Video game makers and publishers — the companies behind the console, PC and mobile games you play at home and on your phone.
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Skydance Debuts on NYSE Under Ticker SKYD After Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
Skydance began trading on the New York Stock Exchange this past Tuesday under the ticker symbol SKYD, following the combination of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Chairman and CEO David Ellison called the merger a "historic" moment for the entire industry, saying the company's mission is to build the next-generation global media and entertainment company powered by creativity and technology. The debut was marked by Skydance Corporation ringing the NYSE Opening Bell, while Ternium celebrated the 20th anniversary of its NYSE listing with the Closing Bell. Separately, New York Comic Con 2026, the 20th anniversary of the event, kicks off today at the Javits Center in New York City, organized by RX, the exhibitions division of RELX, with RX CEO Hugh Jones joining NYSE Live. In early trading, both the 10-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury notes hit their highest levels since 2002, and ICE Brent Crude was trading at about $105 at 8 a.m. ET after President Trump said he doesn't want to make a deal with Iran, while Wednesday's Fed Minutes revealed most policymakers expect one more rate hike this year.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Paramount combined with Warner Bros. Discovery and the merged entity began trading on NYSE under SKYD, a major corporate combination.
SKYD · Capital · Positive Skydance debuted on the NYSE under ticker SKYD after completing its merger with Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery was combined into the new Skydance entity following the merger.
ClearBridge Adds Take-Two, Citing GTA VI Multiyear Growth
ClearBridge Investments' Large Cap Growth Strategy added Take-Two Interactive Software as a new position in its third-quarter 2026 investor letter, citing a multiyear opportunity tied to the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto VI launch. The firm said the game's release should support unit sales, recurring revenue and earnings revisions for the video game developer. Take-Two closed at $202.53 on October 06, 2026, with a $37.87 billion market capitalization, a 20.90% year-to-date pullback and a 52-week range of $187.63 to $265.94. The strategy outperformed its Russell 1000 Growth Index benchmark in the quarter, which gained 0.9%, while the Russell 1000 Value Index rose 2.6%. Hedge fund portfolios holding Take-Two numbered 84 at the end of the second quarter, up from 77 in the previous quarter.
Roblox shares fall as Google and Unity unveil AI game creation platform
Roblox Corp shares fell as much as 8% in pre-market trading Wednesday and were recently down about 5% after Google and Unity Software Inc announced a partnership to build an AI-powered game creation platform. The companies said in a press release they will develop an integrated gaming platform featuring AI-powered tools that allow users to create games without coding experience, representing potential competition for Roblox in the user-generated gaming market. Google launched an experimental platform called Playground, now available to users aged 18 and older, which lets users generate and customize playable games using natural language prompts. The companies plan to introduce Unity Spark later this year, a product built on Playground that will offer advanced capabilities including professional-level mechanics, high-fidelity 3D features, and access to the Unity runtime, and the platform will integrate with Google Play Games, providing leaderboards, multiplayer matchmaking, and community features. On September 28, Jefferies downgraded Roblox to Underperform from Hold and maintained its $38 price target, implying 18% downside, with analyst James Heaney saying the stock's 30% rally since second-quarter results reflects overly optimistic expectations for bookings over the next 12 months.
RBLX · Competition · Negative Google and Unity's AI-powered game creation platform represents potential competition for Roblox in user-generated gaming.
RBLX · Capital · Negative Jefferies downgraded Roblox to Underperform, citing overly optimistic bookings expectations after its 30% rally.
U · Technology · Positive Unity partnered with Google to build an AI-powered game creation platform, including the upcoming Unity Spark product.
GOOG · Technology · Positive Google launched Playground and partnered with Unity on an AI game creation platform, expanding its gaming/AI product offerings.
JEF · Capital · Negative Jefferies downgraded Roblox to Underperform with a $38 price target, an analyst valuation call.
Paramount Skydance closes deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance announced on Tuesday, October 6, that it had completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a giant company under the name Skydance that brings together two century-old Hollywood studios, two global streaming services, and two major American news organizations under one roof. Meanwhile, Anthropic announced it is expanding a special program that allows vetted cybersecurity experts to access and test the company's most powerful artificial intelligence models under relaxed safeguards on the models themselves, after its Project Glasswing collaboration helped detect more than 100,000 software vulnerabilities worldwide this year. Separately, Nippon Group Holdings, a major Japanese books and publishing group, acknowledged that one of its affiliates sold a large number of books to Anthropic, the American artificial intelligence developer, amid concerns in Japan's publishing industry that the books may have had their spines cut off so they could be scanned into digital data for training AI models and may be destroyed afterward. In Japan as well, the Japan Fair Trade Commission raided four major beer makers that together hold more than 90% of the market today, October 7, on suspicion of colluding to set wholesale beer prices, which would violate antitrust law.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a combined studio/streaming/news giant.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery was acquired by Paramount Skydance, closing the deal to combine the two studios.
Nippan Group Holdings · Regulation · Negative Its affiliate sold large numbers of books to Anthropic amid industry concerns the books were cut up and destroyed for AI training.
Paramount Skydance closes $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion on Tuesday, October 6, preparing to launch a Hollywood entertainment giant under the Skydance name spanning film, studios, streaming and television. The deal combines legendary film studios behind franchises such as Mission: Impossible, Harry Potter and DC Studios with major television networks and streaming services including CBS, CNN, Paramount+ and HBO Max. David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, said the merger paves the way for building a media and entertainment company of the future driven by creativity and technology. After the merger, Skydance plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, and has pledged to produce at least 30 films a year in the first two years, rising to 32 films a year over the following three years. The new company is expected to carry total debt of about $80 billion, with Ellison pledging to spend at least $30 billion a year on content. Analysts at MoffettNathanson forecast earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $16 billion in 2028, rising to $19 billion in 2030. Revenue is expected to be about $67 billion in 2028 and rise to roughly $70 billion in 2030.
