Sponsored By

Lazard: Activision Blizzard Wisest Investment In The Game Biz

Lazard Capital Markets calls Activision Blizzard a "relative haven" for investors in an economic downturn, as the analyst firm chose the publishing giant as a "top pick in the interactive entertainment sector."

Leigh Alexander, Contributor

January 15, 2009

1 Min Read
Game Developer logo in a gray background | Game Developer

Among mixed outlooks for video game stock, Activision Blizzard remains a good bet, according to analyst firm Lazard Capital Markets, naming the publishing giant among its "relative havens" across the various sectors it covers. "Activision Blizzard is our top pick in the interactive entertainment sector," says Lazard's Colin Sebastian. "We consider it a core holding in media and technology leveraged to higher- growth areas of interactive entertainment and online content consumption." High operating margins, the diversity of its revenue base, several strong franchises and a presently-low price relative to its value all contribute to make Activision Blizzard attractive, Sebastian says as part of a Lazard-wide analyst report covering multiple stock market sectors. Holiday discounts and the "maturity" of the Guitar Hero franchise are risks to the company's value, but Sebastian nonetheless expects Activision Blizzard to continue performing well, thanks to its 2009 plans and its World of Warcraft revenue stream.

About the Author

Leigh Alexander

Contributor

Leigh Alexander is Editor At Large for Gamasutra and the site's former News Director. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Variety, Slate, Paste, Kill Screen, GamePro and numerous other publications. She also blogs regularly about gaming and internet culture at her Sexy Videogameland site. [NOTE: Edited 10/02/2014, this feature-linked bio was outdated.]

Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox

You May Also Like