C3.ai Inc vs Cadence Design Systems Inc — how do they compare? C3.ai Inc trades at $10.28 (market cap $1.65B), while Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $326.63 (market cap $90.20B). The key difference: Cadence Design Systems Inc is far larger — about 54.7× C3.ai Inc's market cap, and Cadence Design Systems Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, C3.ai Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AI | CDNS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $1.65B | $90.20B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $19.66 | $416.39 |
52-Week Low | $7.76 | $265.66 |
Enterprise Value | $1.08B | $91.41B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
C3.ai (AI) trades at $10.40, up 1.76% with a bullish technical signal despite negative profitability metrics. The company reported Q1 2026 earnings beat but maintains negative net margins of -187.95%. Recent news highlights C3.ai being named a leader in AI platforms by Forrester Research, while technical indicators show RSI levels near 90 suggesting overbought conditions.
The stock faces significant fundamental challenges with persistent losses and negative cash flow, though revenue growth and leadership positioning in enterprise AI provide long-term potential. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $10.20 price target, indicating cautious optimism amid execution risks and competitive pressures in the AI software market.
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) trades at $331.91, down 2.16% amid a bearish technical signal, though it remains supported by strong fundamentals. The company reported Q2 2026 earnings that beat estimates, with revenue growth of 24.2% driven by AI demand, and raised its full-year outlook. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with an average price target of $415.11, representing 25% upside potential from current levels.
The stock offers compelling growth prospects from AI-driven semiconductor design demand, with record backlog of $8.1 billion supporting future revenue visibility. Key risks include high valuation multiples (P/E 65.12) and potential semiconductor cycle volatility. Institutional ownership remains strong with recent position increases by major funds like Amundi.
Trailing returns across standard periods
C3.ai Inc is an enterprise artificial intelligence company. The company provides software-as-a-service applications that enable customers to rapidly develop, deploy, and operate large-scale Enterprise AI applications across any infrastructure. It provides solutions under three divisions namely, The C3 AI Suite, is a comprehensive application development and runtime environment that is designed to allow customers to rapidly design, develop, and deploy Enterprise AI applications of any type
Read more on AI →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 →