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New York (CNN Business) All things considered, video game leader Electronic Arts is having a pretty decent year despite concerns about inflation, recession fears and other macroeconomic headwinds. EA stock (EA) is only down 2% in 2022, a drop that isn’t as bad as the rest of the tech sector, which is now in bear market territory.
But there are concerns about EA’s future as the gaming industry consolidates.
Xbox owner Microsoft (MSFT) is in the process of buying Activision Blizzard (ATVI). Grand Theft Auto maker Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) has already snapped up mobile game developer Zynga.
Will EA be able to remain independent while its peers continue to grow? There is also growing competition from mobile game company Metaverse Roblox and Fortnite maker Epic. Even Netflix (NFLX) has jumped into the gaming arena.
EA has many lucrative franchises, including the long-running Madden NFL games, a popular soccer series (soon to lose the FIFA brand), Apex Legends, and several games tied to the Star Wars universe.
And there’s been a lot of talk about EA being a good acquisition target for deep-pocketed tech and media companies like Apple (AAPL), Disney (DIS), Comcast (CMCSA), or Amazon (AMZN).
So will EA finally be bought? The company was not immediately available for comment.
But EA has been acquisitive in its own right and may be looking for more deals, particularly ones that could bolster its mobile gaming division. EA made two such acquisitions in 2021, Glu for $2.4 billion and Playdemic (previously owned by AT&T (T), CNN’s former parent) for $1.4 billion.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate that there is a 15% chance that EA could be acquired, “given the high levels of M&A activity within the video game space,” according to a recent report on the broader tech sector. It’s a small chance to be sure, but it’s bigger than zero.
Analysts proposed a possible acquisition valuation of $190 per share, which is “consistent with recent video game transactions”. That’s nearly 50% above EA’s current stock price.
Still, EA has enough quality content to justify doing it alone for the foreseeable future.
Wells Fargo analyst Brian Fitzgerald noted in a report after EA’s latest earnings were released in May that a “robust pipeline” (more EA Sports games, plus updates to The Sims franchises, The Lord of the Rings and Bioware) as well as “accelerating growth” were positives for the stock.
So EA may not need to sell itself to a bigger company to stay competitive in the gaming world.
Nike and Walgreens earnings in sight
Earnings from Nike and Walgreens on tap
There is a definite lull in “earnings season.” Most major companies will report second quarter results in mid-July. But some notable companies, including two Dow constituents, are set to release results this week.
Nike (NKE) will report its earnings after the closing bell on Monday. To see also : Everything We Know About The New BTS Video Game ‘BTS Island: In the SEOM’. Shares of the sneaker and sportswear giant are down almost 35% this year.
The company reported strong results in March, but geopolitical concerns have weighed on Nike shares. Analysts predict that Nike will post a decline in sales and earnings per share for the quarter. Nike has also just announced its departure from Russia in light of the Ukraine invasion.
Walgreens (WBA) will also report results before markets open on Thursday. The stock is down 20% this year, twice the 10% drop in rival CVS (CVS), but not as much as Rite Aid’s (RAD) nearly 45% drop.
It’s been a challenging second year for Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer, who took over the top job in March 2021.
The veteran executive, who previously held leadership roles at Walmart (WMT) and Starbucks (SBUX), is grappling with supply chain disruptions and concerns about a slowing economy and weakening consumer demand, a problem that all retailers face. Wall Street predicts that revenue and net income will fall from a year ago.
Up next
Monday: US Durable Goods Orders; US pending home sales; earnings from Nike, Jefferies (JEF) and Trip. To see also : 10 Non-Horror Games That Are Really Scary | Screen Rat.com (TCOM)
Wednesday: General Mills (GIS), McCormick (MKC), Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY), Paychex (PAYX), and Patterson (PDCO)
Thursday: End of the second trimester; weekly US unemployment claims; US PCE inflation; US personal income and expenses; earnings of Walgreens, Constellation Brands (STZ) and Micron (MU)
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Are Madden 21 servers shut down?
Conversation. Server maintenance on Madden NFL 21 is currently ongoing, I appreciate your patience. Read also : July’s PlayStation Plus Essential game has been revealed. Online franchise and solo battles are also affected.
Are the Madden servers down now? Madden NFL 22 Server Maintenance Details Game servers may be down due to backend server maintenance. May 19, 2022 – The Madden 22 game servers are currently experiencing some issues.
Can you still play online on Madden 21?
Can Madden 21 be played without the Internet? Yard, Face of The Franchise, Superstar KO, and MUT (obviously) require an active internet connection to access. An offline player or players with a poor connection cannot access 80% of the game. Options for offline are CFM and display.
Are Madden 20 servers still up 2021?
Madden NFL 20 – EA Play Members, please note that we will be removing Madden NFL 20 from The Play List on March 31, 2022. Madden NFL 17 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. Madden NFL 19 – Members of EA Play, please note that we will be removing Madden NFL 19 from The Play List on August 20, 2021.
Is FIFA 23 the last one?
FIFA 23 will be the final entry in the series when EA Sports announces the replacement franchise. EA Sports has announced that FIFA 23 will be the latest in its long-running series of soccer video games, to be replaced by a new franchise called EA Sports FC.
Will there be FIFA 24? FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that they will create their own video game to rival EA’s product. In a statement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that he said: “I can assure you that the only real, authentic game that bears the FIFA name will be the best available to football players and fans.
Will there be another FIFA 23?
UPDATE May 17, 2022 – EA Sports developers recently announced that FIFA 23 will be the last in the franchise and will be replaced by a new franchise called EA Sports FC.
Is FIFA 20 the last FIFA?
| 1993 | FIFA international football |
|---|---|
| 2018 | fifa19 |
| 2019 | fifa20 |
| 2020 | fifa21 |
| 2021 | fifa22 |
Is EA Play on switch?
And since many of these games are destined for more powerful hardware, the service isn’t available on the Nintendo Switch, as the system simply can’t run most of the games on EA Play.
Did EA lose FIFA rights?
EA Sports loses the rights to the ‘FIFA’ trademark for football video games after talks with football’s governing body failed.
How do I live chat with EA? Re: How do I start a live chat with an agent?
- Click on the following link: https://help.ea.com/contact-us.
- Make sure you’re logged in (top right corner)
- Click the blue “Contact a Game Advisor” button
- Enter the name of your game or product (or “Source” for account-related issues) and click “Find Solutions”
Does EA have live support?
You can contact our live support at help.ea.com. Finally, you can choose to start a chat.
Is EA support 24 hours?
Get help from the community, find game tips, and level up by answering player questions 24/7.
