EA Stock Hits All-Time High After Doubling in the Last 12 Months

Following the close of the market this week, the price of an EA share sits at $72.07--an all-time high, and a figure that is roughly double where it was just one year ago.

EA's stock had previously topped out at $68.12, back in early 2005. While it remained strong over the next few years, the second half of 2008 was not kind to the company (and many others), as its share price ended the year at $15.32. Things got even worse in 2012, with shares falling under $12.

Since then, however, the company's stock has pretty consistently been on the rise, thanks at least in part to CEO Andrew Wilson, who took over the role in 2013 from John Riccitiello. On July 11, 2014, the company's share price sat at $35.97 a share. With its current price at $72.07, the stock's price has doubled in one year. According to CNBC, it's the "best-performing stock in the S&P 500."

EA is set to report its first quarter financial results (for the period covering April-June 2015) on July 30. Its most recent financial report came in May, when it announced that it had exceeded its guidance, posting revenue of $896 million during its fourth quarter (January-March 2015). It also posted better-than-expected EPS (earnings per share, or the amount paid out to the owner of each share in the company) of $0.39. Its full-year revenue was up from the prior year, with a substantial amount of that coming from record digital sales, where the company has made strides with things like Ultimate Team and mobile.

Wilson has spoken a great deal about making EA into a "player-first" company. Executives have also discussed its responsibility to be progressive.

In addition to its usual slate of sports games, EA has a new Need for Speed, Star Wars Battlefront, and Mirror's Edge Catalyst coming in the current fiscal year. The release of Battlefront--expected to be a huge seller--is timed to coincide with that of the first Star Wars movie in a decade, and EA has at least one other Star Wars project in the works.