Grand Theft Auto V has pulled in over $8.6 billion since its 2013 launch, making it the highest-grossing entertainment product ever, and the franchise has earned more than $9.5 billion to date.

GTA Online alone generated nearly $1 billion in microtransactions in 2021, and the game still rakes in hundreds of millions each year thanks to regular updates.

With GTA VI due next year and projected to bring in over $3.2 billion, Take-Two’s (TTWO) stock has already jumped 26% year-to-date, suggesting much of that upside may already be priced in.

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One of the most remarkable success stories in entertainment has been Grand Theft Auto V, and the numbers tell the tale.

Since its launch in September 2013, GTA V has generated over $8.6 billion in cumulative revenue, making it the single most successful entertainment product of all time.

Furthermore, the GTA franchise as a whole has generated over $9.5 billion in revenue since Grand Theft Auto V’s launch.

A significant slice of that total comes from GTA Online, where microtransactions alone brought in nearly $1 billion in fiscal year 2021.

Despite being nearly a decade old, the game continues to pull in hundreds of millions annually, with regular content updates and a loyal player base fueling both engagement and spending.

Expectations are incredibly high for GTA VI, slated for release next year, with projections that it will generate billions for its developer, Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO).

GTA VI could pull in more than $3.2 billion in its first year, based on pre-order momentum and comparisons to other blockbuster game and movie releases.

This includes over $1 billion from pre-orders alone…

Furthermore, GTA VI can launch at a premium price point, possibly exceeding $70.

However, the significant revenue and profit boost expected from GTA VI is a well-known factor, and much of this optimism may already be reflected in the company’s current stock valuation.

We can see what the market thinks through our Embedded Expectations Analysis (“EEA”) framework.

The EEA starts by looking at a company’s current stock price. From there, we can calculate what the market expects from the company’s future cash flows. We then compare that with our own cash-flow projections.

In short, it tells us how well a company has to perform in the future to be worth what the market is paying for it today.

At the current stock price, the market expects the company’s Uniform ROA to skyrocket to around 62% from 15% last year.

Year-to-date, Take-Two’s shares had appreciated over 26%, outperforming the broader market by a large margin.

While the upcoming release of GTA VI undoubtedly presents a massive opportunity for the company, investors must weigh this against a market that has already priced in substantial success.

It can be difficult for Take-Two to meet and exceed these lofty expectations to offer substantial upside for investors.

Best regards,

Joel Litman & Rob Spivey
Chief Investment Officer &
Director of Research
at Valens Research