Video game maker Electronic Arts announcing a $55 billion deal to go private in what is set to be the largest leverage buyout deal in Wall Street history led by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. Steve Kobach has more in today's tech check. Steve.Yeah, this is a big one because I really wanted to look Sarah into the Saudi public investment fund and all the money it's been spending on gaming as it's been pushing over the years to build a video game juggernaut. It's encompassing everything from the ho ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net revenue for Q2 2025 was $981 million, essentially flat year over year, driven by the strength of the Magic segment [19] - Adjusted operating profit was $247 million with an adjusted operating margin of 25.2%, up 20 basis points from the previous year [19] - Adjusted earnings per diluted share rose to $1.30, a 7% increase year over year, attributed to favorable mix and margin discipline [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wizards of the Coast and digital gaming segment revenue grew 16% to $522 million, led by The Gathering, which delivered 23% growth [20] - Consumer products revenue declined 16% to $442 million, primarily due to retailer order timing and market softness in select geographies [21] - Entertainment segment revenue was $16 million, in line with expectations, contributing $10 million in adjusted operating profit [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America saw a decline in consumer products sales, while EMEA and APAC regions performed well and are expected to end the year in growth mode [14] - The organized play segment saw a nearly 40% year-over-year increase in unique players during the first half of 2025, indicating strong community engagement [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on its "Playing to Win" strategic plan, emphasizing premium, high-margin segments like Wizards, licensing, and digital [6] - A new exclusive publishing agreement for a Dungeons and Dragons action-adventure game was announced, reflecting the company's commitment to investing in top-tier talent and expanding digital engagement [13] - The company is diversifying its supply chain to reduce reliance on China, aiming to bring that exposure down to less than 40% by 2027 [27] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in returning to growth in 2025, backed by record operating margins and strong performance across diversified portfolios, especially in the Magic segment [18] - The company raised its full-year guidance for revenue, margin, and adjusted EBITDA, reflecting continued strength in the Wizards business and improved visibility into the back half of the year [28] - Management acknowledged the impact of tariffs but noted that the current rates are more favorable than previously anticipated, leading to a lower expected expense in 2025 [24] Other Important Information - A non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $1 billion was recorded in the consumer products segment due to the impact of tariffs and trade uncertainty [25] - The company is on track to achieve $175 million to $225 million in gross cost savings this year, prioritizing investments in core growth engines while maintaining financial flexibility [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you discuss the demand for Final Fantasy and how it compared to expectations? - Management noted that Final Fantasy exceeded expectations, achieving $200 million in revenue within one day, significantly faster than previous major releases [36][38] Question: How do you view the midterm outlook and potential for operating margin expansion? - Management reaffirmed the midterm outlook, indicating that while this year is outperforming expectations, they still see a path to growth despite potential headwinds [52][54] Question: What is the health of the Magic player base and the impact of Universes Beyond sets? - The unique player base in organized play increased by 40% year over year, with Universes Beyond sets effectively bringing in new players [123]

Core Insights - The global mobile game revenue rankings for June 2025 have been released, with Tencent's "Honor of Kings" leading the chart despite a month-over-month revenue decline [1][2]. Group 1: Top Revenue Generating Games - "Honor of Kings" by Tencent generated $143 million in June, maintaining its top position despite a $40 million drop from May's $184 million [2]. - "Whiteout Survival" and "LastWar" closely follow, with "Whiteout Survival" earning $128 million and "LastWar" at $127 million, showing a very narrow revenue gap [2]. - "Royal Match" ranked fourth with a revenue of $117 million, marking its first drop below $120 million since June 2024 [3]. Group 2: Notable Trends and Changes - "Monopoly Go" by Scopely has stabilized around $100 million for three consecutive months, while "Candy Crush Saga" saw its revenue fall below $100 million for the first time since February, now at $97 million [3]. - "PUBG Mobile" and "Peacekeeper Elite" also experienced revenue declines, with "Peacekeeper Elite" dropping from approximately $120 million in May to about $94 million in June [3]. - "Pokémon Go" saw a significant revenue increase to over $62 million due to community events, while "Pokémon TCG Pocket" faced a decline from approximately $81 million to $56 million [4]. Group 3: Rankings Beyond the Top 10 - "Genshin Impact" by miHoYo ranked 11th with $48.8 million, while "Gossip Harbor" reached $44.2 million, marking a new high [5][6]. - "Roblox" continued to struggle with a revenue drop to $39.2 million, while "Kingshot" surged to $37.3 million, climbing 13 positions [6][7]. - "Clash Royale" by Supercell achieved a revenue of approximately $36 million, marking its best performance since December 2021 [7].

