Stocks analysis

ADP vs ADSK Stock Comparison

Scores Breakdown

Metric ADP ADSK
📈 Growth 26/30 26/30
💰 Profitability 18/20 18/20
🏦 Financial Health 12/20 17/20
💵 Valuation 14/20 12/20
⚠️ Risk (lower is better) 6/10 5/10
Overall Score 74/100 78/100

Side-by-Side Summaries

ADP Analysis ADSK Analysis

📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory

Over the 8 quarters, revenues rose from about $4.77B (2024 Q4) to about $5.36B (2026 Q4). Net income progressed from roughly $0.83B to $1.06B, a 28% increase, signaling earnings leverage as the top line expanded. The quarterly path fluctuated—peaking near $5.55B in 2025 Q3/Q4 before settling in the $5.2–$5.36B range—yet the trend remains clearly positive. The Gross Margin held in the high-40s to mid-50s, while Operating Margin stayed in the low- to mid-20s, underpinning a solid profitability trajectory.

💰 Margins & Cash Flow

  • Gross Margin: roughly 46–56% across periods, with a peak around 56%.
  • Operating Margin: generally 20–24%, supporting meaningful operating leverage.
  • Net cash flow from operating activities was consistently positive in most quarters, while investing cash flow was mostly modestly negative and financing activity contributed steady liquidity.

🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity

  • Current assets ($52B) vs current liabilities ($50B) yields a tight but adequate liquidity cushion.
  • Liabilities ($57B) exceed equity ($6B), indicating leverage, but assets and ongoing operating cash flows provide resilience. The balance sheet remains stable with a solid asset base.

⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks

  • Drivers: Recurring payroll/data-processing demand; large installed base and stable cash flows.
  • Risks: Valuation sensitivity to growth momentum; exposure to regulatory shifts or macro cycles.

📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory

Over the 8 quarters, Autodesk's revenue rose from about $1.64B (Q3 2025) to about $2.05B (Q2 2027), a ~25% increase. Net income fluctuated but moved higher through 2027, with latest quarters posting around $492M of net income, marking improved earnings despite quarterly volatility. The trend shows stable top-line growth with meaningful earnings momentum into 2027.

💰 Margins & Cash Flow

  • Gross Margin remains robust in the ~86–92% range across quarters.
  • Operating leverage is favorable, with operating income around $430–$599M on revenues near $1.9–$2.0B in 2027.
  • Net cash flow from operating activities strengthened to about $575M in Q2 2027, with total net cash flow approaching $1.43B in that quarter, signaling strong cash generation.

🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Balance sheet shows solid asset base (~$11–13B) and equity of roughly $2.6–3.2B; long-term debt around $2.3–2.5B. Current liabilities are higher, but liquidity remains ample given solid operating cash flow and persistent profitability. In recent quarters, more favorable cash flow trends support resilience and optionality for capital deployment.

⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks

  • Drivers: Robust software subscription demand; broad enterprise design adoption; potential upside from AI-enabled workflows.
  • Risks: Valuation sensitivity to growth persistence; potential margin compression if mix shifts or if demand softens; macro budget cyclicality impacting enterprise software spend.