2015-10-29
EA Staff

Q2 Non-GAAP Net Revenue, Margins and EPS Exceed Guidance; Raising Full Year Guidance Again

Delivers Record Trailing Twelve Month Digital Non-GAAP Revenue of $2.3 billion

REDWOOD CITY, CA – October 29, 2015 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced preliminary financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2015.

“It’s been a great quarter.  Our EA SPORTS titles are connecting millions of passionate fans around the world to each other and the sports they love, we have new mobile experiences for our players, and deeply-engaged communities in our live services,” said Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson.  “With Star Wars Battlefront launching in less than three weeks, and a stunning new Need for Speed just days away, we’re excited for the holiday season and the remainder of the fiscal year for Electronic Arts.”

“Results exceeded our expectations again,” said Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen. “Based on the ongoing strength of our business and reception of Star Wars Battlefront, we are raising our full-year outlook for the second time.  Our markets are very healthy, the digital transition continues to drive margins, and engagement in our live services and excitement for our upcoming launches is exceptional.”

News and ongoing updates regarding EA and our games are available on EA’s blog at www.ea.com/news.

Selected Operating Highlights and Metrics:

• EA is the #1 publisher on PlayStation^®4 and Xbox One consoles in the Western World calendar year to date and for Q2 FY16, led by the strength of the EA SPORTS™ FIFA and Madden NFL franchises.
• Across our annual EA SPORTS franchises that launched new titles in Q2 – Madden NFL 16, NHL 16 and FIFA 16 – monthly average players increased 30% year-over-year.
• Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ subscribers increased 31% since the announcement of the latest expansion at E3, Knights of the Fallen Empire.
• EA’s live services for Battlefield™ Hardline and Battlefield 4™ continue to engage players with more than 6 million monthly average players across the two experiences. 
• Game sessions for Madden NFL Mobile are up more than 300% over last year.
• Over 9.5 million players joined the Star Wars™ Battlefront™ open beta, the largest beta in EA’s history. The game will launch worldwide starting November 17, 2015.

Selected Financial Highlights:

• For the quarter, non-GAAP net revenue of $1.146 billion was above guidance of $1.075 billion. Diluted non-GAAP EPS of $0.65 was above guidance of $0.40.
• Non-GAAP net revenue for EA’s FIFA, Madden NFL and Hockey Ultimate Team™ live services continue to perform well, collectively up 64% year-over-year.
• EA repurchased 1.8 million shares in Q2 for $126 million.
• On a trailing twelve month basis, EA had non-GAAP net revenue of $4.163 billion (of which a record $2.307 billion was digital), non-GAAP net income of $774 million and operating cash flow of $818 million.
• EA increased fiscal 2016 non-GAAP net revenue guidance by $50 million to $4.500 billion, diluted non-GAAP EPS guidance by $0.15 to $3.00 per share and operating cash flow by $50 million to $1.200 billion.

TTM Financial Highlights:

Business Outlook as of October 29, 2015

The following forward-looking statements, as well as those made above, reflect expectations as of October 29, 2015. Electronic Arts assumes no obligation to update these statements. Results may be materially different and are affected by many factors detailed in this release and in EA’s annual and quarterly SEC filings.

Fiscal Year 2016 Expectations – Ending March 31, 2016

• GAAP net revenue is expected to be approximately $4.400 billion.
• Non-GAAP net revenue is expected to be approximately $4.500 billion.
• GAAP diluted earnings per share is expected to be approximately $2.32.
• Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is expected to be approximately $3.00.
• The Company estimates a share count of 334 million for purposes of calculating fiscal year 2016 GAAP diluted earnings per share and 327 million for purposes of calculating fiscal year 2016 non-GAAP diluted earnings per share. Non-GAAP shares used for computing diluted earnings per share differs from GAAP due to the inclusion of the anti-dilutive effect of the Convertible Bond Hedge.
• Expected non-GAAP net income excludes the impact of the following items (estimate in millions) from expected GAAP net income:

Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2016 Expectations – Ending December 31, 2015

• GAAP net revenue is expected to be approximately $1.075 billion.
• Non-GAAP net revenue is expected to be approximately $1.775 billion.
• GAAP diluted loss per share is expected to be approximately ($0.17).
• Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is expected to be approximately $1.75.
• The Company estimates a share count of 312 million for purposes of calculating third quarter fiscal year 2016 GAAP diluted loss per share, and 327 million for non-GAAP diluted earnings per share. Non-GAAP shares used for computing diluted earnings per share includes potentially dilutive equity instruments and the anti-dilutive effect of the Convertible Bond Hedge.
• Expected non-GAAP net income excludes the impact of the following items (estimate in millions) from expected GAAP net loss:

Conference Call and Supporting Documents    

Electronic Arts will host a conference call on October 29, 2015 at 2:00 pm PT (5:00 pm ET) to review its results for the second quarter ended September 30, 2015 and its outlook for the future.  During the course of the call, Electronic Arts may disclose material developments affecting its business and/or financial performance.  Listeners may access the conference call live through the following dial-in number: 888-469-0955 (domestic) or 312-470-7475 (international), using the password “EA” or via webcast at http://ir.ea.com.

