This video game name is on the verge of a potentially industry-changing title release
(This is The Best Stocks in the Market , brought to you by Josh Brown and Sean Russo of Ritholtz Wealth Management.) Josh — EA Sports’ Madden football franchise is one of the most enduring and commercially successful media products of all time. It’s more than a product — it’s a platform. Unfortunately, Electronic Arts (EA) has historically relied heavily upon the Madden franchise for a huge portion of its profits. If the company has its way this fall, that’s about to change. The launch of EA’s new game, Battlefield 6, is being heralded as a game-changing moment for the industry. EA has committed to its biggest pre-release investment ever for this product, which is not just another game but an entirely new platform. For the first time, EA will allow users to create their own in-game content across consoles, PC and mobile. They’re counting on the active participation of users to turn this into a smash hit and an entirely new era for gaming fans. The Battlefield 6 platform is meant to expand infinitely as more users interact with it and help to create new content and worlds within it. Online interaction, creator engagement and community-driven development via the Battlefield Labs engine should keep interest high for a long time to come. In the video game business, engagement and interest translate into increased in-game spending. Look no further than Roblox (RBLX) for an example of how this goes really right — the stock is up 130% year to date and has tripled over the last year. Roblox has pulled off the most successful monetization model the industry has ever seen. EA sees this potential for their new massive game platform, and they are committed to pulling it off as well. Influential game players are being flown around the world for the launch event on Oct. 10 — Berlin, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, London — to experience and stream it, amplifying reach and engagement through live content and social media. A massive marketing and live event spend is now underway to support the new title. Electronic Arts hit our Best Stocks in the Market list and we wanted to make sure you heard the story for yourselves. Sean’s got the fundamental story below, then I’ll chime in with some levels to be aware of. Game on. Best Stock Spotlight: Electronic Arts, Inc. (EA) On the list since: 8/6/2025 One-year price chart with moving averages, RSI: Sean — Electronic Arts is one of the world’s largest video game publishers, best known for blockbuster franchises like FIFA (now EA Sports FC), Madden, The Sims and Apex Legends. The company operates a business model that blends full-game sales, live services and recurring revenue streams through in-game purchases and subscriptions. While EA has historically been defined by strong intellectual property, the company’s future is increasingly shaped by margin dynamics — balancing the high fixed costs of game development with scalable digital distribution and the profitability of live services. Surprise, AI is set to improve the margin story. There was a slight decline in margins as of EAs latest earnings report with gross margin down one percentage point year over year, while operating margins went from 21.9% to 16.2%. The decline in margin is due to increased operating expenses — specifically, marketing investments like their launch of the latest Battlefield game, which Josh explained above. However, management guided to higher margins for the rest of the year with full-year fiscal 2026 operating margins of 16.3% to 18.9%. In the gaming industry, there is a shift to digital sales and services which is improving gross margin as digital distribution is less costly than physical. In addition, EA is utilizing AI to execute faster content releases via higher developer productivity. There are some interesting top-line growth opportunities too. Madden NFL remains a cornerstone, while the re-launch of EA SPORTS College Football 25 provided a significant boost to net revenue and live services. Management has made clear that the broader American football ecosystem — professional and collegiate — will be a long-term growth driver, with live services, downloadable content, and annualized releases of games. Beyond football, EA’s emphasis on building interconnected sports ecosystems suggests opportunities with other collegiate sports, most notably basketball, where existing licensing relationships and development capabilities could support an EA-led launch. EA looks like a company in transition — still benefiting from its legacy IP but increasingly leaning on new products and distributions. The near-term margin dip reflects heavier marketing around big launches, but the long-term trajectory points to a higher-quality, more profitable revenue mix. With football acting as a reliable growth engine, and optionality in adjacent sports like basketball and major game releases like Battlefield 6, EA has both stability and upside. At 18x forward earnings with nearly 20% EPS growth expected this year and next, the stock appears reasonably valued, with upcoming product launches providing potential catalysts for upside surprises. Risk management Josh — I like the pullback from record highs here. It’s completely orderly. Volume is declining as sellers take profits. The longs remain in control so long as that rising 50-day is obeyed if and when there’s a test. The next obvious area of resistance is $175-$180 with a clear breakaway potential to $200 if this resistance is cleared out. If the new game is deemed a hit, this is going to happen. I want to be long the name above $158-$160 area, which was resistance twice this year (May and June) and should now serve as support. A drastic break below on a closing weekly basis and the picture changes. Traders may want to exit there and let the stock set up again. DISCLOSURES: None. All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. INVESTING INVOLVES RISK. EXAMPLES OF ANALYSIS CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES. THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POLICY OR POSITION OF RITHOLTZ WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC. JOSH BROWN IS THE CEO OF RITHOLTZ WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND MAY MAINTAIN A SECURITY POSITION IN THE SECURITIES DISCUSSED. ASSUMPTIONS MADE WITHIN THE ANALYSIS ARE NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE POSITION OF RITHOLTZ WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC” TO THE END OF OR OUR DISCLOSURE. Click here for the full disclaimer.
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