Activision Announces Record First Quarter 2008 Results
Activision Announces Record First Quarter 2008 Results
Thursday August 2, 2007 20:11:19
SANTA MONICA, Calif.----Activision, Inc. Nasdaq:ATVI today announced record financial results
for the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2007.
Net revenues were $495.5 million, a 163% increase, as compared to net
revenues of $188.1 million reported for the first quarter last fiscal
year. Net income for the first fiscal quarter was $27.8 million, or
$0.09 earnings per diluted share, as compared to a net loss of $18.3
million, or a loss per share of $0.07 reported for the previous first
quarter. Excluding the impact of expenses related to equity-based
compensation, the company reported net income of $32.8 million and
earnings per diluted share of $0.11 for the first quarter. This compares
to a net loss of $14.7 million and loss per share of $0.05, excluding
the impact of expenses related to equity-based compensation for the
first quarter of last fiscal year.
Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO of Activision, stated, “During
the quarter, we shipped more than eight million units of new game
releases worldwide and for the first six months of the calendar year,
Activision was the #1 third-party U.S. publisher on the console and
handheld platforms. As a result of our strong performance, we are
raising our fiscal year 2008 net revenue and earnings outlook and are
increasing our fiscal year operating margin outlook to a company record”
Kotick continued, “Our focus on growing our
strong franchises and next- generation console leadership position is
yielding superb results. We intend to continue expanding our franchise
portfolio, strengthening our development capabilities and improving our
operating efficiency over the balance of the fiscal year. We believe
this strategy will create strengths and capabilities that should enable
us to continue growing our revenues, operating margin and earnings per
share, as well as increase our return on invested capital.”
Business Highlights
Activision’s record first quarter performance
was driven by strong consumer response to its proven franchises, Guitar
Hero II™, Spider-Man3™and Shrek The Third™, as
well as its new intellectual property TRANSFORMERS: The Game, which
was released in the U.S. during the quarter.
According to The NPD Group, during the quarter, Activision was the #1
U.S. publisher on both the Xbox 360™ video
game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®
2 computer entertainment system. The company also ranked as the #1
third-party publisher on the PLAYSTATION® 3
computer entertainment system and the Nintendo platforms in the U.S.
Activision grew its U.S. console and hand-held market share to 16.9%, as
compared with 8.5% over the same period last year.
Other quarterly business highlights are as follows:
Guitar Hero II and Spider-Man 3 were two
of the top-three best-selling titles for the quarter in the U.S.,
according to The NPD Group. Guitar Hero II was the #1
best-selling U.S. console game overall, and Spider-Man 3
was the #3 best-selling U.S. console and handheld game.
Shrek The Third was the #1 kid’s
movie-based title in the U.S. for the months of May and June combined,
according to The NPD Group.
In the U.S., Activision was the #1 third-party handheld publisher,
according to The NPD Group.
Activision’s international publishing
revenues grew 240% year over year.
In Europe, Spider-Man 3 was the #1 best-selling console
and handheld game for the quarter in the U.K., Germany and France,
according to Charttrack and Gfk.
On May 11, 2007, Activision completed its acquisition of DemonWare,
the leading provider of network middleware technologies for console
and PC games headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
For the second quarter, Activision has already shipped TRANSFORMERS:
The Game internationally in connection with the film’s
theatrical release and Guitar Hero™
Encore: Rocks The 80s™ for the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Activision also expects to
ship Enemy Territory™:
Quake Wars on the PC.
Company Outlook
Today, Activision increased its fiscal year 2008 net revenue and
earnings per share outlook. For the full fiscal year, the company
expects net revenues of $1.87 billion and earnings per diluted share of
$0.51, including the impact of equity-based compensation expense,
compared to the company’s previous fiscal
year outlook of $1.8 billion in net revenues and earnings per diluted
share of $0.45. Excluding the impact of equity-based compensation
expense, the company expects earnings per diluted share of $0.61.
For the second quarter, the company expects net revenues of $250 million
and a loss per share of $0.04, including the impact of equity-based
compensation expense. Excluding the impact of equity-based compensation
expense, the company expects a loss per share of $0.03.
Conference Call
Today at 4:30 p.m. EDT, Activision’s
management will host a conference call and Webcast to discuss its first
quarter fiscal year 2008 results and outlook. The company welcomes all
members of the financial and media communities to visit the “Investor
Relations” area of www.activision.comto listen to the conference call via live Webcast or to listen to
the call live by dialing into 719 457-2699 in the U.S.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Activision provides net earnings loss per share data both including
and excluding the impact of expenses related to stock options, employee
stock purchase plans, restricted stock awards and other share-based
compensation and the associated tax benefits.
Prior to April 1, 2006, Activision accounted for equity-based
compensation under Accounting Principles Board, Opinion No. 25, “Accounting
for Stock Issued to Employees”“APB
No. 25”. In accordance with APB No. 25 the
company historically used the intrinsic value method to account for
equity-based compensation. As of April 1, 2006, the company accounts for
equity-based compensation using the fair value method under Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 revised 2004, "Share Based
Payment" “FAS 123R”.
