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Ubisoft Stock (UBSFY) Slips on New Leadership Changes

Ubisoft Stock (UBSFY) Slips on New Leadership Changes

Ubisoft (UBSFY) stock was down on Thursday after the video game company appointed leaders for its new spin-off. Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot are the new co-CEOs of the company's spin-off with Tencent (TCEHY).
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Derennes is joining the Ubisoft and Tencent spin-off, leaving his role as the managing director for Ubisoft's North America business. Guillemot is the son of Ubisoft co-founder Yves Guillemot. Guillemot addressed claims of nepotism, saying, 'Yes, I'm Yves' son. That's not something I hide from. But my appointment isn't only about family ties; it's about what Ubisoft needs at this moment.'
Ubisoft and Tencent have created the new spin-off to change the game developer's operating model. This spin-off now holds the rights to the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six brands. These are some of Ubisoft's biggest series, and this change will allow a better focus on them.
Ubisoft Stock Movement Today
Ubisoft stock was down 0.7% on Thursday, signaling possible displeasure from investors over its picks to lead its new spin-off with Tencent. The shares have also fallen 22.46% year-to-date and were down 56.41% over the past 12 months.
The poor performance of Ubisoft's stock over the last year was the result of ongoing struggles at the video game developer. There was speculation earlier this year that it was about to file for bankruptcy. However, that appears to have been avoided thanks to Tencent's $1.25 billion investment in the company.
Is Ubisoft Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, the analysts' consensus rating for Ubisoft (UBI) is Hold, based on two Buy, six Hold, and three Sell ratings over the past three months. With that comes an average UBI stock price target of €11.31, representing a potential 20.01% upside for the shares.
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Ubisoft reports first-quarter 2025-26 sales
Ubisoft reports first-quarter 2025-26 sales

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time16 hours ago

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Ubisoft reports first-quarter 2025-26 sales

