Autodesk Stock Price, News & Analysis

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) reported strong Q1 fiscal 2026 results with revenue growing 15% to $1.6 billion. Key financial metrics include:

• Non-GAAP EPS of $2.29, up $0.42 YoY
• Free cash flow increased 14% to $556 million
• Operating margin (non-GAAP) improved by 3 percentage points to 37%

Geographic performance showed strong growth in Americas and EMEA (both 17%), while APAC grew 6%. By product family, AECO led with 20% growth, followed by Manufacturing at 15%. The company provided Q2 guidance of $1.72-1.73 billion in revenue and full-year fiscal 2026 revenue guidance of $6.93-7.0 billion, with expected non-GAAP operating margin of 36.5-37%.

Autodesk (ADSK) has launched a major brand transformation with its "Let There Be Anything" campaign, marking one of its most significant rebranding efforts in 43 years. The campaign features a U.S.-only 60-second ad starring Emmy-winner Tony Hale, airing during the NBA Playoffs. The initiative aims to showcase Autodesk's evolution from being primarily known for AutoCAD to a unified brand serving the Design and Make industries. The campaign highlights real customer success stories and coincides with a refreshed brand identity. Notably, the Design and Make industries, which employ over 300 million professionals, are projected to reach a global value of $30 trillion by 2027. The campaign includes global storytelling featuring customers like architect Noella Nibakuze, adaptive bike designer Noel Joyce, and animator Cinzia Angelini.

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) has announced it will host its first quarter fiscal 2026 financial results conference call on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 2:00 PM Pacific Time. The conference call will be accessible via live webcast through the company's investor relations website at autodesk.com/investors. For those unable to attend the live event, an audio replay will be made available on the same website after 5:00 PM PT.

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) has announced the appointment of two independent directors, Jeff Epstein and Christie Simons, to its Board of Directors following a cooperation agreement with Starboard Value LP. The directors will initially serve as non-voting observers until their full appointment at the 2025 Annual Meeting on June 18, 2025.

Jeff Epstein, currently Operating Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, brings extensive financial leadership experience as former CFO of Oracle and board member of several technology companies. Christie Simons, a former Senior Partner at Deloitte, contributes 30 years of global technology and audit expertise.

Following these appointments, Autodesk's Board will consist of 12 directors, with 11 being independent. The agreement with Starboard includes their withdrawal of director nominees and establishes an Information Sharing and Discussion Agreement to facilitate ongoing collaboration for shareholder value creation.

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) has released its 2025 State of Design & Make report, surveying nearly 6,000 global industry leaders across design, manufacturing, and construction sectors. The report reveals significant insights about AI adoption and workforce challenges.

Key findings show that while 48% of respondents believe AI will destabilize their industry, more than 2 in 3 leaders plan to increase AI investments. Trust in AI has declined, with only 65% expressing confidence, an 11-point drop from previous year. Despite challenges, 46% of leaders consider AI skills a top hiring priority for the next three years.

The report highlights a growing skills crisis, with 58% of professionals citing lack of skilled talent as a barrier to growth. Additionally, 48% of organizations lack resources for internal training programs. On the sustainability front, 72% of business leaders believe sustainability initiatives can generate over 5% of annual revenue, with 39% of companies using AI to advance sustainability efforts.

UKG, a provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions, has appointed Prakash Kota as Chief Information Officer (CIO) effective April 3. Kota, who will report to UKG President and CFO Arlen Shenkman, joins from Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) where he served as senior vice president and CIO.

At Autodesk, Kota led enterprise strategy initiatives focused on business scaling and technology experiences, overseeing enterprise data platforms, infrastructure and cloud engineering, and digital transformation initiatives. In his new role at UKG, he will drive enterprise technology strategy, optimize go-to-market capabilities, and advance AI design for workforce management.

A technology veteran with over 20 years of experience, Kota is a Bay Area CIO Global Orbie award winner, Forbes innovative technology leader honoree, and National Diversity Council Top 100 CIO. Based in San Francisco, he will focus on creating intelligent experiences for UKG's 80,000 global customers.

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced that Elizabeth 'Betsy' Rafael will not seek re-election to the Board of Directors at the company's 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Rafael, who joined the board in September 2013, served as Audit Committee chair from March 2016 to May 2024 and as Interim CFO from May 31, 2024, until December 16, 2024.

Her decision aligns with the completion of her advisory tenure, which concludes on April 30, 2025. CEO Andrew Anagnost acknowledged Rafael's contributions during her decade-long service, highlighting her oversight of significant company growth and her role in shaping Autodesk's long-term vision.

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) has issued a response to Starboard Value LP's comments, highlighting strong financial performance and defending against what it calls a 'self-serving campaign.' The company reported FY 2025 revenue of $6.1 billion, representing 16% annual growth since FY 2019 and 12% year-over-year increase.

Key financial highlights include: non-GAAP operating margins increased over 2,400 basis points since FY 2019, with additional 200-300 bps expansion expected in FY 2026; free cash flow grew 22% from $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion, with FY 2026 target of $2.075-2.175 billion; and planned share repurchases of $1.1-1.2 billion in FY 2026, representing a 30-40% increase over FY 2025.

The company criticized Starboard's approach, noting that the investor sold 44% of its position in Q4 2024 and submitted a dissident slate just hours before the nomination deadline. Autodesk maintains its commitment to shareholder dialogue, having engaged with investors representing over 50% of outstanding shares.

Starboard Value LP, a significant stockholder of Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK), has announced the nomination of three director candidates for election at Autodesk's 2025 Annual Meeting. The nominees include Geoff Ribar, Christie Simons, and Jeff Smith.

Starboard, which holds an ownership stake valued at over $500 million in Autodesk, has delivered a letter to the company's shareholders. The activist investor suggests that Autodesk's response regarding TSR performance and Investor Day targets has been misleading, emphasizing the need for change and improved accountability at the board level.