Skydance closes nearly $111 billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday, October 6, creating a giant company under the name Skydance that brings together two century-old Hollywood studios, two global streaming services, and two major American news organizations under one roof. The acquisition, consisting of cash payments and assumed debt, is valued at nearly $111 billion, making it one of the highest-value media industry mergers in history. The combined company will have annual revenue of nearly $70 billion and will list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SKYD. The new company's creation stems from two back-to-back mergers, beginning with David Ellison's Skydance Media merging with Paramount Global in August 2025, before Paramount Skydance acquired Warner Bros. Discovery. David Ellison becomes chairman and chief executive officer of the new company, while Egon Krys, a former senior executive at Mattel, has been appointed co-CEO. The company has pledged to release at least 30 theatrical films a year and produce more than 180 television shows and series a year, and aims to cut costs by at least $6 billion a year within three years. However, several labor unions have warned that the merger could reduce diversity in media production and weaken workers' bargaining power.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery is acquired by Paramount Skydance in a nearly $111 billion cash-and-debt deal, a major M&A event for the company.
Paramount Skydance closes deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for nearly 111 billion dollars
Paramount Skydance announced yesterday that it has completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a large company under the name Skydance that brings together two long-established Hollywood studios, two global streaming services, and two major US news organizations under one roof. The acquisition, which consists of both cash and assumed debt, is valued at nearly 111 billion US dollars, making it one of the highest-value mergers in media industry history. Skydance said the combined company will generate nearly 70 billion US dollars in annual revenue and will list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SKYD.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Paramount Skydance completed its ~$111B acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a major M&A event creating a combined company listing as SKYD.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery is being acquired by Paramount Skydance for nearly $111B in cash and assumed debt.
Paramount Skydance closes $110 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance announced that it has completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery under a deal valued at $110 billion, a major deal in the Hollywood entertainment industry. The new company formed after the merger will be called Skydance. The merger brings together studios behind famous franchises such as Mission: Impossible, Harry Potter and DC Studios with major television networks and streaming platforms such as CBS, CNN, Paramount+ and HBO Max, creating a large entertainment company spanning film, television, streaming and news.
Tony Blair Named Advisor to Skydance After $110bn Paramount-Warner Bros Megadeal
Sir Tony Blair has been appointed as an advisor to the board of Skydance, the newly formed $110bn (£82bn) Hollywood giant controlled by Larry Ellison's family, following the completion of its blockbuster merger between Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery. The rebranded company will control an entertainment empire spanning streaming app HBO, the Harry Potter franchise, and US news channels including CNN and CBS, and will be led by David Ellison, Skydance's chief executive and chairman. David Ellison said Blair's global perspective and insight would be invaluable as the company turns ambition into results. Blair was named alongside Silicon Valley figures appointed to the new board, including Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of the late Steve Jobs, and Bobby Kotick, the former Activision boss. The deal was confirmed on Tuesday after a California judge last month approved a settlement between Paramount and a dozen US states that had threatened to block it on competition grounds, and it leaves the new media giant nursing an $80bn (£60bn) debt pile while significant layoffs and cuts are expected.
Paramount Completes $110 Billion Warner Acquisition, Creating New Company Skydance
U.S. media giant Paramount Skydance announced on the 6th that its massive $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has closed. The deal creates a new company, Skydance, with CEO David Ellison at the helm of one of the world's largest entertainment companies. Shares of the combined company moved from Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange on the 6th and began trading under the ticker symbol SKYD. The studio behind Mission: Impossible and Harry Potter will be combined with major television and streaming services including CBS News, CNN News, Paramount+, and HBO Max. However, the new company is expected to carry roughly $80 billion in debt, and Ellison will be tasked with expanding the streaming business, maintaining cash flow from the cable network operations, and improving the performance of theatrically released films. Analysts at research firm MoffettNathanson expect the company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization to rise to $16 billion in 2028 and $19 billion in 2030, with revenue reaching about $67 billion in 2028 and about $70 billion in 2030. Skydance has committed to producing at least 30 films a year in the first two years after the acquisition closes, and 32 films a year over the following three years.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Paramount Skydance completed its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a new combined entertainment company trading as SKYD.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery was acquired by Paramount Skydance in a $110 billion deal that has now closed.
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery close $110 billion merger
The $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery is scheduled to close on Tuesday after Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan denied a last-minute effort to halt the deal. The new company, known as Skydance, brings HBO Max and Paramount+ under one umbrella, roughly seven months after Paramount won a long bidding war for Warner Bros. over Netflix. Last February, Warner Bros.' board of directors deemed Paramount Skydance's $31-per-share proposal for the entire company superior to Netflix's offer. David Ellison will serve as co-CEO of Skydance alongside former Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, while Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav will receive roughly $886.8 million. Weeks ago, Paramount reached a settlement with a dozen states, including California, which had sought to block the company's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. on antitrust grounds; under the agreement, the combined company would pay $30 million for each movie short of releasing at least 30 films in theaters annually and could be forced to sell its 49% stake in Miramax if it misses the target.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Paramount Skydance closes its $110B acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery after the Supreme Court denied a last-minute halt.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery is acquired by Paramount Skydance in the $110B merger, with CEO Zaslav receiving ~$886.8M.
Miramax · Regulation · Neutral Settlement terms could force the combined company to sell its 49% Miramax stake if it misses the 30-films-a-year theatrical target.
