Why Take-Two Interactive Stock Rose 12.6% Last Month, but Has Slipped in May

Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) stock posted double-digit gains across April's trading despite huge volatility for the market. The company's share price climbed 12.6% in the month. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) closed out the period down 0.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) declined 0.9%.

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TTWO data by YCharts

Stocks saw high levels of volatility across April's trading in response to shifting tariff and trade war dynamics, but Take-Two stock saw strong gains across the stretch thanks to excitement surrounding the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto VI -- the company's most important game. But news arrived this month that the game's release has been pushed from 2025 to 2026.

Image source: Getty Images.

Investor excitement for GTA VI drove Take-Two's stock gains in April

With trade war concerns roiling the market last month, investors bought into Take-Two stock with the expectation that Grand Theft Auto VI would deliver big success for the company in 2025. The Grand Theft Auto series is Take-Two's most important performance driver, and the next installment in the franchise is likely to be a huge hit when it releases.

In addition to being this decade's most highly anticipated new video game, the title also has relatively little exposure to tariffs -- making Take-Two stock even more appealing.

Take-Two has slipped slightly in May due to a delay for GTA VI

But while GTA VI being a huge positive catalyst for the company looks like a relatively safe bet, its release has now been pushed further out.

Take-Two published a press release on May 2 announcing that GTA VI will no longer be releasing in its previously planned fall 2025 window. Instead, the game is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2026. The stock initially saw a big pullback following the news, but it's pared its losses on the month to just 1%, as of this writing. The stock is still up roughly 26% across this year's trading.

Take-Two chose to delay GTA VI's release in order to ensure that it can deliver a very high-quality product. The game is likely being positioned to have a roughly decade-long product lifecycle, so it makes sense to ensure that it is as close to perfection as possible at launch. The publisher debuted a new trailer for the game on Tuesday, and investors responded by bidding up the company's stock again.

While GTA VI's delay means that Take-Two's near-term sales and earnings performance will be weaker than previously anticipated, the long-term outlook for the game and its publisher remain very promising. With the delay, Take-Two will also give some other titles on its release schedule this year a greater chance to shine. Investors should get a closer look at the performance outlook when the company reports results for the fourth quarter of its last fiscal year after the market closes on May 15.

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Keith Noonan has positions in Take-Two Interactive Software. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Take-Two Interactive Software. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.