UBISOFT REPORTS FIRST-QUARTER 2025-26 SALES In €mQ12025-26 Reported change vs.Q1 2024-25 % of total net bookings Q1 2025-26 Q1 2024-25 IFRS 15 sales 310.8 -3.9% NA NA Net bookings 281.6 -2.9% NA NA Digital net bookings 250.2 -2.7% 88.8% 88.7% PRI net bookings 151.8 -4.3% 53.9% 54.7% Back-catalog net bookings 260.4 +4.4% 92.5% 86.0% Q1 Net Bookings reached €281.6m, below expectations, reflecting a lower-than-expected performance for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Siege, a partnership that is now expected to materialize in Q2 and, to a lesser extent, an unfavorable foreign exchange impact. Progress on Group transformation: Ubisoft to reorganize into Creative Houses. These business units will enhance quality, focus, autonomy and accountability while fostering closer connections with players. The first Creative House is the new subsidiary announced in March with a recently appointed dedicated leadership. Closing of the transaction with Tencent is progressing well and, subject to regulatory approval, continues to be expected by the end of 2025. 2025-26 targets confirmed: Stable net bookings year-on-year, approximately break-even non-IFRS operating income and negative free cash flow. Following the closing of the Tencent transaction, the Group expects to maintain a consolidated non-IFRS net debt position of around zero. PARIS - July 22, 2025 – Today, Ubisoft released its sales figures for the first quarter of fiscal 2025-26, i.e., the three months ended June 30, 2025. Yves Guillemot, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said 'The first quarter delivered mixed results. On the positive side, Assassin's Creed Shadows delivered on its expectations, with now more than 5 million unique players since its launch, and Rainbow Six Siege X received highly positive player feedback thanks to its renewed gameplay and enhanced features that drove significant player engagement growth. However, player spending in Rainbow Six Siege faced temporary but significant disruptions due to technical pricing issues, which have now been identified and addressed. Despite this one-off setback, the growth potential of the game is strong with solid traction on activity and in-game spending. We also continued to make meaningful progress on Ubisoft's transformation by outlining a new operating model built around business units, called Creative Houses. These units will reflect our diverse types of gaming experiences and will allow for enhanced quality, focus, autonomy and accountability. Over time, each of these Creative Houses will boost creative vision and business performance. The new Subsidiary announced earlier this year and overseeing our flagship brands – Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six – is the first of these Creative Houses. The recent announcement of its leadership team marks an important milestone as we move toward a more agile and focused organization while ensuring necessary long-term stability and creative vision.' Q1 ACTIVITY Overall, first quarter net bookings reached €282m, below the guidance, reflecting a lower-than-expected performance for Rainbow Six Siege, a partnership that is now expected to materialize in Q2 and, to a lesser extent, an unfavorable foreign exchange impact. Back Catalog net bookings stood at €260m, up 4% year-on-year and 6% excluding partnerships. Assassin's Creed® Shadows performed in line with expectations and recently crossed the 5 million player mark. Ongoing additions continue to enhance the player experience, most notably the recent Parkour update, which introduced new interactions for both Naoe and Yasuke and was well received by players. Ahead of the Holiday season, the mid-term potential of the game will be supported by the Claws of Awaji expansion, coming in Q2, that will introduce more than 10 hours of new content along with a new weapon, skills and abilities, further expanding and enriching the game experience. The Rainbow Six Siege X update was launched on June 10, alongside Year 10 Season 2, introducing a significant evolution to its business model, major upgrades to core systems including gameplay improvements, a permanent new 6v6 game mode called Dual Front and enhanced player protection features. The launch received strong community feedback, with players praising the visual upgrades, modernized maps with new environmental destruction and the improved onboarding mechanics. While resolved in June, player spending this quarter saw a significant impact from a pricing exploit with prepaid currency cards that temporarily inflated virtual currency wallets. However, the momentum since launch is encouraging with acquisition levels trending around 5 times above the same period last year. Session Days were up 25% year-on-year in June since launch and 65% compared to the 3-prior