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Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) stock

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NASDAQ: PLAY Nasdaq Restaurants Next results ~December 8, 2026

C Fundamentals grade

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. is a US-listed company in the restaurants industry. Its financial year ends in January.

Stock price today

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

Model estimate per share

~$2.9

Valuation models combined (3)

Base case. Range ~$2.4–$3.5. Weighted average of 3 models (growth cash-flow model, residual income, justified price-to-book), the growth cash-flow model counting double.

Price vs value

No Buy/Hold/Sell rating is issued: valued with our growth model, which doesn't carry a Buy/Hold/Sell rating yet.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. valuation: adjust assumptions and compare models →

Who’s trading

What company insiders, investment funds and members of Congress have been doing with the stock, from their own filings.

  • Insiders3 buying, 1 selling4 purchases and 1 sale by directors and officers, last 12 monthsInsider trades
  • Funds89 adding, 99 cuttingOf 39 active managers that changed their stake, 21 added; quarter to June 30, 2026Fund buyers and sellers

Value diary

Our note on each quarter Dave & Buster's Entertainment files

Where Dave & Buster's Entertainment stands after its latest 10-Q

Revenue for the twelve months to August 2026 was $2.08bn, down 1.5% on a year earlier, a steeper fall than the 0.8% decline a quarter earlier. That puts it 22 of 25 for growth among the restaurants companies we cover. Free-cash-flow margin rose to -0.8% from -14.8% a year earlier. Operating margin narrowed to 1.7% from 7.9%. The diluted share count is down 6.7% on a year earlier, which lifts each remaining share. Against its peers on growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet, it grades C. It passes 1 of our 6 financial-health checks. Our valuation models combined value is $3.29 a share, against a share price of $7.00.

Source: 10-Q filed September 14, 2026 on SEC EDGAR · Financials · Valuation

Written from the company's filings and our models when each quarter's report arrives. Figures in older notes are as published at the time. Not investment advice.

The Fundamentalytics view

Next results ~December 8, 2026 (estimated)

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s trailing-twelve-month revenue fell 1.5% year on year, with a free-cash-flow margin of -0.8%. Where it stands out: change in share count of -6.7% ranks 3 of 42 restaurants companies we cover. Where it lags: net margin of -4.3% ranks 38 of 44 restaurants companies we cover.

Current signal Results well short of expectations: Reported earnings per share missed the analysts' consensus estimate by 244% in the quarter to 2026-07-31.

Assembled from SEC-filed figures — the full workings are on this page and in our methodology. Observations, not recommendations.

Highlights

How we pick these

Strengths

  • Shrinking share count. Diluted shares fell 6.7% in a year, so each share owns more of the business.

Things to watch

  • Revenue shrinking. Revenue fell 1.5% over the last 12 months.
  • Margins narrowing. Operating margin is down 6.1 points on a year ago.
  • Burning cash. Free cash flow was -0.8% of revenue over the last 12 months.
  • Volatile shares. Over the past year the shares showed annualised volatility of 75% and a beta of 1.6 against the S&P 500.
  • Below peers: net margin. Net margin of -4.3% ranks 38 of 44 restaurants companies we cover (median 2.6%).
  • Heavily shorted. 35.8% of the shares available to trade are sold short (3.0 days of average volume to cover).

Latest results: FY2027 Q2

Filed September 14, 2026
Earnings per share
-$0.27 against an average estimate of $0.19: missed by 244.2%
Revenue
$544m, down 2.4% on a year earlier
Share reaction
-15.7% in the first session after the results on September 14, 2026, against -0.9% for the S&P 500
Next report
December 8, 2026; average EPS estimate -$1.43

Dave & Buster's Entertainment's figures from its SEC filings and results release; estimates are the analysts' average. Not a recommendation.

Price chart

  • 1 day+8.7%
  • 1 week+20.4%
  • 1 month+26.1%
  • This year-47.5%
  • 1 year-42.1%
  • 5 years-78.0%
  • S&P 500 this year+11.2%

Closing prices to 2026-11-02. Price change only, dividends excluded.

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

At a glance

Trailing twelve months, from SEC filings

Profitability

Revenue (TTM)
$2.1B
Operating margin
1.7%
Net margin
-4.3%
EPS (TTM, diluted)
$-2.57

Growth

Revenue growth
−1.5%
Change in growth rate
−0.6 pts
Share count change
−6.7%

Cash

Free cash flow (TTM)
-$16M
FCF margin
-0.8%
Stock pay % of revenue
0.6%

Earnings

Last results
September 14, 2026
Next results (est.)
December 8, 2026

News & updates

Updated October 31, 2026

Company announcements, filed results and changes that matter to shareholders.

  1. Leadership
  2. Results
  3. Leadership

Refreshed hourly when new source data is available. Summaries are checked against company releases and SEC filings. Company announcement headlines are labelled when a checked summary is unavailable.

Valuation

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. valuation models and calculator

Fundamentalytics rating

model v1.6 · 2026-11-03

Not rated: valued with our growth model, which doesn't carry a Buy/Hold/Sell rating yet.

