VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. vs SS&C Technologies Holdings, 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)$89.1B
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

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.

SSNC · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$21.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-11
Moat score
68/ 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 SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SSNC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA); SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. has 3 segments (82.3% in Software-enabled services).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. 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%

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.

Software-enabled services

Market

Software-enabled outsourcing and subscription services for financial services and healthcare (fund administration, transfer agency, middle/back office BPO, managed IT)

Geography

Global

Customer

Financial services firms (asset/wealth managers, alternative managers, banks, insurers) and healthcare payers/administrators

Role

Service provider / outsourcer (SaaS + BPO)

Revenue share

82.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CDNS - NASDAQ
SSNC - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$89.1B
$21.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
87.8%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
28.5%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
20.4%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
Software - Application
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core EDA
Software-enabled services
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
68 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network
Last update
2025-12-29
2026-01-11

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingLong Term Contracts

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

Design In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleService Field Network

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostCompliance AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkInteroperability Hub

Segment mix

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core EDA

Oligopoly

71%

Semiconductor IP

Oligopoly

13%

System Design and Analysis

Competitive

16%

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Software-enabled services

Oligopoly

82.3%

License, maintenance and related

Oligopoly

17.7%

Funds network connectivity (Calastone)

Oligopoly

n/a

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

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.