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☆ Buy these 2 global stocks as inflation fades, HSBC says — giving one 85% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As high inflation appears to be waning, a long-neglected set of stocks stands to benefit as consumers settle into a "new normal" of spending, according to HSBC. The investment bank's latest consumer survey suggests positive signs amid the economic uncertainty of the past two years. Inspired by the survey results, HSBC named two companies it sees benefiting from these emerging consumer trends: French video game giant Ubisoft and Swiss travel retailer Avolta . Ubisoft HSBC said its research pointed to resilient consumer spending on video games, which will benefit video game developer Ubisoft . The bank has a buy rating on the stock with a price target of 35 euros ($37.90), representing more than 85% upside from the current share price of around 18.84 euros.

Persons: Paul Rossington, Pankaj Agarwala, Michael Bloom Organizations: HSBC, Ubisoft, Avolta, Ubisoft HSBC, Mar, AAA, U.S Locations: Swiss, U.S

☆ Inside Apple’s chip lab, home to the most ‘profound change’ at the company in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Its most advanced silicon is primarily manufactured by one vendor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. "We built what we call the unified memory architecture that is scalable across products," Srouji said. Apple's silicon team has grown to thousands of engineers working across labs all over the world, including in Israel, Germany, Austria, the U.K. and Japan. The primary type of chip Apple is developing is known as a system on a chip, or SoC. Apple's senior director of hardware validation Godfrey D'Souza shows off an M3 SoC in an Apple chip lab in Cupertino, California, on November 14, 2023.

Persons: John Ternus, Srouji, we're, Katie Tarasov, Andrew Evers, Ben Bajarin, Bajarin, Apple, Apple there's, Pro Max, Kaiann Drance, That's, who's, Ternus, Nvidia —, Tesla, Stacy Rasgon, Apple's, Godfrey D'Souza, Sydney, they've, Rasgon, Apple's Srouji, It's Organizations: AMD, MU, Apple Watch, U.S, Apple, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Microsoft, CNBC, Apple's, Amazon, Google, Tesla, Semiconductor, Creative, Pro, Triple, MacBook Air, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Bernstein Research, Sydney Boyo, Bluetooth, Broadcom, Samsung, Micron, Thursday Apple Locations: Cupertino , California, Israel, Germany, Austria, Japan, Silicon Valley, San Diego, Austin , Texas, AirPods, Taiwan, China, Arizona, Peoria , Arizona, Asia, Europe, U.S

[1/2] A view of the Ubisoft Entertainment logo in Saint-Mande, near Paris, France, September 8, 2022. The maker of the blockbuster "Rainbow Six" franchise reported net bookings of 554.8 million euros ($584.09 million)for the three months to September 30, well above its target of 350 million euros. For the third quarter, the company expects net bookings of around 610 million euros. The group reported operating income of 16.1 million euros for the six months to end September, after a loss of 215.3 million euros in the same period last year. ($1 = 0.9498 euros)Reporting by Enrico Sciacovelli and Olivier Cherfan, editing Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot, Mirage, Enrico Sciacovelli, Olivier Cherfan, Jane Merriman Organizations: Ubisoft Entertainment, REUTERS, Ubisoft, Pandora, Rainbow Six Mobile, Thomson Locations: Saint, Paris, France

☆ ‘Video games are in for quite a trip’: How generative AI could radically reshape gaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“You can tell there is something off about what you’re seeing or hearing.”Enter generative AI. That offers another opportunity for generative AI to reshape the gaming experience. While the developers retain control over procedurally generated content, generative AI has the potential to develop unplayable levels, or deviate in unintended ways from the game’s narrative. An additional toolWhile gamers are excited about the potential for gameplay, generative AI is likely to impact development before it alters the user experience. “I think with generative AI, it’s essentially the same thing – or at least, we’re approaching it with the exact same mindset here at Ubisoft.” However, there are still a lot of unanswered “legal and ethical aspects” to using generative AI, including artists’ copyright, he adds.

Persons: Jitao Zhou, Alexis Rolland, ”, Rolland, Ubisoft's, Zhou, Julian Togelius, “, Togelius, Takehiko Hoshino, It’s, Hoshino, “ Fortnite, Creatives, We’ve, it’s Organizations: Rikkyo University CNN —, La, La Forge, Ubisoft, Rikkyo University, New York University, Rokkyo University, Maxis, EA, UGC, CNN, Forge Locations: La Forge China, Tokyo, La

☆ One of the biggest advances in this year's iPhones are the new Apple-made chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple today unveiled the new iPhone 15 to plenty of fanfare. But there's also a big upgrade to the processor inside the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The new A17 Pro chip, designed by Apple , will have a six-core central processing unit and a six-core graphics processing unit. Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin's Creed Mirage and Capcom's Resident Evil 4 Remake are both set to come to the iPhone 15 Pro in the next year. Advanced chips at this level are almost entirely made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., or TSMC, and Apple is its largest customer.

