What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after Anthropic launched Managed Agents, autonomous AI systems that execute complex tasks. 

Traders were worried these would disrupt the traditional SaaS (Software as a Service) model, software delivered via subscription, by replacing human-operated tools with more efficient AI workers. The sell-off intensified after short seller Michael Burry (in a deleted social media post) claimed Anthropic was "eating Palantir's lunch." Burry's comments highlighted the vulnerability of legacy platforms to Anthropic's cheaper AI solutions.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Design Software company Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) fell 9.2%. Is now the time to buy Autodesk? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• HR Software company Paylocity (NASDAQ: PCTY) fell 6.9%. Is now the time to buy Paylocity? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Vulnerability Management company Rapid7 (NASDAQ: RPD) fell 6.7%. Is now the time to buy Rapid7? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Data Storage company DigitalOcean (NYSE: DOCN) fell 6.7%. Is now the time to buy DigitalOcean? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Vertical Software company Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH) fell 7.3%. Is now the time to buy Manhattan Associates? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On Autodesk (ADSK)

Autodesk’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 6 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 1 day ago when the stock gained 3.6% on the news that the tech-heavy Nasdaq surged in response to the de-escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Software stocks participated in the broad market rally as investors exited their defensive postures and returned to high-growth assets. The ceasefire lowered overall market volatility, creating a more stable backdrop for enterprise spending and corporate investment. The software sector benefits from the "risk-on" environment because lower geopolitical tension often leads to a more favorable valuation for growth-oriented companies. Furthermore, as the threat of energy-induced inflation fades, the macro pressure on interest rates, which often weighs on tech valuations, is reduced.

Autodesk is down 23.2% since the beginning of the year, and at $220.13 per share, it is trading 32.6% below its 52-week high of $326.79 from September 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Autodesk’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at only $739.75.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE: The Next Palantir? One satellite company captures images of every point on Earth. Every single day. The Pentagon wants it. Hedge funds are using it to beat earnings. You’ve probably never heard of it.

This is what the early days of Palantir looked like before it became a $437 billion giant. Same playbook. Different technology. If you missed Palantir, you need to see this. Claim The Stock Ticker for Free HERE.