VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. vs QUALCOMM Incorporated

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

QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
70/ 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View QCOM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for QUALCOMM Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA); QUALCOMM Incorporated has 4 segments (62.8% in Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; QUALCOMM Incorporated has 7 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%

QUALCOMM Incorporated

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Market

Smartphone application processors and cellular modem/RF platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Smartphone OEMs

Role

fabless semiconductor/platform supplier

Revenue share

62.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
CDNS - NASDAQ
QCOM - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$86.5B
n/a
Sector
Technology
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core EDA
Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29%-31% (estimated)
22%-26% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
84 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-29
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term ContractsDesign In QualificationIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow Scale

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingInstalled Base ConsumablesService Field Network

QUALCOMM Incorporated strengths

Keystone ComponentEcosystem ComplementsScope Economies

Segment mix

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core EDA

Oligopoly

71%

Semiconductor IP

Oligopoly

13%

System Design and Analysis

Competitive

16%

QUALCOMM Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Oligopoly

62.8%

Automotive silicon (connectivity, digital cockpit, ADAS/AD)

Oligopoly

8.9%

IoT silicon (consumer, industrial, edge networking)

Competitive

14.9%

Wireless technology licensing (cellular SEPs, royalties)

Oligopoly

12.6%

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.