Persons: there's, Max, Ben Bajarin Organizations: Apple, Creative, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Locations: China, Taiwan

Microsoft announced the biggest gaming deal in history in early 2022, but the acquisition was blocked by Britain's competition regulator, which was concerned the U.S. computing giant would gain too much control of the nascent cloud gaming market. Under the restructured deal, Microsoft will not be able to release Activision games like "Overwatch" and "Diablo" exclusively on its own cloud streaming service — Xbox Cloud Gaming – or to exclusively control the licensing terms for rival services. Instead, French gaming rival Ubisoft will acquire the cloud streaming rights for Activision's existing PC and console games, and any new games released by Activision in the next 15 years. A view shows a Microsoft logo at Microsoft offices in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France, January 25, 2023. Microsoft said Ubisoft would acquire the rights through a one-off payment and a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage.

Persons: Tom Smith, there's, Gonzalo Fuentes, Alex Haffner, Fladgate, Sarah Cardell, Yadarisa, Kate Holton, Foo Yun Chee, Barbara Lewis, Sharon Singleton, Mark Potter Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, Activision, Ubisoft Deal, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Markets Authority, European Commission, Geradin Partners, Big Tech, Reuters, REUTERS, European Union . Competition, Federal Trade Commission, European, European Union, Sony, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York, Paris, U.S, Europe, Brussels, EU, Issy, France, British, United States, Bengaluru, London

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the only regulator to block Microsoft's $69 billion Activision deal, in a test of its post-Brexit clout. The CMA in a statement said the revised transaction would "allow Ubisoft to commercialise these rights to other cloud gaming services providers (including to Microsoft itself)". Under the new terms, Microsoft will not be able to release Activision Blizzard games exclusively on its own cloud streaming service — Xbox Cloud Gaming – or to exclusively control the licensing terms of Activision Blizzard games for rival services. The new transaction deals with streaming rights outside the European Economic Area, reflecting the fact that Brussels had already approved the deal. Ubisoft will, however, receive a non-exclusive licence for Activision's European gaming rights too, enabling the French group to also stream the rights in the EU.

Persons: Yadarisa, Kate Holton, Rashmi Aich, Sachin Ravikumar, Barbara Lewis Organizations: CMA, Activision, Ubisoft Deal, Microsoft, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain's, Markets Authority, Ubisoft, European Union, Sony, U.S, Activision Blizzard, Economic, Activision's, Thomson Locations: Paris, British, Brussels, Bengaluru, London

☆ Read the 20-page pitch deck that startup Anzu used to raise $48 million to help place ads in video games
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Anzu helps brands place their ads in video games. The company raised $48 million to build out its executive suite and hire staff. Inserting ads into video games — like as a billboard in a car-racing game — is increasingly enticing to advertisers hoping to message hard-to-find Gen Zers. The company raised a $20 million round last year, bringing its total to $85 million. "After proving the model with mobile games and casual games, we're moving into AAA games," Benedy said.

Persons: Zers, Axel Springer, Itamar Benedy, Anzu, Benedy, we'll Organizations: Emmis Corp, Simon Equity Partners, PayPal, Bandai Namco, AAA, Ubisoft, VR, Apple, Apple Vision Locations: Anzu

May 16 (Reuters) - French video game producer Ubisoft (UBIP.PA) posted the biggest operating loss in company's history on Tuesday but stuck to its guidance for the current financial year, citing a renewed focus on blockbuster titles. The maker of the hit "Rainbow Six" franchise posted a full-year non-IFRS operating loss of 500.2 million euros ($550.6 million), in line with a target announced in its January profit warning. The family-run firm has been dogged by game cancellations and delays in recent years, booking a writedown estimate of around 500 million euros in 2022 due to research and development expenses. The Paris-listed publisher confirmed its estimate for a full-year core profit of around 400 million euros, while forecasting first-quarter net bookings of around 240 million euros. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Reporting by Victor Goury-Laffont and Enrico Sciacovelli; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Assassin's Creed maker Ubisoft reports Q3 net bookings in line with forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - French video game producer Ubisoft (UBIP.PA) reported on Thursday net bookings of 726.9 million euros ($776.2 million) in its third quarter to the end of December, in line with its forecast. That was a drop of 2.6% year-on-year, however, with Ubisoft citing the impact of the macro-economic environment on the video game market and the company's performance. The gaming market is set to fall 4.3% in 2022, according to estimates from gaming market research firm Newzoo. The company stuck to January's guidance for an operating loss of around 500 million euros in its 2022-23 year. Ubisoft said its line-up for the next fiscal year would include Skull & Bones - first revealed in 2017 - Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

☆ Analysts like this indie video game developer — with one bank saying it could soar over 200%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Indie video game developer tinyBuild 's stock is set to go up by more than 200%, according to investment bank Berenberg. The analysts said the 2023 outlook for the London-listed company looked "very encouraging" following its record fourth-quarter earnings Monday. The consensus price target of six analysts covering the stock indicates a potential upside of over 70%, according to FactSet data. However, the Berenberg analysts think tinyBuild will likely deliver full-year earnings "firmly" within the consensus estimate of between $23 million and $26 million for 2022. Over the past two years, a lack of blockbuster titles has also meant there is pent-up demand for new games.

