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Synopsys Shares Plunge 35% on China Woes, Erasing 2025 Gains

Synopsys shares tumbled nearly 35% on Wednesday, putting the chip design software giant on track for its worst single-day drop on record and wiping out gains accumulated in 2025. The decline followed disappointing earnings and fresh concerns about its business in China, a key semiconductor market under tightening U.S. export restrictions.

The company reported Q3 revenue of $1.74 billion, missing analyst estimates, with weakness in its IP segment. CEO Sassine Ghazi blamed U.S. export curbs — which blocked sales of chip design software to China for more than a month — and setbacks at a “major foundry customer.” Although restrictions were lifted in July, analysts said Chinese customer confidence has eroded, leaving demand subdued.

Synopsys generates more than 10% of industry revenue from China, but geopolitical tensions have made that stream increasingly fragile. Shares of rival Cadence Design Systems also dropped nearly 7% in sympathy.

While Ghazi did not identify the foundry customer, analysts pointed to Intel, which has dramatically scaled back its 18A chip manufacturing technology and broader foundry ambitions. J.P. Morgan suggested Synopsys had dedicated significant IP resources to Intel’s program, only to see its potential curtailed.

The downturn comes as Synopsys completes its $35 billion acquisition of Ansys, a move aimed at diversifying its engineering software portfolio. However, the company also announced it will cut 10% of its workforce by 2026 as part of a strategic review.

With trade restrictions clouding its China outlook and reliance on slowing customers like Intel, Synopsys faces mounting pressure to stabilize its core business even as it integrates Ansys.

Synopsys Misses Q3 Revenue Estimates, Shares Plunge 18%

Chip design software provider Synopsys (SNPS.O) reported third-quarter revenue that fell short of Wall Street expectations, dragged down by weakness in its Design IP business, sending its stock down nearly 18.5% after hours.

Results and Outlook

  • Q3 Revenue: $1.74 billion vs. $1.77 billion expected (LSEG data)

  • Adjusted EPS: $3.39 vs. $3.74 expected

  • Q4 Guidance: $2.23–$2.26 billion revenue (above $2.09 billion consensus)

Key Pressures

  • Design IP Weakness: Includes interface, security, and embedded processor IP, plus implementation services.

  • Deal Fallout: Several deals failed to close due to:

    • U.S. export restrictions on China disrupting design starts

    • A major foundry customer canceling projects amid market and client-related challenges

  • CEO Sassine Ghazi: Said Synopsys had invested heavily in building IP for the foundry, but returns expected in 2H 2025 will now not materialize.

Strategic Moves

  • Ansys Acquisition: Completed $35B cash-and-stock purchase of engineering design firm Ansys in July after global antitrust reviews, including conditional approval in China.

  • Customer Base: Partners include Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm, among others.

Market Context

  • Rival Cadence Design Systems (CDNS.O): Raised its 2025 sales and profit forecast in July, highlighting diverging performance in the EDA software sector.

  • Synopsys’ miss underscores ongoing geopolitical risks and dependence on key customers in a competitive industry where regulatory headwinds are reshaping chip design markets.

Chip Design Software Stocks Surge After US Lifts Export Curbs on China

Shares of major chip design software companies Synopsys and Cadence Design Systems rose sharply on Thursday following the U.S. government’s decision to lift export restrictions on chip design software exports to China, alleviating market uncertainties and preserving access to a critical revenue source.

Market Impact

  • The restrictions, introduced in late May, had cut off over 10% of revenue for these companies, negatively impacting forecasts and share prices.

  • Analysts from Mizuho noted the export resumption will limit revenue loss to just one month in the current quarter.

  • The easing of trade tensions could facilitate China’s approval of Synopsys’s $35 billion acquisition of engineering software firm Ansys, a deal pending regulatory clearance primarily in China.

Stock Movements

  • Synopsys shares rose 5.5%, despite ongoing assessments of export curbs’ financial impacts.

  • Cadence Design Systems surged 6.1%, reaching a record high of $330.09.

  • Ansys gained around 3.5%, while Germany’s Siemens, another key player in electronic design automation (EDA), rose 1.5%.

Expert Insights and Context

  • Susannah Streeter of Hargreaves Lansdown described the move as “a distinct warming of relations and a small ceasefire in the chips war.”

  • However, she cautioned that it does not represent a broad easing of restrictions on high-end chip exports, especially from companies like Nvidia.

  • U.S. concerns persist over China’s technological advancements and potential military applications of American chip technology.

  • The curbs have driven increased domestic chip design efforts in China, supported by state subsidies, raising fears of retaliatory actions that could affect regulatory decisions like the Synopsys-Ansys deal.

Deal Deadline

  • The Synopsys-Ansys merger has been cleared in all jurisdictions except China, with a closure deadline of July 15 and an option to extend to January next year.