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Take-Two gains on gaming demand rebound, title delivery forecast

Take-Two gains on gaming demand rebound, title delivery forecast

FILE PHOTO: NBA 2K22 and Grand Theft Auto 5 by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc are seen for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

18 May 2023 04:12AM (Updated: 18 May 2023 06:43AM)

Take-Two Interactive Software on Wednesday beat analyst estimates for quarterly adjusted sales on strong demand from legacy titles NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto, sending the video game publisher's shares up 8 per cent in extended trading.

The company also said it expects to deliver 36 video game titles through 2025 and 2026, and forecast US$8 billion in 2025 net bookings and over US$1 billion in operating cash flow.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said "that's enough to send the stock higher".

Take-Two, however, did not make any announcements about its highly anticipated title Grand Theft Auto VI.

Its results follow an upbeat performance from peer Electronic Arts and Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, confirming signs of the video gaming industry rebounding from a sluggish 2022 due to decades-high inflation.

Take-Two has established itself as one of the dominant players in the US with strong sales from its successful video game franchises and a solid pipeline including titles like Star Wars Hunters.

Its fourth-quarter adjusted sales grew 65 per cent to US$1.39 billion, compared with Wall Street's estimate of US$1.34 billion, according to Refinitiv data. But the company missed profit estimates, on acquisition-related charges.

During an earnings call with analysts, Chief Executive Strauss Zelnick said Take-Two was assuming a continuation of the current challenging consumer backdrop within its forecast.

Its annual adjusted revenue forecast between US$5.45 billion and US$5.55 billion came below Street's estimate of US$6.07 billion.

"Additionally, the development time lines of some of our titles lengthened especially as we strive to redefine the creative standards of excellence of our industry, which affect our release slate for the year," Zelnick added.

Source: Reuters

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