Nintendo to Launch Switch 2 Bundle With One Game Next Month on the 12th
Nintendo announced on the 6th that it will release a "Choose Your Game Set" for its home console, the Nintendo Switch 2, that includes one game, on the 12th of next month. The suggested retail price is 63,980 yen, which the company says is cheaper than buying the items separately. The set is the Japanese-language version, for domestic use only, and after purchase buyers can download one of three titles at no additional charge: Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, or Tomodachi Collection Waku Waku Life. The download is valid until March 31, 2027. The company explained that it chose these three titles so the product would serve as an opportunity for people to take an interest in the Switch 2 and pick one up.
7974.JP · Pricing · Positive Nintendo launches a Switch 2 bundle with one game at 63,980 yen, a lower effective price than buying separately, to spur interest in the console.
Nintendo to Launch Switch 2 Bundle With One Game Next Month on the 12th
Nintendo announced on the 6th that it will release a "Choose Your Game Set" for its home console, the Nintendo Switch 2, on the 12th of next month, bundling one game with the system. The suggested retail price is 63,980 yen, which the company says is cheaper than buying the items separately. The set is the Japanese-language version, for domestic use only, and after purchase buyers can download one of three titles at no additional charge: Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, or Tomodachi Collection: Waku Waku Life. The offer is valid through March 31, 2027. The company explained that it chose these three titles so the product would serve as an opportunity for people to take an interest in the Switch 2 and pick one up.
San Diego Launches Consumer Protection Unit, Sues AppLovin, Roblox and Polymaker
San Diego County launched its new Consumer Fairness and Public Protection Unit on October 06, 2026, filing its first three lawsuits against AppLovin, Roblox and Polymaker over children's safety, consumer privacy and 3D-printed ghost guns. The unit was championed by Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, who first called for a local consumer protection division in her 2025 State of the County Address, arguing San Diego needed stronger local enforcement as federal consumer protections were rolled back. The County's complaint against AppLovin, a digital advertising platform whose technology reaches more than 1 billion daily active users worldwide, alleges its technology bypassed parental controls to serve ads for adult dating, alcohol, vaping, cannabis, graphic sexual content and violence inside mobile games used by children, and collected sensitive data from children's devices; the County brings claims under California's False Advertising Law and Unfair Competition Law and seeks injunctive relief, restitution and civil penalties, with Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP serving as outside counsel. The Roblox complaint alleges the platform, with about 144 million daily active users worldwide, marketed itself to parents and children as safe while failing to stop adults from posing as children and grooming young users, and seeks injunctive relief under California's Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law. The Polymaker complaint alleges the 3D-printing filament maker deliberately marketed certain filaments to people making 3D-printed ghost guns, including sponsoring gun-printing influencer Sean Aranda and later hiring him as its Head of Customer Experience, and the County asks the court to stop these practices, impose civil penalties and require Polymaker to give up proceeds tied to unlawful conduct. County Counsel Damon Brown said the three lawsuits, filed in San Diego Superior Court, are proof the office has hit the ground running.
APP · Regulation · Negative San Diego County sued AppLovin alleging its ad tech bypassed parental controls and collected children's data, seeking penalties and injunctive relief.
RBLX · Regulation · Negative San Diego County sued Roblox alleging it marketed itself as safe while failing to stop adults grooming young users.
Polymaker · Regulation · Negative San Diego County sued Polymaker alleging it marketed 3D-printing filaments to people making ghost guns, seeking penalties and injunctive relief.
Firy announced on Monday that it completed the sale of its 10.5% stake in Exit Games back to the company for $55M in cash. The deal closed on October 2, with Firy receiving the full proceeds and adding the cash to its balance sheet. Firy originally invested $50M in July 2021, making the sale a roughly 1.1x return on its investment. The company said the cash provides flexibility to pursue other opportunities, while noting its realized return was about 22 times the average five-year distribution multiple for 2021-vintage U.S. venture funds.
FIRY · Capital · Positive Firy completed the sale of its 10.5% Exit Games stake for $55M cash, a ~1.1x return adding flexibility to its balance sheet.
Exit Games · Capital · Neutral Exit Games bought back Firy's 10.5% stake for $55M cash, a capital transaction with no clear positive or negative implication stated.
Warner Bros. Discovery Earns Zacks Rank #3 as Quarterly EPS Estimate Holds at $0.02
Warner Bros. Discovery holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), with the consensus estimate for the current quarter unchanged over the last 30 days at $0.02 per share, a swing of +133.3% from the year-ago quarter. For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate stands at -$1.08, a year-over-year change of -472.4%, and that figure has moved +2% over the past 30 days, while the next fiscal year's consensus estimate of $0.1, up +109.3% from the expected year-ago result, has fallen -41.2% over the past month. On the revenue side, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $8.84 billion, a year-over-year change of -2.3%, with $36.22 billion and $37.51 billion expected for the current and next fiscal years, changes of -2.9% and +3.6% respectively. In the last reported quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery posted revenues of $8.72 billion, down -11.2% year over year and a -6.19% surprise against the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.29 billion, while EPS of $0.06 compared with $0.63 a year ago for a +146.15% surprise. The stock has returned +9.5% over the past month against the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change, even as the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry lost 10.6% over the same period, and it carries a Zacks Value Style Score of D, indicating it trades at a premium to its peers.
WBD · Capital · Neutral Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) with unchanged quarterly EPS estimate of $0.02, mixed estimate revisions and a Value Score of D — a valuation/earnings-estimate update with no clear directional signal.