week's baseline. Overall, June delivered the third-strongest MAU performance in the game's history, trailing only the two peak months during the Covid period in Spring 2020. Session Days have continued to grow 20% in July to date. Despite the one-off pricing setback, in-game spending has also shown positive traction, with the Valkyrie Paragon becoming the highest-performing bundle launch in terms of currency spend. These developments reflect growing sustained interest in the game and indicate that the evolving content and engagement strategies are resonating with players. Thanks to its engine upgrade, the ambitious Siege X update will enable much stronger quality and velocity of content releases, setting the foundations for the years to come. It is not viewed as a single moment, but as the beginning of a longer journey, and the long-term growth trajectory of the title is very promising. Tom Clancy's The Division® 2 had a very strong start to the fiscal year with the launch of Year 7, the Battle for Brooklyn DLC release, a new Season and its inclusion in the Game Pass that drove significant growth in acquisition and engagement, reaching its highest activity performance since May 2020. Elsewhere in the catalog, Star Wars Outlaws™ released its second DLC, A Pirate's Fortune, in mid-May. The update received positive reviews, with players praising the return of legendary pirate Hondo Ohnaka, the story and new gameplay elements. The game is also set to reach a broader audience with its upcoming release on the Switch 2 console on September 4. PROGRESS ON GROUP TRANSFORMATION - CO-CEOs APPOINTED TO LEAD THE NEW SUBSIDIARY As part of the ongoing work to reshape its operating model led by an internal Transformation Committee, the Group will reorganize into autonomous Creative Houses – agile business units designed to reflect the diverse types of gaming experiences they offer. Each of them will have its dedicated leadership team, objectives and roadmap. This change aims to enhance quality, focus, autonomy and accountability while fostering closer connections with players and driving disciplined capital allocation. The new organization will be announced by the end of the year. Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot have been appointed as co-CEOs of the newly formed subsidiary, the first of these Creative Houses, and will play a pivotal role in accelerating the growth of the Assassin's Creed®, Far Cry® and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® franchises. With complementary backgrounds, they bring strong industry expertise, a modern understanding of gamers' motivations, deep knowledge of the Ubisoft ecosystem, a relentless focus on quality delivery and a bold creative vision. Together, they will lead the new subsidiary in building evergreen, multi-platform game ecosystems. The closing of the transaction with Tencent, subject to regulatory approvals, is progressing well and continues to be expected by the end of 2025. 2025 AGM – APPOINTMENT OF TWO NEW INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS Ubisoft shareholders approved all resolutions on the agenda of its Annual General Meeting held on July 10 by a large majority showcasing the broad support of the shareholders in Ubisoft's strategy. In particular, the shareholders voted for the appointments of two new independent directors, Axelle Lemaire and André Loesekrug-Pietri, both of whom bring a wealth of experience and are widely respected for their leadership and expertise in Technology and Public Affairs. Ubisoft welcomes them to its Board of Directors and looks forward to benefiting from their respective experiences, which will contribute to support Ubisoft's strategy and its transformation over the coming years. The vote also led to the renewals of Claude France, Ubisoft's Lead Independent Director and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee, as well as the mandates of Christian Guillemot and Michel Guillemot. The Group presents indicators which are not prepared strictly in accordance with IFRS as it considers that they are the best reflection of its operating and financial performance. The definitions of the non-IFRS indicators are appended to this press release. Sales and net bookings In € millions Q1 2025-26 Q1 2024-25 Sales (IFRS 15) 310.8 323.5 Restatements related to IFRS 15 (29.1) (33.5) Net bookings 281.6 290.0 IFRS 15 sales for the first quarter of 2025-26 came to €310.8 million, down 3.9% (1.6% at constant exchange rates1) compared with the €323.5 million generated in the first quarter of 2024-25. The first quarter of 2025-26 net bookings totaled €281.6 million, below the target of around €310.0 million and down 2.9% (0.5% at constant exchange rates) on the €290.0 million figure for the first quarter of 2024-25. Outlook Second-quarter 