Core Insights - The global mobile game revenue rankings for May 2025 have been released, showing significant performance variations among top games [1][2]. Group 1: Top Performers - "Honor of Kings" by Tencent continues to lead the chart with a revenue of $184 million in May, maintaining its position after regaining the top spot in April [1][2]. - "Whiteout Survival" and "Last War: Survival" are in a close competition for the second position, with revenues of $137 million and $133 million respectively, marking their third consecutive month of rank changes [2][3]. - "PUBG Mobile" ranks fifth with a revenue of approximately $119 million, showing a slight month-over-month increase [3]. Group 2: Revenue Fluctuations - "Royal Match" experienced significant revenue fluctuations, earning about $127 million in May after peaking at nearly $145 million in March [2]. - "Candy Crush Saga" and "Monopoly Go" followed closely with revenues of $105 million and $100 million, both showing slight declines [3]. - "Pokémon TCG Pocket" saw its revenue rebound to over $80 million, heavily influenced by new card pack releases [3]. Group 3: Rankings 11-20 - The rankings from 11 to 20 include "Gossip Harbor" at $42.4 million, "Brawl Stars" at $38.9 million, and "Honkai: Star Rail" at $38.5 million, indicating a steady performance for these titles [4][5]. - "Gossip Harbor" has shown consistent growth since its launch in mid-2022, achieving a new high in May [5]. - "Fate/Grand Order" made a notable comeback to the top 20 with a revenue of $32.1 million [5].

Core Viewpoint - Hasbro experienced a revenue increase in Q1, driven by strong performance in its gaming segment, but faces challenges due to evolving tariff situations Financial Performance - Net revenues for Q1 reached $887 million, marking a 17% increase, with a 46% surge from Wizards of the Coast and licensed digital gaming [1] - Adjusted operating profit rose to $222 million, an increase of $74 million from the previous quarter, and the company generated $138 million in operating cash flow [2] Tariff Impact - The company stated that tariffs had no material impact on Q1 results, but anticipates a gross impact of $100 million to $300 million from tariffs in 2025 [2] - The estimated net profit impact in 2025 is projected to be between $60 million and $180 million, depending on trade policy and consumer behavior [3] Sourcing and Manufacturing Strategy - Approximately half of Hasbro's toy and game volume originates in China, necessitating sourcing diversification [3] - China will remain a key manufacturing hub due to specialized capabilities, while the company is working with customers to manage inventory and pricing strategies [4] Cost-Saving Measures - Hasbro is accelerating a $1 billion cost-savings plan to mitigate tariff pressures [4] - The company is focusing on maintaining key price points and strengthening retail partnerships to capture market share [4] Strategic Flexibility - The games business and strategic flexibility provide Hasbro with options to navigate potential tariff and consumer outcomes [5]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue increased by 17% to $887 million, driven by strong performance in the Magic business and licensing [22][8] - Adjusted operating profit rose 50% to $222 million, with an adjusted margin of 25.1%, a 5.5 percentage point improvement year-over-year [22][9] - Adjusted earnings per diluted share increased by 70% to $1.04, reflecting top-line growth and margin expansion [22][23] Business Segment Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wizards of the Coast segment revenue grew 46% to $462 million, with Magic revenue up 45% due to strong demand for recent releases [23][24] - Consumer products revenue declined by 4% to $398 million, but the adjusted operating loss improved by 18% to $31 million [26][22] - The entertainment segment saw a modest decline of 5% in revenue to $27 million, primarily due to deal timing [27] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted minimal impact from tariffs in Q1, with a focus on maintaining low costs and healthy margins through domestic sourcing [28][26] - Approximately 50% of the US toy and game volume originates from China, with plans to reduce this significantly [31][30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is accelerating a $1 billion cost savings plan to offset tariff pressures and is prioritizing key price points to capture market share [12][22] - A multi-decade licensing agreement with Disney for Marvel and Star Wars was extended, enhancing category rights [14][15] - The company is diversifying its sourcing to mitigate tariff impacts, with a target to reduce China exposure below 40% by 2026 [111][112] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenges posed by the current global trade environment and the potential for higher consumer prices due to tariffs [16][17] - The guidance remains unchanged, supported by strong performance in games and licensing, but prolonged tariff conditions create unpredictability [33][39] - The company is optimistic about the resilience of the toy category, viewing it as a small luxury that tends to perform better than other discretionary categories [50][51] Other Important Information - The company generated $138 million in operating cash and returned $98 million to shareholders via dividends [28][29] - The company is committed to maintaining a balanced approach to capital allocation, focusing on core growth engines while prioritizing debt reduction [41][42] Q&A Session Summary Question: How are tariffs impacting consumer spending? - Management sees potential impacts on consumer spending similar to the 2008 recession, with the toy category expected to remain resilient [49][50] Question: What are the conversations with retailers regarding order patterns? - Retailers are managing inventory fluidly, with no significant cancellations observed, and discussions are ongoing about pricing strategies [54][55] Question: Will prolonged tariffs create structural costs? - Yes, there will be incremental tariff exposure next year if current duties continue, but the company is diversifying its supply chain to mitigate this [69][70] Question: How is the company managing pricing in light of tariffs? - The company is focused on maintaining consistent prices for consumers and is discussing pricing strategies with retailers [59][60] Question: What is the outlook for the Wizards segment? - The Wizards segment is expected to perform well, with strong demand signals and a raised full-year outlook [36][80] Question: How is the company addressing manufacturing shifts from China? - The company is accelerating its diversification efforts, with plans to reduce reliance on China for manufacturing [30][31]