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Relative Intelligence · Software

How Synopsys (SNPS) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on SNPS alone. It places SNPS (Synopsys, Inc.) against 10 popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where SNPS stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: SNPS's full trading record, from February 1992 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

Data as of October 20, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against SNPS →Chart SNPS vs. 10 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

How much would $10,000 in SNPS have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in SNPS over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of SNPS over the same span and SNPS's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Choose a period

From the end of September 1997 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 294 of the 1,042 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of SNPS; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$1,000$10,000$100,000$1M199720022007201220172022$1,000$10,000$100,000$1M19972004201120182025
  • APH$3M+29,926% total · +21.7% a year
  • COST$727,732+7,177% total · +15.9% a year
  • MSFT$508,386+4,984% total · +14.5% a year
  • LLY$396,376+3,864% total · +13.5% a year
  • ADI$385,909+3,759% total · +13.4% a year
  • SNPS$204,671+1,947% total · +11.0% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$132,907+1,229% total · +9.3% a year
  • CDNS$123,432+1,134% total · +9.1% a year
  • INTC$91,990+820% total · +8.0% a year
  • PTC$25,432+154% total · +3.3% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 1,635 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of SNPS; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000$100,000202120222023202420252026$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000$100,000202120222023202420252026
  • NVDA$110,811+1,008% total · +61.8% a year
  • TSM$43,622+336% total · +34.3% a year
  • INTC$24,502+145% total · +19.6% a year
  • KEYS$22,159+122% total · +17.2% a year
  • CDNS$21,803+118% total · +16.9% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • SNPS$14,527+45.3% total · +7.8% a year
  • PTC$11,712+17.1% total · +3.2% a year
  • DSGX$9,951−0.5% total · −0.1% a year
  • ADSK$7,329−26.7% total · −6.0% a year
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SNPS at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

The company

Market value
$86B
Industry
Software - Infrastructure
Price history from
February 1992

Returns

Past 1 year
−1.3%total return
Past 3 years
−4.3%−1.4% a year
Past 5 years
+41.9%+7.2% a year
Past 10 years
+656%+22.4% a year
Best calendar year
+86.2%2020
Worst calendar year
−42.3%2004
Losing years
10 of 29full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
42.3%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
0.39return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−61.0%Jan 2004 to Nov 2008
From its all-time high
−30.6%below the peak

SNPS against the whole market

Where SNPS ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does SNPS rank among all stocks?

This section ranks SNPS on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how SNPS stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureSNPSRankStanding
1-year return−1.3%2,038 of 3,287bottom 39%
3-year return−4.3%2,398 of 3,017bottom 22%
5-year return+41.9%1,188 of 2,893top 41%
10-year return+656%212 of 2,202top 10%
Volatility, 5 years42.3%1,571 of 2,893bottom 47%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years0.391,268 of 2,893top 44%
Worst decline, past 10 years−43.0%231 of 2,187top 11%

