Good time to buy stock in Square-Enix?

http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Square_Enix_(SQNXF)

I get the feeling this would be a real good time to buy stock in Square Enix. >_>
Looking at this graph that covers the last 6-7 years of the company, you'll notice that the current close of about $16 is in around an all time low.

However ... it does make sense. SE is employing a crew of 300 people to work in FFXIV right now, in addition to outsourcing some of the project work. Even after subscriber fee intake, they are probably out over 1 Million each month in the red over this game. That's of course in addition to reportedly 5 years of development time lost before the original launch of 1.0

Faith in the company is fragile in the first place...
But SE is legitimately throwing everything they have at this game... and for those few of us here paying attention, we're in the know about a few details that aren't secret, but are not yet public knowledge.

The China contract for FFXIV will be a big impact maker for one... The luminous engine is just getting under way as well. ....and then there's the upcoming convention. Dragon Quest X online launched today and it looks good. The Ad campaign for FFXIV is set to begin in only a couple of weeks. ... On the announcement of a Deus Ex movie i am uncertain what to think on that one ...

In any case, i think it's silly to think that SE stock will go down any further. THIS, right now, is the low point. RIGHT NOW.

Will it go up to a modest $23-24, or as high as $45-50? Tough to say. I think it'll top $30 in the next three years though. That's a 2:1 investment and it could be pretty lucrative if you have enough overhead.

Plus, it supports FFXIV. ;)

Um.. That ticker NEVER moves in terms of volume/cash. You want to buy SE shares you buy in JPY (Ticker: 9684.T).

I currently have some longs in SE and things were going good till that Versus XIII rumor came out. I've lost all my profits and waiting for it to come back.

I would not put any hopes in movie from SE, also until they confirm or deny what happened with Versus, it could either go up or down, also Type-0 has yet to be announced for the USA-EU market, and it's a solid game, SE being unable to comment or weather they will or not release it world wide really is concerning <.<

Why would you invest in a dying company?

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

Why would you invest in a dying company?

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Please leave

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In any case, i think it's silly to think that SE stock will go down any further. THIS, right now, is the low point. RIGHT NOW.

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Based on what?

I'm as big an SE fanboy as the next person on here, but basing financial decisions on hunches and presumptions is bad business.

What does SE really have coming in the next few years?

Sure they've had some great acquisitions recently, but everything is so far up in the air right now it's impossible to know where it will land.

XIV is basically banking on a Hail Mary pass. vsXIII is starting to be regarded as vaporware. They're about to announce a third XIII sequel. Tomb Raider is being met with mixed reactions and Sleeping Dogs has an uphill battle.

The gaming industry as a whole is a risky investment. Companies are constantly downsizing or closing as the costs of making a game that is up to par with people's expectations keeps skyrocketing.

So is it a good time to try and make any gaming company some kind of nestegg? My opinion is no. But then again, I'm not really much of a gambler.

SE stock will continue to drop as their recent games have met with a negative response, and failures such as XIV have reduced consumer confidence.

Even if XIV 2.0 is perfect it is nearly impossible to re-market a failed game, and all the people on here who claim spamming advertisements will work have no real marketing experience. 2.0 will not be SE's saving grace.

SE's stock will rise again if the next final fantasy (15? versus?) is a massive success. If not, they will probably fall drastically.

There are a lot of -MUCH- safer stocks out there.

That being said, SE probably won't die as they can make millions off KH3, FFVII-HD/3D, FF15

If you want to invest in a winner, try ZeniMax Media if they ever go public (owns Bethesda). Their new Elder Scrolls MMO will almost for sure be one of the most successful mmo's on the market and will probably make ff look like a joke. Even the screenshots of it and concept art look years ahead of XIV. Plus they will have 3-way massive PvP battles and let you explore all of skyrim, morrowing, tamriel, and a bunch of other places. So its like every elder scrolls in one in a multiplayer arena.
And slated for release 2013.

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Originally Posted by Fear

Please leave

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It's fun to be in denial land, isn't it?
SE killed FFversus.
They keep milking the FFXIII series instead of making a new one.
SE canceled FFXIII-3.
FFXIV got 4.0 out of 10.
They are bleeding money. I wouldn't be surprised if they got bought by another big gaming company, like Nintendo.
That would actually save Square Enix.

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Originally Posted by NefarioCall

http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Square_Enix_(SQNXF)

I get the feeling this would be a real good time to buy stock in Square Enix. >_>
Looking at this graph that covers the last 6-7 years of the company, you'll notice that the current close of about $16 is in around an all time low.

However ... it does make sense. SE is employing a crew of 300 people to work in FFXIV right now, in addition to outsourcing some of the project work. Even after subscriber fee intake, they are probably out over 1 Million each month in the red over this game. That's of course in addition to reportedly 5 years of development time lost before the original launch of 1.0

Faith in the company is fragile in the first place...
But SE is legitimately throwing everything they have at this game... and for those few of us here paying attention, we're in the know about a few details that aren't secret, but are not yet public knowledge.

The China contract for FFXIV will be a big impact maker for one... The luminous engine is just getting under way as well. ....and then there's the upcoming convention. Dragon Quest X online launched today and it looks good. The Ad campaign for FFXIV is set to begin in only a couple of weeks. ... On the announcement of a Deus Ex movie i am uncertain what to think on that one ...

In any case, i think it's silly to think that SE stock will go down any further. THIS, right now, is the low point. RIGHT NOW.

Will it go up to a modest $23-24, or as high as $45-50? Tough to say. I think it'll top $30 in the next three years though. That's a 2:1 investment and it could be pretty lucrative if you have enough overhead.

Plus, it supports FFXIV. ;)

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This generation wasn't easy for SE To adapt. The new luminous engine and next gen consoles can change all that. I would wait till next gen comes out to move into SE stocks. They have to deliver high quality games in a time span of 6 per year. Considering all the franchises they own for The stock to go up. That's considering all platforms too.

Haha, for someone who is well-versed in the realm of stockholdings, let me tell you this would be one of the poorest investments imaginable.

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Originally Posted by Sephrick

Based on what?

I'm as big an SE fanboy as the next person on here, but basing financial decisions on hunches and presumptions is bad business.

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Actually if you follow stocks you will know that there is a good amount of resistance for SE's stock at around 1150 JPY. Hes right in his assumption that this is the low point (for wrong reasons though). Only way I see it dipping below that point is if they actually admit that Versus was cancelled... and thats when I'll pull my investment.

Right now this is a total gamble... but one I have a stake in.

If you want a safe Japanese stock to play... You play Nintendo when it bounces from 8000 JPY and exit around 8900-9000 JPY.

Lol omg. I wish all the whiteknights would pump their money into SE stocks. Take out loans and second mortgages to do it too.

That would make me very happy.

Considering in 2010 after the release of FFXIV Square Enix drastically reduced its earnings forecasts for the remainder of the fiscal year from 12 billion yen (approx. $142.4 million USD) to just 1 billion yen ($11.9 million) - a decrease of 91.7% I think most investors would advice against it.

It's also important to consider 2.0 isn't guaranteed to truly redeem the game. While some people(mainly FFXIV players themselves) have high expectations for 2.0, the outside community is generally skeptical. I myself personally think 2.0 only has like a 50% chance of succeeding based on what I know of 2.0 and the steady release of poor content being put out by SE for it's other games in the FF franchise. However, that's just my opinion not like I'm an expert or anything.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

Why would you invest in a dying company?

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Because a healthy company has less room to grow.
A dying company has the full growth curve available to it... provided it doesn't die.
Although i wouldn't see SE as a 'nest egg' type company anyway. it's not that kind of product.
But i don't do nest eggs. ... I look for companies that will survive, but are at the low point.
For example. General motors after the stock market crash.
Or .. in slight variation, Nortel when it hit 69Cents per share.
in that case, the company eventually folded, but big brother didn't want to go through the embarrassment of it folding right away, so the shares peaked at $14.
Buy low, sell high.

It's kind of like betting on that horse at the races with 1:650 payout. You know it's a long shot but it could all work out in the end.

*edit*

I'm not saying SE is in a bad way, but as far as stocks and game companies go they shift very violently.

You people are being foolish. 2.0 does not have to Redeem SE it only has to become profitable.

Stock prices do not move on what gamers think of a company.

SE stock has most likely hit it's low point.

There is literally 0 chance of the company going under.

They are not losing money, they are simply not earning as much as they normally do.

Anyone who has the money to let sit in a stock for 5 years would be a fool not to buy in to SE right now.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

It's fun to be in denial land, isn't it?
SE killed FFversus.
They keep milking the FFXIII series instead of making a new one.
SE canceled FFXIII-3.
FFXIV got 4.0 out of 10.

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1: SE did NOT cancel FF13 Vs. that was a rumor that Wada said was false.
2: I doubt they did, wheres your proof?
3: Thats why the hell we're getting a FF14 2.0, if your so negative and think the company is failing why the hell are you playing one of their games?

I would consider it, but it is a gamble. I wouldn't buy for the long term, but if the versus rumor depreciated the stock than it may be worth it. Wait for the rumor to clear up and if it turns out they are releasing it you may see a modest increase in value. If 2.0 turns out to be a success (and that is a long shot) you may see some more modest gains and walk away with a profit. If things go the other way on either of those than the stock may again slip.

It's always a gamble! When Ford stock dropped to almost nothing I pulled all the money from my 401k and invested it all, and walked away with huge gains, but I do not see that situation here. You are more likely to lose and if you come out ahead it will be modest. I like what I am seeing about 2.0, but I just don't know if I am willing to wager on it's success.

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Originally Posted by Kiote

You people are being foolish. 2.0 does not have to Redeem SE it only has to become profitable.

Stock prices do not move on what gamers think of a company.

SE stock has most likely hit it's low point.

There is literally 0 chance of the company going under.

They are not losing money, they are simply not earning as much as they normally do.

Anyone who has the money to let sit in a stock for 5 years would be a fool not to buy in to SE right now.

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That's not true, if 2.0 fails you will see another huge loss in the companies earning forecasts(just like in 2010) which effects stock value. That was the point I was trying to make.

It's worth pointing out that contrary to your opinion, the company is loosing money, you can read about it here: http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/...ions-imminent/

Also, don't go around calling people foolish. It's rude, unnecessary, and even more frustrating when you're dead wrong about the point you were trying to sound so cool making. Also personally attacking people is against the ToS, and most importantly if I'm not allowed to do it I most definitely don't want someone like you to get away with it.

possible to make very little money when they get a hit at theses prices, usually you would buy low not when its leveled out.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

It's fun to be in denial land, isn't it?
SE killed FFversus.
They keep milking the FFXIII series instead of making a new one.
SE canceled FFXIII-3.
FFXIV got 4.0 out of 10.
They are bleeding money. I wouldn't be surprised if they got bought by another big gaming company, like Nintendo.
That would actually save Square Enix.

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SE isn't dying rofl.

>Versus is still in production.
>They just showed Agni's Philosophy at E3, which looks INCREDIBLE, especially if it turns out to be more than a tech demo.
>FFXIII-3 doesn't exist..? And they made FFXIII-2 for the fans of FNC, which I am among.
>FFXIV is getting relaunch as a completely new game.

Your arguments are silly and baseless lol.

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Originally Posted by Lstkaws

It's always a gamble! When Ford stock dropped to almost nothing I pulled all the money from my 401k and invested it all, and walked away with huge gains, but I do not see that situation here. You are more likely to lose and if you come out ahead it will be modest. I like what I am seeing about 2.0, but I just don't know if I am willing to wager on it's success.

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..and SE will never be that kind of stock. Just the same way that a steel manufacturing company that makes the car parts will never be the car company itself. They're completely different. So ... no ... this isn't a golden opportunity like those... but i have a hard time finding any reason to think that the stock value will drop further than it has ... and then, even if 2.0 isn't a wild success, SE is the kind of company stable enough that over 5 years, it should be able to pick up the pieces.

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Originally Posted by Mijin

That's not true, if 2.0 fails you will see another huge loss in the companies earning forecasts(just like in 2010) which effects stock value. That was the point I was trying to make.

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While a quality product does not always lead to success, it is an important factor. I suppose you could always 'wait it out' and see what the general reaction to Beta is through the end of 2012. I mean, if SE isn't going to fold, they also aren't going to make the full gains they could make back by the end of this calendar year. You might end up being able to buy lower into a company that will still come back, or you end up buying a little higher and making a smaller profit margin when you sell.

/confused over how to buy stock (based in uk) :(

/noob

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Originally Posted by NefarioCall

..and SE will never be that kind of stock. Just the same way that a steel manufacturing company that makes the car parts will never be the car company itself. They're completely different. So ... no ... this isn't a golden opportunity like those... but i have a hard time finding any reason to think that the stock value will drop further than it has ... and then, even if 2.0 isn't a wild success, SE is the kind of company stable enough that over 5 years, it should be able to pick up the pieces.



While a quality product does not always lead to success, it is an important factor. I suppose you could always 'wait it out' and see what the general reaction to Beta is through the end of 2012. I mean, if SE isn't going to fold, they also aren't going to make the full gains they could make back by the end of this calendar year. You might end up being able to buy lower into a company that will still come back, or you end up buying a little higher and making a smaller profit margin when you sell.

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There is always a chance the stock could drop. If 2.0 fails they will have invested a lot of money and not be able to recoup. If Versus is not released it could also cause a drop. FF titles are the flagship for SE, if the FF titles take a hit so will the stocks. To put in perspective, consider the losses that would be caused by a FFXIV 2.0 complete failure. The costs of development and hardware alone would be significant. That being said SE could still rebound from such an incident. If you believe in it...then get some skin in the game.

Yes this is certainly not a situation like the auto companies, but I always respect someone who is willing to put there money where their mouth is.

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Originally Posted by Yucie

SE isn't dying rofl.

>Versus is still in production.
>They just showed Agni's Philosophy at E3, which looks INCREDIBLE, especially if it turns out to be more than a tech demo.
>FFXIII-3 doesn't exist..? And they made FFXIII-2 for the fans of FNC, which I am among.
>FFXIV is getting relaunch as a completely new game.

Your arguments are silly and baseless lol.

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Oh yeah? Where's your proof that versus is still in production, OTHER than wada's word "s-sure guys...it's s-s-still in production t-trust me guys!"
Absolutely no new info in several years = game will never come out.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

It's fun to be in denial land, isn't it?
SE killed FFversus.
They keep milking the FFXIII series instead of making a new one.
SE canceled FFXIII-3.
FFXIV got 4.0 out of 10.
They are bleeding money. I wouldn't be surprised if they got bought by another big gaming company, like Nintendo.
That would actually save Square Enix.

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It terms of Software Sales Nintendo is doing much worse

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Originally Posted by Valmonte

It terms of Software Sales Nintendo is doing much worse

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Hardware sales are what matters, since they make a profit on every DS/3DS/Wii sold.
Better than Sony and their nogames PSVita/PS3.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

Hardware sales are what matters, since they make a profit on every DS/3DS/Wii sold.
Better than Sony and their nogames PSVita/PS3.

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....and how would square enix profit by being joined with Nintendo?

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

Oh yeah? Where's your proof that versus is still in production, OTHER than wada's word "s-sure guys...it's s-s-still in production t-trust me guys!"
Absolutely no new info in several years = game will never come out.

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Just because they are not talking about it doesn't mean it's shut down. And Wada came up front and said it wasn't cancelled. If they don;t wanna talk about it they don't have to.. it doesn't mean it's cancelled.

Saying FFXIII-3 got Cancelled when FFXIII-3 was never brought up by Square Enix at all. <---- this alone tells me Your not keeping up with things x.x.

Like I said.. They donlt have to say anything if they don't want to. They will when the time is right.

I think theres a bit of good news in the stock with the announcement that SE will be releasing software for the new OUYA console. FFIII will be available on it to start. Theres a lot of hype over OUYA and titles available at or close to its release should do well. I'd be still be wary of sinking money into any games company atm. Games sales overall aren't doing well though that may be down to the quality of recent releases rather than any economic factors. Have to think this is about the bottom end for SE though and I can't see any more downside with this stock, should be a safeish bet.

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Originally Posted by Lstkaws

To put in perspective, consider the losses that would be caused by a FFXIV 2.0 complete failure. The costs of development and hardware alone would be significant. That being said SE could still rebound from such an incident. If you believe in it...than get some skin in the game.

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I suppose my thoughts are EXACTLY this. Though there is no proof that SE could rebound from a 2.0 failure, let us say that they can. Of course this is a fallacy in my argument that i am taking it for given ... perhaps there are numbers to back it up, but i don't have them. Anyway, if we say that SE can rebound from a 2.0 failure, then even in that situation the relative low point of the current value would likely be exceeded in a 5 year span. Then, in a situation where the stock values will eventually exceed where they are now, even if they manage to drop beyond their current value, the end result is still a gain.

