Want to see PLAY full AI Analyst Report?
Top Page
Dave & Busters Entertainment
(NASDAQ:PLAY)
Select Model
Select Model
Rating:45Neutral
Price Target:
$6.00
▼(-40.42% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:09/22/26
PLAY’s score is held down primarily by deteriorating financial performance (sharp TTM revenue decline, net losses) and substantial balance-sheet leverage, which increases risk if operating trends stay soft. Technical indicators also point to a sustained downtrend. Offsetting factors include still-positive operating cash flow and mildly supportive corporate updates around leadership and governance, while valuation is difficult to assess given negative earnings and no dividend yield provided.
Positive Factors
Integrated eat-and-play model
The integrated venue model combines amusement, food and beverage, and group-event spending in one customer visit. This creates multiple revenue streams, can increase dwell time and per-visit spending, and supports repeat occasions such as birthdays, sports viewing, and corporate gatherings over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Sharp revenue decline and net losses
A sharp TTM revenue contraction accompanied by a swing to net losses signals weakened demand or operating execution and reduces the cushion available to absorb costs. Unless sales stabilize, lower revenue can pressure labor and occupancy absorption, constrain reinvestment, and prolong earnings deterioration.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Integrated eat-and-play model
The integrated venue model combines amusement, food and beverage, and group-event spending in one customer visit. This creates multiple revenue streams, can increase dwell time and per-visit spending, and supports repeat occasions such as birthdays, sports viewing, and corporate gatherings over the medium term.
Read all positive factors
Dave & Busters Entertainment Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Any
Revenue by Segment
Breaks down revenue by business segments, offering insight into which parts of the company are driving growth and which may need strategic adjustments.
Breaks down revenue by business segments, offering insight into which parts of the company are driving growth and which may need strategic adjustments.
Data provided by:
The Fly
The FlyDave & Busters Entertainment (PLAY) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$240.33M
Dividend Yield1.51%
Average Volume (3M)2.83M
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)1.41
Revenue Growth-1.49%
EPS Growth-795.27%
CountryUS
Employees23,610
SectorCommunication Services
Sector Strength97
IndustryLeisure
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)-2.56
Shares Outstanding34,830,643
10 Day Avg. Volume1,854,035
30 Day Avg. Volume2,833,166
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.07
Price to Book (P/B)7.39
Price to Sales (P/S)0.32
P/FCF Ratio-6.70
Enterprise Value/Market Cap16.39
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.89
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit4.05
Enterprise Value/Ebitda11.51
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$11.20Price Target Upside11.22% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering7
EPS Forecast (FY)-0.86
Revenue Forecast (FY)$2.09B
Dave & Busters Entertainment Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. oversees and manages hospitality and amusement establishments designed for both adults and families throughout North America. These locations present guests with a varied menu featuring main courses and appetize...
How the Company Makes Money
Dave & Buster’s primarily makes money by selling (1) amusement and entertainment gameplay and (2) food and beverages within its venues, supplemented by sales tied to group events and other venue-level revenue. The largest driver is typically amuse...
Dave & Busters Entertainment Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Sep 14, 2026
(Q2-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Dec 08, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call was predominantly positive, with higher production and sales, successful New Acland ramp-up, strong cash generation, a fully franked dividend, resilient margins, and a constructive coal-market outlook. These strengths outweighed the reported challenges, including the 21% increase in TRIFR, lower realized pricing, higher FOB cash costs, diesel-cost exposure, rail constraints at New Acland, and ongoing Maxwell losses.Positive Updates
Higher Coal Production and Sales
Run-of-mine coal production increased 3% to 16.9 million tonnes, saleable coal production increased 8% to 11.5 million tonnes, and coal sales increased 4% to 11.8 million tonnes. Saleable production and coal sales exceeded guidance ranges, supported by the continued ramp-up of New Acland Mine and Bengalla Mine's return to nameplate production capacity.
Negative Updates
Higher Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate
TRIFR increased to 3.89, which was 21% higher than the prior-year period. Management said TRIFR remains an important supplementary measure of injury performance.