Valuation models

We value Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. as an operating company, with every model that fits that kind of business. Cost of equity 9.2%: the 10-year Treasury yield (4.9%) plus a beta of 0.95 times a 4.5% equity risk premium.

Value per share by model
Model Value per share In the combined value?
Growth cash-flow model Revenue for this year and next from analysts' consensus, then growth fading to 2.5%; the operating margin moving to profitable peers'; investment needed per dollar of growth from peers; reduced by a failure probability. For young or fast-growing companies. The starting margin is normalized to between -100% and 60%; net margin is a proxy when operating income is not tagged. Uses analysts' consensus estimates (third-party data), not our forecasts. ~$2.4 Primary model, counts double
Price-to-earnings vs peers Earnings per share times peers' typical (harmonic-mean) price-to-earnings. — Does not apply: no positive earnings in the latest twelve months
Residual income Book value plus the present value of returns above the cost of equity, fading over ten years. ~$3.3 ~$2.4–$4.5 Included
Justified price-to-book Book value times (return on equity - growth) / (cost of equity - growth): steady-state returns. ~$3.5 ~$3.0–$4.2 Included
Forward price-to-sales vs peers Next year's consensus sales per share times peers' typical forward price-to-sales; only when earnings are negative. Uses analysts' consensus estimates (third-party data), not our forecasts. ~$47 ~$38–$140 Left out: out of range vs price (5.52x)
Revenue-to-maturity model Revenue grown to maturity with the cash margin moving to the industry's; for companies not yet profitable. — Does not apply: revenue and margins don't support a positive value
Combined value Weighted average of the models that apply: the primary model (growth cash-flow model) counts double. Models more than 5x or less than 0.2x the share price, or more than 3x away from the other models' median, are left out. ~$2.9 ~$2.4–$3.5 3 models

Different models fail in different ways, so where several apply we average them rather than trust one. Peer-based models compare Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. with Restaurants in our coverage, using third-party market data. Model values are estimates under stated assumptions, updated as new filings arrive; not price targets or investment advice. How each model works.

Valuation multiples over time Market data may be delayed

At fiscal year end 20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Now
Share price$35.53$53.68$46.73$50.59$44.16$34.02$35.31$41.60$55.19$27.38$19.43$8.51
Market value$1.5bn$2.3bn$2.0bn$2.0bn$1.5bn$1.5bn$1.7bn$2.0bn$2.4bn$1.1bn$674m$294m
+ Net debt (− = net cash)−$25m−$20m−$19m−$22m−$25m−$12m−$26m−$182m−$37m−$7m−$17m$1.5bn
Enterprise value$1.5bn$2.3bn$2.0bn$2.0bn$1.5bn$1.5bn$1.7bn$1.9bn$2.4bn$1.1bn$657m$1.8bn
Multiples
Price / sales 1.8x2.3x1.7x1.6x1.1x3.4x1.3x1.0x1.1x0.5x0.3x0.1x
Price / earnings 25.5x25.6x16.5x17.3x15.0x—16.0x14.9x19.2x18.8x——
Price / free cash flow 63.1x45.8x44.4x16.7x24.7x—9.1x9.7x71.5x———
EV / EBITDA 7.9x9.6x7.3x7.2x5.3x—5.3x4.3x4.6x2.4x1.8x5.5x

Market value uses the period's diluted share count; figures for each fiscal year use that year's results and the price at year end. "Now" uses today's price and the last twelve months.

Moat

54 /100

Moderate moat

How hard Dave & Buster's Entertainment's competitive advantage looks for rivals to wear away, judged from 10 years of its own filings: returns on capital, pricing power, profit durability, cash conversion and discipline.

  • Returns on capital 3 / 20

    Net income has been a median 3.3% of total assets over 10 years.

  • Pricing power 20 / 20

    Gross margin has been a median 83.8%, moving by 1.1 percentage points (standard deviation) across 10 years.

  • Durability 3 / 20

    Operating margin has been a median 12.4%; its worst year was -11.5%.

  • Cash conversion 9 / 20

    Free cash flow was positive in 6 of 10 years, at a median 5.5% of revenue.

  • Discipline 20 / 20

    The diluted share count fell 28.7% over five years; stock-based pay has been a median 0.7% of revenue.

AI disruption exposure: Low. In this industry, the business rests on physical assets, regulated networks or products AI itself depends on.

A rules-based reading of reported figures, not a forecast and not investment advice. How the score is built: methodology.

Forecasts and guidance

Next results: December 8, 2026, after the close. Analysts expect revenue of $449m and EPS of −$1.43 (range −$1.54 to −$1.31) for the quarter.

Analysts' consensus

Fiscal yearEPSGrowthRevenueGrowth
Current −$1.66 −454% $2.1bn −0%
Next −$1.39 +17% $2.2bn +3%

Earnings against estimates

Quarter toEstimateActualSurprise
Jul 2026 $0.19 −$0.27 −244.2%
Apr 2026 $0.66 $0.22 −66.7%
Jan 2026 $0.46 −$0.35 −176.9%
Oct 2025 −$1.04 −$1.14 −9.3%

Adjusted EPS as companies report it, against the average analyst estimate.

