VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Stock Comparison

Apple Inc. vs Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Apple Inc.

AAPL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$3T
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-20
Moat score
87/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Apple Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AAPL analysis

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

CDNS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$86.5B
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
84/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Cadence Design Systems, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CDNS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Apple Inc. leads (87 / 100 vs 84 / 100 for Cadence Design Systems, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Apple Inc. has 5 segments (50.4% in iPhone); Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA).
  • Moat breadth: Apple Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Apple Inc.

iPhone

Market

Smartphones (with focus on premium smartphones and iOS ecosystem devices)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and enterprises (end-users), plus carrier/retail channels

Role

OEM / platform owner

Revenue share

50.4%

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Core EDA

Market

Electronic design automation tools for semiconductor IC design and verification (digital, custom/analog, signoff, functional verification)

Geography

Global

Customer

Semiconductor designers (fabless and IDMs) and system companies with in-house silicon teams

Role

Tool vendor / workflow platform

Revenue share

71%

Side-by-side metrics

Apple Inc.
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AAPL - NASDAQ
CDNS - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$3T
$86.5B
Sector
Technology
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
iPhone
Core EDA
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
14%-17% (reported)
29%-31% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
87 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Supply
Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-20
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Installed Base Consumables

Apple Inc. strengths

Brand TrustEcosystem ComplementsScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs GeneralDefault OS GatewayTwo Sided Network

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingLong Term ContractsDesign In QualificationIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleService Field Network

Segment mix

Apple Inc. segments

Full profile >

iPhone

Oligopoly

50.4%

Mac

Oligopoly

8.1%

iPad

Oligopoly

6.7%

Wearables, Home and Accessories

Competitive

8.6%

Services

Quasi-Monopoly

26.2%

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core EDA

Oligopoly

71%

Semiconductor IP

Oligopoly

13%

System Design and Analysis

Competitive

16%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.