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Cadence — software card

CDNS
LargeRevenue $5.8B TTM4-quarter TTM
Close · Oct 16, 2026319.51P/E 63.5 · EV $88.9B
EV / revenue15.2×EV / gross profit 17.2×
Rule of 4043growth +15% + FCF +29%
−7% below 5y medianEV / revenue vs. its own five years
Board median EV / revenue10.2×five-year median 11.8× · −14%
Median Rule of 405321 of 24 above the line
Median revenue growth18%a year ago 15% · accelerating
Median SBC / revenue11%FCF margin 30% → 16% ex-SBC
Lights on0 of 3prices Oct 16, 2026 · TTM through Aug 31, 2026

Against the line

growth + FCF margin, in points
line 40score 43
growth 15 ptFCF margin 29 pt

Growth +15% plus FCF margin +29% is 43 points, 3 above the line at 40. Counting the stock as an expense: 35 points.

Where it has traded

quarter-end EV / revenue · 20 quarters · Oct 2, 2021 → Jun 30, 2026
10×13×16×19×22×2021202220232024202520262021-10-02 · 14.1× (close 153.01 · TTM revenue 2.98B)2021-12-31 · 17.1× (close 186.35 · TTM revenue 2.99B)2022-04-02 · 14.3× (close 165.63 · TTM revenue 3.15B)2022-07-02 · 12.3× (close 149.64 · TTM revenue 3.28B)2022-10-01 · 13.0× (close 163.43 · TTM revenue 3.43B)2022-12-31 · 12.3× (close 160.64 · TTM revenue 3.56B)2023-03-31 · 15.5× (close 210.09 · TTM revenue 3.68B)2023-06-30 · 16.8× (close 234.52 · TTM revenue 3.80B)2023-09-30 · 16.2× (close 234.30 · TTM revenue 3.92B)2023-12-31 · 18.1× (close 272.37 · TTM revenue 4.09B)2024-03-31 · 20.8× (close 311.28 · TTM revenue 4.08B)2024-06-30 · 20.3× (close 307.75 · TTM revenue 4.16B)2024-09-30 · 17.1× (close 271.03 · TTM revenue 4.35B)2024-12-31 · 17.7× (close 300.46 · TTM revenue 4.64B)2025-03-31 · 14.2× (close 254.33 · TTM revenue 4.87B)2025-06-30 · 16.5× (close 308.15 · TTM revenue 5.09B)2025-09-30 · 18.4× (close 351.26 · TTM revenue 5.21B)2025-12-31 · 16.0× (close 312.58 · TTM revenue 5.30B)2026-03-31 · 14.0× (close 277.87 · TTM revenue 5.53B)2026-06-30 · 17.9× (close 375.32 · TTM revenue 5.84B)p75 18×med 16×p25 14×now 15.2×
Five-year median 16.3×, middle half 14.2–17.7×, range 12.3–20.8×. Now 15.2×: −7% below its own median, higher than 35% of those quarters.Each quarter at its own close, shares and balance sheet · the band is the 25th–75th percentile

What the cash flow really is

TTM through Jun 30, 2026 · $B
0246Revenue: 5.8 $B5.8RevenueCost of revenue: −0.7 $B−0.7Cost ofrevenueGross profit: 5.2 $B5.2GrossprofitR&D: −1.9 $B−1.9R&DSales & G&A: −1.2 $B−1.2Sales &G&AOther operating: −0.2 $B−0.2OtheroperatingOperating income: 1.8 $B1.8OperatingincomeAdd back SBC: 0.5 $B0.5Add backSBCD&A & working cap.: −0.5 $B−0.5D&A &working cap.Operating cash flow: 1.9 $B1.9Operatingcash flowCapex: −0.2 $B−0.2CapexFCF: 1.7 $B1.7FCFLess SBC: −0.5 $B−0.5LessSBCFCF ex-SBC: 1.2 $B1.2FCFex-SBC
FCF 1.68B − SBC 0.51B = 1.16B ex-SBC · operating income 1.80B is the GAAP figure after SBC

Against its scale group

CDNS (blue) vs. the other Large companies on the board (14), grey
Revenue growth+15% vs. +27%
Gross margin88% vs. 74%
FCF margin+29% vs. +33%
SBC / revenue9% vs. 15%
Rule of 4043 vs. 60
EV / revenue15.2× vs. 19.0×

Group averages are the plain mean of the other companies in the same scale group with a usable window.

Quarter by quarter

8 quarters · Sep 30, 2024 → Jun 30, 2026 · a gap is a dropped quarter
Revenue, $B1.58
Growth YoY, quarter+24%
FCF margin, quarter+37%
SBC / revenue, quarter9%