The company will acquire U.K.-based company Codemasters, after outbidding Take-Two Interactive
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) is up 2% at $138.50 this morning after inking a deal with Codemasters. EA is set to acquire the U.K.-based company for $1.2 billion, outbidding rival Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO). The news has EA pacing for its seventh straight win -- its longest streak in over four years -- should these gains hold.
The security's 10-day moving average has acted as a ramp for this recent rally, guiding EA to a 27.5% year-to-date lead. While the security has yet to topple its early August peak, its sharp bounce off the $110 level just launched EA back atop its 80-day moving average, which acted as pressure on the charts following its early September selloff.
Analysts are mostly optimistic on the equity, though there's still room for upgrades. Of the 20 covering Electronic Arts, nine still say "hold." Plus, the 12-month consensus price target of $147.53 is a slim 6.9% premium to current levels.
Options traders, meanwhile, have been extremely bullish, with 4.12 calls picked up for every put at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) during the past 10 days. This ratio stands in the 97th percentile of its annual range, suggesting a greater-than-usual appetite for calls of late.
This optimistic sentiment is pervading the options pits today, too. So far, 3,390 calls have crossed the tape -- double the intraday average -- compared to just 718 puts. The December 140 call is the most popular, followed by the weekly 1/29/21 135-strike call, where positions are being opened.