Cadence Design Systems Inc vs Nokia Corp — how do they compare? Cadence Design Systems Inc trades at $327.5 (market cap $91.41B), while Nokia Corp trades at $9.9 (market cap $51.87B). The key difference: Cadence Design Systems Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Nokia Corp pays a 1.79% dividend while Cadence Design Systems Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CDNS | NOK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $91.41B | $51.87B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $416.39 | $16.83 |
52-Week Low | $265.66 | $4.13 |
Enterprise Value | $92.62B | $49.82B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.79% |
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).
Nokia (NOK) trades at $9.37, down 0.53% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and neutral oscillators. The company reported mixed quarterly earnings, beating in Q2 2026 but missing in Q1, with Q3 results pending. Revenue for 2025 was $19.89B, with a net income margin of 3.47%. Analyst consensus is 60% buy, supported by strong cash flow from operations of $2.07B in 2025 and a focus on AI and cloud infrastructure growth.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic due to AI demand boosting earnings, but risks include telecom spending volatility and high P/E of 67.5. The stock offers growth potential from AI networking, yet investors face margin pressures and competitive threats in the telecom equipment sector.
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 →Nokia is a leading vendor in the telecommunications equipment industry. The company's network business derives revenue from selling wireless and fixed-line hardware, software, and services. Nokia's technology segment licenses its patent portfolio to handset manufacturers and makes royalties from Nokia-branded cellphones. The company, headquartered in Espoo, Finland, operates on a global scale, with most of its revenue from communication service providers.
Read more on NOK →