Electronic Arts to Report Q2 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

Electronic Arts EA is set to report second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Oct. 28.For second-quarter fiscal 2026, EA expects GAAP revenues between $1.75 billion and $1.85 billion and earnings per share in the range of 29 cents to 46 cents. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has moved south by 1.6% to $1.27 per share in the past 30 days. The figure indicates a 40.93% decline from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $1.86 billion, suggesting a 10.36% decrease from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing once, the average surprise being 47.33%.Let’s see how things have shaped up for this announcement.Electronic Arts Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Electronic Arts Inc. price-eps-surprise | Electronic Arts Inc. QuoteFactors to ConsiderElectronic Arts anticipated net bookings between $1.8 billion and $1.9 billion for its second-quarter fiscal 2026, ending Sept. 30, 2025. The company expected a more normalized curve for College Football full game sales, partially offset by the launch of Madden NFL 26, with expectations that early momentum in Apex Legends and catalog would continue.The American football ecosystem is expected to present an 8-point headwind year over year for the quarter, reflecting the challenging comparison against the exceptionally strong debut of College Football 25 in the prior year. EA SPORTS College Football 26 launched worldwide on July 10, 2025, while EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 launched worldwide on Aug, 14, 2025, both falling within the fiscal second quarter period.The guidance included a four-point year-over-year headwind related to the phasing of the EA SPORTS FC 26 Ultimate Edition content, which is expected to be largely recognized in the third quarter. EA SPORTS FC 26 released worldwide on Sept. 26, 2025, late in the fiscal second quarter, with early access beginning Sept. 19.Apex Legends launched its Season 26: Showdown update on Aug. 5, 2025, introducing the new Wildcard mode, Legend Amps, Elite Weapons, and significant updates to Caustic and Bangalore. These content additions occurred during the fiscal second quarter and are expected to have aided continued engagement in the battle royale franchise in the to-be-reported quarter.Operating expenses are expected to range between approximately $1.215 billion and $1.235 billion, with year-over-year growth largely driven by marketing related to upcoming launches, notably Battlefield 6. The elevated marketing spend reflected the company's strategic emphasis on building anticipation for the highly anticipated shooter franchise.Management highlighted that College Football 26 was delivering strong competitive cohort retention and deeper engagement in Ultimate Team versus prior year life-to-date, suggesting healthy live services performance despite the normalized full game sales curve.The combination of three major sports title launches within the quarter, coupled with live services momentum across multiple franchises, positioned the company's diverse portfolio to navigate the challenging year-over-year comparisons while maintaining engagement across its player base.What Our Model SaysPer the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case.EA currently has an Earnings ESP of -8.84% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Stocks to ConsiderHere are some stocks in the Zacks worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this season.Meta Platforms META has an Earnings ESP of +8.48% and sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Meta Platforms is slated to report third-quarter 2025 results on Oct. 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for META’s third-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $6.59 per share, up by a cent over the past seven days, indicating a rise of 9.3% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.Reddit Inc. RDDT has an Earnings ESP of +20.17% and sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present.It is set to report third-quarter 2025 results on Oct. 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RDDT’s third-quarter earnings is pegged at 52 cents per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, indicating an increase of 225% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. Intel INTC has an Earnings ESP of +116.7% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. Intel is set to report third-quarter fiscal 2025 results on Oct. 23. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for INTC’s third-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings has remained unchanged at breakeven over the past 30 days, indicating a rise of 100% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockThis under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Intel Corporation (INTC): Free Stock Analysis Report Electronic Arts Inc. (EA): Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): Free Stock Analysis Report Reddit Inc. (RDDT): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks