Unity Software Inc. (NYSE: U) experienced a significant surge in its stock price on Monday, jumping nearly 20% by the closing bell. The rally was sparked by an exciting announcement made by Apple Inc. (AAPL) during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Apple revealed that Unity’s gaming software will be integrated into their upcoming mixed reality headset, called Apple Vision Pro. The audience was delighted by this news. Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations acknowledged the incredible 3D apps developed by Unity’s community of developers over the years. The collaboration between Apple and Unity has a clear objective: to bring popular Unity-based games and apps to Vision Pro. This integration will grant them full access to the headset’s advanced features, including pass-through, high-resolution renderings, and native gestures.
The trading volume of Unity stock demonstrated a clear and positive response to this announcement. It surged to more than triple its 20-day moving average, reflecting the heightened investor interest and enthusiasm. This marked the best intraday performance for Unity since November 10.
Unity Software is a company known for its cross-platform game engine, initially discussed at an Apple WWDC event back in 2005. It went public in 2020, and during the 2021 tech surge in stocks, its share price climbed to nearly $200. Renowned investor Cathie Wood, founder of Ark Innovation, holds shares in Unity, accounting for 3.46% of the total portfolio. Unity is the 15th largest holding in Ark’s flagship fund, the Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK).
During Monday’s presentation at WWDC, Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the technology development group, expressed excitement about the collaboration with Unity. He emphasized the deep integration of Unity’s tools with Apple’s world-class rendering of vision OS and powerful displays, making the Apple Vision Pro an exceptional platform for game developers.
“We’ve been building towards this moment for years,” Mike Rockwell, vice president of the technology development group at Apple said during Monday’s presentation. “Our work together with Unity to deeply support their tools combined with the World-class rendering of vision OS and powerful displays makes Apple Vision Pro an incredible platform for game developers.”
In its recent first-quarter earnings report, Unity exceeded Wall Street estimates for revenue, showcasing strong financial performance. However, the company also reported a wider-than-expected loss per share, which was a point of concern for investors. The company reported revenue of $500.36 million, exceeding the estimated $477.67 million. However, Unity’s adjusted earnings per share showed a loss of $0.09, slightly higher than the expected loss of $0.01.
Unity, like many others in the gaming sector, highlighted its potential as an AI winner during its first-quarter earnings call. CEO John S. Riccitiello highlighted the profound impact of artificial intelligence on the industry, emphasizing its potential to drive growth. He predicted that the development of new game types, previously unimaginable, would lead to an uptick in the industry’s expansion. He also anticipated a decrease in the extravagant expenses associated with high-end production. Riccitiello believes these changes will greatly benefit Unity as it drives innovation throughout the gaming industry.
“AI is going to have a profound effect on the industry,” Unity CEO John S. Riccitiello said on the company’s earnings call. “First, it’s going to lead to inflection up in growth as game types are built that were no longer — were not previously possible. And secondly, we’re going to see, I believe, some of the crazy expense that goes on in some high-end production come down some. It’s a favorite part of the game industry for growth. And I guess it’d be very favorable for Unity as we drive some of these changes through the industry.”
