Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 309,473 Shares of GameStop Corp. $GME

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its GameStop holding by 309,473 shares (a 0.8% reduction) in Q4 and still owns 38,195,010 shares—about 8.53% of the company valued at roughly $766.96 million.
• Reports that GameStop is preparing an offer for eBay and has been building a stake have driven heavy trading and unusual bullish options activity (≈364,134 call contracts), amplifying volatility and upward price pressure.
• Despite the takeover buzz, analysts remain skeptical: MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Reduce" with a $13.50 price target, well below the stock's recent ~\$26.51 trading level.

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its position in GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME - Free Report) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 38,195,010 shares of the company's stock after selling 309,473 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 8.53% of GameStop worth $766,956,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GME. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in GameStop by 308.9% in the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 969 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. City Holding Co. bought a new stake in GameStop in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in GameStop by 226.6% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,277 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 886 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in GameStop in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in GameStop by 39.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,674 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 29.21% of the company's stock.

GameStop Price Performance

Shares of GameStop stock opened at $26.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 15.30 and a quick ratio of 14.68. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $23.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $22.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.35 and a beta of 1.84. GameStop Corp. has a one year low of $19.93 and a one year high of $35.81.

GameStop (NYSE:GME - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 24th. The company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.47 billion. GameStop had a return on equity of 12.47% and a net margin of 11.53%.

Insider Activity at GameStop

In other news, insider Daniel William Moore sold 7,210 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.94, for a total transaction of $165,397.40. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 101,014 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,317,261.16. The trade was a 6.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Mark Haymond Robinson sold 7,209 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.94, for a total value of $165,374.46. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 97,946 shares in the company, valued at $2,246,881.24. This trade represents a 6.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 18,331 shares of company stock worth $421,491 over the last three months. Insiders own 8.58% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings raised GameStop from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen cut GameStop from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $13.50.

More GameStop News

Here are the key news stories impacting GameStop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple major outlets report GameStop is preparing an offer for eBay — a potential transformational M&A move that would align with CEO Ryan Cohen’s push to scale the company and could justify a material re‑rating if carried out. GameStop Preparing Offer for eBay (WSJ)
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say GameStop has been quietly building a stake in eBay ahead of a potential offer — stake-building can increase the chance of a negotiated deal or give GameStop leverage in talks. GameStop Is Looking to Buy eBay, Report Says (Barron's)
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options activity: roughly 364,134 call contracts were bought (up ~88% vs. typical volume) — indicates speculative positioning, institutional bullish bets or hedging around the takeover rumor, which amplifies upward price pressure.
• Neutral Sentiment: eBay shares also jumped on the news — market confirms takeover interest but a higher eBay share price makes any bid more expensive and could change deal economics. GameStop expected to bid for eBay this month; shares rocket (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading surged and volatility rose (volume well above averages) — that increases short‑term liquidity but also raises the risk of sharp reversals if the rumor doesn’t develop into a credible bid.
• Negative Sentiment: Skepticism about feasibility and financing: outlets and retail investors are questioning how GameStop would fund and integrate a large, established marketplace like eBay; regulatory scrutiny, financing needs, or a failed bid could trigger a pullback or dilute returns. GME reportedly wants to buy eBay but retail wonders how; eBay stock soars (MSN)

GameStop Profile

GameStop Corp. NYSE: GME is a global specialty retailer focused on video games, gaming consoles, consumer electronics and related accessories. The company operates a network of physical retail stores alongside an e-commerce platform, offering new and pre-owned products spanning the latest game software, hardware, collectibles and lifestyle merchandise. GameStop's retail footprint is complemented by digital marketplaces for trade-ins and online purchases, as well as a membership program that provides exclusive content and rewards.

Originally founded in 1984 as Babbage's in Dallas, Texas, the company adopted the GameStop name in 1999 following its merger with Software Etc.

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