Compare Stocks › CDNS vs MS
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS) vs Morgan Stanley (MS)
CDNS
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
$287.40
VS
MS
Morgan Stanley
$158.55
Rewards
CDNS
- ★Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
- ★Gross margin of 86.4% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Cadence Design Systems, Inc. scores 91/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
MS
- ★Gross margin of 87.1% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $6.65 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
- ★PEG ratio of 0.75 suggests the stock is undervalued relative to its growth rate — paying less than 1x for each unit of earnings growth.
Risks
CDNS
- ⚠FCF yield of 1.9% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
- ⚠PEG ratio of 4.86 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
- ⚠5 insider sales totaling $2.9M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
MS
- ⚠High leverage (4.56x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.29 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠7 insider sales totaling $25.2M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →CDNS
MS
Valuation
$1.51B
Free Cash Flow
N/A
1.90%
FCF Yield
N/A
70.96
Trailing P/E
15.53
30.57
Forward P/E
12.89
Quality & Moat
16.87%
ROIC
3.43%
20.26%
ROE
14.42%
86.36%
Gross Margin
87.06%
4.86
PEG Ratio
0.75
Balance Sheet Safety
0.49
Debt / Equity
4.56
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
-0.26
Net Debt / EBITDA
N/A
N/A
Dividend Yield
2.52%
CDNS: 3Ties: 2MS: 3
CDNSMS
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →CDNS
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
MS
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →CDNS
$12.84
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$3.21B
Δ Market Cap
+$41.16B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
MS
$6.65
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$20.84B
Δ Market Cap
+$138.59B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →CDNS
68.2% Overvalued
Price is 68.2% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $287.40
Strongly undervalued
Fairly valued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $170.90
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
MS
45.5% Margin of Safety
Price is 45.5% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $158.55
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $290.92
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →CDNS
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $287?
+25.1%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +20.8%
The market implies +25.1% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +20.8%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
MS
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →CDNS
91/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
MS
32/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
No durable moat detected, though revenue predictability shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →CDNS
-2.52
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
MS
-2.09
Possible Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →CDNS
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 90.2%Retail & Other 9.5%
No. of Institutional Holders2,099
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
MS
Insiders 24.0%Institutions 62.7%Retail & Other 13.3%
No. of Institutional Holders3,181
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →CDNS
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $13,875
GAVRIELOV MOSHE NACHUM
Director
$13,875
@ $256.94 · 2025-03-28
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
MS
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $5,630
PETERSON DOUGLAS L
Director
$5,630
@ $156.39 · 2025-10-17
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →CDNS
5
Sells (3M)
31
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $45.08M
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$297,780
@ $297.78 · 2026-03-02
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$295,090
@ $295.09 · 2026-02-02
GAVRIELOV MOSHE NACHUM
Director
$7,898
@ $315.92 · 2026-01-21
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$2.01M
@ $317.96 · 2026-01-08
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$315,700
@ $315.70 · 2026-01-02
WALL JOHN M
Chief Financial Officer
$8.86M
@ $318.57 · 2025-12-16
SCANNELL PAUL
Officer
$1.86M
@ $339.43 · 2025-12-10
BRENNAN ITA M
Director
$60,747
@ $337.48 · 2025-12-10
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$2.02M
@ $337.99 · 2025-12-08
DEVGAN ANIRUDH
Chief Executive Officer
$6.80M
@ $340.00 · 2025-12-05
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$312,640
@ $312.64 · 2025-12-01
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$1.88M
@ $324.94 · 2025-11-06
DEVGAN ANIRUDH
Chief Executive Officer
$1.82M
@ $327.80 · 2025-11-05
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$340,260
@ $340.26 · 2025-11-03
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$348,270
@ $348.27 · 2025-10-01
WALL JOHN M
Chief Financial Officer
$2.62M
@ $349.16 · 2025-09-30
BRENNAN ITA M
Director
$60,213
@ $334.52 · 2025-09-10
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$343,950
@ $343.95 · 2025-09-02
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$2.94M
@ $350.10 · 2025-08-18
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$358,720
@ $358.72 · 2025-08-01
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$2.84M
@ $312.69 · 2025-07-17
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$306,350
@ $306.35 · 2025-07-01
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$2.68M
@ $300.92 · 2025-06-17
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$302,000
@ $302.00 · 2025-06-13
BRENNAN ITA M
Director
$54,720
@ $304.00 · 2025-06-10
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$185,880
@ $285.97 · 2025-06-02
DEVGAN ANIRUDH
Chief Executive Officer
$3.33M
@ $310.00 · 2025-05-02
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$196,950
@ $303.00 · 2025-05-01
SCANNELL PAUL
Officer
$1.41M
@ $300.00 · 2025-04-29
BRENNAN ITA M
Director
