Fortnite Frenzy Propels Turtle Beach to Record Earnings
*By Bridgette Webb*
Turtle Beach is on a roll.
The headset producer unveiled a new line of gaming gear called Atlas that's specifically designed for PC gamers.
"We are doing the same thing in the PC segment that we are doing in the console headset gaming segment for many years," said Turtle Beach CEO Juergen Stark in an interview Thursday on Cheddar. "We've put a lot of effort in making sure the build quality, the audio quality and the mic quality is the best you can get."
The new headset was introduced after the company reported second-quarter results that blew away analysts' expectations. Net revenue, net income, and earnings were higher than any second quarter since the company's 2014 IPO. Turtle Beach reported $60.8 million in revenue for the quarter ー up from $19.1 million the year before.
Stark attributed Turtle Beach's success to cost cutting on one side of its balance sheet and the booming demand for headsets generated by the popularity of battle royale games Fortnite and PUBG.
As promising a year as it's been so far, Stark said international tariffs could hurt sales of the imported Turtle Beach headsets.
"It will effect retail pricing for us, and for everyone in the category if what people are threatening goes through," he said. "I'm hopeful that it doesn't happen, I don't see how increasing the prices for consumers for everything you buy that's electronic is going to help anybody."
When asked how tariffs would affect the price of gaming headsets, Stark offered a matter-of-fact outlook.
"If there is a 10 percent tariff and you are building a product in China, the retail price point is going to go up 10 percent. If it's a 25 percent tariff that's being threatened, the retailer is it going to go up 25 percent."
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/turtle-beach-expands-further-into-pc-gaming).
A new report from CNBC says Instagram recently reached a new milestone -- 2 billion monthly active users. It comes amid a year of controversy for the photo-sharing app and its parent company, Meta. SocialFlow CEO Jim Anderson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
MotorTrend named the Rivian R1T as the 2022 truck of the year - a prestigious title given by the publication as a way for automakers to tout third-party validation. Rivian beat out traditional, legacy truck favorites like Ford and General Motors.
MotorTrend said the company earned high marks for safety, efficiency, value, advanced design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function. MotorTend head of editorial Ed Loh joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There is a new way for investors to bet on cannabis - the AdvisorShares Poseidon Dynamic Cannabis ETF targets about 20 of the biggest names in U.S. cannabis. It comes at a time when it's still difficult for investors to access the space. Cheddar News cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with co-founder and managing director for Poseidon Investment Management, Emily Paxhia.
Danvas is a new company that aims to bring NFTs and digital artwork into the real world through an interactive, museum-quality display. The company says its product is the first premium, luxury digital art canvas, which it hopes will accelerate the world's appreciation of digital artists and their work, and empower collectors to acquire more NFT art. Danvas also just announced its launch this week, with a $7 million seed round from some big-name backers. Danvas co-founder and CEO Jeanne Anderson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The California-based tech company specializing in enterprise cloud-based data analysis of connected internet of things (IoT) has gone public on the NYSE, and Samsara's CFO Dominic Phillips told Cheddar's Kristen Scholer that the timing was right for the public offering for the firm's next phase of growth. "We're going to continue to add to our go-to-market motion, we'll continue to build out our international presence, we'll continue to add more selling capacity specifically as we look to penetrate larger enterprise customers, and we'll look to continue to deploy money in R&D," he said.
If you’ve ever struggled with a slow home internet connection or mobile data download in the United States, you’re not alone. Despite mobile and internet companies claiming to have “the best nationwide coverage,” or whatever it is they say in those ads, millions of Americans still lack access to reliable, high-speed internet. But you may be surprised to learn who the real culprit behind this ongoing issue is: flawed, overly-optimistic government maps.
VR/AR collaboration platform Spatial is diving head first into the Metaverse. The company is switching up its image--now branding itself as 'the metaverse for cultural events,' aiming to become the new virtual hub for NFT galleries, brand experiences, and large-scale conferences. Jacob Loewenstein, Head of Business, Spatial, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's pivot.
The past year has been huge for delivery services as people largely stayed home during the pandemic. Getir, an Istanbul-based company delivering goods in just 10 minutes, is officially launching in NYC. It comes as the company continues its international expansion. Nazim Salur, Founder, Getir, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the opportunities in the new market.
Another successful spaceflight is in the books for Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. The company's third human spaceflight blasted off from Van Horn, TX. on Saturday, lasting about ten minutes from takeoff to landing. The crew, which included former NFL star and current GMA host Michael Strahan, traveled to the edge of space and experienced a few minutes of weightlessness before the capsule descended back to earth. Andrew Chanin, CEO of ProcureAM, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the significance of the launch.
After nearly two years of the pandemic, U.S. consumers are ready to spend big this holiday season. However, shoppers may be faced with limited inventory as the U.S. continues to face shortages of key products and extended order backlogs. Per Hong, partner at consulting firm Kearney, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the country's path forward.
