Autodesk raises Q1 outlook

NEW YORK: Autodesk Inc. raised its first-quarter and fiscal-year revenue and earnings outlook, saying it is seeing increased demand across all geographies and industries.

Autodesk said it now expects revenue of between $265 million and $275 million, and earnings per share between 23 cents and 28 cents for the first quarter, which began on Feb. 1. Excluding restructuring charges, it expects earnings per share of between 27 cents and 32 cents.

For fiscal 2005, it forecast revenue between $1.05 billion and $1.07 billion and earnings per share between $1.06 and $1.15. Excluding charges, it put earnings per share at $1.27 to $1.36.

Analysts on average were targeting first-quarter revenue of $243.5 million and per-share earnings of 20 cents, according to Reuters Research, a unit of Reuters Group Plc. The average fiscal-year outlook is revenue of $1.015 billion and earnings per share of $1.20.

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