What has beaten SNPS on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). SNPS sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than SNPS with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to SNPS; faint dots are 88 more of the 1,090 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than SNPSLVHI: +17.0% a year, volatility 11.1%KO: +14.7% a year, volatility 16.8%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%QQQ: +14.5% a year, volatility 23.0%NVS: +17.1% a year, volatility 20.7%APH: +33.8% a year, volatility 32.2%VTV: +12.1% a year, volatility 13.7%AMGN: +19.6% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%VEA: +9.3% a year, volatility 16.9%LIN: +11.5% a year, volatility 20.9%VGT: +18.4% a year, volatility 26.0%PGR: +21.3% a year, volatility 25.6%DE: +14.4% a year, volatility 29.9%VIG: +10.4% a year, volatility 14.1%COR: +24.2% a year, volatility 22.8%SCHD: +9.7% a year, volatility 14.3%MNST: +17.2% a year, volatility 24.9%VT: +10.3% a year, volatility 16.2%CME: +11.2% a year, volatility 20.8%RSG: +13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%PJUL: +10.5% a year, volatility 8.6%MSI: +14.8% a year, volatility 23.6%WM: +9.3% a year, volatility 19.2%FJAN: +11.1% a year, volatility 10.5%FAST: +15.8% a year, volatility 24.6%SCHG: +13.1% a year, volatility 22.4%DYNF: +14.7% a year, volatility 17.5%ED: +12.0% a year, volatility 18.8%XLV: +8.4% a year, volatility 15.3%FNV: +12.5% a year, volatility 31.3%SPMO: +18.7% a year, volatility 20.8%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%AVLV: +14.0% a year, volatility 16.9%VGK: +8.4% a year, volatility 17.9%HDV: +12.9% a year, volatility 13.0%DFAT: +9.6% a year, volatility 21.0%DGX: +12.3% a year, volatility 22.5%FTS: +8.4% a year, volatility 16.4%AVEM: +9.3% a year, volatility 19.5%SPHQ: +12.0% a year, volatility 16.7%EXPD: +12.0% a year, volatility 27.1%EWJ: +9.2% a year, volatility 18.8%BUFR: +9.9% a year, volatility 10.5%RY: +17.3% a year, volatility 18.2%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%RWL: +13.7% a year, volatility 14.4%DBEF: +13.1% a year, volatility 13.8%IOO: +15.7% a year, volatility 17.2%JQUA: +13.6% a year, volatility 15.7%DIVO: +11.1% a year, volatility 11.9%MOAT: +9.1% a year, volatility 18.4%ACT: +20.5% a year, volatility 24.3%ACA: +23.1% a year, volatility 34.0%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%QYLD: +8.4% a year, volatility 15.0%AAPL: +18.5% a year, volatility 28.0%FLTW: +21.8% a year, volatility 24.3%DBMF: +9.8% a year, volatility 12.4%USMC: +14.1% a year, volatility 16.4%RSPT: +16.9% a year, volatility 25.1%GCOW: +14.1% a year, volatility 13.6%GOOG: +19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%TDIV: +16.2% a year, volatility 21.3%MPLX: +23.5% a year, volatility 18.8%IWX: +12.7% a year, volatility 13.8%IDMO: +13.3% a year, volatility 18.2%FTGC: +12.9% a year, volatility 15.6%XMHQ: +9.7% a year, volatility 20.5%FTLS: +10.2% a year, volatility 10.4%OMFL: +9.0% a year, volatility 16.4%PTLC: +9.5% a year, volatility 11.8%SPUS: +15.0% a year, volatility 19.5%DEM: +9.6% a year, volatility 15.5%DIVI: +13.4% a year, volatility 15.5%EQWL: +11.6% a year, volatility 15.0%HDEF: +12.8% a year, volatility 14.2%AOA: +8.6% a year, volatility 13.1%BRC: +12.0% a year, volatility 26.3%DIVB: +13.9% a year, volatility 15.4%ACIO: +9.3% a year, volatility 11.1%FTHI: +10.3% a year, volatility 13.3%FLQL: +13.8% a year, volatility 16.3%JMOM: +12.9% a year, volatility 19.1%ESLT: +39.8% a year, volatility 34.6%HFXI: +11.4% a year, volatility 15.3%NULG: +11.4% a year, volatility 21.9%AMZN: +9.0% a year, volatility 36.6%SNPS: +7.2% a year, volatility 42.3%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%CDNS: +14.8% a year, volatility 37.2%TSM: +31.5% a year, volatility 38.5%KEYS: +13.9% a year, volatility 34.5%PTC: +8.3% a year, volatility 35.0%NVDA: +58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%INTC: +12.4% a year, volatility 55.6%MSFT: +12.5% a year, volatility 28.2%V: +12.8% a year, volatility 22.9%ADI: +19.5% a year, volatility 34.1%CIBR: +14.1% a year, volatility 26.1%PANW: +31.9% a year, volatility 43.4%CPAY: +8.2% a year, volatility 32.5%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%VTI: +11.5% a year, volatility 17.5%VOO: +12.8% a year, volatility 16.9%MUSA: +26.1% a year, volatility 31.2%BRK-B: +13.4% a year, volatility 17.1%JNJ: +12.7% a year, volatility 17.9%VXUS: +8.2% a year, volatility 16.4%ATI: +61.8% a year, volatility 42.9%PBR-A: +51.8% a year, volatility 37.5%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%SNPSSPY (S&P 500)CDNSTSMKEYSPTCNVDAINTCMSFTADIPANWCPAYLLYVTIMUSAVXUSATIPBR-ACAH0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than SNPSLVHI: +17.0% a year, volatility 11.1%KO: +14.7% a year, volatility 16.8%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%QQQ: +14.5% a year, volatility 23.0%NVS: +17.1% a year, volatility 20.7%APH: +33.8% a year, volatility 32.2%VTV: +12.1% a year, volatility 13.7%AMGN: +19.6% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%VEA: +9.3% a year, volatility 16.9%LIN: +11.5% a year, volatility 20.9%VGT: +18.4% a year, volatility 26.0%PGR: +21.3% a year, volatility 25.6%DE: +14.4% a year, volatility 29.9%VIG: +10.4% a year, volatility 14.1%COR: +24.2% a year, volatility 22.8%SCHD: +9.7% a year, volatility 14.3%MNST: +17.2% a year, volatility 24.9%VT: +10.3% a year, volatility 16.2%CME: +11.2% a year, volatility 20.8%RSG: +13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%PJUL: +10.5% a year, volatility 8.6%MSI: +14.8% a year, volatility 23.6%WM: +9.3% a year, volatility 19.2%FJAN: +11.1% a year, volatility 10.5%FAST: +15.8% a year, volatility 24.6%SCHG: +13.1% a year, volatility 22.4%DYNF: +14.7% a year, volatility 17.5%ED: +12.0% a year, volatility 18.8%XLV: +8.4% a year, volatility 15.3%FNV: +12.5% a year, volatility 31.3%SPMO: +18.7% a year, volatility 20.8%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%AVLV: +14.0% a year, volatility 16.9%VGK: +8.4% a year, volatility 17.9%HDV: +12.9% a year, volatility 13.0%DFAT: +9.6% a year, volatility 21.0%DGX: +12.3% a year, volatility 22.5%FTS: +8.4% a year, volatility 16.4%AVEM: +9.3% a year, volatility 19.5%SPHQ: +12.0% a year, volatility 16.7%EXPD: +12.0% a year, volatility 27.1%EWJ: +9.2% a year, volatility 18.8%BUFR: +9.9% a year, volatility 10.5%RY: +17.3% a year, volatility 18.2%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%RWL: +13.7% a year, volatility 14.4%DBEF: +13.1% a year, volatility 13.8%IOO: +15.7% a year, volatility 17.2%JQUA: +13.6% a year, volatility 15.7%DIVO: +11.1% a year, volatility 11.9%MOAT: +9.1% a year, volatility 18.4%ACT: +20.5% a year, volatility 24.3%ACA: +23.1% a year, volatility 34.0%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%QYLD: +8.4% a year, volatility 15.0%AAPL: +18.5% a year, volatility 28.0%FLTW: +21.8% a year, volatility 24.3%DBMF: +9.8% a year, volatility 12.4%USMC: +14.1% a year, volatility 16.4%RSPT: +16.9% a year, volatility 25.1%GCOW: +14.1% a year, volatility 13.6%GOOG: +19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%TDIV: +16.2% a year, volatility 21.3%MPLX: +23.5% a year, volatility 18.8%IWX: +12.7% a year, volatility 13.8%IDMO: +13.3% a year, volatility 18.2%FTGC: +12.9% a year, volatility 15.6%XMHQ: +9.7% a year, volatility 20.5%FTLS: +10.2% a year, volatility 10.4%OMFL: +9.0% a year, volatility 16.4%PTLC: +9.5% a year, volatility 11.8%SPUS: +15.0% a year, volatility 19.5%DEM: +9.6% a year, volatility 15.5%DIVI: +13.4% a year, volatility 15.5%EQWL: +11.6% a year, volatility 15.0%HDEF: +12.8% a year, volatility 14.2%AOA: +8.6% a year, volatility 13.1%BRC: +12.0% a year, volatility 26.3%DIVB: +13.9% a year, volatility 15.4%ACIO: +9.3% a year, volatility 11.1%FTHI: +10.3% a year, volatility 13.3%FLQL: +13.8% a year, volatility 16.3%JMOM: +12.9% a year, volatility 19.1%ESLT: +39.8% a year, volatility 34.6%HFXI: +11.4% a year, volatility 15.3%NULG: +11.4% a year, volatility 21.9%AMZN: +9.0% a year, volatility 36.6%SNPS: +7.2% a year, volatility 42.3%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%CDNS: +14.8% a year, volatility 37.2%TSM: +31.5% a year, volatility 38.5%KEYS: +13.9% a year, volatility 34.5%PTC: +8.3% a year, volatility 35.0%NVDA: +58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%INTC: +12.4% a year, volatility 55.6%MSFT: +12.5% a year, volatility 28.2%V: +12.8% a year, volatility 22.9%ADI: +19.5% a year, volatility 34.1%CIBR: +14.1% a year, volatility 26.1%PANW: +31.9% a year, volatility 43.4%CPAY: +8.2% a year, volatility 32.5%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%VTI: +11.5% a year, volatility 17.5%VOO: +12.8% a year, volatility 16.9%MUSA: +26.1% a year, volatility 31.2%BRK-B: +13.4% a year, volatility 17.1%JNJ: +12.7% a year, volatility 17.9%VXUS: +8.2% a year, volatility 16.4%ATI: +61.8% a year, volatility 42.9%PBR-A: +51.8% a year, volatility 37.5%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%SNPSSPY (S&P 500)CDNSTSMPTCNVDAINTCADIPANWCPAYLLYVTIMUSAVXUSATIPBR-ACAH
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than SNPS?

Investments that beat SNPS over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat SNPS over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks SNPS's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than SNPS follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than SNPS's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× SNPS's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than SNPS's.

Screen the whole market against SNPS for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 21 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with SNPS?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
SNPSSynopsys, Inc. · this page
+7.2%42.3%0.39−43.0%+656%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.550.09%
Popular alternativesbest 6 shownThe investments people most often weigh against SNPS. 6 of 9 passed at least one test.
CDNSCadence Design Systems, Inc. · Software
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineSmaller losses in recent crashes+14.8%37.2%0.56−34.2%+1,139%0.79—
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited · Semiconductors
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods+31.5%38.5%0.91−56.6%+1,505%0.45—
KEYSKeysight Technologies, Inc. · Electronic Equipment
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods+13.9%34.5%0.55−42.6%+923%0.30—
PTCPTC Inc. · Application Software
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods+8.3%35.0%0.40−54.4%+317%0.48—
NVDANVIDIA Corporation · Semiconductors
Higher return in most periods+58.0%51.9%1.14−66.3%+13,019%0.61—
INTCIntel Corp. · Semiconductors
Higher return in most periods+12.4%55.6%0.49−70.8%+219%0.24—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 6 shownEverything else in Software and the categories next to it (Application Software, Enterprise Software, Payment Processing, Semiconductors), plus SNPS's specific themes. 38 of 124 passed at least one test.
MSFTMicrosoft Corporation · Software
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+12.5%28.2%0.56−37.1%+946%0.50—
VVisa Inc. · Payment Processing
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+12.8%22.9%0.64−36.4%+429%0.23—
ADIAnalog Devices, Inc. · Semiconductors
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+19.5%34.1%0.69−33.6%+652%0.37—
CIBRFirst Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF · Cybersecurity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+14.1%26.1%0.64−33.9%+454%0.350.58%
PANWPalo Alto Networks, Inc. · Cybersecurity
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+31.9%43.4%0.86−48.0%+1,274%0.19—
CPAYCorpay, Inc. · Payment Processing
Similar return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods+8.2%32.5%0.41−50.1%+137%0.20—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 1,520 of 3,500 passed at least one test.
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+40.7%32.8%1.21−34.5%+1,807%0.06—
VTIVanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF · US Total Market
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+11.5%17.5%0.71−35.0%+302%0.550.03%
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+12.8%16.9%0.80−34.0%+324%0.550.03%
MUSAMurphy USA Inc. · Convenience Stores
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+26.1%31.2%0.90−35.5%+706%0.08—
BRK-BBerkshire Hathaway Inc. · Insurance
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+13.4%17.1%0.82−29.6%+274%0.11—
JNJJohnson & Johnson · Pharmaceuticals
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+12.7%17.9%0.76−27.4%+196%-0.17—
VXUSVanguard Total International Stock ETF · International Equity
Similar return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+8.2%16.4%0.57−36.0%+140%0.360.05%
ATIATI Inc. · Metals & Mining
On the frontierHigher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+61.8%42.9%1.34−82.4%+929%-0.03—
What these numbers mean for SNPS
Annual return
SNPS returned 7.2% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $14,200. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
SNPS's volatility over the past 5 years was 42.3%, 2.5 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, SNPS's return lands within 42.3% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
SNPS's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.39, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so SNPS earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
SNPS's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 43.0%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 43.0% fall takes a 75.5% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, SNPS's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.55 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against SNPS instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a SNPS holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 1,090 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than SNPS with less volatility

