Autodesk shares edge higher on Q4 beat, upbeat forecast and job cuts announcement

Investing.com -- Autodesk shares climbed more than 1% in premarket trading Friday as it reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue above Wall Street expectations, while issuing an upbeat full-year forecast and announcing a restructuring plan that includes job cuts.

The company posted earnings per share of $2.29, beating analysts’ average estimate of $2.14. Revenue for the quarter rose to $1.64 billion, slightly ahead of the consensus estimate of $1.63 billion.

"All F4Q25 top-line and bottom line metrics were above expectations given solid execution and inorganic model transition tailwinds offsetting incremental FX headwinds and a still-mixed macro backdrop," Stifel analysts said in a post-earnings note. 

Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) forecast earnings per share between $2.14 and $2.17 for the first quarter of 2026, above analysts’ expectation of $2.07.

It projected revenue in the range of $1.6 billion to $1.61 billion, in line with estimates.

For the full year Autodesk expects earnings per share of $9.34 to $9.67, surpassing the consensus of $9.26. It sees revenue between $7.06 billion and $7.21 billion, also above analysts’ expectation of $6.89 billion.

The company announced a worldwide restructuring plan that includes a reduction in force (RIF) of about 9%, or roughly 1,350 employees. The plan also involves facility reductions and other exit costs, with Autodesk expecting to incur pre-tax restructuring charges of $135 million to $150 million.

"When we put this all together, while the announced RIF, restructuring, and GTM changes always introduce a degree of risk, we think these are the right moves and come away positive on Autodesk’s steady execution in a mixed macro backdrop, continued prioritization of driving organic margin higher, and ongoing FCF growth," Stifel analysts noted.

The firm lifted its Autodesk price target to $360 from $350. 

CEO Andrew Anagnost said Autodesk is reallocating resources toward cloud-based design and AI-driven technologies while optimizing its sales and marketing functions. CFO Janesh Moorjani added that the restructuring follows the completion of a new transaction model and aims to improve margins to be among the best in the industry.

Moorjani withdrew the prior 10-15% growth framework and will provide new framework in the upcoming investor day this year.

Despite this, Mizuho (NYSE:MFG) analysts believe the company "can accelerate its growth and profitability in the longer run and deliver upside to estimates, driven by its transition to more direct model, helped in part by improving macro trends."

Pratyush Thakur contributed to this report.