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Side-by-side financial comparison of Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and EXACT SCIENCES CORP (EXAS). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Cadence Design Systems is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.5B vs $878.4M, roughly 1.7× EXACT SCIENCES CORP). Cadence Design Systems runs the higher net margin — 22.8% vs -9.8%, a 32.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, EXACT SCIENCES CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (23.1% vs 14.1%). Cadence Design Systems produced more free cash flow last quarter ($307.0M vs $120.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Cadence Design Systems's revenue compounded faster (17.9% CAGR vs 17.4%).

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. is an American multinational technology and computational software company headquartered in San Jose, California. Initially specialized in electronic design automation (EDA) software for the semiconductor industry, currently the company makes software and hardware for designing products such as integrated circuits, systems on chips (SoCs), printed circuit boards, and pharmaceutical drugs, also licensing intellectual property for the electronics, aerospace, defense an...

Exact Sciences Corporation is an American molecular diagnostics company based in Madison, Wisconsin, specializing in the detection of early-stage cancers. The company provides products for the detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, including Cologuard, the first stool DNA test for colorectal cancer, along with additional screening and precision oncological tests for other types of cancer.

CDNS vs EXAS — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CDNS
CDNS
1.7× larger
CDNS
$1.5B
$878.4M
EXAS
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
EXAS
EXAS
+9.0% gap
EXAS
23.1%
14.1%
CDNS
Higher net margin
CDNS
CDNS
32.6% more per $
CDNS
22.8%
-9.8%
EXAS
More free cash flow
CDNS
CDNS
$186.6M more FCF
CDNS
$307.0M
$120.4M
EXAS
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CDNS
CDNS
Annualised
CDNS
17.9%
17.4%
EXAS

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Revenue
$1.5B
$878.4M
Net Profit
$335.7M
$-86.0M
Gross Margin
70.1%
Operating Margin
29.3%
-9.4%
Net Margin
22.8%
-9.8%
Revenue YoY
14.1%
23.1%
Net Profit YoY
90.1%
EPS (diluted)
$1.23
$-0.45

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$1.4B
$878.4M
Q3 25
$1.3B
$850.7M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$811.1M
Q1 25
$1.2B
$706.8M
Q4 24
$1.4B
$713.4M
Q3 24
$1.2B
$708.7M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$699.3M
Net Profit
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$335.7M
Q4 25
$388.1M
$-86.0M
Q3 25
$287.1M
$-19.6M
Q2 25
$160.1M
$-1.2M
Q1 25
$273.6M
$-101.2M
Q4 24
$340.2M
$-864.6M
Q3 24
$238.1M
$-38.2M
Q2 24
$229.5M
$-15.8M
Gross Margin
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
Q4 25
70.1%
Q3 25
68.6%
Q2 25
69.3%
Q1 25
70.8%
Q4 24
69.0%
Q3 24
69.4%
Q2 24
69.8%
Operating Margin
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
29.3%
Q4 25
32.2%
-9.4%
Q3 25
31.8%
-3.0%
Q2 25
19.0%
-0.3%
Q1 25
29.1%
-13.6%
Q4 24
33.7%
-122.8%
Q3 24
28.8%
-5.6%
Q2 24
27.7%
-3.8%
Net Margin
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
22.8%
Q4 25
27.0%
-9.8%
Q3 25
21.4%
-2.3%
Q2 25
12.5%
-0.1%
Q1 25
22.0%
-14.3%
Q4 24
25.1%
-121.2%
Q3 24
19.6%
-5.4%
Q2 24
21.6%
-2.3%
EPS (diluted)
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$1.23
Q4 25
$1.42
$-0.45
Q3 25
$1.05
$-0.10
Q2 25
$0.59
$-0.01
Q1 25
$1.00
$-0.54
Q4 24
$1.23
$-4.69
Q3 24
$0.87
$-0.21
Q2 24
$0.84
$-0.09

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$1.4B
$964.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$6.6B
$2.4B
Total Assets
$12.1B
$5.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.38×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$1.4B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$964.7M
Q3 25
$2.8B
$1.0B
Q2 25
$2.8B
$858.4M
Q1 25
$2.8B
$786.2M
Q4 24
$2.8B
$1.0B
Q3 24
$2.8B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$1.1B
$946.8M
Total Debt
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$2.5B
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
Q2 24
Stockholders' Equity
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$6.6B
Q4 25
$5.5B
$2.4B
Q3 25
$5.2B
$2.5B
Q2 25
$5.0B
$2.5B
Q1 25
$4.8B
$2.4B
Q4 24
$4.7B
$2.4B
Q3 24
$4.6B
$3.2B
Q2 24
$4.3B
$3.2B
Total Assets
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$12.1B
Q4 25
$10.2B
$5.9B
Q3 25
$9.6B
$5.9B
Q2 25
$9.5B
$5.8B
Q1 25
$9.0B
$5.7B
Q4 24
$9.0B
$5.9B
Q3 24
$9.2B
$6.7B
Q2 24
$7.2B
$6.7B
Debt / Equity
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
0.38×
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
Q2 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$355.8M
$151.7M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$307.0M
$120.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
20.8%
13.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
9.6%
3.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.06×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.4B
$356.8M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$355.8M
Q4 25
$553.5M
$151.7M
Q3 25
$310.7M
$219.9M
Q2 25
$377.6M
$89.0M
Q1 25
$487.0M
$30.8M
Q4 24
$441.4M
$47.1M
Q3 24
$410.0M
$138.7M
Q2 24
$156.0M
$107.1M
Free Cash Flow
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
$307.0M
Q4 25
$512.5M
$120.4M
Q3 25
$277.0M
$190.0M
Q2 25
$333.5M
$46.7M
Q1 25
$464.0M
$-365.0K
Q4 24
$404.2M
$10.7M
Q3 24
$383.5M
$112.6M
Q2 24
$126.8M
$71.2M
FCF Margin
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
20.8%
Q4 25
35.6%
13.7%
Q3 25
20.7%
22.3%
Q2 25
26.1%
5.8%
Q1 25
37.3%
-0.1%
Q4 24
29.8%
1.5%
Q3 24
31.5%
15.9%
Q2 24
12.0%
10.2%
Capex Intensity
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
9.6%
Q4 25
2.8%
3.6%
Q3 25
2.5%
3.5%
Q2 25
3.5%
5.2%
Q1 25
1.9%
4.4%
Q4 24
2.7%
5.1%
Q3 24
2.2%
3.7%
Q2 24
2.8%
5.1%
Cash Conversion
CDNS
CDNS
EXAS
EXAS
Q1 26
1.06×
Q4 25
1.43×
Q3 25
1.08×
Q2 25
2.36×
Q1 25
1.78×
Q4 24
1.30×
Q3 24
1.72×
Q2 24
0.68×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CDNS
CDNS

Product and Maintenance$1.3B92%
Services$125.0M8%

EXAS
EXAS

Screening$695.1M79%
Precision Oncology$183.2M21%

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