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CD Projekt Posts 2.3% Drop in Full-Year Net Profit Amid Lack of New Game Releases

Polish video game developer CD Projekt (CDR.WA) reported a 2.3% decline in its full-year net profit on Tuesday, mainly due to the absence of new game releases during the year. The company’s net profit stood at 469.9 million zlotys ($122 million), surpassing analysts’ expectations, which had forecasted a profit of 390 million zlotys, according to a Reuters poll.

While net profit decreased, the company’s revenue dropped nearly 20%, totaling 985 million zlotys for the year. CD Projekt’s performance was supported by the release of the long-anticipated expansion to its flagship game, “Cyberpunk 2077,” which boosted the previous year’s results.

Looking ahead, the company faces a couple of years without a major game release. Its revenue for the upcoming quarters is expected to be largely driven by sales from existing titles. “The results of the CD Projekt Group are primarily driven by sales of ‘Cyberpunk 2077,'” said finance chief Piotr Nielubowicz. “Even in the absence of any major launch, the past year was the third-best in the group’s history in terms of net profit.”

As of November 2024, cumulative sales of “Cyberpunk 2077” had surpassed 30 million copies, while its “Phantom Liberty” expansion had sold more than 8 million units. The company also plans to release “Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition” for macOS in 2024, aiming to tap into a new group of gamers.

In addition, CD Projekt is expanding the “Cyberpunk” universe, with a new animation project currently in development for Netflix, marking another step in the franchise’s growth.

Tower Semiconductor Predicts Strong Q1 Revenue Amid Robust Auto Sector Demand

Tower Semiconductor (TSEM.TA), an Israeli contract chipmaker, has forecasted slightly higher-than-expected first-quarter 2025 revenue, driven by steady demand for its chips, particularly from the automobile sector. The company’s U.S.-listed shares rose by 1% in premarket trading following the announcement.

Tower specializes in manufacturing analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, which are primarily used in the automobile industry by “fabless” firms that design chips but outsource their production. Despite challenges within the automobile sector, such as difficulties in clearing excess inventory built up during the pandemic and a recent slowdown in demand for electric vehicles, Tower Semiconductor has remained resilient, continuing to supply its chips.

The company is now forecasting first-quarter revenue of $358 million, with a 5% margin of variability. This projection slightly exceeds analysts’ expectations of $357.5 million, according to LSEG data. For the fourth quarter, Tower reported revenue of $387.2 million, meeting analyst forecasts. However, its net profit for the quarter ending December 31 came in at $55.1 million, below the expected $58.7 million, mainly due to increased costs from its new greenfield chipmaking facility in Agrate, Italy.

On an adjusted basis, the company posted quarterly profit of 59 cents per share, surpassing analyst estimates of 52 cents per share.

L&T Technology Misses Q3 Revenue Estimates Due to Softer Automotive Spending

L&T Technology Services (LTTS), an Indian engineering and technology services firm, reported a smaller-than-expected revenue for the third quarter, primarily attributed to reduced spending from its automotive clients. The company posted a 9.6% year-on-year revenue increase, amounting to 26.53 billion rupees ($307.14 million) for the quarter ended December 31. However, this fell short of analysts’ expectations of 26.65 billion rupees, according to LSEG data.

Revenue and Profit Performance

The company also revised its revenue growth forecast for fiscal year 2025, raising it to near 10%, up from the earlier range of 8%-10%, following the acquisition of U.S.-based software firm Intelliswift. Despite this, its net profit fell 4.1%, totaling 3.22 billion rupees, below analysts’ estimate of 3.32 billion rupees. The decline in profit was attributed to increased sales and administrative costs.

Mobility Business Challenges

L&T Technology’s mobility business unit, which includes services to the automotive sector, posted its slowest revenue growth of 4.1% since the company began disclosing such figures in the first quarter of the fiscal year. Analysts noted that the ongoing challenges faced by automakers, including labor strikes and the shift toward electric vehicles, have had a significant impact on L&T Technology’s performance. These factors contributed to the company’s weaker-than-expected earnings.

Market Reaction and Industry Context

Despite the disappointing results, shares of L&T Technology closed 3.1% higher ahead of the earnings announcement. In a broader context, engineering, research, and design (ER&D) services, including technology support for industries like transportation and communications, make up a significant portion of India’s $254 billion technology sector. L&T Technology’s performance reflects the ongoing challenges in the automotive industry, which is grappling with the global shift toward electric vehicles and labor disruptions.

L&T Technology’s results follow a similar trend seen in peer Tata Elxsi, whose shares tumbled 7.6% last week after missing revenue estimates.