Cadence Design Systems Inc vs Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc — how do they compare? Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $325.7 (market cap $90.20B), while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $287.55 (market cap $13.46B). The key difference: Cadence Design Systems Inc is far larger — about 6.7× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Cadence Design Systems Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CDNS | CRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $90.20B | $13.46B |
Sector | Technology | Health |
52-Week High | $416.39 | $282.00 |
52-Week Low | $265.66 | $145.57 |
Enterprise Value | $91.41B | $16.30B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) trades at $326.75, down 1.55% amid a bearish technical signal, though strong fundamentals persist with Q2 2026 earnings beating estimates and AI-driven backlog hitting $8.1B. Revenue growth accelerated to 24% year-over-year, while profitability remains robust with 85.87% gross margins. The stock faces near-term pressure from technical indicators but maintains strong analyst support with an $415.11 consensus target.
The outlook remains positive given Cadence's leadership in semiconductor design software and exposure to AI growth, though high valuations (P/E 65.12) and technical bearishness pose risks. Investor sentiment is buoyed by record backlog and raised 2026 guidance, but competition and macroeconomic sensitivity could challenge further upside.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $286.36, up 3.38% today and near its 52-week high of $277.07. The stock shows strong technical momentum with bullish moving averages and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent Q2 2026 results exceeded expectations with EPS of $3.02 versus $2.77 estimate, driving positive sentiment. However, valuation metrics remain elevated with P/E at 684.85 and negative profitability margins.
While technical indicators and analyst consensus (72% buy ratings) support near-term upside, fundamental concerns persist with negative net income margin (-5.96%) and ROE (-7.7%). The stock faces execution risks in maintaining earnings momentum amid competitive pressures. Current price exceeds consensus target of $277.29, suggesting limited near-term upside potential despite positive business inflection.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Charles River Laboratories was founded in 1947 and is a leading provider of drug discovery and development services. The company's research model & services segment is the leading provider of animal models for laboratory testing, which breeds and delivers animal research models with specific genetic characteristics for preclinical studies around the world. The discovery & safety assessment segment includes services required to take a drug through the early development process, including discovery services. The manufacturing support segment includes microbial solutions, which provides in vitro (non-animal) testing products, biologics testing services, and avian vaccine services.
Read more on CRL →