GameStop Stock Rises As Video Games Have Big February

Shares of video game retailer GameStop Corp. were up 2.5% Friday afternoon, after an upbeat industry report from The NPD Group. Combined sales of video game hardware, software and accessories were up 8% in February compared to the previous year, while new game launches boosted February software sales by 20%, NPD Group said. The PlayStation 4 from Sony Corp. and Xbox One from Microsoft Corp. outsold their previous iterations by nearly 60%, NPD said. GameStop's stock has run up 26% in the past three months, while the S&P 500 has gained 2.4%. Separately, shares of video game maker Electronic Arts Inc. edged up 0.2% Friday, and have rallied 23% in the past three months.