$49,500
@ $275.00 · 2025-04-24
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$164,216
@ $252.64 · 2025-04-01
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$455,562
@ $246.25 · 2025-03-17
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$164,274
@ $252.73 · 2025-03-03
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$169,073
@ $296.10 · 2025-02-18
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$3.88M
@ $303.94 · 2025-02-10
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$190,008
@ $292.32 · 2025-02-03
DEVGAN ANIRUDH
Chief Executive Officer
$28.88M
@ $310.00 · 2025-01-06
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$3.75M
@ $299.85 · 2025-01-03
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$198,146
@ $304.84 · 2025-01-02
DEVGAN ANIRUDH
Chief Executive Officer
$1.80M
@ $304.04 · 2025-01-02
WALL JOHN M
Chief Financial Officer
$1.31M
@ $309.03 · 2024-12-18
SCANNELL PAUL
Officer
$969,628
@ $305.78 · 2024-12-13
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$199,024
@ $306.19 · 2024-12-02
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$1.79M
@ $310.17 · 2024-11-22
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$2.96M
@ $295.60 · 2024-11-15
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$447,675
@ $298.45 · 2024-11-15
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$179,400
@ $276.00 · 2024-11-01
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$425,490
@ $283.66 · 2024-10-15
WALL JOHN M
Chief Financial Officer
$6,589
@ $263.56 · 2024-10-08
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$177,736
@ $273.44 · 2024-10-01
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$181,871
@ $275.98 · 2024-09-17
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$413,970
@ $275.98 · 2024-09-17
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$173,478
@ $266.89 · 2024-09-03
WALL JOHN M
Chief Financial Officer
$2.66M
@ $265.91 · 2024-08-28
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$339,021
@ $279.49 · 2024-08-16
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$2.76M
@ $276.36 · 2024-08-15
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$414,360
@ $276.24 · 2024-08-15
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$173,056
@ $266.24 · 2024-08-01
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$471,855
@ $314.57 · 2024-07-15
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$184,650
@ $307.75 · 2024-07-01
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$200,038
@ $307.75 · 2024-07-01
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$3.06M
@ $305.84 · 2024-07-01
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$463,635
@ $309.09 · 2024-06-14
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$191,750
@ $295.00 · 2024-06-11
TENG CHIN-CHI
Officer
$9.57M
@ $297.45 · 2024-06-06
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$172,386
@ $287.31 · 2024-06-03
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$430,705
@ $287.14 · 2024-05-15
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$165,216
@ $275.36 · 2024-05-01
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$275,360
@ $275.36 · 2024-05-01
SANGIOVANNI VINCENTELLI ALBERTO
Director
$463,238
@ $308.83 · 2024-04-15
NISEWANER KARNA
General Counsel
$186,276
@ $310.46 · 2024-04-01
CUNNINGHAM PAUL ALEXANDER
Officer
$310,460
@ $310.46 · 2024-04-01
WALL JOHN M
Chief Financial Officer
$6.76M
@ $311.40 · 2024-03-28
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
MS
7
Sells (3M)
16
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $62.45M
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$6.02M
@ $182.61 · 2026-01-30
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$3.97M
@ $184.00 · 2026-01-20
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$1.44M
@ $183.45 · 2026-01-20
YESHAYA SHARON
Chief Financial Officer
$2.94M
@ $185.77 · 2026-01-20
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$1.55M
@ $182.08 · 2026-01-20
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$3.69M
@ $184.55 · 2026-01-20
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$5.57M
@ $183.62 · 2026-01-20
PICK EDWARD N.
Chief Executive Officer
$16.43M
@ $164.34 · 2025-10-31
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.69M
@ $141.12 · 2025-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$4.09M
@ $141.13 · 2025-07-17
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$2.81M
@ $140.30 · 2025-07-17
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.53M
@ $140.62 · 2025-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$3.70M
@ $127.37 · 2025-05-12
HERZ ROBERT H
Director
$95,459
@ $119.32 · 2025-05-02
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$4.80M
@ $120.00 · 2025-05-02
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.12M
@ $111.65 · 2025-04-15
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$1.15M
@ $138.06 · 2025-01-22
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.78M
@ $136.20 · 2025-01-21
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$5.00M
@ $136.61 · 2025-01-21
AKRAM RAJA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.38M
@ $136.01 · 2025-01-21
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.52M
@ $136.92 · 2025-01-21
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$4.20M
@ $136.43 · 2025-01-21
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$368,375
@ $105.25 · 2024-07-26
AKRAM RAJA
Officer
$797,764
@ $106.37 · 2024-07-18
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$4.26M
@ $106.54 · 2024-07-17
HERZ ROBERT H
Director
$106,621
@ $106.62 · 2024-07-17
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$692,663
@ $99.61 · 2024-05-14
GORMAN JAMES P
Officer and Director
$9.02M
@ $90.21 · 2024-04-18
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$1.01M
@ $90.09 · 2024-04-17
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →CDNS
😐Neutral(42/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
MS
😐Neutral(48/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →CDNS
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (42)
MS
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (48)