Price movement over the last 24 hours
AES Corp vs Cadence Design Systems Inc — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.64 (market cap $10.43B), while Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $373.64 (market cap $102.34B). The key difference: Cadence Design Systems Inc is far larger — about 9.8× AES Corp's market cap, and AES Corp pays a 4.81% dividend while Cadence Design Systems Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | CDNS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.43B | $102.34B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $416.39 |
52-Week Low | $11.07 | $265.66 |
Enterprise Value | $39.77B | $104.02B |
Dividend Yield | 4.81% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.62, up 0.27% on the day, with strong fundamentals including a P/E of 7.59 and net income margin of 10.82%. Recent quarters show consistent earnings beats, while technical indicators signal bearish momentum. The company's pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a BlackRock/EQT consortium, approved by stockholders on June 26, 2026, caps near-term upside at $15 per share but provides a stable exit pathway.
The investment case hinges on the acquisition closing, offering a 2.6% gain to the $15 buyout price plus dividend yield. Risks include deal completion uncertainty and shareholder litigation. With no sell-side analysts recommending sell, the stock presents a low-risk arbitrage opportunity with defined upside and limited downside if the transaction proceeds as planned.
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) trades at $371.06, down 0.56% on the day, with strong analyst support showing 84% buy ratings and a $395.88 consensus price target. The stock demonstrates robust fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, 86% gross margins, and 21% net income margins. Recent technical analysis shows neutral momentum with support at $370 and resistance at $380. The company benefits from AI-driven semiconductor design demand and recently announced expanded collaboration with Intel Foundry.
CDNS presents a compelling growth story with strong profitability and market positioning in EDA software. The primary investment thesis centers on sustained AI-driven demand for chip design tools, though elevated valuation multiples (P/E 87.6) require continued execution. Key risks include semiconductor cycle volatility and competitive pressures from Synopsys. Upside potential exists if the company maintains its earnings beat streak and capitalizes on AI infrastructure spending.
Trailing returns across standard periods
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →Cadence Design Systems is a provider of electronic design automation software, intellectual property, and system design and analysis products. EDA software automates the chip design process, enhancing design accuracy, productivity, and complexity in a full-flow end-to-end solution. Cadence offers a portfolio of design IP, as well as system design and analysis products, which enable system-level analysis and verification solutions. Cadence's comprehensive portfolio is benefiting from a mutual convergence of semiconductor companies moving up-stack toward systems-like companies, and systems companies moving down-stack toward in-house chip design. The resulting expansion in EDA customers, alongside secular digitalization of various end markets, benefits EDA vendors like Cadence.
Read more on CDNS →