Out of 3,633 tested over 5 years. The strongest 100 are listed, best first, with funds that hold the same thing listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with SNPSExpense
1
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+40.7%32.8%1.21−34.5%+1,807%0.06—
2
VTIVanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF · US Total Market
Whole market+11.5%17.5%0.71−35.0%+302%0.550.03%
3
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Whole market+12.8%16.9%0.80−34.0%+324%0.550.03%
4
MUSAMurphy USA Inc. · Convenience Stores
Whole market+26.1%31.2%0.90−35.5%+706%0.08—
5
BRK-BBerkshire Hathaway Inc. · Insurance
Whole market+13.4%17.1%0.82−29.6%+274%0.11—
6
JNJJohnson & Johnson · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+12.7%17.9%0.76−27.4%+196%-0.17—
7
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Equity
Whole market+17.0%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.060.40%
8
KOThe Coca-Cola Company · Food & Beverages
Whole market+14.7%16.8%0.91−37.0%+204%-0.14—
9
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation · Discount Retail
Whole market+17.4%22.9%0.82−31.4%+685%0.30—
10
QQQInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 · US Large-Cap Growth
Whole market+14.5%23.0%0.71−35.1%+553%0.620.18%
11
NVSNovartis AG · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+17.1%20.7%0.87−26.8%+226%-0.02—
12
APHAmphenol Corporation · Electronic Components
Whole market+33.8%32.2%1.07−37.5%+965%0.37—
13
VTVVanguard Morningstar Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+12.1%13.7%0.90−36.8%+235%0.290.03%
14
AMGNAmgen Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+19.6%24.9%0.85−24.9%+266%0.00—
15
GILDGilead Sciences, Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+22.8%24.9%0.95−30.5%+200%-0.12—
16
VEAVanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF · Developed International Equity
Whole market+9.3%16.9%0.61−35.8%+153%0.360.03%
17
LINLinde plc · Chemicals
Whole market+11.5%20.9%0.63−32.6%+394%0.33—
18
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+18.4%26.0%0.78−35.1%+779%0.600.09%
19
PGRThe Progressive Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+21.3%25.6%0.89−30.3%+816%0.01—
20
DEDeere & Company · Industrial Machinery
Whole market+14.4%29.9%0.60−37.9%+755%0.13—
21
VIGVanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF · US Dividend Equity
Whole market+10.4%14.1%0.78−31.7%+258%0.400.04%
22
CORCencora, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+24.2%22.8%1.07−32.4%+406%0.07—
23
SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF · US Dividend Equity
Whole market+9.7%14.3%0.72−33.4%+252%0.230.06%
24
MNSTMonster Beverage Corporation · Food & Beverages
Whole market+17.2%24.9%0.77−30.4%+285%0.05—
25
VTVanguard Total World Stock ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+10.3%16.2%0.69−34.2%+223%0.500.06%
26
CMECME Group Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+11.2%20.8%0.62−37.4%+319%-0.02—
27
RSGRepublic Services, Inc. · Environmental Services
Whole market+13.9%18.5%0.80−34.0%+446%0.17—
28
PJULInnovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+10.5%8.6%1.20−18.2%—0.480.79%
29
MSIMotorola Solutions, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Whole market+14.8%23.6%0.71−32.8%+625%0.44—
30
WMWaste Management, Inc. · Environmental Services
Whole market+9.3%19.2%0.56−30.1%+344%0.24—
31
FJANFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - January · Multi-Asset
Whole market+11.1%10.5%1.05−13.6%—0.480.85%
32
FASTFastenal Company · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+15.8%24.6%0.72−30.7%+576%0.35—
33
SCHGSchwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF · US Large-Cap Growth
Whole market+13.1%22.4%0.67−34.5%+451%0.620.04%
34
DYNFiShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF · US Multifactor Equity
Whole market+14.7%17.5%0.87−34.7%—0.560.26%
35
MSFTMicrosoft Corporation · Software
Same or nearby category+12.5%28.2%0.56−37.1%+946%0.50—
36
EDConsolidated Edison, Inc. · Electric Utilities
Whole market+12.0%18.8%0.70−30.9%+114%0.13—
37
XLVState Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF · Health Care Equity
Whole market+8.4%15.3%0.60−28.4%+202%0.120.08%
38
FNVFranco-Nevada Corporation · Gold Mining
Whole market+12.5%31.3%0.53−37.1%+303%-0.02—
39
SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF · US Momentum Equity
Whole market+18.7%20.8%0.93−30.9%+499%0.440.13%
40
DFIVDimensional - International Value ETF · International Equity
Whole market+14.8%16.4%0.93−25.4%—0.180.27%
41
AVLVAvantis U.S. Large Cap Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+14.0%16.9%0.86−19.5%—0.400.15%
42
VGKVanguard FTSE Europe ETF · International Equity
Whole market+8.4%17.9%0.54−37.2%+150%0.310.06%
43
HDViShares Core High Dividend ETF · US Dividend Equity
Whole market+12.9%13.0%1.00−37.0%+172%0.110.08%
44
VVisa Inc. · Payment Processing
Same or nearby category+12.8%22.9%0.64−36.4%+429%0.23—
45
DFATDimensional - US Targeted Value ETF · US Small-Cap Equity
Whole market+9.6%21.0%0.54−26.1%—0.340.33%
46
DGXQuest Diagnostics Incorporated · Medical Diagnostics
Whole market+12.3%22.5%0.63−36.6%+243%-0.01—
47
FTSFortis Inc. · Electric Utilities
Whole market+8.4%16.4%0.58−34.3%+154%0.13—
48
AVEMAvantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF · Emerging Markets Equity
Whole market+9.3%19.5%0.56−36.0%—0.350.33%
49
SPHQInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETF · US Quality Equity
Whole market+12.0%16.7%0.76−31.6%+300%0.450.20%
50
EXPDExpeditors International of Washington, Inc. · Freight & Logistics