Read all updates
Q2-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Higher Coal Production and Sales
Run-of-mine coal production increased 3% to 16.9 million tonnes, saleable coal production increased 8% to 11.5 million tonnes, and coal sales increased 4% to 11.8 million tonnes. Saleable production and coal sales exceeded guidance ranges, supported by the continued ramp-up of New Acland Mine and Bengalla Mine's return to nameplate production capacity.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
For FY27, New Acland Mine is expected to move into the 4 million tonnes production range and continue toward 5 million tonnes production within the next sort of 18 months or so, with fixed costs spread over more tonnes and unit cost decreasing; Bengalla will be more sort of steady state, with inflationary impacts and some increase or heightened diesel costs, while diesel was around $1.23 a liter last month and Bengalla uses about 80 million liters a year based on kind of current forecast run rates. Coal prices at the moment around $150 have probably a good chance they will stay at that point to potentially work its way a little higher, the franking account balance post the dividend will sit around the mid-600s, so $650 million or thereabouts, and the business has spoken of around about $300 million as a sensible minimum cash balance, with an assessment at the middle of FY '27. New Acland is expected to get up to that 5 million tonnes despite rail risk, with probably a level of conservatism in the outlook; Stage 3 will continue to around about 2040, and a potential extension could have into the 2:1 strip ratio.Dave & Busters Entertainment Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
34
Negative
Balance Sheet
18
Very Negative
Cash Flow
43
Neutral
| Breakdown | TTM | Jan 2026 | Jan 2025 | Jan 2024 | Jan 2023 | Jan 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 2.08B | 2.10B | 2.13B | 2.21B | 1.96B | 1.30B |
| Gross Profit | 971.90M | 1.80B | 1.82B | 1.85B | 1.64B | 1.10B |
| EBITDA | 342.30M | 357.20M | 433.20M | 491.90M | 422.40M | 315.70M |
| Net Income | -88.60M | -48.70M | 58.30M | 126.90M | 137.10M | 108.70M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 4.12B | 4.12B | 4.02B | 3.75B | 3.76B | 2.35B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 16.00M | 16.60M | 6.90M | 37.30M | 181.60M | 25.91M |
| Total Debt | 3.59B | 3.17B | 3.14B | 2.91B | 2.86B | 1.75B |
| Total Liabilities | 4.03B | 4.03B | 3.87B | 3.50B | 3.35B | 2.07B |
| Stockholders Equity | 87.90M | 91.20M | 145.80M | 251.20M | 410.50M | 275.46M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | -16.00M | -100.60M | -217.90M | 34.00M | 210.24M | 190.93M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 321.60M | 290.80M | 312.30M | 364.20M | 444.47M | 283.13M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -337.60M | -386.90M | -529.80M | -329.10M | -1.05B | -91.47M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 20.00M | 105.80M | 187.10M | -179.40M | 762.81M | -177.64M |
Dave & Busters Entertainment Technical Analysis
Negative
10.07
Price Trends
8.47
Negative
9.87
Negative
12.23
Negative
Market Momentum
-0.43
Negative
46.07
Neutral
85.93
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For PLAY, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 10.07 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 6.73, above the 50-day MA of 8.47, and below the 200-day MA of 12.23, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.43 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 46.07 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 85.93 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for PLAY.
Dave & Busters Entertainment Risk Analysis
Dave & Busters Entertainment disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Dave & Busters Entertainment reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Dave & Busters Entertainment Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
72 Outperform | $9.08B | 21.61 | 13.14% | ― | 12.69% | 75.05% | |
60 Neutral | $48.67B | 4.58 | -11.27% | 4.14% | 2.83% | -41.78% | |
50 Neutral | $1.48B | 12.96 | -27.85% | 5.32% | -3.54% | -31.58% | |
47 Neutral | $683.00M | -15.11 | 17.63% | 4.79% | 3.66% | -131.10% | |
46 Neutral | $70.79M | -13.22 | -2.27% | ― | -31.88% | 99.99% | |
46 Neutral | $1.17B | -0.66 | -449.53% | 2.77% | -3.46% | -267.85% | |
45 Neutral | $240.33M | -2.70 | -86.54% | 1.51% | -1.49% | -795.27% |
* Communication Services Sector Average
PLAY
Dave & Busters Entertainment
7.09
-10.58
-59.88%
PRKS
United Parks & Resorts
33.77
-18.54
-35.44%
LUCK
Lucky Strike Entertainment
5.16
-4.50
-46.57%
LTH
Life Time Group Holdings
40.37
14.99
59.06%
GDHG
Golden Heaven Group Holdings Ltd.
1.12
-6.33
-84.97%
FUN
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
11.92
-8.68
-42.14%
Dave & Busters Entertainment Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Dave & Buster’s Announces Broad Executive Leadership Refresh
Positive
Sep 21, 2026
On August 11, 2026, Dave Buster’s appointed industry veteran Amanda Busby as Chief Operations Officer and entered into an employment agreement that aligns her compensation with long-term equity and same-store sales performance. She received...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Dave & Buster’s Announces Major Executive Leadership Changes
Neutral
Aug 4, 2026
On August 3, 2026, Dave Buster’s announced that Chief Executive Officer Tarun Lal retired from his role to spend more time with his family in India, with Chief Financial Officer Darin Harper elevated to CEO and joining the board on the same...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.