CDNS vs. PTC: Cadence Design Systems vs. PTC Stock Comparison
How do Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and PTC (PTC) 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
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and PTC (PTC) are both classified in the Application Software sub-industry within the broader Software industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cadence Design Systems, Inc. | PTC 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 | 87.78 billion USD | 21.19 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 10, 1987 | December 8, 1989 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.07% | 11.18% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 9.32% | 9.59% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.93% | 9.86% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 42.21% | 48.48% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.09 | 0.90 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -34.21% | -48.12% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.41M | 2.42M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.03 | 0.14 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.04 | 0.27 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 22.87% and PTC (PTC) at 28.55% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
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%
PTC
Software & Services industry group
28.55%
- Max
- 53.85%
- PTC
- 28.55%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 22.52% and PTC (PTC) at 37.80% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
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%
PTC
Software & Services industry group
37.80%
- Max
- 41.17%
- PTC
- 37.80%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 28.93% and PTC (PTC) at 32.87% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
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%
PTC
Software & Services industry group
32.87%
- Max
- 46.89%
- PTC
- 32.87%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.87% | 28.55% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.52% | 8.86% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.52% | 37.80% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 28.93% | 32.87% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 85.68% | 83.29% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.12% and PTC (PTC) at 19.18% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
PTC (PTC) at 96.79% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 5.45% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for PTC.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 14.12% | 19.18% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.14% | 12.32% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 5.45% | 96.79% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.53% | 32.32% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) shows current ratio of 1.36 against its industry benchmark, while PTC (PTC) has no reading this period.
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
PTC
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
- PTC
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 0.41 and PTC (PTC) at 0.53 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
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
PTC
Software & Services industry group
0.53
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- PTC
- 0.53
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.36 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.41 | 0.53 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.57 | 1.50 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) nor PTC (PTC) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
PTC
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PTC
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) nor PTC (PTC) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
PTC
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PTC
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
PTC (PTC) at 21.84 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.
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
PTC
Software & Services industry group
21.84
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- PTC
- 21.84
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
PTC (PTC) at 7.75 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.
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
PTC
Software & Services industry group
7.75
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- PTC
- 7.75
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
PTC (PTC) at 6.22 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 12.77 carries an above-peer premium to book — CDNS is pricier on assets.
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
PTC
Software & Services industry group
6.22
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- PTC
- 6.22
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | PTC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 63.60 | 21.84 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 14.31 | 7.75 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 12.77 | 6.22 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.99% | -- |