Want to see PLNT full AI Analyst Report?
Planet Fitness (PLNT) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q2, 2026
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Jun 30, 2026, filed Aug 06, 2026
Risk Change Over Time
- Debt & Financing - Risk 1Substantially all of the assets of certain of our subsidiaries are security under the terms of securitization transactions that were completed on August 1, 2018, December 3, 2019, February 10, 2022 and 2022, June 12, 2024. 2024 and December 15, 2025.
On August 1, 2018, Planet Fitness Master Issuer LLC (the "Master Issuer"), our limited-purpose, bankruptcy-remote, indirect subsidiary, entered into a base indenture (the "Original Base Indenture") and a related supplemental indenture (collectively, the "2018 Indenture") under which the Master Issuer issued $575 million in aggregate principal amount of Series 2018-1 4.262% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-I (the "2018 Class A-2-I Notes") and $625 million in aggregate principal amount of Series 2018-1 4.666% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-II (the "2018 Class A-2-II Notes" and together with the 2018 Class A-2-I Notes, the "2018 Notes") in an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the issuance of the 2018 Notes, the Master Issuer also entered into a revolving financing facility that allows for the issuance of up to $75 million in Series 2018-1 Variable Funding Senior Notes, Class A-1 (the "2018 Variable Funding Notes"), and certain letters of credit (the "Letters of Credit"). On December 3, 2019, the Master Issuer issued $550 million Series 2019-1 3.858% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2 (the "2019 Notes") in an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The 2019 Notes were issued under the 2018 Indenture and a related supplemental indenture dated December 3, 2019 (together, the "2019 Indenture"). The Master Issuer entered into an amended and restated base indenture (replacing the Original Base Indenture) and a related supplemental indenture (collectively, the "2022 Indenture") on February 10, 2022, under which the Master Issuer issued $425 million Series 2022-1 3.251% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-I (the "2022 Class A-2-I Notes") and $475 million Series 2022-1 4.008% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-II (the "2022 Class A-2-II Notes," and together with the 2022 Class A-2-I Notes, the "2022 Notes", and together with the Securitized Senior Notes and the 2022 Variable Funding Notes (as defined below) then outstanding, the "2022 Notes"). In connection with such Series 2022-1 Issuance (as defined below), the Master Issuer repaid the outstanding principal amount (and all accrued and unpaid interest thereon) of the 2018 Class A-2-I Notes, and the Master Issuer also entered into a new revolving financing facility that allows for the issuance of up to $75 million in Series 2022-1 Variable Funding Senior Notes, Class A-1 (the "2022 Variable Funding Notes") and certain Letters of Credit (the issuance of such notes, the "Series 2022-1 Issuance"), which were undrawn as of December 31, 2025. On June 12, 2024, the Master Issuer completed a prepayment in full of its 2018 Class A-2-II Notes and an issuance of Series 2024-1 5.765% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-I with an initial principal amount of $425 million and an anticipated repayment term of five years and Series 2024-1 6.237% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-II with an initial principal amount of $375 million and an anticipated repayment term of 10 years (together, the "2024 Notes") in an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The 2024 Notes were issued under the 2018 Indenture and a related supplemental indenture dated June 12, 2024 (the "2024 Indenture" and the issuance of such notes, the "Series 2024-1 Issuance"). On December 15, 2025, the Master Issuer completed a prepayment in full of its 2022-1 Class A-2-I Notes and an issuance of Series 2025-1 5.274% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-I (the "2025 Class A-2-I Notes") with an initial principal amount of $400.0 million and Series 2025-1 5.649% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-II (the "2025 Class A-2-II Notes" and together with the 2025 Class A-2-I Notes, the "2025 Notes") with an initial principal amount of $350.0 million, and also entered into a new revolving financing facility that allows for the issuance of up to $75.0 million in Variable Funding Notes (the "2025 Variable Funding Notes," and together with the 2022 Variable Funding Notes, the "Variable Funding Notes") and certain Letters of Credit (the issuance of such notes, the "Series 2025-1 Issuance"). The 2025 Notes were issued under the 2018 Indenture and a related supplemental indenture dated December 15, 2025 (together, with the 2019 Indenture, 2022 Indenture, and the 2024 Indenture, the "Indenture"). The 2018 Notes, 2019 Notes, 2022 Notes, 2024 Notes, the 2025 Notes, the 2022 Variable Funding Notes and the 2025 Variable Funding Notes are referred to collectively as the "Securitized Senior Notes." The Securitized Senior Notes were issued in securitization transactions pursuant to which most of our revenue-generating assets in the United States are held by the Master Issuer and certain