VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. vs VeriSign, 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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 84 / 100 for Cadence Design Systems, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 3 segments (71% in Core EDA); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 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%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CDNS - NASDAQ
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$86.5B
n/a
Sector
Technology
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core EDA
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Monopoly
Market share
29%-31% (estimated)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
84 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-29
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingLong Term ContractsDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleService Field Network

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core EDA

Oligopoly

71%

Semiconductor IP

Oligopoly

13%

System Design and Analysis

Competitive

16%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.