Electronic Arts Inc. $EA Shares Sold by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its stake in shares of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) by 13.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 110,939 shares of the game software company’s stock after selling 17,608 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Electronic Arts were worth $22,617,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in Electronic Arts by 26.7% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 242 shares of the game software company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Optas LLC lifted its stake in Electronic Arts by 4.2% during the first quarter. Optas LLC now owns 1,332 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $272,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its stake in Electronic Arts by 32.8% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 231 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Macroview Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Electronic Arts by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Macroview Investment Management LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $218,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Electronic Arts by 0.3% in the first quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 24,685 shares of the game software company’s stock worth $5,033,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. 90.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Electronic Arts Price Performance

Shares of EA opened at $209.88 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $205.03 and its 200-day moving average is $202.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The company has a market capitalization of $52.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.64. Electronic Arts Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $151.50 and a fifty-two week high of $209.93.

Insider Activity

In other Electronic Arts news, CEO Andrew Wilson sold 5,066 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.66, for a total value of $1,021,609.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 85,974 shares in the company, valued at $17,337,516.84. This represents a 5.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Laura Miele sold 2,500 shares of Electronic Arts stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.10, for a total transaction of $507,750.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 73,513 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,930,490.30. This trade represents a 3.29% 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. Insiders sold a total of 31,206 shares of company stock valued at $6,292,058 in the last three months. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Electronic Arts from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Electronic Arts from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research 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. Citigroup increased their target price on Electronic Arts from $202.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Argus lowered Electronic Arts from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Electronic Arts has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.42.

About Electronic Arts

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.