Whole market+12.0%27.1%0.56−35.6%+349%0.35—
51
EWJiShares MSCI Japan ETF · International Equity
Whole market+9.2%18.8%0.57−33.1%+132%0.360.49%
52
BUFRFT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF · Buffered Equity
Whole market+9.9%10.5%0.96−13.7%—0.520.10%
53
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
Whole market+17.3%18.2%0.97−40.0%+352%0.16—
54
MPCMarathon Petroleum Corporation · Oil & Gas
Whole market+51.2%33.4%1.41−79.7%+1,387%-0.02—
55
PBR-APetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+51.8%37.5%1.31−71.7%+768%0.08—
56
RWLInvesco S&P 500 Revenue ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Whole market+13.7%14.4%0.97−36.1%+287%0.380.39%
57
DBEFXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF · International Equity
Whole market+13.1%13.8%0.96−32.5%+206%0.340.35%
58
ADIAnalog Devices, Inc. · Semiconductors
Same or nearby category+19.5%34.1%0.69−33.6%+652%0.37—
59
IOOiShares Global 100 ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+15.7%17.2%0.94−31.4%+361%0.490.40%
60
JQUAJPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF · US Quality Equity
Whole market+13.6%15.7%0.89−32.9%—0.520.12%
61
DIVOAmplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF · Equity Income
Whole market+11.1%11.9%0.95−30.0%—0.290.56%
62
MOATVanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Whole market+9.1%18.4%0.57−33.3%+276%0.460.46%
63
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%-0.06—
64
ACTEnact Holdings Inc. · Insurance
Whole market+20.5%24.3%0.89−20.2%—0.03—
65
ACAArcosa, Inc. · Construction Materials
Whole market+23.1%34.0%0.78−36.8%—0.30—
66
NHCNational HealthCare Corporation · Medical - Care Facilities
Whole market+32.0%28.5%1.12−35.3%+394%0.03—
67
QYLDGlobal X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF · Equity Income
Whole market+8.4%15.0%0.62−24.7%+156%0.500.60%
68
AAPLApple Inc. · Computer Hardware
Whole market+18.5%28.0%0.75−38.5%+1,168%0.22—
69
FLTWFranklin FTSE Taiwan ETF · Technology
Whole market+21.8%24.3%0.94−38.0%—0.470.19%
70
DBMFiMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF · Alternatives
Whole market+9.8%12.4%0.82−20.4%—-0.320.85%
71
USMCPrincipal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+14.1%16.4%0.89−30.0%—0.540.12%
72
RSPTInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.9%25.1%0.75−33.7%+572%0.590.40%
73
GCOWPacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF · International
Whole market+14.1%13.6%1.04−37.6%+168%0.090.60%
74
GOOGAlphabet Inc. · Internet Services
Whole market+19.0%32.0%0.71−44.6%+752%0.42—
75
TDIVFirst Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.2%21.3%0.81−32.0%+388%0.520.50%
76
MPLXMPLX Lp · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+23.5%18.8%1.22−75.2%+350%0.16—
77
IWXiShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+12.7%13.8%0.94−35.8%+221%0.330.20%
78
IDMOInvesco S&P International Developed Momentum ETF · International Equity
Whole market+13.3%18.2%0.78−31.3%+229%0.420.25%
79
FTGCFirst Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund · Alternatives
Whole market+12.9%15.6%0.86−35.9%+139%-0.040.98%
80
XMHQInvesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF · US Mid-Cap Equity
Whole market+9.7%20.5%0.56−36.9%+240%0.430.30%
81
FTLSFirst Trust Long/Short Equity ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+10.2%10.4%0.99−20.6%+158%0.480.95%
82
OMFLInvesco Russell 1000 Dynamic Multifactor ETF · US Multifactor Equity
Whole market+9.0%16.4%0.61−33.2%—0.430.29%
83
PTLCPacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+9.5%11.8%0.83−26.6%+188%0.370.60%
84
SPUSSP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF · Technology
Whole market+15.0%19.5%0.82−30.8%—0.570.45%
85
DEMWisdomTree Emerging Markets High Dividend Fund · International Equity
Whole market+9.6%15.5%0.67−37.8%+133%0.270.63%
86
CIBRFirst Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF · Cybersecurity
Same or nearby category+14.1%26.1%0.64−33.9%+454%0.350.58%
87
DIVIFranklin International Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF · International
Whole market+13.4%15.5%0.89−27.7%+184%0.300.09%
88
EQWLInvesco S&P 100 Equal Weight ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+11.6%15.0%0.81−34.3%+291%0.430.30%
89
HDEFXtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF · International
Whole market+12.8%14.2%0.92−36.4%+134%0.140.09%
90
AOAiShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETF · Multi-Asset
Whole market+8.6%13.1%0.69−28.4%+165%0.480.19%
91
BRCBrady Corporation · Security & Protection Services
Whole market+12.0%26.3%0.56−36.2%+188%0.15—
92
DIVBiShares Core Dividend ETF · Dividend & Income
Whole market+13.9%15.4%0.93−36.9%—0.330.05%
93
ACIOAptus Collared Income Opportunity ETF · Dividend & Income
Whole market+9.3%11.1%0.86−14.2%—0.530.79%
94
FTHIFirst Trust BuyWrite Income ETF · Dividend & Income
Whole market+10.3%13.3%0.81−32.7%+126%0.510.75%
95
FLQLFranklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+13.8%16.3%0.88−33.6%—0.530.15%
96
JMOMJPMorgan U.S. Momentum Factor ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+12.9%19.1%0.73−34.3%—0.550.12%
97
ESLTElbit Systems Ltd. · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+39.8%34.6%1.15−35.4%+765%0.07—
98
HFXINYLI FTSE International Equity Currency Neutral ETF · International
Whole market+11.4%15.3%0.79−32.4%+180%0.360.19%
99
NULGNuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth · Broad Market
Whole market+11.4%21.9%0.60−36.2%—0.650.26%
100
AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. · E-Commerce
Whole market+9.0%36.6%0.42−56.1%+548%0.57—