Paramount-Warner Bros. $110 Billion Merger to Create Skydance
The combined company formed by the $110 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. will be named Skydance, Paramount CEO David Ellison announced. Ellison said the name was chosen to preserve the distinct identities and legacies of both Paramount and Warner Bros. while giving the combined company an identity of its own. Skydance is the production company Ellison founded in 2006 and merged with Paramount in 2025. On Wednesday, Paramount named Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO of the new company alongside Ellison, and Bloomberg reported the merger is expected to be finalized next week. The press release announcing Kreiz said the combined company will be guided by four strategic priorities: winning in content, becoming the most technologically capable media company, maximizing operational efficiencies, and earning trust.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Paramount's $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. is expected to be finalized next week, creating the combined Skydance entity.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery is being merged into the $110 billion combined company with Paramount, expected to close next week.
MAT · · Neutral Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz named co-CEO of the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. company, but no impact on Mattel's own business is described.
Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger to Take Skydance Name, Ellison Says
The combined company formed by the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. will be named Skydance, Skydance chief executive David Ellison said in a post on X. Ellison said the new name was chosen to preserve the identities and legacies of both studios while giving the combined company its own corporate identity. "Both have distinct identities, extraordinary legacies, and brands that have resonated with audiences for generations," Ellison said. "We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter, or overshadow either one." He said Paramount and Warner Bros. have together shaped more than a century of entertainment and culture, and that the combined company would seek to build on the strengths of both studios, with Skydance focusing on "bold, quality storytelling" as a "creative-first home" for filmmaking and other content. The combined company intends to give Paramount and Warner Bros. the opportunity to expand their audiences globally while benefiting from Skydance's scale and capabilities, Ellison added.
Nasdaq 100 to Add Moderna, Replacing Warner Bros. Discovery, Effective Oct. 9
Nasdaq announced yesterday that shares of Moderna, the vaccine maker, will replace Warner Bros. Discovery in the Nasdaq 100 index, effective Oct. 9. The change follows a more than sixfold surge in Moderna's share price this year, giving the company a market value of about 75 billion dollars. Conversely, Warner Bros. Discovery will also be removed from the indexes of major index providers MSCI and S&P, as its merger with Paramount Skydance is expected to be completed on Oct. 6, after the process was delayed for many months.
MRNA · Capital · Positive Moderna will be added to the Nasdaq 100 index, effective Oct. 9, following a sixfold share-price surge.
WBD · Capital · Negative Warner Bros. Discovery will be removed from the Nasdaq 100, MSCI, and S&P indexes as its merger with Paramount Skydance nears completion.
PSKY · Capital · Neutral Paramount Skydance's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to complete Oct. 6, but the article does not state the impact on Paramount.
Australia presses Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft and Steam to strengthen child protection
Australia's online safety regulator is calling on online game providers to step up measures to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. Julie Inman Grant, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, released a report on 2 October stating that child protection measures vary widely from one game provider to another. The report said Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft and Steam take differing approaches to preventing children from accessing high-risk games, and warned that high-risk games can create environments conducive to the sexual exploitation of children, as well as activity that promotes crime or violence. Although the operators of Fortnite and Minecraft have measures to protect children's accounts, they rely only on the age users declare themselves. If a user states they are an adult, they can access high-risk features without any additional age verification. Meanwhile Valve, which operates the Steam platform, does not use tools to detect threats on its Steam Chat messaging service. The report added that Roblox and Valve use only their own internal company data to train language detection systems, and that those systems are not trained consistently. Inman Grant said Australian children have the right to play online games without encountering sexual groomers, sexual extortionists, extreme content that promotes violence, or other harmful content. She called on providers to use systems that can genuinely detect and stop serious threats before children are harmed, and said in closing that game providers need to adopt effective safety measures and apply them continuously to protect child and youth players.
RBLX · Regulation · Negative Australia's eSafety report names Roblox for weak child-protection measures and inconsistent language detection, prompting regulatory pressure.
Valve Corporation · Regulation · Negative Report criticizes Valve's Steam for lacking threat detection on Steam Chat and training language systems only on internal data.
Moderna to Join Nasdaq-100, Replacing Warner Bros. Discovery
Nasdaq said Thursday that Moderna will become a component of the Nasdaq-100 Index, replacing Warner Bros. Discovery before market open on Friday, October 9. The vaccine maker's shares have jumped more than sixfold this year to a valuation of roughly $75B. Warner Bros. Discovery is also set to be removed from major indexes, including those tracked by MSCI and S&P, as its merger with Paramount Skydance is expected to close on October 6 following a months-long delay.
MRNA · Capital · Positive Moderna will join the Nasdaq-100 Index, replacing Warner Bros. Discovery, an index-inclusion event.
WBD · Capital · Negative Warner Bros. Discovery is being removed from the Nasdaq-100 and other major indexes ahead of its merger with Paramount Skydance.
Moderna to Join Nasdaq-100 Index, Replacing Warner Bros. Discovery
Nasdaq announced that Moderna, Inc. will become a component of the Nasdaq-100 Index, replacing Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., prior to market open on Friday, October 9, 2026. The Nasdaq-100 Index measures the performance of 100 of the largest Nasdaq-listed non-financial companies and is tracked by more than 200 investment products with over $800 billion in assets under management globally. Nasdaq Global Indexes publishes and maintains more than 10,000 indexes across asset classes and geographies.
MRNA · Capital · Positive Moderna will be added to the Nasdaq-100 Index, a valuation/index-inclusion event that can drive fund inflows into the stock.
WBD · Capital · Negative Warner Bros. Discovery will be removed from the Nasdaq-100 Index, which can trigger index-fund selling of the stock.
NDAQ · · Neutral Nasdaq Inc. is only mentioned as the index publisher/operator; the index reconstitution has no clear direct financial impact on the company.
