Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Opinion of PLAY Q1 Earnings

Posted by George Bondi on Sep 30th, 2026

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY – Free Report) – Analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2028 EPS estimates for shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a report issued on Monday, September 28th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the restaurant operator will post earnings of $0.23 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.34. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Dave & Buster’s Entertainment’s current full-year earnings is ($1.39) per share.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $544.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. UBS Group decreased their price target 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. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a report on Monday, June 29th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. 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. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $17.33.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Stock Performance

PLAY opened at $6.49 on Tuesday. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has a 52-week low of $6.38 and a 52-week high of $22.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $226.05 million, a PE ratio of -2.53 and a beta of 1.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.07, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.30. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $9.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.79.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the second quarter valued at about $36,725,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its holdings 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 during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 44.9% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,509,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $16,351,000 after buying an additional 468,174 shares during the period. Wolf Hill Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the 2nd quarter valued at about $15,468,694. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the 4th quarter valued at about $7,359,000. 91.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

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

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.