☆ Assassin's Creed maker Ubisoft sinks to more than seven-year low after slashing guidance, cancelling games
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The stock has since pared losses slightly and was last trading at around 20 euros, down 16% from the Wednesday close. In a trading update on Wednesday, Ubisoft lowered net bookings guidance for the third quarter of 2022 to 725 million euros, down from an earlier target of 830 million euros. The company forecast full-year net bookings would likely fall 10% after an earlier projection called for an increase of 10%. Ubisoft said Wednesday that it would depreciate around 500 million euros of capitalized research and development and narrow its focus to fewer titles. The company hopes to cut costs by about 200 million euros through a mix of targeted restructuring, divestment of "non-core" assets, and employee attrition.

☆ Ubisoft shares plunge after firm cuts full-year revenue forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUbisoft shares plunge after firm cuts full-year revenue forecastCNBC's Charlotte Reed reports on Ubisoft's share price action Thursday. The French video game maker saw its shares tumble 21% after slashing its net bookings guidance for 2022.

☆ Ubisoft cancels three games and slashes targets, citing 'worsening macroeconomic conditions'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tencent has increased its stake in French games maker Ubisoft, the company behind popular franchises like Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft canceled three unannounced games and slashed its full-year financial targets Wednesday, blaming "worsening macroeconomic conditions" that have plagued the video game industry. The French game publisher said it expects 2022 net bookings to come in at 725 million euros ($779.4 million), lower than an earlier target of 830 million euros. For the full year, Ubisoft said it expects its 2022 net bookings to fall 10%. Tencent invested 300 million euros in Guillemot Brothers Limited, taking a 49.9% stake in the family investment firm that owns 15% of Ubisoft.

☆ French video game maker Ubisoft increases writedowns and lowers targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Mathieu Rosemain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Plans 200 million-euro cost cuts, staff reductionCuts quarterly, full-year sales targetsPARIS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Ubisoft (UBIP.PA) is increasing its writedown estimate to 500 million euros ($538 million) and cutting its full-year revenue target after ending 2022 with weaker-than-expected sales, the French video game maker said on Wednesday. Ubisoft cited the deteriorating economy, marked by lower spending on non-essential goods, to explain the acceleration of the depreciation, previously targeted at 400 million euros. Duguet declined to elaborate on the size of the staff reduction, which will be made through attrition, the company said. Net bookings in the third quarter are now expected at 725 million euros, down from a previous estimate of 830 million euros. Ubisoft said it was targeting operating income of around 400 million euros for fiscal 2023-2024, after taking into account the less favourable economic environment.

☆ Bankers not expecting quick recovery as IPO volumes plunge to lowest level since 2008
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro | Echo Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With questions swirling around monetary policy and the prospect of a looming recession, IPO advisers are not holding their breath on a near-term recovery in the equity capital markets. Global share sales plunged this year as the IPO market froze and hundreds of companies postponed stock market debuts, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and interest rate hikes from central banks weighed on the broader economy. “It’s all about rates - the price of money changed and it has affected everything," said James Palmer, head of EMEA equity capital markets (ECM) at Bank of America. A return by long-only investors to capital markets deals is seen as key for any recovery, after a year in which hedge funds have taken a lead role as buyers of new issuance. "When the stock market is going like this, people typically don't buy new issuance," said Joshua Bonnie, co-head of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's global capital markets practice.

☆ Hit by game delays and cancellations, Ubisoft posts half-year net loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 27 (Reuters) - French video game maker Ubisoft (UBIP.PA) said on Thursday its net result turned into a loss in the half-year, citing lost research and development expenses and related game cancellations. The firm has been dogged by game delays, on top of project cancellations and heavy sector competition. The maker of the blockbuster "Assassin's Creed" franchise posted a net loss of 190.2 million euros ($190.6 million)in the half-year ended on September 30, compared to a slight profit of 1.6 million euros in the same period last year. Ubisoft nonetheless on Thursday confirmed its full-year guidance and projected third quarter net bookings of around 830 million euros, on the back of a still unspecified mobile licensing deal. The "Prince of Persia" franchise maker posted net bookings down 2.6% to 699.4 million euros for the six months ended in September.

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