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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Cadence Design Systems vs Fortinet: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Fortinet holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across valuation and growth. Cadence Design Systems still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The lead is spread across valuation and profitability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. Fortinet, Inc. leads by 9 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.73
Similar
Peer-set rank: #13
within Cadence Design Systems, Inc.'s functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

Most of the shared profile comes through operating margin level and revenue growth trajectory.

Similarity drivers
operating margin levelrevenue growth trajectory
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
CDNS
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
49
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
vs
FTNT
Fortinet, Inc.
58
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: CDNS vs FTNT Profitability 63 75 Stability 56 62 Valuation 34 56 Growth 46 29 CDNS FTNT
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +22
#2 Growth +17
#3 Profitability +12
#4 Stability +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CDNS and FTNT Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CDNSFTNT Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against Cadence Design Systems, Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Fortinet, Inc. sits in the stronger part of the group on valuation, while Cadence Design Systems, Inc. is closer to mid-pack.
Growth
Growth also leans toward Cadence Design Systems, Inc., reinforcing the broader structural lead.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
CDNS
34
FTNT
56
Gap+22in favour of FTNT

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 4.7 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Growth still tilts materially toward Cadence Design Systems, Inc., which stops the result from looking dominant across the whole profile.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both valuation and growth — though growth still provides a counterweight.

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Break down the CDNS vs FTNT comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar valuation-and-growth comparisons

Explore how CDNS and FTNT each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.