Specialized Technology Stocks Q3 Highlights: Crane NXT (NYSE:CXT)

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Cognex

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Napco Security Technologies

The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Crane NXT and the rest of the specialized technology stocks fared in Q3.

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 very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.2% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 10.4% since the latest earnings results.

Crane NXT

Born from a corporate transformation completed in 2023, Crane NXT provides specialized technology solutions for payment processing, banknote security, and authentication systems for financial institutions and businesses.

Crane NXT reported revenues of $445.1 million, up 10.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.6%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Aaron W. Saak, Crane NXT's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "Our third quarter results continue to show progress in the evolution of Crane NXT, with accelerating growth in our SAT segment, strong margins in CPI, and robust free cash flow. Given the sustained momentum in SAT, we are raising our full year sales guidance. Additionally, we are narrowing our Adjusted EPS guidance range primarily driven by ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty impacting demand in CPI."

The stock is down 20.5% since reporting and currently trades at $51.04.

Best Q3: Napco

Protecting everything from schools to government facilities since 1969, Napco Security Technologies manufactures electronic security devices, access control systems, and communication services for intrusion and fire alarm systems.

Napco reported revenues of $49.17 million, up 11.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.8%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 12.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $38.55.

Weakest Q3: Cognex

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

Cognex reported revenues of $276.9 million, up 18% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also posted an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 16.4% since the results and currently trades at $39.67.

Read our full analysis of Cognex’s results here.

Mirion

With its technology protecting workers in over 130 countries and equipment used in 80% of cancer centers worldwide, Mirion Technologies provides radiation detection, measurement, and monitoring solutions for medical, nuclear energy, defense, and scientific research applications.

Mirion reported revenues of $223.1 million, up 7.9% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

The stock is up 2.3% since reporting and currently trades at $25.77.

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

PAR Technology

Originally founded in 1968 as a defense contractor for the U.S. government, PAR Technology provides cloud-based software, payment processing, and hardware solutions that help restaurants manage everything from point-of-sale to customer loyalty programs.

PAR Technology reported revenues of $119.2 million, up 23.2% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 5.8%. It was a very strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

PAR Technology achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 3.4% since reporting and currently trades at $32.05.

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

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Crane NXT, DXC, Gartner, Kforce, and NetApp Shares Are Soaring, What You Need To Know

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What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after President Trump cooled fears of a transatlantic trade war by calling off scheduled tariffs on European allies.

The rally followed a productive meeting in Davos with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where a "framework of a future deal" regarding Greenland and the Arctic region was established. By explicitly ruling out the use of military force and suspending the 10% tariffs previously set for February 1st, the administration provided the "sigh of relief" the market desperately needed after Tuesday's sharp sell-off.Technology and semiconductor leaders like Nvidia and AMD spearheaded the recovery as investors quickly pivoted back into growth stocks. The "Sell America" trade from the prior session reversed sharply, with the Nasdaq Composite jumping 1.5% and the S&P 500 erasing its 2026 losses. This rebound was further supported by a stabilization in the bond market; as tariff-related inflation fears subsided, the 10-year Treasury yield retreated from its recent highs, creating a more favorable backdrop for equity valuations across the board.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

Specialized Technology company Crane NXT jumped 2.6%. Is now the time to buy Crane NXT? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
IT Services & Consulting company DXC jumped 2.6%. Is now the time to buy DXC? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
IT Services & Consulting company Gartner jumped 4.6%. Is now the time to buy Gartner? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Professional Staffing & HR Solutions company Kforce jumped 3.8%. Is now the time to buy Kforce? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Hardware & Infrastructure company NetApp jumped 3.7%. Is now the time to buy NetApp? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On Gartner (IT)

Gartner’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 11 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 6 months ago when the stock dropped 27.3% on the news that the company lowered its full-year revenue forecast, which overshadowed a better-than-expected second-quarter earnings report. The company trimmed its full-year revenue projection to at least $6.45 billion, down from a previous forecast of around $6.54 billion. This revised outlook fell short of analyst expectations. While Gartner's second-quarter revenue of $1.69 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $3.53 both beat estimates, investors focused on the disappointing guidance for the remainder of the year. The firm also guided its full-year adjusted profit to $11.75 per share, which was below the market's consensus estimate.

Gartner is down 2.6% since the beginning of the year, and at $230.91 per share, it is trading 57.9% below its 52-week high of $548.38 from January 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Gartner’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,431.

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Grid Dynamics, Mirion, Planet Labs, IonQ, and Lumen Shares Skyrocket and Plummet, What You Need To Know

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What Happened?

A number of stocks traded in opposite directions in the afternoon session after geopolitical tensions between the United States and the European Union escalated, sparking fears of a renewed trade war.

The broader markets adopted a "risk-off" mode, with investors seeking safe-haven assets amidst the uncertainty. The market's primary fear gauge, the VIX, jumped to a fresh eight-week high, signaling rising investor anxiety. The dispute, centered on Greenland, raised the possibility of a revived trade conflict, which could disrupt global supply chains and economic activity. Mega-cap technology stocks, many of which have significant international sales and operations, were particularly affected by the souring risk sentiment as a potential trade war threatens their global business models.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

IT Services & Consulting company Grid Dynamics fell 1.9%. Is now the time to buy Grid Dynamics? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Specialized Technology company Mirion fell 0.4%. Is now the time to buy Mirion? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Data & Business Process Services company Planet Labs fell 0.1%. Is now the time to buy Planet Labs? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Hardware & Infrastructure company IonQ jumped 5.7%. Is now the time to buy IonQ? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Terrestrial Telecommunication Services company Lumen fell 5.1%. Is now the time to buy Lumen? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On IonQ (IONQ)

IonQ’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 87 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 29 days ago when the stock gained 12.2% on the news that several Wall Street firms initiated coverage on the company with positive ratings.

Notably, Jefferies started its coverage with a "Buy" rating and set a price target of $100, highlighting the company's technological edge. This suggested significant potential upside. Adding to the bullish sentiment, analysts at Wedbush and Mizuho also began covering the stock with "Outperform" ratings. They set ambitious price targets of $60 and $90, respectively. This wave of positive assessments from multiple financial analysts, all pointing to IonQ's advanced quantum computing capabilities, appeared to fuel strong investor optimism.

IonQ is up 12.6% since the beginning of the year, but at $52.65 per share, it is still trading 35.9% below its 52-week high of $82.09 from October 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of IonQ’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $4,651.

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