TruGolf Installs First TruGolf Range With AI Coach at Lucid Golf
TruGolf Holdings announced the first installation of its indoor range platform, TruGolf Range, featuring its new TruGolf AI Coach experience at Lucid Golf in New Albany, Indiana. TruGolf Range allows up to five players to practice simultaneously on a single cinematic screen, with each hitting bay providing slow-motion replay of club and ball interaction, ball flight data and integrated AI analysis of swing tendencies. The Lucid Golf installation will include TruGolf AI Coach, which analyzes player shot data and tendencies to provide insights, instruction and drills. TruGolf Range also features structured training workflows, skills challenges and games, and is designed for deployments ranging from compact installations to multi-bay environments for clinics, competitions and group events. TruGolf, which trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker TRUG, has been building indoor golf solutions since 1983.
US court approves Paramount's Warner acquisition; Mattel's Kreiz to become co-CEO
A US federal court on the 30th issued an order approving the completion of US media giant Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros., moving forward a deal that had been stalled for months. US District Judge Martinez-Orguin approved a settlement reached on September 21 with 12 states led by California. Under the settlement, the combined company must release at least 30 films in US theaters each year for five years and add 300 million dollars a year to its US production spending; if it fails to meet the release threshold, it could be forced to sell the distributor Miramax. The two companies also settled an antitrust lawsuit brought by the Writers Guild of America, agreeing to pay 17.5 million dollars into the union's health fund and to maintain union member employment levels at CBS News for five years. Paramount announced that Ynon Kreiz, CEO of US toy giant Mattel, will serve as co-CEO to lead the combined company; Kreiz will join on the 5th and become co-CEO alongside Chairman and CEO David Ellison when the acquisition closes, overseeing day-to-day operations and integration. The two companies said the acquisition is expected to be completed on the 6th.
PSKY · Regulation · Positive US federal court approves Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros., clearing the regulatory/antitrust hurdle that had stalled the deal.
WBD · Regulation · Positive Court approval of the settlement clears the antitrust obstacles, allowing Warner Bros. Discovery to be acquired by Paramount.
Miramax · Regulation · Negative Under the settlement, the combined company could be forced to sell distributor Miramax if it fails to meet the 30-films-per-year theatrical release threshold.
MAT · · Neutral Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz named co-CEO of the combined Paramount-Warner company, a leadership change but no stated impact on Mattel's own business.
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery expect to close merger on Oct. 6
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery said on Wednesday, Sept. 30, that they expect their merger to be completed on Oct. 6, combining the entertainment and streaming businesses of the two U.S. media companies. The merger agreement announced in February calls for Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to receive $31 per share in cash, and if the deal closes after Sept. 30, shareholders will receive an additional $0.00277778 per share for each day of delay until the transaction is completed. If the deal closes on Oct. 6 as scheduled, Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders will receive a total of $31.01666668 per share. Both companies also said the closing remains subject to customary conditions. After the merger, Warner Bros. Discovery's businesses, which include HBO Max, Warner Bros., CNN and Discovery, will be combined with Paramount Skydance's assets, which include Paramount Pictures, CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. The transaction marks a major consolidation in the global media industry as companies seek greater scale in the film, television and streaming sectors.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Paramount Skydance expects to close its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery on Oct. 6, combining the two media companies.
WBD · Capital · Positive Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders will receive $31 per share cash plus a delay premium, with the merger expected to close Oct. 6.
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery Expect Merger to Close Oct 6
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery said on Wednesday they expect their merger to close on Oct. 6, bringing the two U.S. media companies closer to combining their entertainment and streaming businesses. The companies said the closing remains subject to customary conditions. The merger agreement, announced in February, provides for WBD shareholders to receive $31 in cash per share, with an additional payment of $0.00277778 for each calendar day after Sept. 30 until the deal closes. If the transaction closes on Oct. 6 as expected, WBD shareholders will receive $31.01666668 per share, the companies said. The deal would combine WBD's portfolio, which includes HBO Max, Warner Bros., CNN and Discovery, with Paramount's assets including Paramount Pictures, CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and Pluto TV, marking a major consolidation in the global media industry as companies seek greater scale in film, television and streaming.
Judge Approves Settlement Clearing Paramount's $111-Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Deal
A federal judge in Oakland has approved a settlement allowing Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison to finalize his $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that could close by early next month. The five-year consent decree requires the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. to release 30 films in theaters each year, commit an additional $1.5 billion to domestic film production and set aside $47.5 million for workers who may be adversely affected by the merger. It also creates a five-member panel to monitor editorial independence at CBS News and CNN, though critics note the Ellisons control the board appointments, and bars Paramount from selling or closing its Melrose Avenue campus in Hollywood or the larger Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, which must be operated in a manner consistent with past practices for at least five years. An independent monitor is expected to oversee implementation, and Paramount will face restrictions on how it wields clout in negotiations over distribution of its basic cable TV channels. The merger has been unpopular in Hollywood, with opponents accusing California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who led negotiations with Paramount, of caving to political pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who publicly urged him to abandon his court fight in favor of settlement talks.
PSKY · Capital · Positive Judge approves settlement clearing Paramount Skydance's $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, allowing the deal to close.
WBD · Capital · Positive Settlement approval clears the way for Warner Bros. Discovery to be acquired by Paramount Skydance in the $111-billion deal.
CNN · Regulation · Neutral Settlement creates a five-member panel to monitor editorial independence at CNN, though critics note the Ellisons control board appointments.