2025-26 Net bookings for the second quarter of 2025-26 are expected to come in at around €450 million. Expected growth vs. Q1 is driven by strategic B2B partnerships, including new ones, growing Rainbow Six Siege X contribution and material TV Series milestone-based revenues. Full-year 2025-26 The Company confirms its financial targets. It expects stable net bookings year-on-year, approximately break-even non-IFRS operating income and negative free cash flow. Following the closing of the Tencent transaction, the Group expects to maintain a consolidated non-IFRS net debt position of around zero. The line-up for the rest of FY26 includes Anno 117: Pax Romana™, Prince of Persia™: The Sands of Time remake, Rainbow Six® Mobile and The Division® Resurgence. A couple of titles will be announced at a later stage. Conference call Ubisoft will hold a conference call today, Tuesday July 22, 2025, at 6:15 p.m. Paris time/5:15 p.m. London time/12:15 p.m. New York time. The conference call will take place in English and can be accessed live and via replay by clicking on the following link: Contacts Investor Relations Alexandre Enjalbert Head of Investor Relations+33 1 48 18 50 78 Press Relations Michael Burk VP, Corporate Communications+33 1 48 18 24 03 DisclaimerThis press release may contain estimated financial data, information on future projects and transactions and future financial results/performance. Such forward-looking data are provided for information purposes only. They are subject to market risks and uncertainties and may vary significantly compared with the actual results that will be published. The estimated financial data have been approved by the Board of Directors, and have not been audited by the Statutory Auditors. (Additional information is provided in the most recent Ubisoft Registration Document filed on June 19, 2025 with the French Financial Markets Authority (l'Autorité des Marchés Financiers)). About UbisoftUbisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players' lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft's global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin's Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six®, The Crew® and Tom Clancy's The Division®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2024–25 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1.85 billion. To learn more, please visit: © 2025 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other of non-IFRS financial indicators Net bookings corresponds to the sales excluding the services component and integrating the unconditional amounts related to license or distribution contracts recognized independently of the performance obligation realization, and restated for the impact of financing (financing component and price reductions). Player Recurring Investment (PRI) corresponds to sales of digital items, DLC, season passes, subscriptions and advertising. Non-IFRS operating income calculated based on net bookings corresponds to operating income less the following items: Stock-based compensation expense arising on free share plans, group savings plans and/or stock options. Financing component on sales contract. Depreciation of acquired intangible assets with indefinite useful lives. Non-operating income and expenses resulting from restructuring operations within the Group Breakdown of net bookings by geographic region Q1 2025-26 Q1 2024-25 Europe 35% 32% North America 49% 53% Rest of the world 16% 15% TOTAL 100% 100% Breakdown of net bookings by platform Q1 2025-26 Q1 2024-25 CONSOLES 50% 50% PC 26% 27% MOBILE 10% 10% Others* 14% 13% TOTAL 100% 100% *Ancillaries, etc. Title release schedule2nd quarter (July – September 2025) DIGITAL ONLY ASSASSIN'S CREED® SHADOWS: Claws of Awaji Expansion AMAZON LUNA, MAC WITH APPLE SILICON, PC, PLAYSTATION®5, XBOX SERIES X/S THE CREW® MOTORFEST: Season 7 AMAZON LUNA, PC, PLAYSTATION 4, PLAYSTATION 5, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X/S FOR HONOR®: Year 9 Season 3 PC, PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX ONE HEROES OF MIGHT & MAGIC OLDEN ERA PC THE ROGUE PRINCE OF PERSIA PC SKULL AND BONES™: Year 2 Season 2 AMAZON LUNA, PC, PLAYSTATION 5, XBOX SERIES X/S TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE: Year 10 - Season 3 AMAZON LUNA, PC, PLAYSTATION 4, PLAYSTATION 5, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X/S TOM CLANCY'S THE DIVISION® 2: Year 7 Season 2 AMAZON LUNA, PC, PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX ONE STAR WARS™ OUTLAWS NINTENDO SWITCH 21 Sales at constant exchange rates are calculated by applying to the data for the period under review the average exchange rates used for the same period of the previous fiscal year. Attachment Ubisoft reports first-quarter 2025-26 salesSign in to access your portfolio

