Brokerages Set Churchill Downs, Incorporated (NASDAQ:CHDN) PT at $135.10

Shares of Churchill Downs, Incorporated (NASDAQ:CHDN) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eleven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $135.10.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on CHDN shares. Citizens Jmp increased their price objective on Churchill Downs from $142.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Churchill Downs in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Churchill Downs in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 target price (up from $115.00) on shares of Churchill Downs in a research note on Monday, January 5th.

Key Stories Impacting Churchill Downs

Here are the key news stories impacting Churchill Downs this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations: CHDN reported $0.97 EPS vs. $0.85 consensus and revenue of $665.9M vs. $658M est., driven by live racing and historical racing strength. This confirms near‑term earnings resilience. Churchill Downs Incorporated Reports 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company signals incremental Derby Week benefit: management expects $15M–$20M of incremental Derby EBITDA in 2026 as Derby Week expands — a clear near‑term revenue/EBITDA catalyst if realized. Churchill Downs signals $15M-$20M incremental Derby EBITDA in 2026 as Derby Week expands
• Positive Sentiment: Strong full‑year profit print: reports show $383M in profits for 2025, reinforcing solid free‑cash‑generation and operating leverage across racing, gaming and betting. Churchill Downs Reports Profits Of $383 Million In 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing growth drivers: analysts and press highlight gains from historical racing machine (HRM) facilities and sports betting expansion; company is also opening the new Marshall Yards Racing & Gaming property to add capacity. Churchill Downs posts Q4 earnings and revenue beat, driven by Live and Historical Racing performance CDI Opening Marshall Yards Racing & Gaming
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript provides management detail on results, cadence, and outlook — useful for parsing guidance, capex plans, and Derby Week assumptions (no obvious material guidance cut). Churchill Downs Incorporated (CHDN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Why shares fell despite the beats: heavy intraday volume and profit‑taking likely after recent gains; investors may be weighing CHDN’s elevated leverage (debt/equity) and valuation relative to expected growth, and technicals (shares trading below recent moving averages) have increased selling pressure. These market/financial structure concerns can offset positive operational news.

Churchill Downs Stock Performance

Shares of CHDN opened at $90.37 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.67. The company’s fifty day moving average is $102.59 and its 200-day moving average is $101.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.87. Churchill Downs has a 12 month low of $85.58 and a 12 month high of $119.11.

Churchill Downs (NASDAQ:CHDN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.85 by $0.12. Churchill Downs had a net margin of 13.09% and a return on equity of 42.85%. The business had revenue of $665.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $658.01 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.92 EPS. Churchill Downs’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Churchill Downs will post 6.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Churchill Downs

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in shares of Churchill Downs by 5.6% during the second quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 18,561 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,875,000 after buying an additional 990 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Churchill Downs in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,935,000. AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Churchill Downs by 711.5% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 37,670 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,654,000 after acquiring an additional 33,028 shares during the last quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO grew its position in Churchill Downs by 108.0% during the 3rd quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 27,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,671,000 after acquiring an additional 14,298 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board acquired a new stake in Churchill Downs during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,158,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.59% of the company’s stock.

About Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs Incorporated is a leading American entertainment and gaming company best known for operating the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the annual Kentucky Derby. Beyond its signature thoroughbred racing venue, the company manages a diversified portfolio of live racing facilities, casinos, and off-track betting operations. Its services encompass pari-mutuel wagering, historical horse racing machines, and online betting through its TwinSpires platform, reaching horse racing and sports betting enthusiasts nationwide.

In its live racing segment, Churchill Downs oversees a network of racetracks and racing festivals, offering year-round events in multiple states.