Activision ticks higher amid positive `Call of Duty' data points
Rich Polk

Activision (NASDAQ:ATVI) ticked up almost 1% at least partly after a report that's positive on the latest "Call of Duty" release.
M Science sees "Call of Duty" capturing share and creating headwinds for Electronic Arts' (EA) Apex Legends and others.
Separately, China's antitrust regulator is said to have accepted Activision's (ATVI) filing with the authority on its planned sale to Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), according to traders, who cited a report that's being circulated. Last month, there were reports that the agency had rejected MSFT's request for a "simplified" filing.
On Thursday Wedbush added Activision (ATVI) to its Best Ideas List, saying it's highly likely that the deal with Microsoft (MSFT) is completed within the next six months. Microsoft (MSFT) is likely to make formal guarantees around the availability of Activision content, such as making "Call of Duty'' available on Sony's (SONY) PlayStation for the next decade, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter wrote in a note.
The Capitol Forum tweeted earlier on Friday that Sony (SONY) is far from signing a "Call of Duty proposal" as a likely FTC suit nears. 
The M Science and Wedbush comments come after Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and Truist on Monday
raised their rating on Activision (ATVI), pointing out that the stock is discounting both the potential Microsoft (MSFT) deal and an overall improvement in the business.