Key Points
Aeva Technologies is scaling its lidar-on-chip technology for the automotive and robotics industries, but faces significant net losses.
Cognex provides a stable, profitable investment opportunity with a dominant position in the global machine vision market.
Will you choose the speculative growth potential of next-generation lidar or the proven cash flow of industrial automation?
- 10 stocks we like better than Aeva Technologies ›
Computer vision is part of our automated future — and present. Aeva Technologies (NASDAQ:AEVA) and Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) offer different paths into the computer vision market. One is a speculative high-growth play, while the other provides steady returns from established industrial technologies.
Aeva is pioneering next-generation sensing technology, while Cognex dominates the mature field of machine vision. Investors often compare them because both are essential for the expansion of robotics and automation. While their technologies overlap in purpose, their financial stages and risk profiles are worlds apart for your portfolio.
The case for Aeva Technologies
Aeva sells 4D lidar-on-chip systems that combine sensing and processing on a single silicon chip. Its primary markets include automated driving, robotics, and consumer devices. The company is part of the fast-growing tech stocks landscape, targeting automated driving and robotics. Customer concentration like this adds a layer of risk to the business, as the top three customers accounted for 64% of total revenue in 2025, although that reliance is decreasing. In 2024, Aeva’s top two customers accounted for 74% of revenue.
In FY 2025, revenue reached $18.1 million, up from approximately $9.1 million in the previous year. Despite this 99.4% revenue growth, the company reported a net loss of approximately $145.4 million. This indicates that while the business is expanding its top line, it remains far from profitability. This high valuation is reflected in a steep P/S ratio, which compares the stock price to its revenue per share to help value companies that do not yet have consistent profits.
As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio stands at roughly 7.7x. This metric, which compares total debt to shareholder equity, suggests a high level of leverage relative to its net worth. The current ratio is approximately 4.3x, showing the company has enough short-term assets to cover its immediate liabilities. Free cash flow was negative at nearly $119.7 million, as the company spent more on operations and equipment than it brought in from sales.
The case for Cognex
Cognex provides machine vision products that allow robots and automated systems to interpret their surroundings. The company serves the automotive, logistics, and electronics industries, which require high-precision automation. Large customers occasionally account for a material portion of revenue, which can affect pricing power and net margins. The loss or significant reduction of orders from these major clients could significantly hurt the company’s financial performance.
In FY 2025, revenue reached approximately $994.4 million, up nearly 8.7% from the prior year. The company is consistently profitable, reporting net income of close to $114.4 million for the period. This resulted in a net margin of 11.5%, which measures the percentage of revenue remaining after all expenses are paid. Investors often look at the Forward P/E, a metric that uses future earnings estimates to determine how expensive a stock is relative to its profit potential.
As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio is approximately 0.1x. This indicates a very low level of debt relative to shareholders’ equity. The current ratio is close to 3.8x, showing a healthy ability to meet short-term financial obligations. Free cash flow was strong at nearly $236.8 million, providing capital for reinvestment or shareholder returns. This positive cash generation allows the company to fund its own research and development without relying on external debt.
Risk profile comparison
Aeva faces significant risks due to its extreme customer concentration, making it vulnerable if a major partner withdraws. The commercial success of its 4D lidar technology remains unproven, and the company may struggle to scale manufacturing through third parties. Competition is also fierce, as automotive giants like Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) or established rivals might develop their own internal sensing solutions.
Cognex deals with intense competition in a fragmented market, where low-cost tools could erode its market share. The company is also exposed to geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding its manufacturing operations in China and Vietnam. International trade risks are high, as nearly 67% of its revenue comes from outside the United States, leaving it open to shifts in global trade policy or competition from firms like Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) in logistics.
Valuation comparison
Cognex appears more established with a higher Forward P/E, while Aeva carries a significantly higher P/S ratio reflecting its early-stage growth profile.
| Metric | Aeva Technologies | Cognex | Sector Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward P/E | 24.9x | 41.0x | 29.5x |
| P/S ratio | 80.2x | 10.2x | n/a |
Sector benchmark uses the SPDR XLY sector ETF.
Valuation metrics sourced from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.
Which stock would I buy in 2026?
Machine vision, in which a computer system uses sensors to “see” objects such as speed limit signs on the highway and pedestrians crossing the street, isn’t a terribly new technology. But AI-powered computer vision is the evolution of the technology, enabling machine vision sensors to learn as they go.
Aeva Technologies’ revenue is still very small at just over $18 million last year, but Wall Street sees the company as quick-growing, with analysts consensus seeing Aeva sales grow to $32.9 million this year and to more than $70 million next year. The fact that very large automakers, including Daimler Truck Holding and Mercedes-Benz Group, are customers is a positive sign, but Aeva’s record of posting huge net losses is a concern. Given the competitive nature of the automotive market, Aeva is still too speculative just yet.
Cognex Corp. faces the same competitive pressures in the automotive industry as Aeva, but Cognex has the heft and track record that make it the better option in 2026. For one, supplying machine vision to automakers is just a portion of its business, accounting for 19% of 2025 revenue. Three other sectors account for more: logistics (26%), packaging (21%), and consumer electronics (19%), according to the company.
Macroeconomic challenges mean the 2026 outlook for Cognex isn’t ideal—interest rate hikes, rising energy prices, and possible economic weakness among consumers pose potential risks—but its first quarter 2026 results were better than expected, with revenue and net income both beating expectations. With four times more cash on hand than debt, Cognex is well-positioned to weather any hiccups in demand for the foreseeable future.
Should you buy stock in Aeva Technologies right now?
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Brendan Coffey has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Cognex, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
