Reviewing Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) and USDATA (OTCMKTS:USDC)

USDATA (OTCMKTS:USDC) and Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

90.2% of Autodesk shares are held by institutional investors. 0.6% of USDATA shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Autodesk shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for USDATA and Autodesk, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
USDATA	0	0	0	0	0.00
Autodesk	0	8	11	1	2.65

Autodesk has a consensus target price of $292.95, suggesting a potential downside of 5.42%. Given USDATA’s higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe USDATA is more favorable than Autodesk.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares USDATA and Autodesk”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
USDATA	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Autodesk	$5.50 billion	12.11	$906.00 million	$4.89	63.34

Autodesk has higher revenue and earnings than USDATA.

Profitability

This table compares USDATA and Autodesk’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
USDATA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Autodesk	18.21%	59.41%	12.17%

Summary

Autodesk beats USDATA on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About USDATA

USDATA Corp. operates as an independent, global supplier of industrial automation software tools, applications, and consulting services designed to provide businesses with the knowledge and control needed to perfect the products they produce and the processes they manage. USDATA Corp. develops, markets, and supports component-based software products for customers requiring enterprise-wide, open solutions for the industrial automation markets. These software products provide customers real-time computer applications that enable interactive, dynamic, and graphical interfaces to industrial operations. These applications collect, consolidate, and communicate information about an automated process, typically drawn from complex operating sources or from multiple sites throughout an enterprise; and enable the user to interact with and control critical processes. The real-time information provided by its products is intended to enable customers to reduce operating costs, improve product quality, and increase overall throughput and productivity. USDATA’s FactoryLink is a process knowledge and control solution where as its Xfactory is a product knowledge and control software product. It serves customers in a variety of industries, including chemical, oil and gas, food, beverage, automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, electronics, transportation, and other industries. These customers are located in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. The company sells its products and services to end customers and systems integrators through distributors, original equipment manufacturer relationships, and direct sales. USDATA Corp. was founded in 1974 and is based in Richardson, Texas.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. provides 3D design, engineering, and entertainment technology solutions worldwide. The company offers AutoCAD Civil 3D, a surveying, design, analysis, and documentation solution for civil engineering, including land development, transportation, and environmental projects; BuildingConnected, a SaaS preconstruction solution; AutoCAD, a software for professional design, drafting, detailing, and visualization; AutoCAD LT, a drafting and detailing software; computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software for computer numeric control machining, inspection, and modelling for manufacturing; Fusion 360, a 3D CAD, CAM, and computer-aided engineering tool; and Industry Collections tools for professionals in architecture, engineering and construction, product design and manufacturing, and media and entertainment collection industries. It also provides Inventor tools for 3D mechanical design, simulation, analysis, tooling, visualization, and documentation; Vault, a data management software to manage data in one central location, accelerate design processes, and streamline internal/external collaboration; Maya and 3ds Max software products that offer 3D modeling, animation, effects, rendering, and compositing solutions; and ShotGrid, a cloud-based software for review and production tracking in the media and entertainment industry. It sells its products and services to customers directly, as well as through a network of resellers and distributors. Autodesk, Inc. was incorporated in 1982 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.