VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Stock Comparison

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. vs S&P Global Inc.

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

S&P Global Inc.

SPGI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
77/ 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 S&P Global Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SPGI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 77 / 100 for S&P Global Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA); S&P Global Inc. has 5 segments (32.6% in S&P Global Market Intelligence).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; S&P Global Inc. has 9 across 5.

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%

S&P Global Inc.

S&P Global Market Intelligence

Market

Financial market data, analytics, and workflow tools for institutions

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B (institutional investors, banks, insurers, corporates)

Role

Data/analytics and workflow software provider

Revenue share

32.6%

Side-by-side metrics

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
S&P Global Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CDNS - NASDAQ
SPGI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$86.5B
n/a
Sector
Technology
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core EDA
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29%-31% (estimated)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
84 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-29
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingLong Term ContractsDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleService Field Network

S&P Global Inc. strengths

Scope EconomiesRegulated Standards PipeBrand TrustDe Facto StandardCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs GeneralEcosystem ComplementsBenchmark Pricing Power

Segment mix

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core EDA

Oligopoly

71%

Semiconductor IP

Oligopoly

13%

System Design and Analysis

Competitive

16%

S&P Global Inc. segments

Full profile >

S&P Global Market Intelligence

Oligopoly

32.6%

S&P Global Ratings

Oligopoly

29.6%

S&P Global Commodity Insights

Oligopoly

15.1%

S&P Global Mobility

Competitive

11.3%

S&P Dow Jones Indices

Oligopoly

11.4%

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.