SNPS against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against SNPS, compared period by period and year by year.

How do SNPS's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at SNPS, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than SNPS with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%50.0%55.0%60.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilitySNPS: 7.2% a year, volatility 42.3%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%TSM: 31.5% a year, volatility 38.5%KEYS: 13.9% a year, volatility 34.5%PTC: 8.3% a year, volatility 35.0%CDNS: 14.8% a year, volatility 37.2%NVDA: 58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%INTC: 12.4% a year, volatility 55.6%DSGX: 1.8% a year, volatility 31.8%ADSK: −3.8% a year, volatility 36.4%BSY: −7.5% a year, volatility 37.1%SNPSSPY (S&P 500)TSMKEYSPTCCDNSNVDAINTCDSGXADSKBSY10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%−20.0%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilitySNPS: 7.2% a year, volatility 42.3%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%TSM: 31.5% a year, volatility 38.5%KEYS: 13.9% a year, volatility 34.5%PTC: 8.3% a year, volatility 35.0%CDNS: 14.8% a year, volatility 37.2%NVDA: 58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%INTC: 12.4% a year, volatility 55.6%DSGX: 1.8% a year, volatility 31.8%ADSK: −3.8% a year, volatility 36.4%BSY: −7.5% a year, volatility 37.1%SNPSSPY (S&P 500)TSMKEYSPTCNVDAINTCDSGXADSKBSY
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation+58.0%51.9%
TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited+31.5%38.5%
CDNS Cadence Design Systems, Inc.+14.8%37.2%
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.+13.9%34.5%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
INTC Intel Corp.+12.4%55.6%
PTC PTC Inc.+8.3%35.0%
SNPS This pageSynopsys, Inc.+7.2%42.3%
DSGX The Descartes Systems Group Inc.+1.8%31.8%
ADSK Autodesk, Inc.−3.8%36.4%
BSY Bentley Systems, Incorporated−7.5%37.1%
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Has SNPS consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares SNPS with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than SNPS helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than SNPS over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
SNPS Synopsys, Inc. (this page)—+11.4%+18.3%−2.9%−6.8%−1.3%−4.3%+41.9%+656%42.3%0.39−43.0%—$86B—
NVDA QualifiedNVIDIA Corporation3/5 short3/3 long−4.8%+6.6%+7.4%+14.9%+18.8%+425%+884%+13,019%51.9%1.14−66.3%—$5.2T—
TSM QualifiedTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited3/5 short3/3 long−4.5%+5.9%+16.6%+34.0%+44.3%+382%+293%+1,505%38.5%0.91−56.6%—$2.2T—
KEYS QualifiedKeysight Technologies, Inc.3/5 short3/3 long−2.3%+6.4%−0.3%+61.8%+103%+172%+91.9%+923%34.5%0.55−42.6%—$57B—
PTC QualifiedPTC Inc.4/5 short2/3 long+42.9%+54.9%+37.4%+13.7%−6.1%+40.4%+49.3%+317%35.0%0.40−54.4%—$21B—
INTC QualifiedIntel Corp.3/5 short2/3 long−24.7%−5.5%+39.6%+133%+141%+167%+79.8%+219%55.6%0.49−70.8%—$485B—
CDNS Software - ApplicationCadence Design Systems, Inc.2/5 short3/3 long+8.5%−3.0%+0.4%+3.1%−3.0%+34.0%+99.8%+1,139%37.2%0.56−34.2%—$88B—
DSGX Software - ApplicationThe Descartes Systems Group Inc.4/5 short1/3 long+13.7%+22.5%+17.3%+6.0%−5.9%+24.5%+9.2%+324%31.8%0.21−48.7%—$7.7B—
ARM SemiconductorsArm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares3/5 short1/3 long−31.5%−18.0%+26.2%+92.7%+28.9%+362%————−54.0%—$236B—
ADSK Software - ApplicationAutodesk, Inc.2/5 short1/3 long+12.2%+12.8%+0.1%−14.4%−20.3%+21.2%−17.8%+245%36.4%0.07−52.0%—$51B—
BSY Software - ApplicationBentley Systems, Incorporated3/5 short0/3 long+19.6%+18.1%+8.8%+0.6%−25.6%−22.4%−32.4%—37.1%-0.03−61.0%—$11B—
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How did SNPS do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where SNPS ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with SNPS and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of SNPS; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places SNPS among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of SNPS20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997
SNPS This pageSynopsys, Inc.—−3.2%−5.7%+61.3%−13.4%+42.1%+86.2%+65.2%−1.2%+44.8%+29.0%+4.9%+7.1%+27.4%+17.1%+1.1%+20.8%+20.3%−28.6%−3.0%+33.3%+2.6%−42.3%+46.7%−21.9%+24.5%−28.9%+23.0%+51.7%−22.7%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 8 of 297 of 119 of 114 of 102 of 103 of 104 of 93 of 96 of 93 of 95 of 94 of 97 of 86 of 85 of 85 of 84 of 88 of 82 of 86 of 82 of 88 of 88 of 87 of 81 of 84 of 86 of 84 of 62 of 65 of 5
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF11 of 29+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%+16.0%+1.9%+15.1%+26.4%−36.8%+5.1%+15.9%+4.8%+10.7%+28.2%−21.6%−11.7%−9.8%+20.4%+28.7%+33.5%
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation19 of 26+38.9%+171%+239%−50.2%+125%+122%+76.4%−30.8%+82.5%+228%+67.1%+27.4%+33.5%−11.0%−10.0%−17.6%+131%−76.3%+37.9%+102%+55.2%+1.6%+102%−82.8%+308%+39.6%———
TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited14 of 28+55.7%+92.0%+41.8%−37.0%+11.7%+91.6%+63.3%−4.3%+37.9%+31.2%+4.9%+31.1%+4.5%+37.7%+7.3%+14.9%+52.9%−16.1%−4.3%+18.9%+27.1%−4.2%+56.7%−54.8%+39.5%−51.0%+290%+13.4%—
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.4 of 11+26.5%+1.0%−7.0%−17.2%+56.3%+28.7%+65.3%+49.2%+13.8%+29.1%−16.1%——————————————————
PTC PTC Inc.14 of 29−5.3%+5.1%+45.8%−0.9%+1.3%+59.7%−9.7%+36.4%+31.3%+33.6%−5.5%+3.6%+57.2%+23.3%−18.9%+37.9%+29.2%−29.1%−0.9%+18.2%+3.6%+49.4%+56.4%−67.7%−41.9%−50.3%+66.6%−31.4%−7.8%
INTC Intel Corp.15 of 29+84.0%−59.6%+94.5%−46.6%+6.0%−14.7%+30.7%+4.2%+30.9%+8.7%−2.2%+44.3%+30.9%−12.0%+19.4%+6.3%+43.9%−43.5%+34.2%−17.2%+8.1%−26.6%+107%−50.3%+4.9%−26.9%+39.1%+69.0%+7.4%
CDNS Cadence Design Systems, Inc.17 of 29+4.0%+10.3%+69.5%−13.8%+36.6%+96.7%+59.5%+4.0%+65.8%+21.2%+9.7%+35.3%+3.8%+29.9%+25.9%+37.9%+63.7%−78.5%−5.0%+5.9%+22.5%−23.2%+52.5%−46.2%−20.3%+14.6%−19.3%+21.4%+24.1%
DSGX The Descartes Systems Group Inc.11 of 26−22.8%+35.1%+20.7%−15.8%+41.4%+36.9%+61.5%−6.8%+32.7%+6.6%+35.5%+10.7%+44.0%+29.9%+1.7%+18.7%+98.3%−28.8%+13.8%+17.5%+57.0%−29.1%−9.0%−58.4%−69.0%+11.6%———
ARM Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares1 of 2−11.4%+64.1%———————————————————————————
ADSK Autodesk, Inc.14 of 29+0.1%+21.4%+30.3%−33.5%−7.9%+66.4%+42.6%+22.7%+41.6%+21.5%+1.5%+19.4%+42.4%+16.6%−20.6%+50.3%+29.3%−60.5%+23.0%−5.8%+13.2%+210%+73.0%−22.5%+39.5%−19.5%−20.3%+16.3%+33.0%
BSY Bentley Systems, Incorporated0 of 5−17.8%−10.1%+41.8%−23.3%+19.6%————————————————————————
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Risk and diversification