other limited-purpose, bankruptcy remote, wholly-owned direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Master Issuer that act as guarantors of the Securitized Senior Notes and that have pledged substantially all of their assets to secure the Securitized Senior Notes. The outstanding Securitized Senior Notes are subject to a series of covenants and restrictions customary for transactions of this type, including (i) that the Master Issuer maintains specified reserve accounts to be used to make required payments in respect of the Securitized Senior Notes, (ii) provisions relating to optional and mandatory prepayments and the related payment of specified amounts, including specified make-whole payments in the case of the 2019 Notes, 2022 Notes, 2024 Notes and 2025 Notes under certain circumstances, (iii) certain indemnification payments in the event, among other things, the transfers of the assets pledged as collateral for the Securitized Senior Notes are in stated ways defective or ineffective and (iv) covenants relating to recordkeeping, access to information and similar matters. The outstanding Securitized Senior Notes are also subject to customary rapid amortization events provided for in the Indenture, including events tied to failure to maintain a stated debt service coverage ratio, the sum of system-wide sales being below certain levels on certain measurement dates, certain manager termination events (including in certain cases a change of control of Planet Fitness Holdings, LLC), an event of default and the failure to repay or refinance the Securitized Senior Notes on the applicable anticipated repayment date. The outstanding Securitized Senior Notes are also subject to certain customary events of default, including events relating to non-payment of required interest, principal or other amounts due on or with respect to the outstanding Securitized Senior Notes, failure to comply with covenants within certain time frames, certain bankruptcy events, breaches of specified representations and warranties, failure of security interests to be effective and certain judgments. In the event that a rapid amortization event occurs under the Indenture (including, without limitation, upon an event of default under the Indenture or the failure to repay the securitized debt at the end of the applicable term), the funds available to us would be reduced or eliminated, which would in turn reduce our ability to operate or grow our business. If our subsidiaries are not able to generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations, they may need to refinance or restructure debt, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, or seek to raise additional capital. If our subsidiaries are unable to implement one or more of these alternatives, they may not be able to meet debt payment and other obligations.
Risk Highlights Q2, 2026
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 50
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Provisions of our corporate governance documents could make an acquisition of our Company more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management, even if beneficial to our stockholders.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL") contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial to our stockholders. These provisions include: - the division of our board of directors into three classes and the election of each class for three-year terms;- advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations;- the ability of the board of directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the board of directors;- the ability of our board of directors to issue new series of, and designate the terms of, preferred stock, without stockholder approval, which could be used to, among other things, institute a rights plan that would have the effect of significantly diluting the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, likely preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our board of directors; and - limitations on the ability of stockholders to call special meetings and to take action by written consent. In addition, Section 203 of the DGCL may affect the ability of an "interested stockholder" to engage in certain business combinations, for a period of three years following the time that the stockholder becomes an "interested stockholder." While we have elected in our certificate of incorporation not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation contains provisions that have the same effect as Section 203 of the DGCL and accordingly will not be subject to such restrictions. Because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt to replace current members of our management team. As a result, you may lose your ability to sell your stock for a price in excess of the prevailing market price due to these protective measures, and efforts by stockholders to change the direction or management of the Company may be unsuccessful.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2Our organizational structure, including the tax receivable agreements, confers certain benefits upon the TRA Holders and the Continuing LLC Owners that do not benefit Class A common stockholders to the same extent as it will benefit the TRA Holders and the Continuing LLC Owners.
