Activision Downgraded to Sell by MKM on Sexual-Misconduct Matter
‘Big changes are needed at the house Bobby built,’ MKM says, referring to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.
MKM Partners downgraded Activision Blizzard (ATVI) - Get Activision Blizzard, Inc. Report to sell from neutral and slashed its share-price target for the videogame company’s shares to $54 from $75.
MKM analyst Eric Handler based his move on Activision’s sexual-misconduct scandal and the involvement of Chief Executive Bobby Kotick.
The stock recently traded at $61.03, down 2%. It has given back 23% in the past month amid the scandal.
“Big changes are needed at the house Bobby built,” Handler wrote in a commentary.
“The issues Activision is facing as a result of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing lawsuit and other regulatory investigations into alleged sexual assaults and mistreatment of female employees are deeper than originally feared.”
“We do not believe these problems are going to go away until a clear resolution is reached, starting with the removal of CEO Bobby Kotick.
“From what we have read from press reports and social media, employee morale is extremely low, which is likely to impact not only game development timelines but also quality. Business partnerships are also at risk.”
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Kotick was aware of the sexual misconduct years before he said he was.
The paper, citing knowledgeable sources, reported Sunday that he told senior managers he would consider exiting if he can’t fix the problems pronto.
Handler noted that after The Journal’s initial story, groups of employees staged their second walkout in four months.
In addition, an online petition requesting Kotick’s removal has been signed by nearly 1,800 employees with support across the organization.
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Stocks To Watch: Future Retail, ITC, Biocon, Bank of Baroda
Trends on SGX Nifty indicated a negative opening for the markets back home.
New Delhi: The domestic stock markets are expected to trade in red on Wednesday, taking cues from the global markets. Asian stocks traded lower as Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.49 per cent, South Korea’s KOSPI was down 0.86 per cent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.42 per cent. Trends on SGX Nifty also indicated a negative opening for the markets back home. The Nifty Futures on Singapore Exchange also known as the SGX Nifty Futures fell 0.22 per cent or 40.20 points to 17,937.80.
The benchmark BSE Sensex had ended 396.34 points or 0.65 per cent lower at 60,322.37 on Tuesday; while the broader NSE Nifty had plunged 110.25 points or 0.61 per cent to settle at 17,999.20.
Here Are Stocks To Watch During Today’s Session:
Future Retail: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ruled that Competition Commission of India (CCI) has two weeks to decide whether Amazon misled authorities while seeking approval for a 2019 deal with Future Group, a group of Indian retailers had said.
Biocon: Biocon Biologics and its US-based partner Viatris Inc has announced the introduction of two interchangeable biosimilar insulin injections in the American market. Biocon Biologics and Viatris Inc have launched Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) injection, a branded product, and Insulin Glargine (insulin glargine-yfgn) injection, an unbranded product, to help control high blood sugar in adult and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes.
ITC: ITC Hotels' luxury brand Mementos has signed a new property in Jaipur, days after signing up for its first property in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Bank of Baroda: BOB Financial Solutions, a subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB) on Tuesday said it has partnered with National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI) to launch BoB credit cards on the RuPay platform. Both Easy and Premier variants of BoB credit cards have been launched on the JCB International network and both cards support global acceptance.
IEX: Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has fixed December 6 as the record date for the purpose of finding out the eligibility of shareholders entitled to the issuance of bonus equity shares. The company’s board has recommended a bonus issue of equity shares in the proportion of 2:1.
Also, aviation stocks will be in focus as the Ministry of Civil Aviation has allowed resumption of meal services and reading materials on all domestic flights. Since the onset of the pandemic, both the services were restricted only for flights with duration of more than two hours.