Nvidia Adds $150 Billion to Buyback, Lifting Total Authorization to $235 Billion
Nvidia shares rose after its board authorized an additional $150 billion under the company's existing share-repurchase program, increasing the total remaining amount authorized to $235 billion, with the AI chip leader expecting to complete the program through fiscal 2028. In the mining sector, Australia's Northern Star Resources Ltd. rejected a takeover approach from South African rival Gold Fields Ltd. that could have created the second-largest gold miner, saying the A$38.7 billion ($27.1 billion) cash-and-shares offer undervalued its business. Gold Fields shares fell as much as 16% on the proposal, while precious-metal miners also slid as gold and silver dropped, with Barrick Gold down 4% and Freeport-McMoRan down about 3.5%. Roblox was cut to underperform from hold at Jefferies, which said the stock's 30% rally since the gaming company's second-quarter results in July reflects an overly optimistic view of bookings for the next 12 months; the shares fell 5% and are down 43% so far this year. Nvidia also rolled out a new double-layered AI security system that it says would have prevented the recent high-profile breach of Hugging Face by OpenAI's models, and China may allow Alibaba and ByteDance to buy Nvidia's new RTX Pro 5500 chips.
GFI · Capital · Negative Gold Fields shares fell as much as 16% after Northern Star rejected its A$38.7 billion takeover offer.
NVDA · Capital · Positive Nvidia's board authorized an additional $150 billion buyback, lifting total authorization to $235 billion.
NVDA · Technology · Positive Nvidia rolled out a new double-layered AI security system it says would have prevented the Hugging Face breach.
RBLX · Capital · Negative Jefferies cut Roblox to underperform, saying its 30% rally reflects overly optimistic bookings expectations.
Northern Star Resources Limited · Capital · Neutral Northern Star rejected Gold Fields' A$38.7 billion takeover offer, saying it undervalued the business.
B · Monetary · Negative Barrick Gold fell 4% as gold and silver prices dropped, pressuring precious-metal miners.
Boeing Falls on 737 MAX Software Glitch; Kodiak Sciences Surges 31.9%
Boeing shares fell 1.9% in premarket trading after The Wall Street Journal reported the planemaker identified a software glitch on its 737 MAX that can disable an automated navigation function during a landing following a missed approach, prompting concerns among industry officials and a review by U.S. regulators. Kodiak Sciences surged 31.9% in premarket trading after releasing topline results from its pivotal DAYBREAK Phase 3 study evaluating two investigational therapies, Zenkuda and KSI-501, in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, with the move indicating the data met or exceeded the study's primary endpoint of non-inferiority in visual acuity gains versus aflibercept. Roblox fell 4% after Jefferies downgraded the stock to Underperform from Hold and cut its price target to $38, arguing the roughly 30% rally following second-quarter earnings had priced in an overly optimistic bookings outlook. Circle Internet Group fell 3.5% after announcing Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Fox-Geen plans to step down after more than five years in the role, remaining through the end of December 2026 while the company searches for a successor.
BA · Technology · Negative Boeing identified a software glitch on its 737 MAX that can disable an automated navigation function during landing, prompting a U.S. regulator review.
CRCL · Capital · Negative Circle CFO Jeremy Fox-Geen plans to step down, creating a leadership transition while the company searches for a successor.
KOD · Technology · Positive Kodiak's DAYBREAK Phase 3 study of Zenkuda and KSI-501 met or exceeded the primary non-inferiority endpoint in wet AMD.
RBLX · Capital · Negative Jefferies downgraded Roblox to Underperform and cut its price target to $38, saying the post-earnings rally priced in overly optimistic bookings.
TruGolf Touts September Milestones as Polymath Acquisition Advances
TruGolf Holdings, Inc. provided a summary of recent corporate developments as it advances its previously announced acquisition of Polymath Research Inc., a developer of institutional-grade infrastructure for regulated digital securities and tokenized real-world assets. Brenner Adams, TruGolf's Chairman, was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer after founder Chris Jones resigned, and Jay Heller, Chief Executive Officer of K Lab and former Vice President and Head of Capital Markets and IPO Execution at Nasdaq, joined the Board of Directors. TruGolf Links and Polymath announced plans to develop an equipment leasing program funded through tokenized securities and fractional franchise ownership opportunities for qualified franchisees, targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Polymath partnered with High Ridge Trust, a regulated U.S. trust company specializing in institutional digital assets, and joined the STO Foundation, which becomes the Tokenized Asset Foundation on October 1, as Founding Partners. TruGolf also announced a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of its Class A common stock, effective September 29, 2026, with the Class A common stock trading under the new CUSIP number 243733607.
TRUG · Capital · Positive TruGolf advances its Polymath acquisition, appoints an interim CEO and new board member, and announces a 1-for-10 reverse stock split.
Polymath Research Inc. · Demand · Positive Polymath is being acquired by TruGolf and announced partnerships with High Ridge Trust and the STO Foundation plus a tokenized leasing program.
High Ridge Trust · Demand · Positive High Ridge Trust is named as Polymath's partner for institutional digital-asset infrastructure, a concrete business tie-up.
Paramount Settles Suits, Clearing Path for $110 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Deal
Paramount Skydance has settled the legal challenges brought by California and 11 other states and the Writers Guild of America, removing major obstacles to its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The development sent WBD shares up more than 10% on September 21, according to Reuters. Under the state agreement, Paramount committed to spending at least $300 million more each year on domestic film production compared with 2025 levels, to produce 30 theatrical films annually in each of the first two years covered by the settlement and 32 annually in each of the following three years, with at least four films a year independent productions and at least 20% blockbusters, and to pay $30 million for each film it falls short of the required annual output. Paramount also agreed not to raise rates on theater operators for three years and to establish an editorial independence board for CNN and CBS, concessions that let it avoid an immediate forced sale of cable assets such as CNN or its film franchises. Reuters estimates Paramount would owe WBD shareholders roughly $7 million per day after September 30, and the companies have said the combination is expected to generate more than $6 billion in synergies while Reuters reported the combined company is expected to carry $80 billion in debt.
