Cadence Design Systems Inc vs Fortinet Inc — how do they compare? Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $327.47 (market cap $91.41B), while Fortinet Inc trades at $162.25 (market cap $120.48B). The key difference: Fortinet Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Fortinet 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 | FTNT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $91.41B | $120.48B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $416.39 | $168.29 |
52-Week Low | $265.66 | $74.57 |
Enterprise Value | $92.62B | $116.91B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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).
Fortinet (FTNT) trades at $159.64, down 0.29% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus price target of $174.50. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $0.90 surpassing the $0.746 expectation. Revenue growth remains robust, climbing to $6.80 billion in 2025, while net income margins exceed 28%. Positive media coverage highlights strong AI-driven cybersecurity demand and platform expansion.
Outlook is favorable given earnings momentum and industry tailwinds, but high valuation ratios (P/E of 56.41) pose a risk if growth slows. Investor sentiment is supported by analyst buy ratings (42.65%) and institutional accumulation, though competitive pressures and macroeconomic volatility require monitoring.
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 →Fortinet is a cybersecurity vendor that sells products, support, and services to small and midsize businesses, enterprises, and government entities. Its products include unified threat management appliances, firewalls, network security, and its security platform, Security Fabric. Services revenue is primarily from FortiGuard security subscriptions and FortiCare technical support. At the end of 2021, products were 38% of revenue and services were 62% of sales. The California-based company sells products worldwide.
Read more on FTNT →