Our organizational structure, including the tax receivable agreements, confers certain benefits upon the TRA Holders and the Continuing LLC Owners that do not benefit the holders of our Class A common stock to the same extent. Although we retain 15% of the amount of tax benefits conferred under the tax receivable agreements, this and other aspects of our organizational structure may adversely impact the future trading market for the Class A common stock.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3Our certificate of incorporation designates courts in the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that, subject to limited exceptions, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for: - any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf;- any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders;- any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws;- any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; or - any other action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine (each, a "Covered Proceeding"). In addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that if any action, the subject matter of which is a Covered Proceeding is filed in a court other than the specified Delaware courts without the approval of our board of directors (each, a "Foreign Action"), the claiming party will be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the specified Delaware courts in connection with any action brought in any such courts to enforce the exclusive forum provision described above and (ii) having service of process made upon such claiming party in any such enforcement action by service upon such claiming party's counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such claiming party. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to these provisions. These provisions may limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4Our stock price could be extremely volatile, and, as a result, stockholders may not be able to resell shares at or above their purchase price.
Since our IPO through December 31, 2025, the price of our Class A common stock, as reported by the NYSE, has ranged from a low of $13.23 on February 11, 2016 to a high of $113.55 on July 22, 2025. In addition, in recent years the stock market in general has been highly volatile. As a result, the market price and trading volume of our Class A common stock is likely to be similarly volatile, and investors in our Class A common stock may experience a decrease, which could be substantial, in the value of their stock, including decreases unrelated to our results of operations or prospects, and could lose part or all of their investment. The price of our Class A common stock has in the past, and in the future could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of factors, including those described elsewhere in this report and others such as: - variations in our operating performance and the performance of our competitors;- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results;- publication of research reports by securities analysts about us or our competitors or our industry;- the public's reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements, our filings with the SEC and other press coverage of, or social media activity related to, our operations;- our failure or the failure of our competitors to meet analysts' projections or guidance that we or our competitors may give to the market;- additions and departures of key employees;- strategic decisions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures, strategic investments or changes in business strategy;- the passage of legislation or other regulatory developments affecting us or our industry;- speculation in the press or investment community;- changes in accounting principles;- terrorist acts, acts of war or periods of widespread civil unrest;- natural disasters and severe weather events, including as a result of climate change, pandemics and other calamities;- breach or improper handling of data or cybersecurity events; and - changes in general market and economic conditions. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been initiated against companies following periods of volatility in their stock price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management's attention and resources, and could also require us to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments or to settle litigation.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5We cannot guarantee that our share repurchase program will be fully consummated or that such program will enhance the long-term value of our share price.
On December 15, 2025, our board of directors approved a share repurchase program of up to $500.0 million (the "2025 Share Repurchase Program") to replace the 2024 share repurchase program of up to $500 million approved by our board of directors on June 13, 2024 (the "2024 Share Repurchase Program"), contingent upon the completion of a $350.0 million accelerated share repurchase agreement (the "2025 ASR Agreement"). The 2025 Share Repurchase Program became effective on January 12, 2026 upon the completion of the 2025 ASR Agreement. As of December 31, 2025, there were no remaining funds under the 2024 Share Repurchase Program following the effectiveness of the 2025 Share Repurchase Program. Repurchases may be made in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means, from time to time, subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other factors. Although this repurchase program has been approved, there is no obligation for the Company to repurchase any specific dollar amount of stock. The repurchase program could affect the price of our stock and increase volatility. Price volatility may cause the average price at which the Company repurchases its stock in a given period to exceed the stock's price at a given point in time. There can be no assurance that we will buy shares of our common stock or the timeframe for repurchases under our stock buyback program or that any repurchases will have a positive impact on our stock price or earnings per share. Important factors that could cause us to discontinue or decrease our share repurchases include, among others, unfavorable market conditions, the market price of our common stock, the nature of other investment or strategic opportunities presented to us from time to time, our ability to make appropriate, timely, and beneficial decisions as to when, how, and whether to purchase shares under the stock buyback program, and the availability of funds necessary to continue purchasing stock.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.