James Fudge’s Post

Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF), the production and localisation services provider to the videogames industry, generated positive responses from the City after dropping its interim results on Tuesday. Today, equities analysts at Liberum added to the chorus with a 'buy' rating and 78% upside price target for the AIM-listed group. Not that analysts were 100% rosy - one-off headwinds in the form of widespread strikes in the US entertainment industry and a challenging #mobile #gaming market have taken a bite out of short-term organic growth. However, Liberum said investors “should look past the next six months and focus on the bigger picture where long-term trends remain strong”. #AIM #OTC #KWS #KYYWF More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors http://ow.ly/X4mq104U7IN

#VideoGame production company Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF) suffered a blow to its valuation in 2023 due to #ArtificialIntelligence fears and a weak industry backdrop, but Shore Capital Markets analysts see this as a buy opportunity for a profitable, market-leading company. Despite the 40% share markdown, #KeywordsStudios posted above-market growth in organic revenues and earnings, while the acquisition of notable video game developer The Multiplayer Group in December provides “an excellent pipeline for 2024”, reckon analysts. Further adding to Shore Cap’s investment thesis, Keywords is well leveraged with a €65 million (£56 million), with EBITDA margins tipped for 20% in the current financial year. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #AIM #OTC #KWS #KYYWF http://ow.ly/ckub1057ViI

It's dangerous to go alone. Take this report!   Through our partnership with InvestGame, we work to provide the gaming sector with legal support, market intelligence, and strategic insights. This month our Senior Counsel, Richard Faichney, authors a special guest section of InvestGame's annual Global Deals Activity Report, 'Striving for Elevation'. The report examines the state of investment in the global games industry for 2023. Richard's analysis (displayed below) looks at the key legal trends impacting deal flow and investment (including rising regulatory scrutiny and the risk/reward balance of generative AI).   Download the full report: https://lnkd.in/djJM8MeG   #games #gamesindustry #gameslawyers #mergersandacquisitions #venturecapital

Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF), a leading service provider to the global #videogame industry, has continued its trajectory of steady growth, according to recent reports by Stifel and Panmure Gordon. Despite concerns over a weak pipeline for AAA titles and potential disruptions from artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the company has reassured investors with its latest financial results and strategic initiatives. Stifel says #AI will help, not hinder #Keywords. Stifel has affirmed its ‘buy' rating on Keywords Studios, citing the company's full-year results which aligned with the January 25 trading update. The firm highlighted a 13% year-over-year growth in revenue to €780 million, including a four percentage point headwind from foreign exchange fluctuations. Notably, the underlying organic growth, adjusted for FX and impacts from US strikes, was reported at 9%.  More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors http://ow.ly/JpKI105lX6f #AIM #OTC #KWS #KYYWF

Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF) reported what it called “resilient” growth in revenue and profit for 2023, in the face of headwinds from Hollywood strikes and currency swings. The provider of creative and other services to the video games industry said the top line came to roughly €780 million for the past calendar year, representing growth of 13% compared to 2022, or 17% on a constant currency basis. US industrial action resulted in an estimated €20 million hit to revenues, around 2.6%, while five acquisitions were completed during the year for a total cost of £225 million. "In what was a difficult year for the industry, we delivered resilient performance in 2023 and we continued to grow our market share and industry leadership position,” said chief executive Bertrand Bodson. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #AIM #OTC #KWS #KYYWF #keywordsstudioplc #KeywordsStudios #GameDevelopment #GamingIndustry http://ow.ly/xOsF105bxC1

Game publishers and investors, we're looking for partners! If you're into fast-paced action and teamwork, you'll love this. Doom meets Hades meets Helldivers! Interested? Contact me... josh@studio5games.com #GamePublishing #FundingForGames #IndieGameDev #GamingIndustry #GameInvestment #GameDevelopment #GamePitching

This morning the London-listed video games developer Keywords Studios announced that it's received a £2 billion approach from the Swedish private equity firm EQT Group. The proposal of 2,550p per share gives a substantial 73.5% premium over Keywords’ undisturbed share price, above the three recent comparable deals (see below). What chance it might prompt a rival bid? Given the high level of competitive activity in the UK market this year, it's a possibility worth considering. Notably, in 2020, the UK-listed video game studio Codemasters received competing bids - from Take-Two and EA. While EQT's offer is strong, an industry bidder might be able to unlock more value from Keywords Studios than a financial buyer, potentially justifying a higher bid. #londonstockexchange #manda #mergersandacquisitions

Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF)’s active M&A strategy has put the #videogame services company in a good position to offset organic growth pressures prevalent in the video game landscape. The acquisition of the Multiplayer Group is a significant factor in this outlook, contributing a 5.5% increase to 2024 revenue forecasts and a 7% rise in adjusted operating profit. This savvy strategic move also provides a 3.4% uplift in adjusted earnings per share. “Concerns over AI hang over Keywords and we think that delivery over time is the only way to regain some of the derating lost to this factor,” said Barclays. “But we do think that Keywords is well positioned in an industry that can grow well over time – and that AI is only a possible mid-term concern for some corners of the group.” More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #AIM #KWS #OTC #KYYWF http://ow.ly/jR1s1058aGK

SayGames has seen significant revenue growth in the last years, with the top month reaching over $5 million in IAP revenue. (Easily 8Mil+ USD in IAP only). In the latest two & a half gamers episode we talked about the growth of Tower War: Tactical Conquest! My Perfect Hotel and Tower War are the top games in terms of revenue and downloads in the last few months. UA is primarily driven by AppLovin (well done!), Google, and Meta, with Mintegral and TikTok also playing a role. For Tower War, advertising spending on Facebook is relatively low in the US, but high in Tier1 markets indicating a focus on the EU. Retention rates are relatively good, with around 40% on day1 and 3% on day 60/90 What I would suggest is to use the secret missions/draw mode with gates more heavily in the creatives. Similar to what Blockjam 3D is doing with the bus creatives! Well, tune in for more: Youtube: https://lnkd.in/d6WUdeMW Spotify: https://lnkd.in/d8x7fmPY Join Our Slack: https://lnkd.in/d4iUn7nd Sign up for the brutally honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com

🚀 InvestGame's 16th quarterly report, covering Q2 2024 period, is now live. Since the beginning of this year, we've seen a gradual recovery in the gaming sector's dealmaking activity. Here are some key highlights: - stabilized M&A activity with few big announcements: public takeover of Keywords Studios for $2.8B, and Aristocrat Leisure considering the potential sale of Plarium and Big Fish Games - new quarterly benchmark in investment activity, with $1B raised across 110+ rounds - while public listings remained muted in Q2, there are early signs of improvement, highlighted by Shift Up's $320M IPO in July. Check out the first comment to access the report. InvestGame team has been tirelessly working to track, review, and analyze data over the last four years, providing our readers with valuable insights. A massive thank you to our incredible community and our sponsor, MY.GAMES! With over 7,800 subscribers (110%+ YoY growth) and counting, your support inspires us to keep pushing for excellence🌟. Stay tuned for more exciting updates! #InvestGame #GamingIndustry #MergersAndAcquisitions #Investment