Joe Rogan Says Most Americans Are One Catastrophe Away From Losing Everything, Says AI And UBI Income Will Bring Chaos And Addiction
Joe Rogan Says Most Americans Are One Catastrophe Away From Losing Everything, Says AI And UBI Income Will Bring Chaos And Addiction

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Joe Rogan Says Most Americans Are One Catastrophe Away From Losing Everything, Says AI And UBI Income Will Bring Chaos And Addiction

Joe Rogan has been talking a lot about the future lately, and he's not exactly optimistic. From conversations with Democratic Texas Rep. James Talarico to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and entrepreneur Billy Carson, the comedian and podcaster has painted a picture of an America where most people are just getting by, automation is replacing jobs, and universal basic income might not be the solution people think it is. How Do You Live Off $7? In a June episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience' with Sanders, Rogan slammed the current federal minimum wage. "The minimum wage in this country is ridiculous," he said. "How do you live off $7?" Don't Miss: Be part of the breakthrough that could replace plastic as we know it— $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. He referenced a viral clip of someone buying a $25 sandwich. "Imagine you have to work three and a half hours just to pay for a sandwich. That's insane. How do you eat dinner, how do you eat lunch, how do you eat breakfast?" Sanders pushed for raising the wage to $17 per hour. Rogan agreed it would still be difficult but joked, "At least you could get a sandwich in under two hours of work." UBI And AI: A Double-Edged Sword Rogan has voiced support for some form of UBI many times, especially if AI takes over most jobs. In last year's episode with the founder of First Class Space Agency Billy Carson, Rogan imagined a world where "you've got $200,000 a year because everything's automated and everything's done by the government." But he warned that it won't be a fix-all. "You're going to have to find something. You're going to have to find a purpose," Rogan said. Trending: This AI-Powered Trading Platform Has 5,000+ Users, 27 Pending Patents, and a $43.97M Valuation — Then, in a recent conversation with Talarico, Rogan took it further. "Most people in this country right now are working check to check. They're living paycheck to paycheck. They're essentially getting by, and any catastrophe, medical or otherwise, will eliminate all savings instantaneously and they're doomed." That's why he believes UBI, while potentially necessary, could backfire. "I think we're going to deal with unprecedented levels of addiction," he said, pointing to drugs, gambling and other distractions that could spiral out of control when people no longer have the structure of work. 'There's going to be a lot of chaos and it's going to be very very uncomfortable for a lot of people.' The Problem Talarico echoed the concern. He said the AI future will "change how we understand work" and possibly eliminate millions of jobs. But he also saw a chance for reinvention."I don't know what this looks like, but it does seem like the disruption that's coming could be an opportunity," Talarico said. He proposed combining UBI with entrepreneurial grants and investment in human creativity, especially for people stuck in low-value work or underserved by the education system. Rogan wasn't convinced it would be enough. He compared it to lottery winners who end up miserable. "You might win $200 million... and then you're living in hell." Despite the criticism, both Rogan and his guests agree on one thing: the current system isn't working for most people. And if change is coming fast, the country needs to prepare not just financially, but emotionally and psychologically too. Read Next: Many are using retirement income calculators to check if they're on pace —Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Joe Rogan Says Most Americans Are One Catastrophe Away From Losing Everything, Says AI And UBI Income Will Bring Chaos And Addiction originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Why Tencent and Other Chinese Tech Stocks Rallied Today
Why Tencent and Other Chinese Tech Stocks Rallied Today

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time2 days ago

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Why Tencent and Other Chinese Tech Stocks Rallied Today

Key Points Tencent led Chinese stocks higher on Wednesday. The U.S. Treasury secretary said yesterday that trade talks with China will resume next week, with a tariff extension likely beyond the August 12 deadline. An extension would remove a key risk for Chinese stocks and those exposed to China -- for now. 10 stocks we like better than Tencent › Shares of Tencent Holdings (OTC: TCEHY) rallied on Wednesday, up 4% as of 3:48 p.m. There wasn't much company-specific news for the Chinese tech giant; however, positive words from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent yesterday revived hopes for progress on trade between the U.S. and China. As a result, major Chinese tech stocks rallied today, with Tencent rallying especially strongly. China and U.S. negotiators to meet in Sweden During an interview yesterday, Bessent said, "I'm going to be in Stockholm on Monday and Tuesday with my Chinese counterparts, and we'll be working out what is likely an extension then." For reference, on May 12, the U.S. and China agreed to ratchet back their mutual tariffs on the other, which had escalated to the triple digits following China's retaliation for President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement on April 2. The lowering of tariffs was agreed on to allow room for trade negotiations to take place, with the three-month deadline approaching on August 12. Along the way, there have been some hiccups in the ongoing talks, such as when President Trump accused China of backtracking on commitments to speed up shipments of crucial rare earths materials. That may have led to some skepticism that a deal would be reached in time. But Bessent's comments yesterday were encouraging. Tencent would benefit from a China recovery Tencent has managed its business extremely well during China's three-year quasirecession, and recently showed an acceleration across its business. With a vast tech empire spanning mobile games, social media, streaming video and music, fintech, and cloud services, it's also in a prime position to benefit from artificial intelligence. So trade talk optimism could be boosting the Chinese economy, and last week's news that Nvidia may restart shipping H20 GPUs to China could also be helping shares along. Investors will learn more on all these fronts when Tencent reports Q2 earnings on August 13. Should you invest $1,000 in Tencent right now? Before you buy stock in Tencent, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Tencent wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $641,800!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,023,813!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,034% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Billy Duberstein has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Tencent. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Tencent and Other Chinese Tech Stocks Rallied Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

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