Net earnings loss per share excluding the impact of expenses related
to equity-based compensation is not determined in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles GAAP, and the exclusion of
those amounts has the effect of increasing non-GAAP earnings per share
by that same amount per share as compared to GAAP earnings per share for
the period. Activision recognizes that there are limitations associated
with the use of this non-GAAP financial measure as it does not reflect
all of the expenses associated with our results as determined in
accordance with GAAP and may reduce comparability to other companies
that calculate similar non-GAAP measures differently. Management
compensates for the limitations resulting from the exclusion of expenses
related to stock-based compensation by considering the amount and impact
of equity-based compensation expenses separately and by considering the
company’s GAAP as well as non-GAAP results
and, in this release, by presenting the most comparable GAAP measure,
net income loss, directly ahead of non-GAAP net income loss in this
release and by providing a reconciliation that shows and describes the
adjustments made in the accompanying tables. Management does not believe
the limitations resulting from this exclusion are material, particularly
when this non-GAAP financial measure is disclosed with its most
comparable GAAP financial measure, net income loss. Management
believes that the presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure
provides investors with additional useful information to measure the
company's financial performance because it allows for a better
comparison of results in the periods reported herein to those in
historical periods.
This non-GAAP financial measure should be considered in addition to, not
as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures determined in
accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP net earnings loss do not include
certain expenses required to be recorded in order to present earnings in
accordance with GAAP. This non-GAAP financial measure is not based on a
comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and the term
non-GAAP net earnings loss does not have a standardized meaning.
Therefore, other companies may use the same or similarly named measure
but exclude different items, which may not provide investors a
comparable view of the company's performance in relation to other
companies in the same industry.
About Activision
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading
worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive
entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted
net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom,
France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, the Netherlands,
Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and
its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is
located at www.activision.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Activision’s expectations, plans, intentions
or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that
are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In this
release they are identified by references to dates after the date of
this release and words such as “outlook”,“will,”“will
be,”“remains,”“to be,”“plans,”“believes”, “may”,
“expects,”“intends,”
and similar expressions. Factors that could cause Activision’s
actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the
forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are
not limited to, sales of Activision’s titles,
shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of
the interactive game market, Activision’s
ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware
platforms including next-generation hardware, declines in software
pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail
acceptance of Activision’s products, adoption
rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry
competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards,
protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key
personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, international
economic and political conditions, integration of recently acquired
subsidiaries and identification of suitable future acquisition
opportunities, limitations on our ability to issue stock and options,
foreign exchange rate changes.
Other factors include the further implementation, acceptance and
effectiveness of the remedial measures recommended or adopted by the
special sub-committee of independent directors established in July 2006
to review our historical stock option granting practices, the board and
Activision; the outcome of the SEC’s formal
investigation and the derivative litigation filed in July 2006 against
certain current and former directors and officers of Activision relating
to Activision’s stock option granting
practices, and the possibility that additional claims and proceedings
will be commenced, including additional stockholder litigation, employee
litigation, and additional action by the SEC and/or other regulatory
agencies, other litigation unrelated to stock option granting
practices and the additional risks identified in Activision’s
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and periodic reports on Form
10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon
information available to Activision as of the date of this release, and
Activision assumes no obligations to update any such forward-looking
statement. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may
ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of
future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other
factors, some of which are beyond our control and may cause actual
results to differ materially from our current expectations.
ACTIVISION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
In thousands, except earnings per share data
Quarter ended June 30,
Year ended March 31,
2007
2006
2007
2006
Net revenues
$
495,455
$
188,069
$
1,513,012
$
1,468,000
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales - product costs
217,229
108,623
799,587
734,874
Cost of sales - software royalties and amortization
78,252
19,261
132,353
147,822
Cost of sales - intellectual property licenses
32,479
9,916
46,125
57,666
Product development
32,897
25,625
133,073
132,651
Sales and marketing
68,712
36,179
196,213
283,395
General and administrative
35,794
21,914
132,514
96,366
Total operating expenses
465,363
221,518
1,439,865
1,452,774
Operating income loss
30,092
33,449
73,147
15,226
Investment income, net
11,562
8,275
36,678
30,630
Income loss before income tax provision
41,654
25,174
109,825
45,856
Income tax provision benefit
13,828
6,865
24,038
5,605
Net income loss
$
27,826
$
18,309
$
85,787
$
40,251
Basic earnings loss per share
$
0.10
$
0.07
$
0.31
$
0.15
Weighted average common shares outstanding
283,563
278,335
281,114
273,177
Diluted earnings loss per share
$
0.09
$
0.07
$
0.28
$
0.14
Weighted average common shares outstanding assuming dilution
311,993
278,335
305,339
294,002
ACTIVISION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
In thousands
June 30,
March 31,
2007
2007
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments
$
963,796
$
954,849
Accounts receivable, net
197,964
148,694
Inventories
92,529
91,231
Software development
104,944
107,779
Intellectual property licenses
13,143
27,784
Deferred income taxes
50,197
51,564
Other current assets
20,507
19,332
Related Articles
Activision Announces Record First Quarter 2008 Results
SANTA MONICA, Calif.----Activision, Inc. Nasdaq:ATVI today announced record financial results
for the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2007.
Net revenues were $495.5 million, a 163% increase, as... Thursday August 2, 2007 20:11:19