The difference of course being the size of the gain from the buying point. This is by no means a winning lottery ticket, but it is still a gain over enough time. ... that is unless the company folds.

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Originally Posted by NefarioCall

I suppose my thoughts are EXACTLY this. Though there is no proof that SE could rebound from a 2.0 failure, let us say that they can. Of course this is a fallacy in my argument that i am taking it for given ... perhaps there are numbers to back it up, but i don't have them. Anyway, if we say that SE can rebound from a 2.0 failure, then even in that situation the relative low point of the current value would likely be exceeded in a 5 year span. Then, in a situation where the stock values will eventually exceed where they are now, even if they manage to drop beyond their current value, the end result is still a gain.

The difference of course being the size of the gain from the buying point. This is by no means a winning lottery ticket, but it is still a gain over enough time. ... that is unless the company folds.

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they wont recover from another loss by choice not by lack of resources. Square now has 3 MMO's to milk if one of them fails no biggy.

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Originally Posted by NefarioCall

I suppose my thoughts are EXACTLY this. Though there is no proof that SE could rebound from a 2.0 failure, let us say that they can. Of course this is a fallacy in my argument that i am taking it for given ... perhaps there are numbers to back it up, but i don't have them. Anyway, if we say that SE can rebound from a 2.0 failure, then even in that situation the relative low point of the current value would likely be exceeded in a 5 year span. Then, in a situation where the stock values will eventually exceed where they are now, even if they manage to drop beyond their current value, the end result is still a gain.

The difference of course being the size of the gain from the buying point. This is by no means a winning lottery ticket, but it is still a gain over enough time. ... that is unless the company folds.

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I wouldn't call it a terrible investment, but to be honest if I was going to invest in SE I would be hoping for a 2.0 failure. This would further depress the stock (at this point I would buy) then I would hope for a huge turnout on versus and the following FF title. I may be a bit skittish because I seriously considered investing prior to FFXIV's release. I would have taken a considerable hit. Not entirely because of XIV, but just SE overall took a hit.

You guys seem to forget that SE is more than just FF... Granted it is their biggest IP next to DQ. Their lineup for this fiscal year is fairly solid.

Will it sell an adequate amount of volume is to be determined.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

Why would you invest in a dying company?

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Because you know what, that's almost the entire industry itself. With the biggest publisher EA making the bigger drop than most publisher percentage wise and THQ on the brink of bankruptcy, I hardly find SE is the only "dying" company. Let's not also forget the 38 Studios drama llama.

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Originally Posted by TimonLoon

You guys seem to forget that SE is more than just FF... Granted it is their biggest IP next to DQ. Their lineup for this fiscal year is fairly solid.

Will it sell an adequate amount of volume is to be determined.

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You are right, that is why I would not fault anyone for investing in SE, but at the moment I am just not sure whether or not it is an investment I would choose.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

Why would you invest in a dying company?

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i love how people come here and say shit like this but then again they wasting there money on a dying company like the other person said please leave.

Just for your information, SquareEnix do not rely solely on the Final Fantasy franchise, maybe you forgot about the recent smart acquisition of Eidos which brought on board a host of great talent and franchises like Deus-EX (Human Revolution sold close to 3 million copies under the SE banner), Thief, Legacy of Kain, and the soon to be released and hugely popular Hitman, Tomb Raider, Sleeping Dogs, etc. All potential big sellers and good money makers for the company.

And please, stop with the old "PS3 has no games" jab, this is not 2007, nobody uses it anymore and for good reason. The Vita on the other hand could do with some games, but it'll eventually get better too. Also, how is Nintendo's profit on each console sold benefiting you as a customer when they sell hardware which is a generation behind the competition at triple the price it should be marked at. Typical fanboy blabber.

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Originally Posted by Nume

Legacy of Kain.

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The mere mention of this franchise is worth hecking the bed over.

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Originally Posted by Neomarl

It's fun to be in denial land, isn't it?
SE killed FFversus.
They keep milking the FFXIII series instead of making a new one.
SE canceled FFXIII-3.
FFXIV got 4.0 out of 10.
They are bleeding money. I wouldn't be surprised if they got bought by another big gaming company, like Nintendo.
That would actually save Square Enix.

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SE is bleeding money? Last I checked the books are in the Black. Go check out investor relations. They are one of the few gaming companys making money atm.