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

Cadence Design Systems is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.5B vs $790.0M, roughly 1.9× SAIA INC). Cadence Design Systems runs the higher net margin — 22.8% vs 6.0%, a 16.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Cadence Design Systems posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.1% vs 0.1%). Cadence Design Systems produced more free cash flow last quarter ($307.0M vs $37.5M). Over the past eight quarters, Cadence Design Systems's revenue compounded faster (17.9% CAGR vs 2.3%).

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...

Saia is an American less than truckload (LTL) trucking company that originated in Houma, Louisiana, in 1924. With original operation occurring in Louisiana and Texas for the first fifty years, expansion came after 1980 when coverage began reaching into more states in the South. Further expansion happened through mergers with other companies, which allowed Saia to provide service for thirty six states. Saia ranks in the top ten of LTL carriers in the United States, with revenues of over $1.8 b...

CDNS vs SAIA — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CDNS
CDNS
1.9× larger
CDNS
$1.5B
$790.0M
SAIA
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CDNS
CDNS
+14.0% gap
CDNS
14.1%
0.1%
SAIA
Higher net margin
CDNS
CDNS
16.8% more per $
CDNS
22.8%
6.0%
SAIA
More free cash flow
CDNS
CDNS
$269.5M more FCF
CDNS
$307.0M
$37.5M
SAIA
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CDNS
CDNS
Annualised
CDNS
17.9%
2.3%
SAIA

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Revenue
$1.5B
$790.0M
Net Profit
$335.7M
$47.5M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
29.3%
8.1%
Net Margin
22.8%
6.0%
Revenue YoY
14.1%
0.1%
Net Profit YoY
-37.6%
EPS (diluted)
$1.23
$1.77

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
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$1.5B
Q4 25
$1.4B
$790.0M
Q3 25
$1.3B
$839.6M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$817.1M
Q1 25
$1.2B
$787.6M
Q4 24
$1.4B
$789.0M
Q3 24
$1.2B
$842.1M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$823.2M
Net Profit
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$335.7M
Q4 25
$388.1M
$47.5M
Q3 25
$287.1M
$86.3M
Q2 25
$160.1M
$71.4M
Q1 25
$273.6M
$49.8M
Q4 24
$340.2M
$76.1M
Q3 24
$238.1M
$92.7M
Q2 24
$229.5M
$102.5M
Operating Margin
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
29.3%
Q4 25
32.2%
8.1%
Q3 25
31.8%
14.1%
Q2 25
19.0%
12.2%
Q1 25
29.1%
8.9%
Q4 24
33.7%
12.9%
Q3 24
28.8%
14.9%
Q2 24
27.7%
16.7%
Net Margin
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
22.8%
Q4 25
27.0%
6.0%
Q3 25
21.4%
10.3%
Q2 25
12.5%
8.7%
Q1 25
22.0%
6.3%
Q4 24
25.1%
9.6%
Q3 24
19.6%
11.0%
Q2 24
21.6%
12.5%
EPS (diluted)
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$1.23
Q4 25
$1.42
$1.77
Q3 25
$1.05
$3.22
Q2 25
$0.59
$2.67
Q1 25
$1.00
$1.86
Q4 24
$1.23
$2.84
Q3 24
$0.87
$3.46
Q2 24
$0.84
$3.83

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$1.4B
$19.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.5B
$163.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$6.6B
$2.6B
Total Assets
$12.1B
$3.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.38×
0.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$1.4B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$19.7M
Q3 25
$2.8B
$35.5M
Q2 25
$2.8B
$18.8M
Q1 25
$2.8B
$16.5M
Q4 24
$2.8B
$19.5M
Q3 24
$2.8B
$14.4M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$11.2M
Total Debt
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$2.5B
Q4 25
$163.0M
Q3 25
$218.0M
Q2 25
$307.1M
Q1 25
$291.8M
Q4 24
$195.0M
Q3 24
$184.2M
Q2 24
$169.1M
Stockholders' Equity
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$6.6B
Q4 25
$5.5B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$5.2B
$2.5B
Q2 25
$5.0B
$2.4B
Q1 25
$4.8B
$2.4B
Q4 24
$4.7B
$2.3B
Q3 24
$4.6B
$2.2B
Q2 24
$4.3B
$2.1B
Total Assets
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$12.1B
Q4 25
$10.2B
$3.5B
Q3 25
$9.6B
$3.5B
Q2 25
$9.5B
$3.5B
Q1 25
$9.0B
$3.4B
Q4 24
$9.0B
$3.2B
Q3 24
$9.2B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$7.2B
$3.0B
Debt / Equity
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
0.38×
Q4 25
0.06×
Q3 25
0.09×
Q2 25
0.13×
Q1 25
0.12×
Q4 24
0.08×
Q3 24
0.08×
Q2 24
0.08×

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
SAIA
SAIA
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$355.8M
$137.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$307.0M
$37.5M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
20.8%
4.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
9.6%
12.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.06×
2.89×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.4B
$27.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$355.8M
Q4 25
$553.5M
$137.3M
Q3 25
$310.7M
$177.8M
Q2 25
$377.6M
$170.7M
Q1 25
$487.0M
$109.1M
Q4 24
$441.4M
$164.7M
Q3 24
$410.0M
$181.7M
Q2 24
$156.0M
$130.8M
Free Cash Flow
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
$307.0M
Q4 25
$512.5M
$37.5M
Q3 25
$277.0M
$87.6M
Q2 25
$333.5M
$-3.9M
Q1 25
$464.0M
$-93.8M
Q4 24
$404.2M
$-3.5M
Q3 24
$383.5M
$-11.7M
Q2 24
$126.8M
$-94.0M
FCF Margin
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
20.8%
Q4 25
35.6%
4.7%
Q3 25
20.7%
10.4%
Q2 25
26.1%
-0.5%
Q1 25
37.3%
-11.9%
Q4 24
29.8%
-0.4%
Q3 24
31.5%
-1.4%
Q2 24
12.0%
-11.4%
Capex Intensity
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
9.6%
Q4 25
2.8%
12.6%
Q3 25
2.5%
10.8%
Q2 25
3.5%
21.4%
Q1 25
1.9%
25.8%
Q4 24
2.7%
21.3%
Q3 24
2.2%
23.0%
Q2 24
2.8%
27.3%
Cash Conversion
CDNS
CDNS
SAIA
SAIA
Q1 26
1.06×
Q4 25
1.43×
2.89×
Q3 25
1.08×
2.06×
Q2 25
2.36×
2.39×
Q1 25
1.78×
2.19×
Q4 24
1.30×
2.16×
Q3 24
1.72×
1.96×
Q2 24
0.68×
1.28×

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%

SAIA
SAIA

Segment breakdown not available.

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