Zacks Research Has Strong Estimate for PLAY FY2027 Earnings

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research increased their FY2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a report released on Tuesday, September 29th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the restaurant operator will earn ($1.56) per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of ($1.57). Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Dave & Buster’s Entertainment’s current full-year earnings is ($1.59) per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Dave & Buster’s Entertainment’s Q2 2028 earnings at ($0.16) EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at ($1.22) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($1.36) EPS, Q1 2029 earnings at $0.49 EPS, Q2 2029 earnings at ($0.19) EPS and FY2029 earnings at ($0.84) EPS.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research note on Monday, June 29th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment from $22.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Dave & Buster’s Entertainment from $12.00 to $9.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Citigroup restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $17.33.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:PLAY opened at $6.38 on Thursday. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has a 1-year low of $6.37 and a 1-year high of $22.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.07, a current ratio of 0.30 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market cap of $222.22 million, a P/E ratio of -2.48 and a beta of 1.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $9.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.74.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY) last announced its earnings results on Monday, September 14th. The restaurant operator reported ($0.27) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.46). Dave & Buster’s Entertainment had a negative net margin of 4.26% and a negative return on equity of 51.87%. The business had revenue of $544.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $556.83 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

In other news, Director Nathaniel Lipman bought 12,000 shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $6.78 per share, for a total transaction of $81,360.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 30,715 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $208,247.70. The trade was a 64.12% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Cory Hatton bought 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $6.50 per share, for a total transaction of $26,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 104,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $679,087.50. This represents a 3.98% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 1.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PLAY. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,725,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its stake in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 40.1% during the 4th quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 1,515,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $24,558,000 after buying an additional 434,000 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 44.9% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,509,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $16,351,000 after buying an additional 468,174 shares during the period. Wolf Hill Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $15,468,694. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 663,199 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $7,182,000 after buying an additional 29,051 shares during the period. 91.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

Here are the key news stories impacting Dave & Buster’s Entertainment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CFO Cory Hatton purchased 4,000 shares at an average price of $6.50, increasing his direct ownership by approximately 4%. The insider purchase may signal management confidence that the stock has been oversold. Dave & Buster’s Insider Purchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2029 EPS estimate to $0.56 from $0.36, but this improvement was outweighed by broader reductions to its forecasts and a continued “hold” or “strong sell” view.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut estimates for FY2027 EPS to $(1.57) from $(1.18), FY2028 EPS to $(1.49) from $(1.09), and FY2029 EPS to $(0.83) from $(0.81). Estimates for several quarterly periods were also reduced, including Q2 2028, Q3 2028 and Q2 2029, reinforcing concerns about a slower recovery. Zacks Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Moody’s reportedly cut Dave & Buster’s outlook to negative because of a sales slump, adding pressure to the company’s credit profile and turnaround prospects. Moody’s Outlook Revision
• Negative Sentiment: The company’s latest reported quarter showed a $0.27 per-share loss, revenue below consensus and a 2.4% year-over-year revenue decline. Analysts currently expect a full-year loss of roughly $1.39 per share.

About Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc (NASDAQ: PLAY) is an entertainment and dining company that operates venues combining arcade games, sports viewing, food and beverages, and social experiences. Its Dave & Buster’s locations are designed for adults and families and offer interactive games, prize redemption, casual dining, full-service bars, and space for group events and parties.

The company also operates Main Event, a family entertainment brand offering bowling, arcade games, laser tag, virtual reality attractions, and food and beverages.