NEW YORK, March 27, 2026, 15:52 EDT
- On Thursday, Arete Research lowered its price target on Autodesk to $456 from $460, sticking with its buy rating.
- Morgan Stanley stuck to its Overweight rating and kept the $350 target on March 18, with analyst Elizabeth Porter pointing to “stable reseller checks” in February. Investing
- By 3:37 p.m. EDT Friday, Autodesk was off 3.5%, trading at $231.55. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.97%.
Autodesk slipped 3.5% to $231.55 by 3:37 p.m. EDT on Friday, after Arete Research lowered its price target for the design-software company but kept a buy rating in place. The firm’s updated target didn’t stop a streak of bullish calls, even as tech shares broadly sold off.
Analysts may be backing Autodesk, but Friday’s tape told a different story. The company wrapped up a robust February quarter, only to face a fresh wave of investor caution as software stocks took a hit. According to Reuters, the Nasdaq slid 1.97%, while the S&P 500 software and services index fell almost 3%—shrinking the margin for error.
Arete trimmed its price target to $456 from $460 on Thursday, MT Newswires and MarketBeat reported. Earlier, Morgan Stanley upheld its Overweight call and stuck with a $350 target on March 18. Back on Feb. 23, analyst Elizabeth Porter pointed to “stable reseller checks” as a positive for the quarter. MarketScreener
Autodesk posted strong fourth-quarter results, with revenue up 19% to $1.957 billion. Contracted sales not yet recognized as revenue—billings—jumped 33% to $2.804 billion, and non-GAAP EPS landed at $2.85. Looking ahead, the company’s projecting fiscal 2027 revenue between $8.10 billion and $8.17 billion, with free cash flow expected in the $2.7 billion to $2.8 billion range.
Management doubled down on AI. Chief Executive Andrew Anagnost stressed that their approach revolves around “specialized data.” Chief Financial Officer Janesh Moorjani described it as “another strong quarter,” highlighting AECO—Autodesk’s architecture, engineering, construction and operations segment—as a bright spot, with construction and emerging markets standing out. Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk grabbed attention in a design-software earnings roundup released late Thursday. According to StockStory, it led the seven-company pack for fourth-quarter results. Procore Technologies topped Wall Street’s estimates as well, but Unity turned in a mixed quarter. Guidance for future profitability came up short there, dragging down the shares.
Still, things look messy. Morgan Stanley noted some positives—better month-over-month billings, more inquiries, and increases in design contracts—but cautioned that a clear rebound in billings growth hasn’t shown up yet, and core architecture demand stays weak.
Autodesk faces a broader market drag it can’t address solo. The Nasdaq slid 1.97% Friday, Reuters noted, as traders pulled back on risk with oil up and Middle East jitters in play. Meanwhile, Autodesk is still implementing its January move to lay off around 7% of staff—close to 1,000 people—aiming to channel more funds into cloud and AI initiatives.
So now investors are left gauging if a more upbeat quarter, raised outlook and stricter cost discipline will actually translate analyst confidence into real gains for the shares. With Autodesk’s outlook in hand and Morgan Stanley’s flagged worries about demand, it looks like everything turns on billings staying resilient—and construction and architecture spend not slipping further.
