ADSK vs. CDNS: Autodesk vs. Cadence Design Systems Stock Comparison
How do Autodesk (ADSK) and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Autodesk (ADSK) and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) are both classified in the Application Software sub-industry within the broader Software industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Autodesk Inc. | Cadence Design Systems, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Application Software |
| Market Capitalization | 54.70 billion USD | 87.78 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 28, 1985 | June 10, 1987 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -11.86% | 3.07% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 8.57% | 9.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -4.48% | 12.93% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 40.23% | 42.21% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.22 | 1.09 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -50.75% | -34.21% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.05M | 2.41M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.40 | -0.03 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.57 | -0.04 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 53.85% and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 22.87% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
53.85%
- ADSK
- 53.85%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
22.87%
- Max
- 53.85%
- CDNS
- 22.87%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Autodesk (ADSK) at 21.08% and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 22.52% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
21.08%
- Max
- 41.17%
- ADSK
- 21.08%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
22.52%
- Max
- 41.17%
- CDNS
- 22.52%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 29.23% and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 28.93% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
29.23%
- Max
- 46.89%
- ADSK
- 29.23%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
28.93%
- Max
- 46.89%
- CDNS
- 28.93%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 53.85% | 22.87% |
| ROA (TTM) | 11.47% | 10.52% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 21.08% | 22.52% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 29.23% | 28.93% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 92.50% | 85.68% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 17.53% and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.12% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 2.15% and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 5.45% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 17.53% | 14.12% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 12.92% | 14.14% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 2.15% | 5.45% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 11.43% | 9.53% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 1.36 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Autodesk (ADSK) at 0.86 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ADSK.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
0.86
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- ADSK
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.03
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
1.36
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- CDNS
- 1.36
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 1.10 and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 0.41 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
1.10
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- ADSK
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
0.41
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- CDNS
- 0.41
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.86 | 1.36 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.10 | 0.41 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.20 | 0.57 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Autodesk (ADSK) nor Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ADSK
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CDNS
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Autodesk (ADSK) nor Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ADSK
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CDNS
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Autodesk (ADSK) at 33.95 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 63.60 sits in the richer quartile — CDNS needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
33.95
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- ADSK
- 33.95
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
63.60
- Max
- 112.94
- CDNS
- 63.60
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Autodesk (ADSK) at 7.02 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.31 sits in the pricier quartile — CDNS costs more per dollar of sales.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
7.02
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- ADSK
- 7.02
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
14.31
- Max
- 17.91
- CDNS
- 14.31
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 16.17 and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 12.77 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
16.17
- Max
- 16.63
- ADSK
- 16.17
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
12.77
- Max
- 16.63
- CDNS
- 12.77
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | CDNS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 33.95 | 63.60 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 7.02 | 14.31 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 16.17 | 12.77 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 5.77% | 1.99% |