What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after geopolitical tensions between the United States and the European Union escalated, sparking fears of a renewed trade war. 

The broader markets adopted a "risk-off" mode, with investors seeking safe-haven assets amidst the uncertainty. The market's primary fear gauge, the VIX, jumped to a fresh eight-week high, signaling rising investor anxiety. The dispute, centered on Greenland, raised the possibility of a revived trade conflict, which could disrupt global supply chains and economic activity. Mega-cap technology stocks, many of which have significant international sales and operations, were particularly affected by the souring risk sentiment as a potential trade war threatened their global business models.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Automation Software company Pegasystems (NASDAQ: PEGA) fell 0.4%. Is now the time to buy Pegasystems? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Design Software company Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ: CDNS) fell 2.7%. Is now the time to buy Cadence Design Systems? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On Cadence Design Systems (CDNS)

Cadence Design Systems’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 14 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 6 days ago when the stock dropped 3.6% on the news that tech stocks pulled back as reports surfaced that Chinese customs authorities blocked Nvidia's H200 AI chips, effectively halting their entry despite recent U.S. export approvals. 

This semiconductor sell-off, led by Broadcom and Micron, reflected deepening fears that the "AI trade" was colliding with a protectionist "new normal." Investors were concerned about the prospect of a fragmented global order where tech giants are caught between Washington's industrial strategy and Beijing's push for semiconductor sovereignty. Broadening the risk, markets were also agitated about the Justice Department's investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, sparking concerns over central bank independence. This domestic political friction, paired with rising oil prices from Iranian civil unrest, likely forced a pivot from growth to defense.

Cadence Design Systems is flat since the beginning of the year, and at $307.60 per share, it is trading 17.6% below its 52-week high of $373.37 from September 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Cadence Design Systems’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $2,196.

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