Job cuts should spur Autodesk’s earnings

Article Excerpt

AUTODESK INC. $21 (Nasdaq symbol ADSK, Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 228.2 million; Market cap: $4.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; WSSF Rating: Average) announced last January that it will eliminate 750 jobs (or 10% of its total workforce at the time) and consolidate certain facilities. Last month, it said it will cut a further 430 jobs. In all, these moves should lower its costs by $250 million a year. This should help it stay profitable until the economy improves, and let it maintain its high research spending (over 24% of revenue). In its first quarter, which ended April 30, 2009, the software maker’s sales fell 28.9%, to $425.8 million from $598.8 million a year earlier. Earnings dropped 64.3%, to $41.9 million, or $0.18 a share, from $117.2 million, or $0.50. Despite the declines, these results beat analysts’ expectations of $0.08 a share on sales of $418.6 million. Autodesk is a buy. buy…