Reviewing Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) & Cleanspark (NASDAQ:CLSK)
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyCleanspark (NASDAQ:CLSK – Get Free Report) and Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK – Get Free Report) are both technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, earnings, dividends, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Cleanspark and Autodesk, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Cleanspark | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 2.88 |
| Autodesk | 0 | 6 | 25 | 1 | 2.84 |
Cleanspark presently has a consensus target price of $23.35, suggesting a potential upside of 175.96%. Autodesk has a consensus target price of $316.84, suggesting a potential upside of 31.63%. Given Cleanspark’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Cleanspark is more favorable than Autodesk.
Profitability
This table compares Cleanspark and Autodesk’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Cleanspark | -146.90% | -18.63% | -8.15% |
| Autodesk | 21.08% | 58.63% | 15.10% |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
43.1% of Cleanspark shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.2% of Autodesk shares are held by institutional investors. 2.1% of Cleanspark shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Autodesk shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Volatility & Risk
Cleanspark has a beta of 3.84, indicating that its share price is 284% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Autodesk has a beta of 1.33, indicating that its share price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Cleanspark and Autodesk”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Cleanspark | $766.31 million | 2.84 | $364.46 million | ($3.77) | -2.24 |
| Autodesk | $7.21 billion | 6.98 | $1.12 billion | $7.73 | 31.14 |
Autodesk has higher revenue and earnings than Cleanspark. Cleanspark is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Autodesk, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Autodesk beats Cleanspark on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Cleanspark
CleanSpark, Inc. operates as a bitcoin miner in the Americas. It owns and operates data centers that primarily run on low-carbon power. Its infrastructure supports Bitcoin, a digital commodity and a tool for financial independence and inclusion. The company was formerly known as Stratean Inc. and changed its name to CleanSpark, Inc. in November 2016. CleanSpark, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Henderson, Nevada.
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.