Arm Holdings plc vs Cadence Design Systems Inc — how do they compare? Arm Holdings plc trades at $268.5 (market cap $286.06B), while Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $327.47 (market cap $91.41B). The key difference: Arm Holdings plc is far larger — about 3.1× Cadence Design Systems Inc's market cap. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARM | CDNS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $286.06B | $91.41B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $439.46 | $416.39 |
52-Week Low | $104.55 | $265.66 |
Enterprise Value | $282.64B | $92.62B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ARM stock trades at $282.57, down 1.43% over 24 hours, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and key support at $272. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $0.45 beating the $0.40 estimate. Revenue grew to $4.01B in 2025, with a net income margin of 20.25%, though valuation multiples remain elevated with a P/E of 273.32.
The outlook is positive due to AI-driven growth in licensing and royalties, with management targeting $25B revenue by FY31. However, risks include stretched valuation, smartphone market headwinds, and execution challenges. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $329.80 price target, suggesting 17% upside from current levels.
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) trades at $339.24, up 0.24% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and strong fundamental performance. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $2.11 surpassing expectations. Revenue growth is robust, driven by AI demand, with 2025 revenue reaching $5.30 billion and a net income margin of 23.61%. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with 83.87% recommending Buy and a consensus price target of $415.11.
The outlook for CDNS is favorable, supported by strong AI-driven demand, record backlog of $8.1 billion as of Q2 2026 (Zacks Investment Research, 2026-07-30), and upwardly revised guidance. Risks include high valuation multiples, such as a P/E of 67.44, and potential market volatility amid semiconductor sector fluctuations. Institutional confidence remains high, with Amundi increasing its stake by 3.8% in Q1 2026 (Defense World, 2026-07-30).
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Arm Holdings designs the architecture for high-performance, energy-efficient processors used in nearly all smartphones and millions of other devices. Its intellectual property powers global computing from mobile to AI.
Read more on ARM →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 →