New York, January 23, 2026, 11:01 a.m. EST — Regular session
- Autodesk shares slipped roughly 0.3% in early trading, following a sharp nearly 5% rise in the previous session
- Company announced plans to slash roughly 7% of its workforce, expecting pretax charges between $135 million and $160 million
- Investors are focused on whether the sales overhaul can boost margins without denting demand
Autodesk shares slipped slightly on Friday after surging 4.79% the previous day to finish at $269.77. Early trading saw the stock dip about 0.3% to $268.97. (MarketWatch)
Design-software giant Autodesk plans to cut about 7% of its global staff, roughly 1,000 jobs, to focus more on its cloud platform and AI initiatives. The news lifted its shares by over 3% on Thursday. So far in 2026, Autodesk’s stock has dropped around 13%, after barely moving last year. The company employed about 15,300 people as of January 31, 2025. Autodesk, known for tools used by architects, engineers, and media studios, faces competition from Adobe and PTC. (Reuters)
Autodesk outlined in an 8-K that its total pretax restructuring charges will hit between $135 million and $160 million, mostly linked to termination benefits. The company expects to book about $90 million to $110 million in the fiscal fourth quarter ending Jan. 31, with the balance rolling into fiscal 2027. Nearly all these charges will translate into cash outflows during fiscal 2027 (ending Jan. 31, 2027). Autodesk also said billings—a key customer invoicing metric investors watch closely—alongside revenue, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP EPS, and free cash flow should all surpass the top end of its late-November guidance. The company plans to exclude restructuring costs from those non-GAAP figures. (SEC)
Chief Executive Andrew Anagnost told employees the layoffs stem from the “completion of our multi-year go-to-market (GTM) transformation” and assured that “this will not become an annual process” at Autodesk. He emphasized the move wasn’t “driven by the external environment” nor an attempt to replace staff with AI. Managers will begin notifying affected employees starting Jan. 22, with the exact timing varying by country. (SEC)
Autodesk eliminated roughly 1,350 positions in February last year, according to SFGate. CEO Anagnost has framed the recent cuts as the last phase of the sales-and-marketing overhaul. The report also noted that California’s employment department had not received a WARN notice—the mandatory alert for major layoffs—as of early Thursday. (SFGATE)
Broader markets held firm, with the Nasdaq-tracking Invesco QQQ gaining roughly 0.5% and the S&P 500 ETF SPY edging up around 0.1%. Adobe climbed about 0.4%, while PTC slipped nearly 0.5%.
Autodesk’s market focus remains unchanged after months: can it boost pricing and streamline sales without losing steam? The company continues its move from a channel-heavy setup to subscriptions and usage-based deals.
The outlook boost stands out because it’s paired with a clear cost reset. Investors usually react more strongly to forecast upgrades when they’re backed by tangible moves — here, that means cutting headcount and ramping up efforts in cloud and AI.
Layoffs rarely go smoothly. Slashing customer-facing positions risks disrupting renewals and dragging out deals, while any missteps or pushback on pricing and contract terms can wipe out savings fast.
Autodesk’s fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year results are up next. The company is expected to report earnings on Feb. 26 after the market closes, following its usual schedule. (MarketBeat)
