VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Crown Castle Inc. vs Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

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

Crown Castle Inc.

CCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$38.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorReal Estate
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
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 Crown Castle Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CCI analysis

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

CDNS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$84.1B
Gross margin (TTM)87.8%
Operating margin (TTM)28.5%
Net margin (TTM)20.4%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
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: both at 84 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Crown Castle Inc. has 2 segments (67% in Towers); Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA).
  • Moat breadth: Crown Castle Inc. has 3 moat types across 3 domains; Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Crown Castle Inc.

Towers

Market

U.S. macrocell tower leasing (wireless site rental)

Geography

United States

Customer

Mobile network operators

Role

Infrastructure owner/lessor

Revenue share

67%

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

Crown Castle Inc.
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CCI - New York Stock Exchange
CDNS - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$38.7B
$84.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
87.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
28.5%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
20.4%
Sector
Real Estate
Technology
Industry
n/a
Software - Application
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Towers
Core EDA
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16%-26% (implied)
29%-31% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
84 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2026-01-02
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

Crown Castle Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of Way

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Crown Castle Inc. segments

Full profile >

Towers

Oligopoly

67%

Fiber (small cells + fiber solutions)

Competitive

33%

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.

View the moat stocks list

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.