Analyst comments on Microsoft, Activision deal

Microsoft's offer of $95 per share is at a premium of 45% to Activision's Friday close.

Shares of Activision were up over 25 percent, trading at $81.86 in the early afternoon.

Activision's library of games such as "Call of Duty" and "Overwatch" gives Microsoft's Xbox gaming platform an edge over Sony's Playstation, which has for years enjoyed a more steady stream of exclusive games.

Shares of the "Candy Crush" maker have slumped over 37% since hitting their record high last year, largely hurt by allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct at the videogame company.

The company is still addressing those allegations and said on Monday (January 17) it had fired or pushed out more than three dozen employees and disciplined another 40 since July.

Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard.

Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities told Reuters that because Kotick had not been personally implicated it shouldn't affect the deal:

"I don't think any employees at Microsoft are going to quit because Bobby is an employee there,"he told Reuters. "He personally hasn't been implicated in harassing anybody. And all the Activision employees are going to become Microsoft employees, so they'll be subject to Microsoft policy. So, you know, I think that the winners are, you know, Activision's culture is going to be... is taking another step toward being completely free of sexual harassment. That's good."