Cadence Design Systems Inc vs Gartner Inc — how do they compare? Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $327.47 (market cap $91.41B), while Gartner Inc trades at $186.93 (market cap $12.20B). The key difference: Cadence Design Systems Inc is far larger — about 7.5× Gartner Inc's market cap. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CDNS | IT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $91.41B | $12.20B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $416.39 | $264.09 |
52-Week Low | $265.66 | $125.68 |
Enterprise Value | $92.62B | $13.94B |
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).
Gartner (IT) trades at $185.6, up 0.42% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The stock shows robust profitability with a 69.63% gross margin and 12% net income margin, though revenue growth has moderated. Recent news highlights Q2 2026 earnings exceeding expectations and raised full-year EPS guidance, driving positive investor sentiment.
Outlook is supported by valuation discounts (P/E 16.69) and high ROE (113.58%), but risks include consulting segment weakness and negative net cash flow trends. Analysts are mixed with a $172.80 consensus target, suggesting cautious optimism amid execution challenges.
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 →Based in Stamford, Conn., Gartner provides independent research and analysis on information technology and other related technology industries. Its research is delivered to clients' desktops in the form of reports, briefings, and updates. Typical clients are chief information officers and other business executives who help plan companies' IT budgets. Gartner also provides consulting services and hosted nearly 80 IT conferences across the globe in 2007.
Read more on IT →