Autodesk Enjoys Bounce-Back Quarter

Strong demand from manufacturing customers contributes to better first quarter for the engineering software provider.


Companies Mentioned
Posted on May 20, 2010

Buoyed by stronger demand from manufacturing and European customers, Autodesk Inc. reported a bounce-back first quarter, with growing license revenue and positive earnings, the company said yesterday.

For the three-month period ended April 30, the maker of design and engineering software reported total revenue of $474.6 million, up 11.5% compared with the same period a year ago. Autodesk’s license revenue rose 14.9%, while its revenue from maintenance grew 6.9% during the quarter.

Autodesk reported net earnings for the period of $36.9 million. That reversed a $32.1 million net loss in the year-earlier quarter. In last year’s first quarter, Autodesk saw revenue fall 29% and license revenues fall 43.6% as the worldwide recession caused many customers to cut back on technology spending.

“What a difference a year makes,” said Autodesk President and CEO Carl Bass in remarks to financial analysts yesterday.