Cinemark (NYSE:CNK) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.29 EPS

Cinemark (NYSE:CNK) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.29), FiscalAI reports. Cinemark had a return on equity of 34.33% and a net margin of 4.93%.The business had revenue of $776.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $778.41 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.33 EPS. Cinemark’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Cinemark’s conference call:

• Cinemark posted a post‑pandemic high in 2025—$3.1 billion in revenue and $578 million of adjusted EBITDA (18.6% margin)—while generating nearly $1.8 billion of adjusted EBITDA over the past three years, extinguishing >$700M of COVID debt and returning $315M to shareholders.
• Management expects a stronger 2026 slate to drive attendance and margin expansion, is planning to ramp capital spending to about $250 million (roughly $50–60M internationally) to fund new builds and upgrades, and views that spending as ROI‑driven.
• Premium formats and concessions are key growth drivers—about 10% of domestic sites have two XD screens, premium formats are ~15% of box office, and domestic concession per‑cap rose ~5% in 2025 (driven by pricing, higher incidence and mix), with more menu, merchandise and throughput initiatives planned.
• The company says it meaningfully expanded market share and loyalty (Movie Club up >50% vs 2019), believes at least ~100 bps of share gains vs pre‑pandemic are sustainable, and notes alternative programming now represents >10% of box office.
• Management flagged risks that drove 2025 softness—an uneven film mix and no mega‑blockbuster—and cautioned that shortened streaming windows, potential capacity constraints in a crowded 2026 summer/year‑end, and international slate/FX/inflation dynamics could pressure results.

Cinemark Stock Up 1.3%

CNK traded up $0.35 during trading on Thursday, reaching $26.76. The stock had a trading volume of 644,765 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,785,247. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.01. The company has a market capitalization of $3.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.13. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $23.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.88. Cinemark has a one year low of $21.60 and a one year high of $34.01.

Cinemark Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. Cinemark’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Melissa Thomas sold 7,944 shares of Cinemark stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.05, for a total transaction of $206,941.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 159,416 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,152,786.80. This trade represents a 4.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cinemark

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd raised its holdings in Cinemark by 31.0% in the fourth quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 15,057,911 shares of the company’s stock worth $349,946,000 after buying an additional 3,563,810 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Cinemark by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,536,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,638,000 after acquiring an additional 742,307 shares in the last quarter. Lavaca Capital LLC bought a new position in Cinemark in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $133,045,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Cinemark by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,950,606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $91,812,000 after purchasing an additional 60,176 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Cinemark in the 4th quarter worth $55,296,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CNK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $28.00 target price (down previously from $35.00) on shares of Cinemark in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Cinemark from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. UBS Group raised shares of Cinemark to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $32.00 price objective on shares of Cinemark in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Cinemark from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.08.

More Cinemark News

Here are the key news stories impacting Cinemark this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cinemark announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.09 per share (record/ex‑dividend March 3; payable March 17), which supports income investors and signals board confidence in cash flow.
• Positive Sentiment: Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $32 price target, implying meaningful upside vs. the current price — a vote of confidence from an external analyst. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a $250M 2026 capex plan focused on expanding premium formats and targeting higher box office, which could drive ticket pricing and margin improvement over time. Seeking Alpha – Capex & Formats
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcripts and corporate highlights are available; management discussed strategy for driving attendance and premium offerings but did not raise near‑term guidance materially. Yahoo Finance – Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO comments on the Warner/Netflix distribution debate underscore industry uncertainty around streaming/theatrical windows — important context but not an immediate earnings driver for Cinemark. Deadline – CEO Comments
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed sharply: GAAP EPS $0.16 vs. consensus ~$0.45, and revenue fell ~4.7% year‑over‑year — the earnings shortfall is the primary near‑term catalyst pushing the stock down. Zacks – Earnings Lag
• Negative Sentiment: Balance‑sheet and liquidity metrics remain a concern for some investors (current ratio <1.0; debt/equity elevated), which increases sensitivity to box‑office volatility while the company executes its capex plan.

About Cinemark

Cinemark Holdings, Inc (NYSE: CNK) is a leading theatrical exhibitor that acquires, develops and operates motion picture theatres under the Cinemark® brand in the United States and Latin America. The company’s core business involves the presentation of first-run feature films coupled with an array of in‐theatre services, including concessions, premium auditoriums and loyalty programs. Cinemark’s exhibition portfolio encompasses both corporate‐owned and franchised complexes, offering moviegoers a range of experiences from standard screens to large‐format halls.

The company’s product offerings extend beyond ticket sales to include an assortment of concession items, such as popcorn, fountain beverages, candy and specialty snacks, as well as bar and lounge concepts in select locations.