Summary
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) reported its third-quarter results for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. The company saw a 7% year-over-year increase in net revenue, reaching $1.79 billion. This growth was primarily driven by a significant 23% surge in live services and other net revenue, totaling $1.17 billion, fueled by strong performance in extra content sales for popular titles like Apex Legends and FIFA Ultimate Team. Despite revenue growth, operating income saw a considerable decrease of 59% year-over-year to $102 million, largely due to a 29% increase in operating expenses, which included higher R&D, marketing, and administrative costs, as well as increased amortization of intangible assets resulting from recent acquisitions. Financially, EA ended the quarter with $2.67 billion in cash and cash equivalents. The company also actively engaged in capital return programs, repurchasing $325 million worth of its common stock and paying $48 million in cash dividends during the quarter. A significant portion of the year's investment was directed towards acquisitions, with the company completing the purchases of Glu Mobile and Playdemic, adding substantial goodwill and intangible assets to its balance sheet. While the company demonstrated robust top-line growth driven by its live services segment, investors should note the impact of increased operating expenses and the strategic investments in acquisitions on profitability.
Financial Highlights
49 data points| Revenue | $1.79B |
| Cost of Revenue | $631.00M |
| Gross Profit | $1.16B |
| Operating Expenses | $1.06B |
| Operating Income | $102.00M |
| Interest Expense | $14.00M |
| Net Income | $66.00M |
| EPS (Basic) | $0.23 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.23 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 283.00M |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 285.00M |
Key Highlights
- 1Net revenue increased by 7% year-over-year to $1.79 billion, driven by strong live services performance.
- 2Live services and other net revenue grew by 23% year-over-year to $1.17 billion.
- 3Operating income decreased by 59% year-over-year to $102 million, impacted by higher operating expenses.
- 4Operating expenses increased by 29% year-over-year to $1.06 billion, reflecting investments in R&D, marketing, and integration of acquisitions.
- 5The company completed significant acquisitions of Glu Mobile for $2.0 billion and Playdemic for $1.4 billion during the nine months ended December 31, 2021.
- 6Goodwill on the balance sheet increased significantly, primarily due to acquisitions, reaching $5.39 billion.
- 7EA returned $325 million to shareholders through share repurchases and paid $48 million in dividends during the quarter.