW Risk / Return Rank: 10
NOW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
NOW Sortino Ratio Rank: 9
NOW Omega Ratio Rank: 9
NOW Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
NOW Martin Ratio Rank: 10

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CGNX vs. NOW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Cognex Corporation (CGNX) and ServiceNow, Inc (NOW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CGNX	NOW	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.87	-0.90	+2.77
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.15	-1.24	+4.38
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.42	0.84	+0.58
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.88	-0.74	+4.62
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	8.76	-1.33	+10.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CGNX vs. NOW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CGNX Sharpe Ratio is 1.87, which is higher than the NOW Sharpe Ratio of -0.90. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CGNX and NOW, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CGNX	NOW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.87	-0.90	+2.77
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.09	0.10	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29	0.56	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.28	0.61	-0.33

Drawdowns

CGNX vs. NOW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CGNX drawdown since its inception was -83.71%, which is greater than NOW's maximum drawdown of -64.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CGNX and NOW.

Drawdown Indicators

	CGNX	NOW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-83.71%	-64.54%	-19.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-27.86%	-60.28%	+32.42%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-59.98%	-64.54%	+4.56%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-74.07%	-64.54%	-9.53%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-74.63%	-64.54%	-10.09%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-31.35%	-51.22%	+19.87%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-37.52%	-13.74%	-23.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.31%	33.44%	-21.13%

Volatility

CGNX vs. NOW - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Cognex Corporation (CGNX) is 13.16%, while ServiceNow, Inc (NOW) has a volatility of 24.74%. This indicates that CGNX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NOW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CGNX	NOW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.16%	24.74%	-11.58%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	42.07%	46.58%	-4.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	58.00%	49.79%	+8.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	43.52%	43.41%	+0.11%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	41.85%	40.82%	+1.03%

Dividends

CGNX vs. NOW - Dividend Comparison

CGNX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.54%, while NOW has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CGNX Cognex Corporation	0.54%	0.90%	0.85%	0.68%	0.56%	0.32%	2.77%	0.37%	0.48%	0.27%	0.46%	0.62%
NOW ServiceNow, Inc	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

CGNX vs. NOW - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Cognex Corporation and ServiceNow, Inc over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CGNX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cognex Corporation reported a gross profit of 190.94M and revenue of 268.44M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 71.1%.

NOW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported a gross profit of 2.83B and revenue of 3.77B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 75.1%.

CGNX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cognex Corporation reported an operating income of 59.87M and revenue of 268.44M, resulting in an operating margin of 22.3%.

NOW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported an operating income of 503.00M and revenue of 3.77B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.3%.

CGNX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cognex Corporation reported a net income of 51.70M and revenue of 268.44M, resulting in a net margin of 19.3%.

NOW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ServiceNow, Inc reported a net income of 469.00M and revenue of 3.77B, resulting in a net margin of 12.4%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CGNX and NOW in my portfolio?

CGNX and NOW have a correlation of 0.03, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CGNX or NOW?

NOW has higher volatility (24.74%) compared to CGNX (13.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CGNX dropped -83.71% vs NOW's -64.54%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CGNX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.87 vs -0.90), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.