Broker Peel Hunt reiterated its buy rating on Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF) shares following the announcement of its acquisition of game developer Wushu Studios.
“Wushu’s founder and majority owner, Alan McDermott, and his management team is to remain with the business post-acquisition as they look to continue Wushu’s growth, which we believe is underpinned by a strong pipeline of high-quality projects,” said Peel Hunt of the acquisition.
Established in 2017, Wushu has worked on popular games including State of Decay, Forza Horizon 5, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Devolver Digital’s Fall Guys (pictured).
Peel Hunt analysts estimated a purchase price of between £10 million and £15 million, given the estimated 5-7 times EBITDA valuation resulting from the acquisition.
“The firm has sufficient cash and spare debt capacity to fund this acquisition using either,” said Peel Hunt.
The broker has a price target of 3,170p against a 2,398p publication price.
In July, Keywords agreed to a £2.1 billion takeover bid tabled by a consortium led by Scandinavian private equity group EQT.