How SNPS has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were SNPS's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents SNPS's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 1992, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Green means SNPS fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringSNPS fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
2008 financial crisis−61.0%−28.8%Jan 2004Nov 20084.8 yearsJul 20134.7 years
Dot-com bust−60.7%+5.3%Dec 1999Aug 20008 monthsJan 20043.4 years
No named crash−49.7%+2.5%Nov 1996Apr 19975 monthsNov 199819 months
No named crash−43.0%+20.7%Jul 2025Sep 202614 monthsNot yet—
No named crash−38.7%−8.2%Jul 2024Apr 20259 monthsJul 20253 months

How did SNPS do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far SNPS, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than SNPS.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
SNPS This pageSynopsys, Inc.—−3.7%−29.3%−34.3%−20.3%−8.4%−22.8%−13.7%−1.9%−49.1%−48.0%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF5 of 10−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation0 of 10−5.0%−60.7%−37.5%−55.9%−8.5%−25.3%−23.8%−1.7%−85.1%−89.7%
TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited4 of 10−3.9%−54.3%−23.3%−21.4%−9.3%−13.2%−15.7%0.0%−48.0%−82.4%
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.4 of 6−2.6%−33.8%−17.7%−18.0%−6.7%−37.2%————
PTC PTC Inc.2 of 10−4.3%−20.4%−45.3%−27.8%−4.9%−24.9%−33.9%−3.0%−66.1%−94.5%
INTC Intel Corp.6 of 10−1.0%−54.1%−33.5%−13.0%−6.7%−19.7%−16.2%−0.9%−55.2%−82.3%
CDNS Cadence Design Systems, Inc.5 of 10−1.8%−24.3%−32.1%−14.1%−10.4%−19.3%−21.4%−4.6%−88.2%−72.3%
DSGX The Descartes Systems Group Inc.3 of 10−2.4%−27.9%−37.0%−28.0%−8.4%−24.7%−19.9%0.0%−55.6%−97.7%
ADSK Autodesk, Inc.1 of 10−5.1%−40.9%−35.5%−24.2%−6.9%−34.7%−36.9%−1.6%−76.9%−63.6%
BSY Bentley Systems, Incorporated0 of 2−4.3%−39.8%————————
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How closely does SNPS move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares SNPS with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than SNPS's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
SNPS This pageSynopsys, Inc.124%108%1.161.17
TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited138%75%1.841.15
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation248%140%1.771.83
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.121%71%1.701.08
CDNS Cadence Design Systems, Inc.132%83%1.581.09
DSGX The Descartes Systems Group Inc.86%79%1.090.86
INTC Intel Corp.98%100%0.981.43
PTC PTC Inc.105%127%0.831.12
ADSK Autodesk, Inc.130%179%0.731.34
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What diversifies SNPS?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with SNPS's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing SNPS with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which SNPS lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% SNPS and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202520242022201820082007200420022000199780/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
SNPS Synopsys, Inc. (this page)1.00+41.9%0.39−3.2%−5.7%−13.4%−1.2%−28.6%−3.0%−42.3%−21.9%−28.9%−22.7%34.5%+7.8%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.06+119%1.48+27.1%+15.9%+3.8%−5.2%——————27.8%+10.6%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.23+225%1.34+32.8%+29.8%+6.0%−19.8%−20.8%−7.4%————28.3%+12.3%
PJUL Broad MarketInnovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF0.48+64.4%1.20+12.8%+13.8%−2.1%———————28.4%+9.2%
EMLP Broad MarketFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund0.24+101%1.04+9.7%+33.4%+10.4%−8.7%——————28.4%+10.2%
HDV Dividend & IncomeiShares Core High Dividend ETF0.11+83.3%1.00+11.9%+14.1%+7.1%−3.0%——————28.0%+9.7%
FTLS Broad MarketFirst Trust Long/Short Equity ETF0.48+62.9%0.99+9.1%+18.8%−5.6%−4.8%——————28.4%+9.2%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.34+85.0%0.96+23.1%+13.4%−5.1%−9.5%——————28.4%+9.8%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares-0.01+126%0.96+63.7%+26.7%−0.8%−1.9%+4.9%+30.4%————27.8%+11.1%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202520242022201820082007200420022000199780/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
SNPS Synopsys, Inc. (this page)1.00+41.9%0.39−3.2%−5.7%−13.4%−1.2%−28.6%−3.0%−42.3%−21.9%−28.9%−22.7%34.5%+7.8%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.-0.06+479%1.55+76.3%+19.0%+54.1%−24.5%−39.6%−9.8%−4.7%−8.3%+108%+29.1%27.7%+14.9%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.0.34+3,143%1.47+220%+215%+1.3%−16.3%−20.5%−25.7%−6.4%−65.1%−2.3%—33.4%+26.3%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.39+1,636%1.46+121%+107%+17.0%+0.8%−15.2%+2.1%+40.0%−9.4%−71.1%—32.1%+22.5%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation-0.03+413%1.44+44.5%+23.7%+51.8%−28.4%−40.4%+29.7%−1.4%−27.2%+61.2%+96.3%27.9%+14.3%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation-0.02+690%1.41+19.2%−4.0%+86.6%−8.2%——————28.2%+17.0%
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Common questions

What was SNPS's worst drawdown?

SNPS's deepest decline since it began trading in 1992 was 61.0%, from January 2004 to November 2008. It took about five years from the low to climb back to its old high.

What were SNPS's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, SNPS's best year was 2020, when it returned 86.2%. Its worst was 2004, with a return of -42.3%.

Is there a better investment than SNPS?

Among SNPS's popular alternatives, CDNS, TSM and KEYS earned more than SNPS with less volatility over the past 5 years. CDNS returned 14.8% a year at 37.2% volatility, against 7.2% a year at 42.3%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, MSFT (software) and V (payment processing) earned more than SNPS with less volatility over the past 5 years. MSFT returned 12.5% a year at 28.2% volatility, against 7.2% a year at 42.3%.

Is SNPS more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. SNPS's volatility over the past 5 years was 42.3%, 2.5 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, SNPS's return lands within 42.3% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is SNPS's Sharpe ratio?

SNPS's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.39, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so SNPS earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is SNPS with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, SNPS's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.55 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against SNPS instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a SNPS holding.

What are the best alternatives to SNPS?

Of the ten popular alternatives we compared, five outperformed SNPS in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: NVDA, TSM and KEYS.

Did SNPS outperform the S&P 500?

SNPS finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 17 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned -3.2%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did SNPS do in stock market crashes?

SNPS fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in two of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in five. The clearest case was the 2015 China and oil sell-off, when SNPS fell 22.8% and the S&P 500 fell 12.8%.

What diversifies SNPS?

These had a low correlation with SNPS over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.06), DXJ (correlation 0.23) and PJUL (correlation 0.48); among large stocks, CAH (correlation -0.06), CLS (correlation 0.34) and FIX (correlation 0.39). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to SNPS

Other stocks and ETFs