Zacks Research Issues Negative Outlook for PLAY Earnings

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Sep 30th, 2026

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY – Free Report) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report issued on Monday, September 28th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the restaurant operator will post earnings per share of ($1.42) for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of ($1.40). Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Dave & Buster’s Entertainment’s current full-year earnings is ($1.39) per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Dave & Buster’s Entertainment’s Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.10) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($1.57) EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at ($0.05) EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at ($1.45) EPS, Q4 2028 earnings at ($0.21) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($1.49) EPS, Q1 2029 earnings at $0.56 EPS, Q2 2029 earnings at ($0.15) EPS and FY2029 earnings at ($0.83) EPS.

Several other analysts have also commented on PLAY. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group cut their target price 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 began coverage on Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report on Monday, June 29th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment from $22.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.33.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:PLAY opened at $6.49 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.07, a current ratio of 0.30 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $226.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.53 and a beta of 1.82. The company’s 50-day moving average is $9.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.79. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has a 1-year low of $6.38 and a 1-year high of $22.10.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, September 14th. The restaurant operator reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.46). Dave & Buster’s Entertainment had a negative return on equity of 51.87% and a negative net margin of 4.26%.The firm had revenue of $544.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $556.83 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.32 earnings per share. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Insider Buying and Selling at Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

In other news, Director Nathaniel Lipman acquired 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $6.78 per share, with a total value of $81,360.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 30,715 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $208,247.70. This represents a 64.12% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Cory Hatton acquired 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $6.50 per share, for a total transaction of $26,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 104,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $679,087.50. This trade represents 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 Trading of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of PLAY. Cibc World Market Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,098,000. ING Groep NV purchased a new stake in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the 4th quarter worth $7,311,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the 2nd quarter worth $36,725,000. Wolf Hill Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the second quarter worth $15,468,694. Finally, Patient Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the second quarter worth $2,326,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.45% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

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 stake by approximately 4%. The insider purchase may signal management confidence that the stock has been oversold. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment CFO Cory Hatton Purchases 4,000 Shares of Stock
Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research maintained a “Hold” rating, despite making numerous changes to its forecasts. It raised estimates for Q4 2027 EPS to a loss of $0.10 from $0.18 and Q1 2029 EPS to $0.56 from $0.36, but these improvements were outweighed by broader reductions.
Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut its FY2027 EPS forecast to a loss of $1.57 from $1.18 and reduced FY2028 EPS to a loss of $1.49 from $1.09. It also lowered estimates for Q2 2028, Q3 2028, Q4 2028, Q2 2029 and FY2029, suggesting analysts expect prolonged earnings weakness. Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Opinion of PLAY Q1 Earnings
Negative Sentiment: Moody’s cut its outlook on Dave & Buster’s to negative, citing a sales slump. The action adds credit-risk concerns for a company with a debt-to-equity ratio above 17 and could weigh on investor confidence. Moody’s cuts Dave & Buster’s outlook to negative on sales slump
Negative Sentiment: The company’s latest reported quarter included an EPS loss of $0.27 versus expectations for $0.19 of profit, while revenue declined 2.4% year over year and missed estimates. The results reinforce concerns about the turnaround and help explain the stock’s sharp decline from its one-year high.

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.