EA Earnings Not Enough for Investors

Media

Published: October 31, 2017 4:23 pm

Last Updated: November 1, 2017 6:12 am

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) reported its fiscal second-quarter financial results after the markets closed on Tuesday. The company said that it had $0.66 in non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) and $1.18 billion in adjusted revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.54 in EPS and $1.18 billion in revenue. The same period from last year had $0.53 in EPS and $1.1 billion in revenue.

During the quarter, digital net bookings — or net sales — for the trailing twelve months was $3.24 billion, up 26% year-over-year, and now represents 63% of total net bookings for the same period.

The company also gave a few operational highlights in the quarter:

FIFA Mobile unique player base grew to more than 113 million.
The Battlefield 1 community grew to more than 23.5 million players worldwide.
Monthly active players for The Sims 4 on PC increased more than 40% year-over-year.

In terms of the guidance for the fiscal third quarter, management expects to see net revenue to be roughly $1.135 billion with a net loss of $0.21 per share (GAAP). There are consensus estimates calling for $2.40 in EPS and $2.06 billion in revenue.

On the books, Electronic Arts cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $4.36 billion at the end of the quarter, versus $4.53 billion at the end of the previous fiscal year.

Andrew Wilson, CEO, commented:

It was a strong second quarter for Electronic Arts, with players around the world captivated by our new EA SPORTS titles, top-performing mobile games, and expanding esports competitions. The digital transformation is accelerating across our industry, and we are well-positioned for continued growth with more stunning new titles, thriving event-driven live services including competitive gaming, and continuing innovation for our players on all platforms.

Shares of EA closed Tuesday at $119.60, with a consensus analyst price target of $127.40 and a 52-week range of $73.74 to $122.79. Following the announcement, the stock is down about 3% at $115.89 in the after-hours trading session.

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