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Side-by-side financial comparison of Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and Graham Holdings Co (GHC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Cadence Design Systems is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.5B vs $1.3B, roughly 1.2× Graham Holdings Co). Cadence Design Systems runs the higher net margin — 22.8% vs 8.7%, a 14.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Cadence Design Systems posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.1% vs 0.4%). Cadence Design Systems produced more free cash flow last quarter ($307.0M vs $5.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Cadence Design Systems's revenue compounded faster (17.9% CAGR vs 4.2%).

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...

Graham Holdings Company is a diversified American conglomerate holding company. Headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia, and incorporated in Delaware, it was formerly the owner of The Washington Post newspaper and Newsweek magazine.

CDNS vs GHC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CDNS
CDNS
1.2× larger
CDNS
$1.5B
$1.3B
GHC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CDNS
CDNS
+13.7% gap
CDNS
14.1%
0.4%
GHC
Higher net margin
CDNS
CDNS
14.1% more per $
CDNS
22.8%
8.7%
GHC
More free cash flow
CDNS
CDNS
$302.0M more FCF
CDNS
$307.0M
$5.0M
GHC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CDNS
CDNS
Annualised
CDNS
17.9%
4.2%
GHC

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Revenue
$1.5B
$1.3B
Net Profit
$335.7M
$108.7M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
29.3%
3.8%
Net Margin
22.8%
8.7%
Revenue YoY
14.1%
0.4%
Net Profit YoY
-80.2%
EPS (diluted)
$1.23
$24.76

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
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$1.4B
$1.3B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$1.3B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$1.2B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$1.2B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$1.2B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$1.2B
Q2 24
$1.1B
$1.2B
Net Profit
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$335.7M
Q4 25
$388.1M
$108.7M
Q3 25
$287.1M
$122.9M
Q2 25
$160.1M
$36.7M
Q1 25
$273.6M
$23.9M
Q4 24
$340.2M
$548.8M
Q3 24
$238.1M
$72.5M
Q2 24
$229.5M
$-21.0M
Operating Margin
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
29.3%
Q4 25
32.2%
3.8%
Q3 25
31.8%
5.2%
Q2 25
19.0%
6.0%
Q1 25
29.1%
4.1%
Q4 24
33.7%
5.8%
Q3 24
28.8%
6.8%
Q2 24
27.7%
2.2%
Net Margin
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
22.8%
Q4 25
27.0%
8.7%
Q3 25
21.4%
9.6%
Q2 25
12.5%
3.0%
Q1 25
22.0%
2.0%
Q4 24
25.1%
44.1%
Q3 24
19.6%
6.0%
Q2 24
21.6%
-1.8%
EPS (diluted)
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$1.23
Q4 25
$1.42
$24.76
Q3 25
$1.05
$27.91
Q2 25
$0.59
$8.35
Q1 25
$1.00
$5.45
Q4 24
$1.23
$124.05
Q3 24
$0.87
$16.42
Q2 24
$0.84
$-4.79

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$1.4B
$267.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$6.6B
$4.8B
Total Assets
$12.1B
$8.4B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.38×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$1.4B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$267.0M
Q3 25
$2.8B
$190.8M
Q2 25
$2.8B
$176.2M
Q1 25
$2.8B
$156.7M
Q4 24
$2.8B
$260.9M
Q3 24
$2.8B
$244.4M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$140.7M
Total Debt
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$2.5B
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
Q2 24
Stockholders' Equity
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$6.6B
Q4 25
$5.5B
$4.8B
Q3 25
$5.2B
$4.5B
Q2 25
$5.0B
$4.4B
Q1 25
$4.8B
$4.3B
Q4 24
$4.7B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$4.6B
$4.0B
Q2 24
$4.3B
$4.0B
Total Assets
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$12.1B
Q4 25
$10.2B
$8.4B
Q3 25
$9.6B
$7.9B
Q2 25
$9.5B
$7.6B
Q1 25
$9.0B
$7.6B
Q4 24
$9.0B
$7.7B
Q3 24
$9.2B
$7.4B
Q2 24
$7.2B
$7.2B
Debt / Equity
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
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
GHC
GHC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$355.8M
$28.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$307.0M
$5.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
20.8%
0.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
9.6%
1.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.06×
0.26×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.4B
$275.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$355.8M
Q4 25
$553.5M
$28.3M
Q3 25
$310.7M
$178.1M
Q2 25
$377.6M
$94.8M
Q1 25
$487.0M
$46.0M
Q4 24
$441.4M
$116.3M
Q3 24
$410.0M
$237.6M
Q2 24
$156.0M
$52.0M
Free Cash Flow
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
$307.0M
Q4 25
$512.5M
$5.0M
Q3 25
$277.0M
$161.8M
Q2 25
$333.5M
$78.0M
Q1 25
$464.0M
$30.5M
Q4 24
$404.2M
$91.1M
Q3 24
$383.5M
$219.4M
Q2 24
$126.8M
$33.7M
FCF Margin
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
20.8%
Q4 25
35.6%
0.4%
Q3 25
20.7%
12.6%
Q2 25
26.1%
6.4%
Q1 25
37.3%
2.6%
Q4 24
29.8%
7.3%
Q3 24
31.5%
18.2%
Q2 24
12.0%
2.8%
Capex Intensity
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
9.6%
Q4 25
2.8%
1.9%
Q3 25
2.5%
1.3%
Q2 25
3.5%
1.4%
Q1 25
1.9%
1.3%
Q4 24
2.7%
2.0%
Q3 24
2.2%
1.5%
Q2 24
2.8%
1.5%
Cash Conversion
CDNS
CDNS
GHC
GHC
Q1 26
1.06×
Q4 25
1.43×
0.26×
Q3 25
1.08×
1.45×
Q2 25
2.36×
2.58×
Q1 25
1.78×
1.93×
Q4 24
1.30×
0.21×
Q3 24
1.72×
3.28×
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%

GHC
GHC

Products$602.7M48%
Kaplan International$251.9M20%
Manufacturing$117.8M9%
Television Broadcasting$110.5M9%
Higher Education$83.8M7%
Supplemental Education$74.9M6%
Related Party$4.4M0%

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