Take-Two Shares Hold Ground Above Key Averages as Analyst Optimism Outweighs Pre-Order Discontent
28.06.2026 - 00:51:00 | boerse-global.de
The launch of Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders on June 25, 2026 was supposed to be a celebration — but instead left many fans fuming. Buyers of the physical standard edition, priced at $79.99, discovered that the box contains nothing more than a download code. Rockstar Games has promised a genuine disc version will follow after the November 19 launch, though no specific date has been given. The backlash has been loud, but it has done little to unsettle the stock.
Take-Two Interactive closed the week at €209.00, a small retreat from intraweek highs, yet still comfortably above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Over the past month the shares have climbed 11.23%, recovering smartly from the February trough of €159.24. On a year-to-date basis, however, they remain 2.65% in the red. The stock's relative strength index sits at 63, pointing to solid upward momentum without overheating, while its annualised 30-day volatility of around 36% underscores how sensitive the name remains to any news around game releases and bookings data.
Investor calm amid the disc controversy is underpinned by a fresh wave of analyst support. BTIG Research initiated coverage of Take-Two this week with a buy rating and a $290 price target, implying roughly 19.5% upside from current levels. That aligns with broader Street sentiment: according to S&P Global, the average recommendation among 30 analysts is "Strong Buy," with a consensus target of $281.67.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Take-Two?
The bullish thesis rests on concrete numbers. For its fiscal year 2026, Take-Two posted net bookings of $6.72 billion, topping its own guidance, with recurring player spending growing 17%. The fourth quarter alone contributed $1.58 billion in net bookings, also ahead of expectations. Looking ahead, management guided for fiscal 2027 net bookings of $8.0 to $8.2 billion — a jump of roughly 20% that CEO Strauss Zelnick expects to be accompanied by operating cash flow in the billions.
That financial trajectory is the real anchor behind the analyst price targets. The launch of GTA VI, spanning console, PC, mobile and live-service revenue streams, is seen as the primary catalyst. And despite the hardcore fan frustration, the commercial success of the title appears assured as long as digital pre-orders remain robust. The empty box controversy may be a PR headache, but it has not dented the underlying growth story.
The next major test for Take-Two will come when it reports interim results for fiscal 2027. Only then will investors discover whether the ambitious bookings forecast is a well-communicated aspiration or a deliverable reality. For now, the stock is priced for the former, and the market is giving management the benefit of the doubt.
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