What is Zacks Research’s Estimate for PLAY Q1 Earnings?

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2028 earnings estimates for shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research note issued on Monday, September 28th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the restaurant operator will earn $0.23 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.34. Zacks Research 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.

PLAY has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a report on Monday, June 29th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on Dave & Buster’s Entertainment from $12.00 to $9.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.33.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Trading Down 1.7%

PLAY opened at $6.38 on Tuesday. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has a 52 week low of $6.37 and a 52 week high of $22.10. The company has a market capitalization of $222.22 million, a P/E ratio of -2.48 and a beta of 1.82. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $9.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.07.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY) last issued 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). The company had revenue of $544.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $556.83 million. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment had a negative return on equity of 51.87% and a negative net margin of 4.26%.The business’s revenue was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.32 earnings per share.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PLAY. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 1,547.2% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,464 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 4,193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the second quarter worth $141,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.45% of the company’s stock.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment News Roundup

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.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Company Profile

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.