CDNS vs INTC Stock Comparison
CDNS currently leads INTC in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 51 vs 30. The clearest difference is quality.
What is the main difference between CDNS and INTC?
CDNS leads the current stock comparison as Cadence Design Systems, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. vs Intel Corp.
CDNS leads
CDNS leads by 21 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience.
Stable: 4 of 6 evidence groups support CDNS.
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Intel Corp.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors CDNS over INTC, 51 versus 30 as of Oct 21, 2026. CDNS's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience. CDNS also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor CDNS today, and the comparison is rated Stable on stability. CDNS lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 21 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Cadence Design Systems, Inc. and Intel Corp. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare CDNS and INTC against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality77 vs 39CDNS +38
- Risk Resilience58 vs 29CDNS +29
- Momentum39 vs 21CDNS +18
- Value32 vs 30Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor CDNS. CDNS’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum -7
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 2 active signals are unchanged.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
CDNS's lead narrowed by 2 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — CDNS and INTC both carry a full feed there.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
CDNSCDNS on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
CDNSCDNS on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
CDNSCDNS on the Momentum factor, by 18 points.
Lower downside
CDNSCDNS on Risk Resilience, by 29 points.
Analyst upside
CDNSCDNS on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | CDNS | INTC | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +23.2% | +18.2% | CDNS has more room |
| Target dispersion | +37.3% | +122.9% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 11 | 27 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor CDNS. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | CDNS | 51 vs 30 |
| Fundamentals | CDNSon balance | revenue growth 7.5% vs 18.8%; EPS growth 8.9% vs -195.9%; TTM ROE 22.9% vs -10.8%; gross margin 88.5% vs 38.9% — CDNS takes 3 of 4 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | Even | Value 32 vs 30 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day 2.1% vs -9.6%; vs 200-day -2.2% vs 7.8% |
| Risk Resilience | CDNS | Risk Resilience 58 vs 29 |
| Analyst expectations | CDNS | Target upside 23.2% vs 18.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of CDNS and INTC and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion rests on a wide gap and broad agreement. It is unlikely to turn on a single session.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 21 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on CDNS.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20CDNS lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 21 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- CDNS +21
- 51 vs 30
- 7 sessions ago
- CDNS +24
- 54 vs 30
- 30 sessions ago
- CDNS +20
- 63 vs 43
- 90 sessions ago
- CDNS +6
- 48 vs 42
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Sep 10 when CDNS moved ahead of INTC.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
0 bullish / 2 bearish
Only CDNS
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (2.45%)
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only INTC
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (20.88%)
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (6.29%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 1 more signal that do not separate them: MACD Bearish Crossover.
INTC is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +1.94%, AIQ -2 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +1.39%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1INTC closes the Quality gap — currently 38 points behind, the largest single contributor to CDNS's edge.
- 2INTC's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
- 3CDNS starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
CDNS leads on balance| Metric | CDNS | INTC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 7.5% | 18.8% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 8.9% | -195.9% |
| Gross margin | 88.5% | 38.9% |
| Operating margin | 30.8% | 0.1% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 22.9% | -10.8% |
| Debt to equity | 0.36 | 0.58 |
Performance
Split across windows| Metric | CDNS | INTC |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -4.3% | -10.8% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 5.6% | -26% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -5.1% | -10.7% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -1.8% | 38.4% |
| Year to date | 2.3% | 148.5% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -1.4% | 148.9% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | CDNS | INTC |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 44.3 | 16.4 |
| ADX (14) | 23 | 23.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | 2.1% | -9.6% |
| Price vs 200-day | -2.2% | 7.8% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 37.5% | 46.6% |
Risk
CDNS is the more resilient| Metric | CDNS | INTC |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.55 | 3.08 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.06 | 1.5 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.08 | 2.73 |
| Max drawdown | -34.2% | -41.9% |
| Current drawdown | -23.2% | -34.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 40.4% | 77.8% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.6% | -6.2% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, CDNS or INTC?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, CDNS is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 51 against INTC's 30. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is CDNS or INTC the better buy right now?
CDNS carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Stable — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Stable rating means the gap is wide and the evidence is broad, so the conclusion is unlikely to turn on a single session.
Why does the AIQ Score favor CDNS over INTC?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. CDNS leads Quality by 38 points; CDNS leads Risk Resilience by 29 points; CDNS leads Momentum by 18 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, CDNS or INTC?
Analyst price targets imply +23.2% upside for CDNS and +18.2% for INTC, so the Street currently favors CDNS. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, CDNS or INTC?
Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, CDNS or INTC?
CDNS on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, CDNS or INTC?
CDNS on the Momentum factor, by 18 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, CDNS or INTC?
CDNS is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. CDNS on Risk Resilience, by 29 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is CDNS more profitable than INTC?
CDNS leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 88.5% vs 38.9%; operating margin 30.8% vs 0.1%; ttm roe 22.9% vs -10.8%.
Is CDNS's lead over INTC getting stronger or weaker?
CDNS lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 21 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-10, when CDNS moved ahead of INTC.
What would change the CDNS vs INTC verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: INTC closes the Quality gap — currently 38 points behind, the largest single contributor to CDNS's edge; INTC's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it; CDNS starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about CDNS and INTC?
CDNS: 0 bullish / 2 bearish. INTC: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on CDNS is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On INTC it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare CDNS and INTC with others
Continue your research
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How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.