ADSK had a pretty decent 1Q, comfortably beating high end of the revenue guidance. 98% of revenue are now recurring, and net revenue retention was in the range of 100-110%.
Topline guidance was raised by ~$40 mn. Here are my notes from the call
2/ Q1 is expected to be trough from growth standpoint and the rest of the year is likely to have some acceleration post-pandemic. ~75% of FCF of this year will be generated in the 2H.
3/ Billings from converting noncompliant users doubled YoY in Q1. In fact, a noncompliant customer converted into one of the largest premium customers.
But don’t expect hockey stick growth from conversion of noncompliant users. ADSK wants to gradually and naturally convert.
4/ “Fusion 360 has reached an adoption tipping point”.
Why? Network effects and deepening penetration among existing customers.
This is good to see since ADSK has been touting Fusion 360 as an important LT growth lever for the company.
5/ Is Fusion 360 cannibalizing Inventor? Not yet, and even when it does, ASP impact will be neutral.
6/ Revenue from direct sales increased 25% YoY and now 33% (vs 30% last yr) of total revenue.
Direct sales lead to greater price realization for ADSK which is another tailwind for topline.
7/ Some comments regarding the most recent acquisition: Upchain, which will be integrated to Fusion 360.
8/ Routine and “mandatory” question from sell-side how ADSK is going to deliver $2.4 Bn FY’23 which implies ~50% YoY.
CFO mentioned conversion of noncompliant users, increased penetration of direct sales, and favorable macro backdrop as the reason for their confidence.
9/ If I remember correctly, @SouthernValue95 once mentioned one of the big drivers for FCF is some large multi-year contracts that are up for renewal next year, so ADSK may enjoy more favorable NWC benefit next year which may also explain ~50% ramp up next year.
10/ “Even the infrastructure bill could be a wildcard for us. We're hopeful, although nothing is baked into our numbers at this point.”
ADSK is pretty focused on road, rail, and water when it comes to public infrastructure which it believes to be sweet spot.
"Market environment remains weak, with shipments below 2019 levels."
growth opportunities in industrial and automotive
Four revenue scenarios for 2026, with floor being $20 Bn. FYI, $TXN consensus estimates for '26 revenue is $20 Bn.
"I would be extremely disappointed if it ends up at $20 billion. That's not my expectation. That's not the signature I see as we compete for market share today."
I received a couple of DMs asking about "hey, what's going on in Bangladesh"
While I left Bangladesh in 2017, my almost entire family still lives there. So I'm keenly aware of what's going on. I'll briefly cover what happened and the implications.
let's start with the end result. The Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina or SH (who's the Head of State in Bangladesh) fled the country after facing intense protest from Bangladeshi students. Her exact location doesn't seem to be confirmed yet (rumored to be India or EU).
Let's back up a little and give some brief historical context.
SH came to power in 2008. Her father- Mujib was the architect in mobilizing people in Bangladesh to gain independence from Pakistan in 1971. Following independence, Mujib became the first PM of Bangladesh.
closed my $AMZN Jan 2025 $160 calls that I wrote. 43% gain in this trade, but feels like just another lucky trade as I now think AMZN is undervalued (and I was likely too cautious to hedge it at $160 back then). Kept the $55 calls unhedged now.
CSU's organic growth for recurring revenue will probably more or less mimic $BRO's organic growth. But CSU has ~20% ROIC vs BRO's ~10% but they trade at *almost* similar multiple. So I decided to buyback what I trimmed.
Going through insurance brokers earnings now. $AON and $MMC finally growing in tandem after AON lagged MMC consistently since 2Q'21.
$BRO is the clear winner in organic growth for this quarter. (disc: long $BRO and $AON)
Looking closer between MMC and AON.
will add to this thread later as I go through the transcript.
In the meantime, here's my Deep Dive on $BRO (also explains why I love this industry and would like to own probably most of these companies over time at "right" valuation):
After sequential revenue decline in China for 7 consecutive quarters, this quarter experienced ~15-20% growth across all segments in China. Europe and Japan are also in early phase of the upcycle.
More commentary on China:
"the market is more competitive in China, but we can compete and we can win business in very attractive margins"
expect incremental margin to be ~75-85% (ex depreciation)
"Inventory is being built at the right part, where we have this diversity and longevity positions such that we don't risk the scrap of the inventory."