CDNS vs. VRSN: Cadence Design Systems vs. VeriSign Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN) 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 VeriSign (VRSN) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but CDNS is classified in Software while VRSN is classified in IT Services.

Company profile comparison for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Profile Item	CDNS	VRSN
Name	Cadence Design Systems, Inc.	VeriSign, Inc.
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	27.69 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	June 10, 1987	January 30, 1998
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CDNS

VRSN

GSPC

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
Total Return (1Y)	3.07%	28.37%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	9.32%	15.25%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	12.93%	5.98%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CDNS

VRSN

GSPC

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	42.21%	28.25%
Beta (5Y)	1.09	0.67
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-34.21%	-38.85%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.41M	869.64K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CDNS and VRSN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.03	0.85
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.04	1.24

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) earns 22.87% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; VeriSign (VRSN) has no ROE this period.

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%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

Max: 53.85%
Q3: 17.90%
Median: 6.59%
Q1: -9.59%
Min: -50.52%
VRSN: --

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): VRSN does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; CDNS is benchmarked against the Software & Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

VeriSign (VRSN) at 49.07% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 22.52% also retains a top-quartile share.

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%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

49.07%

VRSN: 49.07%
Max: 41.17%
Q3: 15.28%
Median: 4.63%
Q1: -5.42%
Min: -33.17%

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their net margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

VeriSign (VRSN) at 68.62% shows unusually strong operating efficiency — above its industry’s operating margin range — and Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 28.93% also operates in the top quartile.

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%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

68.62%

VRSN: 68.62%
Max: 46.89%
Q3: 17.64%
Median: 8.73%
Q1: -2.13%
Min: -30.45%

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
ROE (TTM)	22.87%	--
ROA (TTM)	10.52%	54.90%
Net Margin (TTM)	22.52%	49.07%
Operating Margin (TTM)	28.93%	68.62%
Gross Margin (TTM)	85.68%	88.57%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.12% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 6.37% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 5.45% and VeriSign (VRSN) at 10.13% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	14.12%	6.37%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	14.14%	5.15%
EPS Growth (YoY)	5.45%	10.13%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	9.53%	12.18%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 1.36 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while VeriSign (VRSN) at 0.42 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for VRSN.

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

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

0.42

Max: 5.11
Q3: 2.77
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.01
VRSN: 0.42
Min: 0.03

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41 against its industry range, while VeriSign (VRSN) reports no figure this period.

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

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

Max: 2.52
Q3: 1.13
Median: 0.40
Q1: 0.07
Min: 0.00
VRSN: --

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): VRSN does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; CDNS is benchmarked against the Software & Services industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.36	0.42
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.41	--
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.57	1.09

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports a yield of 1.03%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

1.03%

VRSN: 1.03%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile VeriSign (VRSN) reports a payout of 34.45%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

34.45%

VRSN: 34.45%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	1.03%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	34.45%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

VeriSign (VRSN) at 33.23 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

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

33.23

Max: 112.94
Q3: 60.32
VRSN: 33.23
Median: 32.91
Q1: 18.77
Min: 6.69

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.31 and VeriSign (VRSN) at 15.99 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

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

15.99

Max: 17.91
VRSN: 15.99
Q3: 8.78
Median: 4.25
Q1: 2.23
Min: 0.02

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

VeriSign (VRSN) reports a negative P/B ratio of -12.13, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) reports 12.77, ranking against industry peers normally.

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

VRSN

Software & Services industry group

-12.13

Max: 16.63
Q3: 8.50
Median: 4.30
Q1: 1.92
Min: -3.90
VRSN: -12.13

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) vs. VeriSign (VRSN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and VeriSign (VRSN)
Metric	CDNS	VRSN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	63.60	33.23
P/S Ratio (TTM)	14.31	15.99
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	12.77	-12.13
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.99%	2.89%