Paramount Settles State Antitrust Suit, Clearing Path for $110 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Deal
Paramount Skydance reached a settlement with California and 11 other states that had sued to block its planned purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the antitrust case that had threatened to hold up the acquisition, though the deal still awaits judicial clearance. Warner Bros. Discovery shares closed Sept. 21 at $30.80, up 10.8%, leaving them 20 cents short of the $31-per-share cash consideration Paramount would pay, while Paramount Skydance shares slumped 2.9% after initially gaining on the settlement news. The transaction values WBD at approximately $81 billion in equity value and $110 billion in enterprise value, and Paramount expects the combination to generate more than $6 billion in annual synergies within three years of closing. Under the settlement, the merged firm must release at least 30 theatrical pictures yearly in the first two years after closure and 32 annually in the next three years, with independent producers required to make a minimum of four films a year, or Paramount would pay $30 million for each picture it fails to deliver and may be forced to sell Miramax Studios. Paramount also agreed to spend at least $300 million more per year on U.S. film production, or a minimum of $1.5 billion over five years, compared with its 2025 spending level, and the settlement includes a $47.5 million worker fund and restrictions on how the combined company negotiates cable distribution. The resolution eliminates one of the largest near-term risks to the transaction's timing, as WBD shareholders are entitled to an additional $0.00277778 per share for every day after Sept. 30 until the deal closes, capped at $0.25 per 90-day period, a commitment Paramount has said is approximately $7 million a day based on WBD's share count.
PSKY · Regulation · Neutral Paramount settled the state antitrust suit clearing the path for its $110B WBD acquisition, but it must accept costly commitments (extra film spend, worker fund, distribution restrictions) and its shares slumped 2.9%.
WBD · Capital · Positive The antitrust settlement removes a major hurdle to Paramount's $31-per-share cash acquisition of WBD, with shares closing just 20 cents below the deal price.
Warner Bros. Discovery Rated Zacks Rank #3 as Q3 EPS Estimate Holds at $0.02
Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to post earnings of $0.02 per share for the current quarter, a year-over-year change of +133.3%, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate unchanged over the last 30 days. For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of -$1.08 points to a change of -472.4% from the prior year and has moved +2.6% over the last 30 days, while the next fiscal year's consensus estimate of $0.17 indicates a change of +115.1% and has remained unchanged over the past month. The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $8.84 billion indicates a year-over-year change of -2.3%, and estimates of $36.26 billion and $37.58 billion for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of -2.8% and +3.6%, respectively. In the last reported quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery reported revenues of $8.72 billion, a year-over-year change of -11.2%, and EPS of $0.06 versus $0.63 a year ago, with the revenue figure missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.29 billion by 6.19% and the EPS surprise coming in at +146.15%. Based on the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate and three other factors related to earnings estimates, Warner Bros. Discovery is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and carries a Zacks Value Style Score of D, indicating it is trading at a premium to its peers.
WBD · Capital · Neutral Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) with Q3 EPS estimate held at $0.02 and mixed estimate revisions; analyst-valuation event with no clear directional catalyst.
Warner Bros. Discovery Signs Multi-Year Harry Potter Gaming Accessories Deal With PowerA
Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed a new multi-year licensing deal with PowerA to produce Harry Potter-themed gaming accessories. The partnership will cover controllers and related gear for upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 hardware as well as XBOX platforms. Harry Potter branding on PowerA accessories expands Warner Bros. Discovery's consumer products reach into a broader console accessory audience. The agreement pushes the Harry Potter universe further into everyday gaming setups, reinforcing the company's use of the franchise as a recurring commercial engine across licensing, merchandise, gaming and experiences alongside streaming and theatrical activity. The practical checkpoint is whether management starts breaking out or commenting on consumer products and gaming tie-ins for major IP on upcoming quarterly calls, especially any quantified contribution from Harry Potter licensing within broader direct-to-consumer and studios updates through 2027.
WBD · Demand · Positive Multi-year licensing deal with PowerA expands Harry Potter consumer products reach into gaming accessories, a concrete commercial tie-in for its IP.
Capcom Q1 Net Sales Jump 53.7% to 45.52 Billion Yen, Operating Profit Up 90.8%
Capcom Co Ltd reported a record-breaking first quarter for the fiscal year ending March 2026, with net sales rising 53.7% year-over-year to 45.52 billion yen and operating profit climbing 90.8% to 24.597 billion yen. Ordinary profit rose 69.7% to 22.883 billion yen and net income attributable to owners of the parent grew 72.8% to 17.238 billion yen, marking the company's 13th consecutive fiscal year of operating profit growth and 11th straight year of record-high operating profit. The Digital Contents segment drove the quarter with net sales of 29.847 billion yen, up 84% year-over-year, and segment profit of 20.057 billion yen, up 56%, as unit sales of core titles reached 14.16 million units, the highest ever for a first quarter and up from 9.53 million units a year earlier. The Amusement Equipment segment posted net sales of 7.812 billion yen, up 56% year-over-year, with operating income of 4.91 billion yen, while the Arcade Operations segment expanded to 56 stores with three new openings. Capcom repurchased approximately 8 million shares for about 31.6 billion yen during the quarter and kept its annual dividend forecast at 50 yen per share, and President Haruhiro Tsujimoto confirmed no change to the full-year forecast of 190 billion yen in net sales and 65 billion yen in operating income.
