GameStop reports a 29% decline in sales and $32 million loss for the first quarter

GameStop the video game retailer currently riding another wave of trading enthusiasm spurred on by the meme trader “Roaring Kitty,” showed no signs of an operational turnaround in its dismal first-quarter results.

The video game retailer on Friday posted net sales of $881.8 million for the period. That’s down 29% from $1.237 billion a year prior. The sales decline was steeper than the two Wall Street analysts that cover the stock expected. Their estimates were in a range of $900 million to $1.09 billion per FactSet.

GameStop lost $32.3 million during the quarter, a narrower loss than the $50.5 million suffered in the year-earlier period.

The first quarter results came as a surprise. The company — which will be the subject of a YouTube livestream by Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty” later Friday — was supposed to release results later in the month.

Shares were higher by 21% in premarket trading despite the poor operating results in anticipation of Gill’s livestream, which is set to begin at noon ET. Gill may say something on the livestream regarding his sizable stake.

GameStop has been on a tear since Gill began posting after a roughly three-year hiatus. Quarter to date, the stock is up more than 271%.