Activision share price wounded following "extraordinary error" by Dow Jones
Confusion overshadowed record Q1 revenue for publisher; stock value down 2.3 per cent by market close
Activision Blizzard shares plummeted more than six per cent yesterday after the early release of an incorrect earnings report by Dow Jones News Service.
Shares initially spiked to session highs in the afternoon before Activision's earnings report was scheduled to go live, raising concern among traders.
According to Bloomberg, headlines containing financial information "potentially from prior quarters" were mistakenly published by Dow Jones.
Described by Activision as an "extraordinary error", the debacle saw the publisher's share prices tumble, dragging Electronic Arts and Take-Two down with them.
Trading on Activision's shares was halted around an hour after the mix-up began, and resumed trading another hour later, closing out the day 2.3 per cent lower.
Following a correction from Dow Jones, Take-Two and EA shares surged to session highs before Activision released its earnings report in full, posting record Q1 revenue.
"We regret our error as well as inadvertently breaking the embargo," said Dow Jones in a statement. "We have issued a correction and are reviewing our processes."