Gaming retailer GameStop to offer up to $1 bn in shares; stock declines

GameStop Corp. fell early on Monday after the company said it may sell up to $1 billion worth of additional shares an at-the-market equity offering program.

The recent GameStop frenzy provided what parents and educators call a teachable moment - an opportunity that presents itself to lend a little insight. (AP)

Shares of GameStop Corp. fell early on Monday after the company said it may sell up to $1 billion worth of additional shares at an at-the-market equity offering program.

Shares of the video game retailer declined more than 15 percent to $160.96 as of 7:19 a.m. in New York. Jefferies will manage the offering of up to 3.5 million shares, according to a statement, and proceeds will be used to further accelerate its corporate transformation.

The company signed a deal in December with Jefferies to sell as much as $100 million in stock, according to a filing.

As part of a corporate overhaul spearheaded by activist investor and board member Ryan Cohen, GameStop, the company has brought in a number of new executives including a chief growth officer and chief technology officer, adding technology-focused senior executives to its team to move the company away from its brick-and-mortar business.

In a separate statement on Monday, GameStop released preliminary sales results for the first nine weeks of fiscal 2021, where total global sales increased about 11 percent from the same period a year ago. Total global sales jumped 18 percent in March after a 5.3 percent rise in February.

GameStop, based in the Dallas suburbs, has suffered with the video-game industry's shift to online distribution. With gamers downloading more and more – or at least ordering software and gear via e-commerce – there's less reason to make a trip to a physical store. The company reported disappointing fourth-quarter earnings last month.