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Management credibility scorecard

Cadence Design Systems (CDNS)

4 quarters tracked (Q3'25 to Q2'26) · latest call July 27, 2026
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90%
Kept of 21 resolved
19
Kept or exceeded
2
Missed
4
Still pending
Share count, 3 yrs/yr · flat

Score History

QuarterCall dateDisclosureFinancial qualityKeptMissed
Q2'26July 27, 20265/122 high, 3 medium, 1 low flags31Call sheet →
Q1'26April 27, 20269/123 medium, 3 low flags51Call sheet →
Q4'25February 17, 202610/122 medium, 4 low flags60Call sheet →
Q3'252025-10-2710/122 medium, 4 low flags50Call sheet →
Disclosure: the 6-item rubric, each scored 0-2, out of 12. Financial quality: flagged indicators by severity. Kept and missed count the prior-quarter promises scored on that call.

Promise Ledger · All Quarters

MarkedStatusPromise
Q2'26PendingHardware to deliver 'another record year'
Two record quarters so far but no longer quantifying growth
Q2'26MissedChina to remain ~13% of revenue
Stopped disclosing the metric entirely, suggesting deterioration
Q2'26ExceededOperating margin of 43.5-44.5% for full year
Raised to 43.75-44.75% despite Hexagon dilution
Q2'26PendingHexagon to contribute $160M revenue in 2026
On track with $20M in Q1, needs $140M in remaining quarters
Q2'26ExceededIP business momentum to continue with 'strong tailwinds'
Accelerated from 22% to 40%+ growth
Q2'26ExceededSystem design analysis targeting 20%+ growth
Delivered 37% growth, nearly double the target
Q1'26MissedOperating margin sustainability around 44-45% range
Guided 43.5-44.5% for 2026 due to Hexagon integration costs
Q1'26DeliveredChina business stabilized
Maintained 13% revenue mix with 'stabilized' design activity
Q1'26ExceededSystem Design and Analysis positioned for growth
18% YoY growth vs 13% prior quarter
Q1'26PendingAI solutions gaining traction with market-shaping customers
ChipStack launched with customer endorsements but no revenue attribution yet
Q1'26DeliveredIP business positioned for continued growth
22% YoY growth, though decelerated from 25% prior quarter
Q1'26ExceededHardware to be another record year
Achieved 'best quarter ever' with 7 of top 10 being Dynamic Duo customers
Q1'26DeliveredStrong momentum across all businesses in 2025
All segments grew double digits, backlog hit record $7.8B
Q4'25DeliveredContinued operating leverage and margin expansion (Q3 call)
Maintained 44.6% operating margin for year despite growth investments
Q4'25ExceededStrong Q4 bookings expected (Q3 call)
Bookings were 'exceptionally strong' resulting in record $7.8B backlog
Q4'25DeliveredDouble-digit growth across all product categories (Q3 call)
Achieved double-digit growth in all 5 business lines: EDA 13%, SDA 13%, IP 25%, hardware record
Q4'25ExceededIP business to grow better than Cadence average (Q3 call)
IP grew nearly 25% vs company average of 14%, third consecutive year of 20%+ growth
Q4'25ExceededHardware expected to be record year (Q3 call)
Delivered record year with 30+ new customers and substantially higher repeat demand
Q4'25DeliveredChina expected to grow for fiscal 2025 (Q3 call)
China did grow year-over-year, though John noted some Q2 makeup in Q3 results
Q3'25PendingAI monetization over contract cycles
Still early but management slightly more optimistic on timeline
Q3'25ExceededHardware momentum in second half
Record Q3 hardware revenue with strong pipeline for next 6 months
Q3'25ExceededIP business growth better than average
Sustained 20%+ growth for third consecutive year, management very confident on outperformance
Q3'25DeliveredDouble-digit growth across all product categories
Confirmed all five lines of business performing well with double-digit growth expected
Q3'25DeliveredStrong renewal opportunities in second half
Record Q3 bookings and backlog growth to $7B+ demonstrates strong renewals
Q3'25ExceededChina would be flat year-over-year for 2025
Now expecting China to be up year-over-year, returned to 18% of revenue mix
Each row is a promise from the prior call, scored against the quarter in "Marked". Kept-promise rate counts resolved promises only; pending is excluded.
Promise-kept rate counts resolved promises only (pending excluded).
Scores, kept-promise rates, and flags on this site reflect the author's opinion, applying a stated methodology to statements management made on public earnings calls. Informational and educational purposes only - not investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Sources believed reliable but not guaranteed; the author may hold positions in the securities discussed.

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