EA To Lay Off 5% Employees, Shifts Focus on Core Gaming Franchises and Online Communities
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 29 2024
0mins
Source: Benzinga
EA plans layoffs of 5% of its workforce, aiming to streamline operations and end some game projects.
The restructuring, aligning with strategic growth, focuses on EA's key franchises and online communities.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy MSFT?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on MSFT
Wall Street analysts forecast MSFT stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
32 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 416.030
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
Current: 416.030
Low
500.00
Averages
631.36
High
678.00
About MSFT
Microsoft Corporation is a technology company. The Company develops and supports software, services, devices, and solutions. The Company’s segments include Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing. The Productivity and Business Processes segment consists of products and services in its portfolio of productivity, communication, and information services. This segment primarily comprises: Office Commercial, Office Consumer, LinkedIn, and Dynamics business solutions. The Intelligent Cloud segment consists of server products and cloud services, including Azure and other cloud services, SQL Server, Windows Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs), and Nuance and GitHub; and Enterprise Services, including enterprise support services, industry solutions and Nuance professional services. The More Personal Computing segment primarily comprises Windows, Devices, Gaming, and search and news advertising.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Data Center Expansion: Microsoft's data center capacity is projected to grow from approximately 5 gigawatts in fiscal 2024 to around 20 gigawatts by fiscal 2028, laying the groundwork for a significant revenue surge and demonstrating the company's robust positioning in the cloud computing sector.
- Revenue Forecast Increase: Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that Microsoft's cloud ecosystem currently generates about $20-30 million of annualized revenue per megawatt of data center capacity, with forecasts suggesting a decline to the high teens by FY28, yet overall revenue is expected to grow substantially.
- AI Platform Integration: Analysts note that Microsoft's data centers will not only support Azure but also enhance a unified cloud and AI platform across M365 Commercial Cloud, Dynamics 365, and LinkedIn, thereby increasing market competitiveness.
- Optimistic Investment Rating: Morgan Stanley has assigned an Overweight rating to Microsoft with a price target of $650, indicating analysts' positive outlook on the company's future growth potential in cloud computing and AI.
See More
- Custom CPU Development: ByteDance is developing its own central processing units (CPUs) to meet the growing demands of its AI infrastructure, aiming to enhance internal operational efficiency by reducing reliance on external suppliers.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As AI models increasingly demand higher CPU performance, ByteDance's initiative aligns it with tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, who are also developing custom CPUs to cut costs and optimize performance.
- Dual Architecture Strategy: ByteDance is exploring two chip architectures based on Arm and the open-source RISC-V instruction set to determine which design best suits its long-term data center needs, thereby mitigating future manufacturing risks.
- Price Pressure: With CPU prices from Intel and AMD rising by 10% to 35% in recent months, ByteDance is accelerating its in-house chip development to address challenges posed by supply shortages and escalating costs.
See More
- AI Infrastructure Contracts: Lumen has secured nearly $13 billion in contracts with hyperscalers like Microsoft and Anthropic, highlighting its strategic importance and growing market demand in the AI sector.
- Network Connectivity Products: AWS and Google Cloud are building connectivity products on Lumen's fiber network, which not only enhances Lumen's market position but also lays a foundation for future revenue growth.
- Acquisition of Alkira: Lumen's $475 million acquisition of cloud-to-cloud connectivity software company Alkira is expected to significantly shorten product development cycles and reduce capital expenditures by $100 million to $200 million, further strengthening its competitive edge in the cloud services market.
- Stock Performance: Despite Lumen's stock rising over 400% in the past three years, its valuation remains low at 0.9 times annual sales, indicating market caution regarding its future growth potential.
See More
- Oil Price Plunge: Oil prices dropped over 5% on Wednesday after Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Washington was giving Iran talks 'every chance to succeed,' reflecting market sensitivity to diplomatic efforts and potentially impacting energy sector profitability.
- Escalation of Military Actions: New U.S. airstrikes in Iran targeted a military site deemed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial maritime traffic, adding uncertainty to the ongoing diplomatic negotiations and prompting investors to reassess risk levels in the market.
- Strong Tech Stock Performance: Shares of cloud-based AI and data platform company Snowflake surged 36% following a strong earnings report and a $6 billion investment plan in Amazon Web Services, showcasing investment enthusiasm and market confidence in the tech sector amid rising AI demand.
- Inflation Data Focus: Investors are closely watching the upcoming April inflation reading, which is expected to influence the Fed's future rate decisions, as Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari emphasized that lowering inflation remains a top priority, indicating market sensitivity to economic policy.
See More
- Significant Stock Recovery: Lumen Technologies' stock has surged 416% over the past three years, rebounding from $1 two years ago to its current price of $10.87, reflecting its potential in the AI market and renewed investor confidence.
- Strategic Partnerships: Lumen has secured nearly $13 billion in contracts with tech giants like Amazon AWS and Anthropic, becoming the first network operator for AWS's new Interconnect service, highlighting its critical role in AI data transmission.
- Acquisition of Alkira: Lumen's $475 million acquisition of cloud connectivity software company Alkira aims to accelerate the handling of East-West traffic between data centers and cloud environments, expected to reduce capital expenditures by $100 million to $200 million, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Successful Transformation: By selling its residential fiber business to pay down some debt, Lumen has successfully pivoted to become an enterprise AI infrastructure provider, although it still faces a hefty $17 billion debt load, its valuation remains attractive, drawing interest from value investors.
See More
- Massive Contract Award: Dell has secured a $9.69 billion blanket purchase agreement aimed at simplifying and consolidating software procurement for the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies, thereby enhancing procurement efficiency and responsiveness across government departments.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the announcement, Dell's shares rose nearly 7% in after-hours trading, reflecting investor optimism regarding the company's growth potential, particularly against the backdrop of strong demand in the defense and government sectors.
- Technological Integration Advantage: The agreement will allow agencies to access Microsoft software licenses, cloud subscriptions, and Software Assurance through a unified framework, further solidifying Dell's market position in the defense sector while promoting the expansion of cloud and hybrid capabilities.
- Competitive Win: Dell Federal Systems won the contract after a competitive process, showcasing its strong capabilities in the government contracting space, which is expected to drive long-term revenue growth and increase market share for the company.
See More











