On Thursday, Deutsche Bank (ETR:DBKGn) updated its financial model for Electronic Arts Inc . (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:EA), raising the price target on the video game company's stock to $160 from $150. The firm maintained a Hold rating on the stock, indicating a cautious optimism about the company's future performance.
The price target adjustment reflects a 1.7% increase in the forecast for EA's FY25 bookings and a 2.6% hike in adjusted earnings per share (EPS) expectations. This change is based on what Deutsche Bank sees as positive momentum in EA's business this year. The analyst also suggests that EA's annual guidance might be on the conservative side, which could lead to upward revisions if conditions are favorable for the company.
Despite the positive momentum, the analyst believes that the current stock price has already accounted for these developments. EA's stock has seen a 14% increase over the past three months, outperforming the S&P 500's 7% rise during the same period. The stock is trading at 18.1 times the firm's FY25 adjusted EPS estimate.
However, the bank has lowered its multi-year forecast for EA's live services by 3.6-4.6%, following recent performance in that segment. This decrease is partially balanced by an uptick in mobile estimates, which have been raised by 6.5-10.2% due to stronger trends in that area. Additionally, the multi-year full game sales projections have been reduced by 4.1-7.2% to reflect a more cautious approach in light of industry challenges.
Despite a cut in the multi-year adjusted EPS forecast by 2.0-5.2%, Deutsche Bank has increased the 12-month price target to $160, applying a higher multiple to the business based on a rolled-forward valuation framework.
The new price target suggests an 8.4% upside potential and is based on an 18.8 times P/E multiple on the firm's FY26 estimates. The bank's commentary anticipates Electronic Arts' upcoming Investor Day on September 17th, which may provide further insights into the company's strategic direction and financial outlook.
In other recent news, Electronic Arts Inc. has seen several developments. The company has announced the approval of an expanded equity incentive plan, which has received stockholder endorsement. This amendment allows the firm to grant equity awards for up to 31.6 million shares of common stock, including options, restricted stock units, and other share-based awards.
Electronic Arts also reported first-quarter net bookings surpassing expectations at $1.26 billion, attributed to the company's strategic focus on engaging online communities and leveraging community power, which has significantly boosted its sports business. However, it experienced a 14% year-over-year decrease in GAAP net revenue, totaling $1.66 billion for the quarter.
In addition, the company initiated a stock repurchase program, aiming to return $5 billion to shareholders over the next three years. EA provided Q2 guidance for net bookings between $1.95 billion and $2.05 billion, representing a 7% to 13% increase year-over-year, and reaffirmed its fiscal year 2025 net bookings guidance, ranging from $7.3 billion to $7.7 billion. These are the recent developments for Electronic Arts Inc.
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