EA will also post a slide presentation that accompanies the call at http://ir.ea.com.

A dial-in replay of the conference call will be available until November 12, 2015 at 800-867-1928 (domestic) or 203-369-3838 (international). An audio webcast replay of the conference call will be available for one year at http://ir.ea.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures 

To supplement the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, Electronic Arts uses certain non-GAAP measures of financial performance. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the Company’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures used by Electronic Arts include: non-GAAP net revenue, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share and non-GAAP diluted shares. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude the following items (other than Shares from Convertible Bond Hedge, which are included), as applicable in a given reporting period, from the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations:

• Acquisition-related expenses
• Amortization of debt discount and loss on conversion of notes
• Change in deferred net revenue (online-enabled games)
• College football settlement expenses
• Income tax adjustments
• Loss on licensed intellectual property commitment (COGS)
• Restructuring and other
• Shares from Convertible Bond Hedge
• Stock-based compensation

Electronic Arts may consider whether other significant non-recurring items that arise in the future should also be excluded in calculating the non-GAAP financial measures it uses. 

Electronic Arts believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company’s performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of the Company’s core business, operating results or future outlook. Electronic Arts’ management uses, and believes that investors benefit from referring to, these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the Company’s operating results both as a consolidated entity and at the business unit level, as well as when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods. The Company’s management team is evaluated on the basis of non-GAAP financial measures and these measures also facilitate comparisons of the Company’s performance to prior periods.

In addition to the reasons stated above, which are generally applicable to each of the items Electronic Arts excludes from its non-GAAP financial measures, the Company believes it is appropriate to exclude certain items for the following reasons:

Acquisition-Related Expenses.  GAAP requires expenses to be recognized for various types of events associated with a business acquisition.  These events include expensing acquired intangible assets, including acquired in-process technology, post-closing adjustments associated with changes in the estimated amount of contingent consideration to be paid in an acquisition, and the impairment of accounting goodwill created as a result of an acquisition when future events indicate there has been a decline in its value.  When analyzing the operating performance of an acquired entity, Electronic Arts’ management focuses on the total return provided by the investment (i.e., operating profit generated from the acquired entity as compared to the purchase price paid including the final amounts paid for contingent consideration) without taking into consideration any allocations made for accounting purposes.  When analyzing the operating performance of an acquisition in subsequent periods, the Company’s management excludes the GAAP impact of any adjustments to the fair value of these acquisition-related balances to its financial results. 

Amortization of Debt Discount and Loss on Conversion of Notes.   EA issued $632.5 million of 0.75% convertible senior notes in a private placement offering in July 2011.  Under GAAP, certain convertible debt instruments that may be settled in cash on conversion are required to be separately accounted for as liability (debt) and equity (conversion option) components of the instrument in a manner that reflects the issuer’s non-convertible debt borrowing rate.  Accordingly, for GAAP purposes, we amortize as a debt discount an amount equal to the fair value of the conversion option on the convertible senior notes over the term of the notes. The debt discount is classified as interest expense. Upon settlement of our convertible senior notes, we attribute the fair value of the consideration transferred to the liability and equity components. The difference between the fair value of the consideration attributed to the liability component and the carrying value of the liability is recorded as a non-cash loss in the statement of the operations.  Electronic Arts’ management excludes the effect of the amortization of debt discount and the non-cash loss on the early conversion of debt in its non-GAAP financial measures.  During the second quarter of fiscal year 2016, we recognized a loss on conversion of senior notes of $6 million.

