Electronic Arts Inc. $EA Shares Purchased by Carmignac Gestion

Carmignac Gestion raised its position in Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) by 70.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,934 shares of the game software company’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,194 shares during the quarter. Carmignac Gestion’s holdings in Electronic Arts were worth $9,976,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Electronic Arts by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,420 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $500,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Electronic Arts by 167.0% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 19,306 shares of the game software company’s stock worth $2,790,000 after acquiring an additional 12,076 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Electronic Arts by 150.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 316 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in Electronic Arts during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,323,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in Electronic Arts by 96.4% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,067 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $490,000 after acquiring an additional 1,505 shares in the last quarter. 90.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on EA. Zacks Research lowered shares of Electronic Arts from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Argus lowered shares of Electronic Arts from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Electronic Arts from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Electronic Arts to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Electronic Arts from $202.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.42.

Electronic Arts Trading Up 0.0%

NASDAQ EA opened at $209.88 on Monday. Electronic Arts Inc. has a 52 week low of $151.50 and a 52 week high of $209.93. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $205.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $202.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.97 billion, a PE ratio of 60.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.64.

Insider Activity

In other Electronic Arts news, EVP Jacob J. Schatz sold 5,000 shares of Electronic Arts stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.19, for a total transaction of $1,005,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,507,721.53. The trade was a 10.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Vijayanthimala Singh sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.00, for a total value of $243,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 26,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,351,080. The trade was a 4.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 31,206 shares of company stock valued at $6,292,058. Insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Electronic Arts

Here are the key news stories impacting Electronic Arts this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Takeover has cleared its final regulatory hurdle: The European Union approved the transaction under its foreign-subsidy rules, and EA said all required regulatory approvals have been obtained. The deal is expected to close on August 4, reducing execution risk and providing a clear near-term catalyst. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity signals bullish positioning: Investors bought 6,913 EA call options, approximately 120% above the average daily volume of 3,137 contracts. This may reflect expectations that the acquisition will close as planned, although options activity is not a guarantee of future performance.
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares are increasingly being valued on deal completion rather than operating results: With EA expected to go private next week, the stock’s remaining upside is likely tied primarily to the transaction terms and closing certainty. Once completed, EA shares would no longer trade publicly. GamesIndustry.biz article
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker sentiment remains mixed: Analysts tracked in a recent report assign Electronic Arts an average “Hold” recommendation, suggesting limited conviction in the stock beyond the pending merger. Broker recommendation article
• Negative Sentiment: Executive compensation and insider selling may weigh on sentiment: Reports that EA’s CEO received approximately $38.7 million in compensation amid layoffs, alongside a chief people officer’s sale of 1,200 shares, could generate governance concerns. These issues are secondary to the acquisition catalyst but may attract investor criticism. Yahoo Finance article

Electronic Arts Profile

Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: EA) is a global interactive entertainment company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in 1982 by Trip Hawkins, EA develops, publishes and distributes video games and related content for a variety of platforms, including consoles, personal computers and mobile devices. The company combines in-house development, partnerships and studio acquisitions to create and maintain a portfolio of entertainment properties and live-service experiences for players worldwide.

EA’s product lineup spans several well-known franchises and genres.