CDNS vs. SNOW: Cadence Design Systems vs. Snowflake Stock Comparison
How do Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and Snowflake (SNOW) 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 Snowflake (SNOW) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but CDNS is classified in Software while SNOW is classified in IT Services.
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) has more than two decades of public-market history since June 10, 1987, whereas Snowflake (SNOW) listed on September 16, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cadence Design Systems, Inc. | Snowflake Inc. Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | IT Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Internet Services & Infrastructure |
| Market Capitalization | 87.78 billion USD | 97.33 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 10, 1987 | September 16, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.07% | 10.92% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 9.32% | 23.09% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.93% | -5.00% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 42.21% | 67.14% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.09 | 1.33 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -34.21% | -72.99% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.41M | 4.67M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.03 | 0.10 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.04 | 0.17 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative ROE of -48.06%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) reports 22.87%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-48.06%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- SNOW
- -48.06%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative net margin of -20.07%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) reports 22.52%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-20.07%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- SNOW
- -20.07%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative operating margin of -17.00%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) reports 28.93%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-17.00%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- SNOW
- -17.00%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.87% | -48.06% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.52% | -9.02% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.52% | -20.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 28.93% | -17.00% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 85.68% | 67.03% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Snowflake (SNOW) at 29.16% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.12% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for SNOW.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) reports EPS growth of 5.45%, ranked against its industry; Snowflake (SNOW) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 14.12% | 29.16% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.14% | 31.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 5.45% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 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 Snowflake (SNOW) at 0.94 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for SNOW.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.94
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- SNOW
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 0.41 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Snowflake (SNOW) at 1.29 uses more debt funding than most peers.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
1.29
- Max
- 2.52
- SNOW
- 1.29
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.36 | 0.94 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.41 | 1.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.57 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) nor Snowflake (SNOW) 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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 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 Snowflake (SNOW) 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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) trades at 63.60 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Snowflake (SNOW) has no P/E ratio this period.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- SNOW
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.31 and Snowflake (SNOW) at 17.91 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
17.91
- SNOW
- 17.91
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 12.77 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Snowflake (SNOW) at 45.23 prices even higher, above its industry range.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
45.23
- SNOW
- 45.23
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 63.60 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 14.31 | 17.91 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 12.77 | 45.23 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.99% | 1.79% |