Key facts, as of
As of September 29, 2026, Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) trades at $324.17, down 7.0% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $262.75 to $416.69; the price is 22.2% below that high. It sits 0.4% below its 200-day average of $325.42, the usual sign of a long-term downtrend. Its 30-day volatility is 44.8% annualized, which we rate high risk. It has a trailing P/E of 64.4.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) stock analysis", 2026-09-29. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/cdns
Where it trades today
trading 40% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
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 64.4x 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 44.8%, above the sector norm of 28.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- Relative performance versus AAPL, MSFT, NVDA matters here because leadership inside technology rarely stays static for long.
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.
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
- There is little income cushion here, so total return depends mainly on price appreciation and execution staying on track.
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: Sep 29, 2026, 10:33 PM.
- 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 $324.17 today (+25.1%). 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.
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 1.9% above its 50-day average and 0.4% below its 200-day.
- The 50-day crossed below the 200-day on 2026-09-18 (a “death cross”).
- RSI at 60 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- The nearest ceiling is $328.46 (+1.3%), the nearest floor $315.01 (-2.8%).
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 buy right now?
Cadence Design Systems trades at 64.4x earnings. This is above market average, reflecting growth expectations. Current risk level is High based on 44.8% volatility.
Does CDNS pay dividends?
Cadence Design Systems does not currently pay a regular dividend. The company may be reinvesting profits for growth.
How volatile is CDNS?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 44.8% and beta of 1.14, CDNS is classified as High risk. Expect larger swings than the broader market during volatile periods.
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 25.1% above the current price of $324.17. 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.