What Happens To Synopsys Stock If AI Learns To Design Chips Without It?

Synopsys (SNPS) sells the electronic design automation software and design IP that chipmakers use to build new chips. Its stock has lost 16.3% over the past year, while the S&P 500 gained 18.5%. A Needham analyst said on the fiscal Q3 2026 earnings call that the question investors keep asking is whether AI could learn to design chips without those tools. The biggest risk is not a sudden break. It is that Ansys revenue could hide the threat inside the headline totals while it builds.