Shareholders might have noticed that Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) filed its third-quarter result this time last week. The early response was not positive, with shares down 5.6% to US$291 in the past week. The result was positive overall - although revenues of US$1.6b were in line with what the analysts predicted, Autodesk surprised by delivering a statutory profit of US$1.27 per share, modestly greater than expected. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.
Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Autodesk's 27 analysts is for revenues of US$6.88b in 2026. This would reflect a decent 15% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to climb 13% to US$5.74. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$6.85b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$5.83 in 2026. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results.
There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of US$320, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. There are some variant perceptions on Autodesk, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$375 and the most bearish at US$245 per share. There are definitely some different views on the stock, but the range of estimates is not wide enough as to imply that the situation is unforecastable, in our view.
Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. We can infer from the latest estimates that forecasts expect a continuation of Autodesk'shistorical trends, as the 12% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2026 is roughly in line with the 13% annual growth over the past five years. Juxtapose this against our data, which suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in the industry are forecast to see their revenues grow 12% per year. So although Autodesk is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it's only growing at about the rate of the wider industry.
The Bottom Line
The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Happily, there were no real changes to revenue forecasts, with the business still expected to grow in line with the overall industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$320, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.
Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple Autodesk analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.
Even so, be aware that Autodesk is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.