VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Stock Comparison

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. vs Microsoft Corporation

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

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

Microsoft Corporation

MSFT · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$3.6T
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
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 Microsoft Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSFT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 84 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA); Microsoft Corporation has 3 segments (42.9% in Productivity and Business Processes).
  • Moat breadth: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Microsoft Corporation has 9 across 4.

Primary market context

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%

Microsoft Corporation

Productivity and Business Processes

Market

Enterprise productivity & collaboration suites, business applications, and professional network platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises, SMBs, consumers, recruiters/advertisers

Role

SaaS platform + professional network

Revenue share

42.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
CDNS - NASDAQ
MSFT - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$86.5B
$3.6T
Sector
Technology
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core EDA
Productivity and Business Processes
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29%-31% (estimated)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
84 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-29
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingLong Term ContractsCapex Knowhow Scale

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

Design In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointService Field Network

Microsoft Corporation strengths

Two Sided NetworkEcosystem ComplementsOperational ExcellenceDefault OS GatewayContent Rights Currency

Segment mix

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core EDA

Oligopoly

71%

Semiconductor IP

Oligopoly

13%

System Design and Analysis

Competitive

16%

Microsoft Corporation segments

Full profile >

Productivity and Business Processes

Oligopoly

42.9%

Intelligent Cloud

Oligopoly

37.7%

More Personal Computing

Quasi-Monopoly

19.4%

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.