Jana: Autodesk holds promise

Article Excerpt

AUTODESK INC. $136 (Nasdaq symbol ADSK; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares o/s: 220.3 million; Market cap: $30.0 billion; No divd. paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.autodesk.com) is a leading design-software and digital-content provider for companies focused on architecture and land development, manufacturing, power distribution, telecommunications and media. Activist investor Jana Partners has now taken a stake in the company and believes the stock should be at $160 per share. Autodesk took a big drop in November 2017 after it reported a quarterly loss of $26.4 million, or $0.12 a share. The company needs to accelerate its transition from the one-time sale of its software to a subscription-based model where customers use the Internet to access its programs stored on remote servers. That change should boost recurring revenue and make Autodesk’s software more compatible with other digital platforms. The stock has gained roughly 15% since Jana announced its investment. While Autodesk offers some speculative appeal as a market leader, the stock trades at…