Key facts, as of
As of October 7, 2026, Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) trades at $359.55, up 1.8% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $262.75 to $416.69; the price is 13.7% below that high. It is 13.7% below its all-time high of $416.69, reached in June 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +1193.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 10.3% above its 200-day average of $326.10, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 33.6% annualized, which we rate high risk. It has a trailing P/E of 71.5.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) stock analysis", 2026-10-07. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/cdns
Where it trades today
trading 63% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) is 13.7% below its all-time high of $416.69, reached in June 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +1193.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- Execution usually depends on product cycles, cloud demand, and how efficiently new AI or software capex converts into durable revenue.
- CDNS trades at 71.5x earnings, well above the technology average of 28.5x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- Recent realized volatility is running around 33.6%, above the sector norm of 28.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- CDNS is in a bullish short-term regime and only 13.7% below its 52-week high, so the question is whether fundamentals can keep pace with that stronger tape.
Portfolio Use Case
- CDNS is more useful for investors comparing conviction names inside technology than for someone looking for a passive “set and forget” holding.
- The risk profile looks balanced enough for a diversified core-plus portfolio, provided the position size reflects sector concentration.
- It is best monitored alongside valuation discipline, because strong narratives in technology can stay expensive longer than expected.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in CDNS.
- If the short-term trend rolls over while volume fades, the market may stop paying up for momentum before the fundamentals change.
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for CDNS come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Technology so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as AAPL, MSFT, NVDA.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for CDNS. Last refresh: Oct 7, 2026, 9:55 AM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as AAPL, MSFT, NVDA.
What Cadence Design Systems does
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. develops computational, AI-driven software, hardware, and silicon intellectual property products and solutions. The company offers functional verification services, such as Jasper, a formal verification platform; Xcelium, a parallel logic simulation platform; Verisium, a generative AI solution; Palladium, an enterprise emulation platform; and Protium, a prototyping platform for chip verification, as well as digital IC design and sign off products, including In novus platform; and custom IC design and simulation product include Virtuoso, a platform to design and verify analog. It also provides Xcelium logic simulator and other front-end verification and virtual…
What analysts expect
CDNS carries a strong buy consensus from 26 analysts, with an average price target of $405.47 versus $359.55 today (+12.8%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
CDNS generated $5.84B in trailing revenue (24.2% year over year), with a 23.6% net margin, and $1.61B of free cash flow, against $1.12B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5.30B | $4.57B | $1.65B | $1.11B | $4.09 | $1.59B |
| 2024 | $4.64B | $3.99B | $1.38B | $1.06B | $3.89 | $1.12B |
| 2023 | $4.09B | $3.65B | $1.26B | $1.04B | $3.86 | $1.25B |
| 2022 | $3.56B | $3.19B | $1.07B | $848.95M | $3.13 | $1.12B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
Which ETFs hold it
CDNS is in 11 of the 30 ETFs we track. It weighs most in SMH: 1.89% of the fund, holding #16 of 25.
How it sits in technology
High-growth sector driven by innovation, cloud computing, AI, and digital transformation.
The companies it competes with
CDNS beside the technology names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Back above its 50-day average, still under the long-term trend.
recovering- Price is 12.5% above its 50-day average and 10.3% above its 200-day.
- The 50-day crossed below the 200-day on 2026-09-18 (a “death cross”).
- RSI at 74 is overbought: strong momentum, and stretched.
- Nothing above has stopped it this year; the nearest floor is $344.51 (-4.2%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is CDNS a good investment in 2026?
Cadence Design Systems trades at a P/E ratio of 71.5, with high volatility (33.6% annualized). Recent momentum is positive.
What is the risk level of CDNS?
Based on 30-day volatility of 33.6%, CDNS has HIGH risk. Beta of 1.13 indicates higher sensitivity to market movements than average.
Does CDNS pay dividends?
Cadence Design Systems currently does not pay a regular dividend.
How far is CDNS from its all-time high?
Cadence Design Systems is 13.7% below its all-time high of $416.69, reached in June 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +1193.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold CDNS?
11 of the 30 popular ETFs we track hold Cadence Design Systems. The largest weights: SMH (1.89%), JEPI (0.51%), XLK (0.50%), QQQM (0.40%) and VGT (0.40%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated August 31 to October 1, 2026.
How much of VOO is CDNS?
0.14%, as of August 31, 2026: CDNS is holding #128 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $1.41 in Cadence Design Systems.
What is the analyst price target for CDNS?
The average analyst price target for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) is $405.47 based on 26 analyst estimates, about 12.8% above the current price of $359.55. The published range runs from $300.00 to $470.00.
How much revenue does CDNS generate?
Cadence Design Systems reported $5.84B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 24.2% year over year. Net margin sits at 23.6%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare CDNS with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.