Monarch Casino & Resort (NASDAQ:MCRI) Trading Up 14.2% on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCRI) traded up 14.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $111.91 and last traded at $112.5630. 60,176 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 47% from the average session volume of 114,086 shares. The stock had previously closed at $98.58.

The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.37. The business had revenue of $136.55 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $128.49 million. Monarch Casino & Resort had a net margin of 18.60% and a return on equity of 18.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Monarch Casino & Resort Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Monarch Casino & Resort’s payout ratio is presently 22.10%.

Trending Headlines about Monarch Casino & Resort

Here are the key news stories impacting Monarch Casino & Resort this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record Q1 results — Monarch reported record first-quarter 2026 results: revenue $136.6M (+8.9% y/y), net income $27.6M (+38.9% y/y), adjusted EBITDA $48.95M (+19%), and diluted EPS $1.52 vs. $1.05 a year ago; the quarter beat revenue and EPS consensus. This is the primary driver of today’s bullish sentiment. View Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share (annualized yield ~1.2%); record/ex‑dividend date: investors of record June 1; payable June 15. The payout and the timing can support investor demand for the stock. Dividend Report
• Positive Sentiment: Truist upgrade and higher target — Truist raised its price target to $125 and has a “buy” rating, implying ~27% upside from the referenced $98.58 level; this is a strong bullish signal for growth/earnings visibility. Truist Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel adjusts target but keeps hold — Stifel raised its price target modestly to $102 but kept a “hold” rating (small implied upside), indicating some analyst caution on valuation or near-term catalysts despite the beat. Stifel Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Media / analyst coverage — multiple outlets (Zacks, TipRanks, GlobeNewswire) highlighted the earnings beat and shareholder returns; broader coverage can fuel intraday flows but also brings more analyst scrutiny. Zacks Earnings TipRanks

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MCRI shares. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $112.00 price objective on shares of Monarch Casino & Resort in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Monarch Casino & Resort from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial increased their target price on Monarch Casino & Resort from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research lowered Monarch Casino & Resort from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Monarch Casino & Resort from $93.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $105.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Monarch Casino & Resort news, CEO John Farahi sold 2,000 shares of Monarch Casino & Resort stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 536,304 shares in the company, valued at $53,094,096. This trade represents a 0.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 25.52% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Monarch Casino & Resort by 4.3% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 491,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,010,000 after acquiring an additional 20,328 shares during the period. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in shares of Monarch Casino & Resort in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,348,000. Tributary Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Monarch Casino & Resort by 57.8% in the 3rd quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 389,306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,204,000 after purchasing an additional 142,621 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its holdings in shares of Monarch Casino & Resort by 32.3% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 57,285 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,063,000 after purchasing an additional 13,976 shares during the period. Finally, ArrowMark Colorado Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Monarch Casino & Resort during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,214,000. 62.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Monarch Casino & Resort Trading Up 14.7%

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $97.14 and its 200-day moving average is $95.69. The stock has a market cap of $2.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.83 and a beta of 1.30.

Monarch Casino & Resort Company Profile

Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc is a publicly traded owner and operator of an integrated casino resort in Reno, Nevada. The company’s flagship property, the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, features a full-service casino floor with table games, slot machines, and sports betting, complemented by a diverse portfolio of amenities. Guests can choose from over 800 rooms and suites, dine at multiple on-site restaurants and bars, unwind at the full-service spa and salon, or enjoy live entertainment in the property’s showroom.

Monarch’s revenue streams are diversified across gaming operations, hotel accommodations, food and beverage services, and convention and meeting facilities.