Bilibili Completes $500 Million Convertible Bond Offering Due 2031
Bilibili has completed a US$500 million convertible bond offering, with the notes maturing in 2031. The senior unsecured notes give bondholders the option to convert into Bilibili equity under specified terms rather than receive cash at maturity, and proceeds are intended for general corporate purposes, which may include refinancing, investment, or balance sheet management. The issuance sits alongside a US$300 million buyback program, and the convertibility and call features underline the possibility of share dilution even as the added liquidity funds creator tools and content IP. Bilibili, which operates interactive media and services for young users in the People's Republic of China, has a market value of about US$6.2b. The company's narrative rests on higher margins from AI-powered advertising, stronger content IP, and disciplined spending, and the bond sits at the junction between funding those ambitions and managing future dilution risk.
9626.HK · Capital · Neutral Bilibili completed a $500M convertible bond offering due 2031, adding liquidity but carrying potential share dilution, alongside a $300M buyback.
DeNA's Q1 Net Profit Jumps 198.5% to 33.4 Billion Yen, Lifted by GO Listing Gain
DeNA's first-quarter results for the fiscal year ending March 2027, announced on August 5 under IFRS on a consolidated basis, showed revenue of 37.166 billion yen, down 10.9% year on year; operating profit of 7.411 billion yen, down 46.3%; pre-tax profit of 49.753 billion yen, up 213.5%; and net profit of 33.438 billion yen, up 198.5%. The main reason for the operating profit decline was the reaction to the game app Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, launched in October 2024, which had greatly boosted results in the same quarter a year earlier; revenue in the games business came to 12.12 billion yen, down 33.2%, and segment profit was just 3.826 billion yen, down 62.0%. Net profit, meanwhile, grew sharply because the taxi-hailing app GO, an equity-method affiliate, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market. In addition to selling part of its stake, DeNA revalued its remaining holding at fair value, booking 39.517 billion yen in equity-method investment gains and losses, bringing equity-method investment profit to 40.571 billion yen. By business, the sports and smart city segment performed strongly with revenue of 13.216 billion yen, up 16.0% year on year, and segment profit of 4.551 billion yen, up 24.4%, surpassing the games business's segment profit of 3.826 billion yen and driving first-quarter earnings. The company also announced on August 24 the details of its shareholder benefits for the fiscal year ending March 2027, with a record date of September 30, adding a THE LIVE CENTRAL BAR digital drink coupon to the five types of benefits based on the number of shares held.
2432.JP · Capital · Positive Net profit jumped 198.5% to 33.4 billion yen, driven by a 39.5 billion yen equity-method gain from GO's TSE listing and partial stake sale.
2432.JP · Demand · Negative Games business revenue fell 33.2% and segment profit dropped 62.0% on the reaction to last year's Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket boost.
581A.JP · Capital · Positive GO's listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market generated the equity-method gain that lifted DeNA's net profit.
Roblox Corporation announced "Roblox Everywhere," a program that will let creators publish their experiences as standalone applications across multiple platforms, expanding distribution beyond the core Roblox app. The initiative could reshape how value is shared on the platform by turning individual Roblox experiences into app-like products that reach users who may never open the main Roblox client. The most relevant recent announcement alongside Roblox Everywhere is Build, the in-app, AI-assisted creation tool, which lowers the barrier for new creators and may increase both the volume and variety of experiences that can benefit from distribution as standalone apps. Roblox's narrative projects $10.1 billion revenue and $1.2 billion earnings by 2029, requiring 21.3% yearly revenue growth and a $2.2 billion earnings increase from -$1.0 billion today, while the most bearish analysts assumed about 15.2 percent annual revenue growth to roughly US$8.7 billion and no profits by 2029. The announcement potentially strengthens the short-term catalyst of deepening engagement and monetization per experience, but does not directly reduce the key risk that rising creator payouts and heavy infrastructure costs could still outpace monetization and keep the company unprofitable.
RBLX · Technology · Positive Roblox Everywhere lets creators publish experiences as standalone apps across platforms, expanding distribution and deepening engagement/monetization per experience.
FCC Approves Foreign Ownership in Paramount's $110 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Deal
The Federal Communications Commission approved foreign ownership in Paramount Skydance's planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery. The FCC granted Paramount's request to allow financing of more than 25% for the transaction, waiving its 25% cap on foreign equity ownership and permitting individual investors to own up to 20% of the equity. The regulator said foreign investors can have no voting stock and will not have any influence, direction, or control over Paramount's content decisions or company management. Paramount said it appreciated the FCC's careful review and was pleased the petition was granted consistent with its established process. The approval comes as the deal has been halted after 12 state attorneys general, led by California, sued to block the mega media deal in July, with a trial scheduled for March; on Tuesday a court ordered Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta to meet on October 14 to try to work on a potential settlement.
PSKY · Regulation · Positive FCC approved foreign ownership financing above the 25% cap for Paramount's $110B Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, advancing the deal.
WBD · Regulation · Positive FCC approval of foreign ownership clears a regulatory hurdle for Paramount's $110B purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.
GCL Global Transfers Listing to Nasdaq Capital Market, Gets 180 More Days on Bid Price
GCL Global Holdings Ltd. announced that its ordinary shares will transfer to The Nasdaq Capital Market at the opening of business on September 18, 2026, while continuing to trade under the ticker symbol GCL, with its warrants trading under GCLWW. The transfer follows a deficiency notice dated March 17, 2026 concerning the minimum bid price requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1). On September 16, 2026, Nasdaq notified the company that it had been granted an additional 180 calendar days, or until March 15, 2027, to comply with the Minimum Bid Price Rule in connection with its application to transfer its listing. The company said the transfer has no effect on its day-to-day business operations, financial condition, or reporting obligations under U.S. securities laws, and that its ordinary shares and warrants will continue to trade on Nasdaq without interruption.
GCL · Regulation · Neutral GCL Global gets a 180-day extension and transfers to Nasdaq Capital Market to cure its minimum bid price deficiency, a listing-compliance matter with no stated effect on operations.
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