Key takeout
- On Friday, September 26, 2025, shares of a video game company surged after big box retailers faced challenges with their revenue reports, coinciding with news of potential acquisitions.
- Electronic Arts saw its stocks rise following rumors about possible bids to turn the video game maker private.
- Costco’s reported growth in U.S. store sales was below expectations, attributed to consumer behavior and competition, causing its stock to decline.
Despite a report suggesting that investors are considering a buyback bid, such news seemed to boost major video game publishers while resulting in comparisons with Membership Warehouse Club shares, driven by underwhelming same-store sales in the U.S.
The main U.S. stock indexes ended their three-day winning streak, as key inflation metrics met predictions. The S&P 500 increased by 0.6%, the Dow grew by 0.7%, and the Nasdaq improved by 0.4%.
Shares of Electronic Arts (EA) leaped nearly 15%, marking it as the top performer in the S&P 500. Reports indicate that a group of investors, including Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund and private equity firm Silver Lake, could be negotiating a $50 billion deal to acquire the game publisher known for its sports titles.
On Thursday, President Trump introduced new tariffs, including those on medicine imports, certain furniture, and heavy-duty trucks. Shares of PACCAR (PCAR), which owns the Peterbilt and Kenworth truck brands, rose more than 5%. Previously, the company indicated that uncertainties related to tariffs were affecting the truck market. U.S. truck manufacturers continue to contend with the consequences of tariffs on essential materials like steel and aluminum.
Intel (INTC) shares continued their upward trend, adding 4.4% on Friday. Discussions with Apple (AAPL) are ongoing, and Intel has also reached out to TSMC (TSM) regarding partnership possibilities. Last week, NVIDIA (NVDA) announced a $5 billion investment and collaboration plan involving Intel.
Boeing (BA) shares increased by 3.6% after the Federal Aviation Administration announced that plane manufacturers could issue airworthiness certificates for the 737 MAX and some 787 aircraft. These eased restrictions may help Boeing expedite production and delivery. Additionally, Turkish Airlines finalized a contract this week for 225 Boeing aircraft following a visit to the U.S. by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Costco (COST) shares fell nearly 3% after the warehouse giant released its fourth-quarter financial results. While sales and profits exceeded analyst forecasts, same-store sales in the U.S. slightly missed projections. Consumers appear to prefer Costco’s essential deals amidst economic uncertainties and inflation, though the company noted that shoppers are hesitating on discretionary purchases, hinting at increased competition in the market.
Oracle (ORCL) shares dropped 2.7% on Friday, continuing a decline that began in the previous session after Rothschild Redburn initiated coverage with a “sell” rating. Analysts voiced concerns that the market might have overly optimistic expectations regarding cloud operations in the software sector.
Shares of eBay (eBay) decreased by about 2%. The stock had previously shown strong earnings after the e-commerce company exceeded revenue, adjusted revenue, and total commerce volumes in its latest report from the end of July. This week, eBay also announced its agreement to purchase Tise, a Norway-based consumer-to-consumer social marketplace.
