VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

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

American Express Company

AXP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
52/ 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 American Express Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AXP 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: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

American Express Company

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Market

U.S. premium consumer card issuing (charge and credit) and attached consumer banking and financing

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers

Role

Issuer (proprietary cards) and consumer lender/services

Revenue share

47.5%

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

American Express Company
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
CDNS - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$86.5B
Sector
Financials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Core EDA
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
29%-31% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Strong
Moat score
52 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

American Express Company strengths

Brand TrustSwitching Costs GeneralCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleService Field Network

Segment mix

American Express Company segments

Full profile >

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Competitive

47.5%

Commercial Services (CS)

Competitive

23.9%

International Card Services (ICS)

Competitive

17.3%

Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS)

Oligopoly

11.3%

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?

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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.