Cadence Design Systems Inc vs Halliburton Company — how do they compare? Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $326.51 (market cap $91.41B), while Halliburton Company trades at $33.87 (market cap $28.03B). The key difference: Cadence Design Systems Inc is far larger — about 3.3× Halliburton Company's market cap, and Halliburton Company pays a 2.02% dividend while Cadence Design Systems Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CDNS | HAL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $91.41B | $28.03B |
Sector | Technology | Energy |
52-Week High | $416.39 | $42.98 |
52-Week Low | $265.66 | $20.50 |
Enterprise Value | $92.62B | $34.18B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.02% |
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).
Halliburton (HAL) trades at $31.89, down 1.91% amid technical bearish signals despite strong fundamentals. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $0.55, beating estimates, with revenue growth driven by international contracts. Valuation metrics remain attractive with P/E of 16.7 and P/S of 1.2, while analyst consensus shows 73% buy ratings with a $43.60 price target. Recent news highlights contract wins in Kuwait and Australia, though Middle East volatility presents near-term headwinds.
HAL offers value with solid earnings momentum and global expansion, but faces execution risks from geopolitical tensions and oil market volatility. The stock's current discount to analyst targets presents opportunity, though technical weakness suggests cautious entry timing. Long-term growth prospects remain intact through technology leadership and international contract pipeline.
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 →Halliburton is one of the three largest oilfield service firms in the world, offering superior expertise in a number of business lines, including completion fluids, wireline services, cementing, and countless others. It's the number one pressure pumper in North America, and has been a leading innovator in hydraulic fracturing over the last two decades.
Read more on HAL →