Autodesk Inc. yesterday reported solid financial results for its first fiscal quarter of 2009, led by sales of its 2D and 3D design software in developing countries and demand for its manufacturing-based offerings. The company reported revenue of $598.8 million for the three-month period ended April 30, 2008, a 17.7% increase from $508.6 million in the prior year’s first quarter. The company had net income for the period of $94.6 million, a 13.6% improvement over the year-ago period.
License and other revenue grew 12.8% in the period to $432.2 million, while maintenance revenue climbed 32.9% to $166.6 million. “Overall I’m pleased with our results this quarter and the continued momentum in our business,” said Autodesk President and CEO Carl Bass in remarks to financial analysts Thursday. The strong results were bolstered by currency fluctuations, which accounted for $41 million in revenue gains during the quarter, although they also created higher expenses to the tune of $14 million, the company reported.
The strong revenue performance was supported by rapid growth in demand for Autodesk’s Manufacturing Solutions products, including the Inventor 3D design platform. Revenue for the group grew 26% during the quarter to $119 million, “far exceeding the growth of the entire market,” CFO Alfred Castino told financial analysts. Revenue from all of Autodesk’s 3D products grew 37% during the quarter, and revenue from Inventor grew 25%, Castino said.
Autodesk’s mainstay AutoCAD 2D product, meanwhile, managed just a 3% rise in revenue in the first quarter. Revenue from the company’s newer AutoCAD LT product was up 28% compared with the year-earlier period. Autodesk also saw strong gains in non-U.S. and developing geographies, while revenue from the Americas slumped — growing only 4% — due to the slowing U.S. economy, Bass said. Autodesk’s global revenue excluding the United States grew 24% during the quarter, and revenue from emerging economies was up 41% compared with the year-earlier period.