Electronic Arts Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:EA)

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock investors bought 30,481 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 775% compared to the typical daily volume of 3,482 put options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Argus lifted their price target on shares of Electronic Arts from $161.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Roth Mkm raised their price objective on shares of Electronic Arts from $154.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Electronic Arts from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Electronic Arts from $167.00 to $159.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Electronic Arts from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $135.00 to $177.00 in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $160.89.

Insider Transactions at Electronic Arts

In related news, CEO Andrew Wilson sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.87, for a total transaction of $364,675.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 51,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,548,334.89. This trade represents a 4.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jacob J. Schatz sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.45, for a total transaction of $215,175.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,386 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,354,721.70. The trade was a 6.03 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 28,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,351,060 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Electronic Arts

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Electronic Arts by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 124,052 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $17,615,000 after acquiring an additional 3,138 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Electronic Arts by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,099,746 shares of the game software company’s stock worth $160,893,000 after purchasing an additional 373,730 shares in the last quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Electronic Arts by 25.3% during the fourth quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 1,939 shares of the game software company’s stock worth $284,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares in the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Electronic Arts by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,321 shares of the game software company’s stock worth $894,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foundations Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Electronic Arts by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,632 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $239,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. 90.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Electronic Arts Trading Down 18.7 %

EA stock traded down $26.66 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $115.69. 8,167,448 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,688,746. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.43. Electronic Arts has a one year low of $116.30 and a one year high of $168.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.34 billion, a PE ratio of 29.72, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $154.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $149.20.

Electronic Arts Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 27th were paid a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 27th. Electronic Arts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.54%.

Electronic Arts Company Profile

Electronic Arts Inc develops, markets, publishes, and distributes games, content, and services for game consoles, PCs, mobile phones, and tablets worldwide. It develops and publishes games and services across various genres, such as sports, racing, first-person shooter, action, role-playing, and simulation primarily under the Battlefield, The Sims, Apex Legends, Need for Speed, and license games from others, including FIFA, Madden NFL, UFC, and Star Wars brands.