Autodesk, Inc. quarterly report, Q2 FY2021

Autodesk, Inc. — Q2 FY2021 Form 10-Q

Reporting period: Three and six months ended July 31, 2020. Amounts are in U.S. dollars; financial statement amounts are in millions except per-share data. Autodesk reports as one operating segment.

Financial performance

MetricQ2 FY2021Q2 FY2020Six months FY2021Six months FY2020
Revenue$913.1$796.8$1,798.8$1,532.3
Subscription revenue$841.2$663.7$1,644.2$1,259.5
Gross profit / GAAP gross margin$832.2 / 91%$717.3 / 90%$1,636.0 / 91%$1,370.1 / 89%
Operating income / GAAP operating margin$146.1 / 16%$73.8 / 9%$276.7 / 15%$98.6 / 6%
Net income$98.2$40.2$164.7$16.0
Diluted EPS$0.44$0.18$0.74$0.07
Operating cash flowNot separately statedNot separately stated$418.5$440.5

Quarterly revenue rose 15% year over year; six-month revenue rose 17%. Subscription revenue grew 27% and 31%, respectively, while maintenance revenue fell 51% and 47%, primarily as customers migrated to subscriptions under the maintenance-to-subscription program. Recurring revenue was 98% of revenue in both 2020 periods, versus 96% a year earlier. GAAP diluted EPS differs materially from non-GAAP diluted EPS: $0.98 for Q2 and $1.83 for the six months in FY2021. Non-GAAP measures exclude, among other items, stock-based compensation and investment losses.

Balance sheet, liquidity and debt

  • At July 31, 2020, cash and cash equivalents were $1,439.8 and marketable securities were $79.7, totaling about $1.52 billion. Cash declined from $1,774.7 at January 31.
  • Notes payable totaled $1.65 billion principal; no borrowings were outstanding on the $650 million revolving credit facility. Autodesk reported compliance with the facility’s covenants.
  • Six-month financing cash use was $642.6, including $450.0 of debt repayment and $209.0 of share repurchases. Investing cash use was $111.8; capital expenditures were $46.7.
  • Deferred revenue was $2.88 billion. Remaining performance obligations were $3.35 billion, down 6% from January 31; $2.31 billion, or 69%, was expected to be recognized over the next 12 months.
  • Stockholders’ equity was $67.3, compared with a deficit of $139.1 at January 31, 2020.

Material changes and management commentary

  • Growth was broad across product families in Q2: AEC revenue increased 19%, AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 18%, Manufacturing 6%, and Media and Entertainment 5% year over year.
  • Net revenue retention rate (NR3) was in the 100%–110% range, compared with 110%–120% a year earlier. Management cited improved subscription renewal rates during the quarter, but new business declined in the mid-teens percentage range.
  • COVID-19 effects included slightly lower product usage during the six-month period, stronger use of cloud collaboration products as customers worked remotely, and market recovery in AEC and Manufacturing. Autodesk extended payment terms, offered temporary cloud collaboration access, delayed named-user transitions, and deferred a 20% maintenance price increase. The payment-term extension ended August 7, 2020.
  • Management said it was controlling travel, hiring and marketing spending while continuing investment in R&D, construction and company digitization. It believed available cash, expected operating cash flows and the credit facility would cover working capital and operating needs for at least 12 months; pandemic impacts remained uncertain.
  • Interest and other expense increased to $57.2 for the six months from $23.5, mainly due to $30.9 of net losses on non-marketable equity securities. The company recorded no goodwill impairment.

Outlook, risks and contingencies

  • The filing provides no specific revenue or earnings guidance. For Q3 FY2021 versus Q3 FY2020, management expected cost of revenue to increase in dollars but remain flat as a percentage of revenue; marketing and R&D to increase in dollars but remain flat as a percentage; and G&A and purchased-intangible amortization to decrease in dollars.
  • Maintenance revenue is expected to continue declining, with the rate dependent on renewals and migration to subscriptions. Maintenance plans were scheduled to retire May 7, 2021.
  • COVID-19, economic conditions, renewal and new-business trends, customer spending, foreign exchange, and the pace of recovery could affect revenue, margins and cash flow. International revenue represented 66% of revenue for the six months.
  • Distributor concentration is notable: Tech Data accounted for 37% of Q2 revenue and 38% of six-month revenue, and 39% of accounts receivable at July 31. Management said other distributors could serve affected resellers and end users if needed.
  • Pending legal matters were not expected by management to materially affect consolidated results, cash flows or financial position, though an unfavorable outcome could materially affect an individual period; potential losses were not clearly quantifiable.
  • Autodesk maintained a valuation allowance on U.S. deferred tax assets despite anticipating higher U.S. taxable income in FY2021. Gross unrecognized tax benefits were $222.4, with the possible change over the next 12 months not estimable.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether subscription growth and renewal trends offset declining maintenance revenue and the reported NR3 slowdown.
  • Whether new-business activity recovers after the mid-teens Q2 decline, and how COVID-19 affects renewals, cash flow and margins.
  • Whether RPO and deferred-revenue trends support the expected conversion of $2.31 billion of current RPO over the next 12 months.
  • The quality and comparability of non-GAAP earnings, including exclusions for stock-based compensation and investment losses.
  • Exposure to Tech Data, foreign exchange, private-company investment losses, and the $1.65 billion notes balance; confirm liquidity and covenant compliance in subsequent filings.