Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 13,456,257 shares, a growth of 41.9% from the January 29th total of 9,480,042 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 4,336,181 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days. Approximately 5.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Approximately 5.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 4,336,181 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days.

Insider Transactions at Electronic Arts

In related news, insider Laura Miele sold 2,500 shares of Electronic Arts stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.11, for a total transaction of $510,275.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 53,148 shares in the company, valued at $10,848,038.28. The trade was a 4.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Stuart Canfield sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.90, for a total value of $299,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 5,897 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,178,810.30. This trade represents a 20.28% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 27,600 shares of company stock worth $5,589,823. 0.24% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its position in Electronic Arts by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 138 shares of the game software company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Electronic Arts in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Electronic Arts in the second quarter worth $30,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Electronic Arts during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Electronic Arts by 67.5% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 196 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. 90.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Electronic Arts Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ EA opened at $200.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $50.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.40, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.74. Electronic Arts has a twelve month low of $128.02 and a twelve month high of $204.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a 50 day moving average of $202.81 and a 200 day moving average of $195.21.

Electronic Arts Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 25th. Electronic Arts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Electronic Arts in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup cut their price target on Electronic Arts from $207.00 to $202.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Electronic Arts from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Electronic Arts currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $186.95.

Electronic Arts Company 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.