Autodesk, Inc. (ADSK) Stock Price & How to Invest

Autodesk is a large-cap software company whose tools are the default in several design and engineering fields. Its best-known products are AutoCAD (2D and 3D drafting), Revit (building information modeling for architecture, engineering and construction), Fusion (cloud product design and manufacturing), and Maya and 3ds Max (media and entertainment). It serves roughly four end markets: architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), product design and manufacturing, media and entertainment, and a broad base of individual and small-business users.

The defining feature of Autodesk today is its business model. After a multi-year transition away from perpetual licenses, roughly 97% of revenue is now recurring subscription and maintenance revenue, which makes results far more predictable than a traditional software vendor. In fiscal 2026 (its year ended in early 2026) Autodesk reported total revenue of about $7.2 billion, up roughly 18% year over year, with record operating income of about $1.6 billion and free cash flow of about $2.4 billion. Remaining performance obligations, a measure of contracted future revenue, were about $8.3 billion, up around 20%, and net revenue retention stayed above 100%, meaning existing customers spend more over time.

The forward story rests on three things: continued growth in AEC and construction software, new AI capabilities rolling into the product line, and disciplined margin expansion. Because the subscription base is sticky and the switching costs for firms standardized on AutoCAD or Revit are high, Autodesk is often viewed as a durable compounder, with valuation and macro-sensitive construction demand as the main points of debate.

The most-cited risk is valuation: as a high-quality, profitable software name, Autodesk often trades at a premium multiple, so growth that merely meets expectations can still disappoint the stock. Its AEC and manufacturing revenue is tied to construction and industrial activity, which is cyclical and sensitive to interest rates, so a slowdown could pressure new seats and expansion. Competition is broad and capable, including Dassault Systemes and Siemens in manufacturing, Bentley and Nemetschek in AEC, Procore in construction, and free or low-cost tools like Blender in media, all pressing on different segments. Foreign-exchange swings matter because a large share of revenue is international. Finally, past changes to billing and go-to-market (including a shift in how it transacts with customers and channel partners) have periodically muddied reported metrics, so investors have to look through transition noise to judge underlying growth.

33 analysts publish price targets on ADSK, averaging $313.89 against a $234.20 price as of August 2026, or +34.0%. The published targets run from $220.50 to $456.00, a wide spread, and the ratings split 31 buy, 4 hold, 0 sell. Over the last six months there has been 1 raise and 6 cuts among the published actions. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.

Read the full ADSK forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.

We give no verdict on Autodesk, Inc.. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.

The case for buying. Recurring revenue and high retention. With roughly 97% of revenue recurring and net revenue retention above 100%, Autodesk grows partly just by keeping and expanding existing accounts. The most optimistic published target, $456.00, assumes this works close to its best case.

The case against. The most-cited risk is valuation: as a high-quality, profitable software name, Autodesk often trades at a premium multiple, so growth that merely meets expectations can still disappoint the stock. The most pessimistic target, $220.50, is roughly what ADSK is worth if this bites instead.

Read the full bull and bear case on ADSK, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Autodesk, Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker.

• Revenue (fiscal 2026): About $7.2 billion, up roughly 18% year over year, almost all subscription
• Recurring revenue mix: Around 97% of revenue is recurring subscription and maintenance
• Profitability: Solidly profitable; record operating income near $1.6 billion in fiscal 2026
• Free cash flow: Strong, roughly $2.4 billion in fiscal 2026, up sharply as billing patterns normalized
• Contracted backlog (RPO): Remaining performance obligations around $8.3 billion, up about 20%
• Valuation: Typically a premium software multiple; often debated as demanding relative to growth

Figures are approximate, tied to the asOf date, and use Autodesk's fiscal calendar (its year ends in late January), so verify live numbers before acting. Autodesk's transition to subscriptions and past changes to its billing model can distort year-over-year comparisons, so free cash flow and remaining performance obligations are often more useful than a single quarter's headline revenue. As a profitable compounder, its multiple prices in continued growth, which raises the bar for the stock even when the business executes well.

These are the investment theses ADSK naturally fits into. Each links to a full theme guide listing every other stock that belongs and the ETFs commonly used as a passive proxy.

Other names that sit close to ADSK: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.

There are three common ways to get ADSK exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it, which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so ADSK sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.

Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where ADSK fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.

New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.

Autodesk is a profitable, subscription-based design-software leader with high recurring revenue, expanding margins, and strong free cash flow, so it trades on durable growth rather than a turnaround. The main debate is valuation and how much AI and construction demand can keep growth compounding.

Whether ADSK is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is ADSK a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the ADSK stock forecast.

For income investors, whether ADSK pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does ADSK pay a dividend? And to weigh ADSK against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: ADSK vs DDD and ADSK vs SSYS.