Change in Deferred Net Revenue (Online-enabled Games).  The majority of our software games can be connected to the Internet whereby a consumer may be able to download unspecified content or updates on a when-and-if-available basis (“unspecified updates”) for use with the original game software.  In addition, we may also offer an online matchmaking service that permits consumers to play against each other via the Internet.  GAAP requires us to account for the consumer’s right to receive unspecified updates or the matchmaking service for no additional fee as a “bundled” sale, or multiple-element arrangement. Electronic Arts is not able to objectively determine the fair value of these unspecified updates or online service included in certain of its online-enabled games.  As a result, the Company recognizes the revenue from the sale of these online-enabled games on a straight-line basis over the estimated offering period.  Electronic Arts’ management excludes the impact of the change in deferred net revenue related to online-enabled games in its non-GAAP financial measures for the reasons stated above and also to facilitate an understanding of our operations because all related costs of revenue are expensed as incurred instead of deferred and recognized ratably.

College Football Settlement Expenses. During fiscal 2014, Electronic Arts recognized a $48 million charge for expected litigation settlement and license expenses related to our college football business. This expense is excluded from our non-GAAP financial measures.

Income Tax Adjustments. The Company uses a fixed, long-term projected tax rate internally to evaluate its operating performance, to forecast, plan and analyze future periods, and to assess the performance of its management team.  Accordingly, the Company applies the same tax rate to its non-GAAP financial results.  During fiscal year 2016 the Company is applying a tax rate of 22 percent to its non-GAAP financial results.  For fiscal years 2014 and 2015, a 25 percent tax rate was applied, and through fiscal year 2013 the Company applied a 28 percent tax rate.

Loss on Licensed Intellectual Property Commitment (COGS).  During the first quarter of fiscal 2015, Electronic Arts terminated its right to utilize certain intellectual property that the Company had previously licensed and we incurred a loss of $122 million on the corresponding license commitment.  This expense is excluded from our non-GAAP financial measures.

Restructuring and Other. Although Electronic Arts has engaged in various restructuring activities in the past, each has been a discrete event based on a unique set of business objectives.  Each of these restructurings has been unlike its predecessors in terms of its operational implementation, business impact and scope.  As such, the Company believes it is appropriate to exclude restructuring charges from its non-GAAP financial measures.

Shares from Convertible Bond Hedge.  In July 2011, the Company issued convertible senior notes that mature in July 2016 (the “Notes”) with an initial conversion price of approximately $31.74 per share.  When the quarterly average trading price of EA’s common stock is above $31.74 per share, the potential conversion of the Notes has a dilutive impact on the Company’s earnings per share.  At the time the Notes were issued, the Company entered into convertible note hedge transactions (the “Convertible Bond Hedge”) to offset the dilutive effect of the Notes.  The Company includes the anti-dilutive effect of the Convertible Bond Hedge in determining its non-GAAP dilutive shares.

Stock-Based Compensation.  When evaluating the performance of its individual business units, the Company does not consider stock-based compensation charges.  Likewise, the Company’s management teams exclude stock-based compensation expense from their short and long-term operating plans.  In contrast, the Company’s management teams are held accountable for cash-based compensation and such amounts are included in their operating plans.  Further, when considering the impact of equity award grants, Electronic Arts places a greater emphasis on overall shareholder dilution rather than the accounting charges associated with such grants. 

In the financial tables below, Electronic Arts has provided a reconciliation of the most comparable GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements set forth in this release, including the information relating to EA’s fiscal 2016 guidance information under the heading “Business Outlook,” contain forward-looking statements that are subject to change.  Statements including words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate” or “expect” and statements in the future tense are forward-looking statements.  These forward-looking statements are preliminary estimates and expectations based on current information and are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or actual future results to differ materially from the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements. 

Some of the factors which could cause the Company’s results to differ materially from its expectations include the following: sales of the Company’s titles; the Company’s ability to manage expenses; the competition in the interactive entertainment industry; the effectiveness of the Company’s sales and marketing programs; timely development and release of Electronic Arts’ products; the Company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions; the consumer demand for, and the availability of an adequate supply of console hardware units; the Company’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing platforms; the Company’s ability to service and support digital product offerings, including managing online security; general economic conditions; and other factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2015. 

These forward-looking statements are current as of October 29, 2015.  Electronic Arts assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.  In addition, the preliminary financial results set forth in this release are estimates based on information currently available to Electronic Arts. 

While Electronic Arts believes these estimates are meaningful, they could differ from the actual amounts that Electronic Arts ultimately reports in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2015.  Electronic Arts assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these estimates prior to filing its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2015.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.

In fiscal year 2015, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA SPORTS, Battlefield 4, Battlefield, The Sims, Dragon Age, Need for Speed, Ultimate Team and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. STAR WARS © & TM 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks in the United States or in other countries of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. John Madden, NFL, NHL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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