Pressure should boost Autodesk

Article Excerpt

AUTODESK INC. $252 is a buy for aggressive investors. The company (Nasdaq symbol ADSK; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 215.5 million; Market cap: $54.3 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.autodesk.com) is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Those products include AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Fusion 360, 3ds Max, and Maya software. Activist investor Starboard Value, which holds $500 million worth of Autodesk shares, has concerns about Autodesk’s operations and accounting policies. It also wants board representation. How the company will ultimately respond to Starboard’s pressure is uncertain. Still, the activist’s interest does draw attention to Autodesk’s improving growth prospects. For example, it recently launched Autodesk AI, an artificial intelligence-based tool that the company will integrate into its various products. Autodesk is a buy for aggressive investors. investors…