How To Invest in Embracer Group, the New Owner of Several Development Studios
Swedish company Embracer Group has been in the news for acquiring multiple development studios. Who owns Embracer Group, and does it have stock?
May 3 2022, Published 6:15 a.m. ET
Swedish company Embracer Group has acquired development studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, and Square Enix Montréal for a total consideration of $300 million. Who owns Embracer Group, and does it have stock?
According to Embracer Group, it's the “parent company of businesses led by entrepreneurs in PC, console, mobile and board games and other related media.” The company has more than 850 owned or controlled franchises.
Embracer Group has ten operating groups
Embracer Group has ten operating groups in total, including THQ Nordic GmbH. The company is based in Karlstad, Sweden, and employs more than 12,500 people in over 40 countries.
Embracer Group's founding, history, and name changes
Lars Wingefors founded Embracer Group. According to the comapny, its journey began “for real” in 2011 when it acquired the assets and subsidiaries of JoWooD Entertainment, an insolvent publisher. Embracer has been growing through acquisitions and is now the largest gaming company in Europe.
It has changed its name frequently. Embracer went as Nordic Games Licensing AB between 2011 to 2016 and THQ Nordic AB between 2016 and 2019. It then changed its name in 2019 because one of its subsidiaries, video game publisher and developer THQ Nordic GmbH, was similarly named. THQ Nordic GmbH was the original operating company.
Lars Wingefors is the biggest stockholder of Embracer Group
With an almost-20-percent stake, Wingefors remains Embracer's biggest stockholder despite gradually reducing his holding. The company went public in 2016 by listing on Nasdaq First North, Sweden.
Who owns Embracer Group?
As a publicly traded company, Embracer is owned by stockholders, both institutional and retail. S3D Media is its second-largest stockholder, with a 6.63 percent stake, and Swedbank Robur Fonder AB is a close third, with a 6.19 percent stake. The founders and management of Easybrain and the CPP Investment Board hold 5.13 and 2.82 percent, respectively.
VanEck Investments Limited holds 0.21 percent of the company, and Baillie Gifford, who has also invested in NIO, is also among Embracer Group’s investors.
Can you invest in Embracer Group stock?
In addition to trading on European stock markets, Embracer trades on OTC markets, under the ticker symbol “THQQF”. However, its OTC average volumes are quite low, with only about 1,500 shares traded daily. Low volumes, a common problem with OTC stocks, lead to a higher bid-ask spread.