Analyst recommendations

10 analysts, Oct 2026
Buy330%
Hold770%
Sell00%

Monthly trend

  1. Oct 20263710
  2. Sep 20263710
  3. Aug 20263811
  4. Jul 20263811

Counts of recommendations published by analysts covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc., by month. Source: Aggregated broker recommendations (third-party data). Aggregated counts only: we do not reproduce any firm's recommendation or price target, and these are not Fundamentalytics ratings.

Positioning

Short interest
35.8%
of tradable shares
Days to cover
2.98
at average volume
Short interest, 1 month
+12%
to September 30, 2026
Held by institutions
—
of shares
Held by insiders
5.2%
of shares
Employees
23,610
full time

Consensus figures average analysts' published estimates (third-party data); guidance is the company's own. Neither is our forecast. Short interest is reported twice a month and lags. Market data may be delayed.

This section is general information, not investment advice or a personal recommendation, and it does not take account of your objectives or circumstances. Forecasts and guidance are estimates, not promises: companies miss their own guidance and analysts' figures are often revised. Prices can fall as well as rise, and you can lose money. See our disclaimer.

Share-price performance

Market data may be delayed

What moved the share price

Last 12 months −42.1%

$14.69 on October 31, 2025 to $8.51

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $2.1bn $2.1bn −1.5%
P/S multiple 0.3x 0.1x −45.1%
Share count 37m 35m +7.1%

Biggest factor: p/s multiple. Loss-making at one end, so the split uses price/sales.

Last 3 years −76.6%

$36.35 on November 3, 2023 to $8.51

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $2.2bn $2.1bn −4.7%
P/S multiple 0.8x 0.1x −82.1%
Share count 47m 35m +37.4%

Biggest factor: p/s multiple. Loss-making at one end, so the split uses price/sales.

The effects multiply back to the price change exactly. Results are the last 12 months as known on each date (filings assumed public 45 days after quarter end).

Return and risk by year

Calendar year 202120222023202420252026 to date
Return
PLAY+28%−8%+52%−46%−45%−48%
Industry peers (median)+15%−17%+15%+0%−8%+6%
S&P 500+29%−18%+26%+25%+18%+11%
Months that ended higher
PLAY50%42%42%42%33%46%
S&P 50075%42%67%75%75%46%
Largest fall from a high during the year
PLAY−39%−38%−29%−63%−62%−70%
S&P 500−5%−25%−10%−8%−19%−9%

Worst fall since November 3, 2015: 93% from June 7, 2017 to March 18, 2020. Getting back needed a 1366% gain, and the shares have not yet recovered.

Price behaviour

52-week range
$6.38 – $21.17
From 52-week high
−59.8%
vs 50-day average
+10.9%
vs 200-day average
−26.2%
Volatility (1 year)
75%
Beta vs S&P 500
1.56

Volatility is the annualised standard deviation of daily returns. Beta 1.5 means the shares typically moved 1.5% for each 1% move in the S&P 500 over the past year. Prices to November 2, 2026.

Share price after results

Next day
6 up, 6 down
typical move ±11.7%
After a week
6 up, 6 down
typical move ±13.4%
After a month
5 up, 7 down
typical move ±16.7%
Results releasedNext dayS&P 500 next day5 days21 days
September 14, 2026 −15.7% −0.9% −16.6% −9.2%
June 15, 2026 −10.7% +1.2% −12.8% −18.5%
March 31, 2026 +25.2% +3.7% +30.0% +12.3%
December 9, 2025 +14.3% +0.6% +4.1% −2.6%
September 15, 2025 −14.8% +0.4% −17.4% −20.6%
June 10, 2025 +19.1% +0.3% +27.8% +26.2%
April 7, 2025 −4.6% −1.7% +5.0% +24.7%
December 10, 2024 −16.9% +0.5% −17.9% −23.9%
September 10, 2024 +3.8% +1.5% +5.8% +6.1%
June 12, 2024 −7.2% +1.0% −12.3% −19.2%
April 2, 2024 +6.0% −0.5% −2.2% −18.8%
December 5, 2023 +2.6% −0.4% +8.6% +18.7%

From the close before the release date to the close 1, 5 and 21 trading days after it, so releases before the open and after the close are both captured. Past moves don't predict future ones.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. in five measures

Fundamentals grade C
Growth Profitability Cash Balance sheet

Growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet are percentiles against the companies we cover in the same industry, from SEC filings (100 = best). Value compares the share price with our modelled value range (50 = at our base value; higher = cheaper). A description of reported data and our model — not a quality score or advice.

Fundamentals

Revenue (TTM) Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.
$2.1B $2.1B $2.2B $2.2B $2.3B FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q3: $2.2B Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q4: $2.2B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q1: $2.2B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q2: $2.2B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q3: $2.2B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q4: $2.1B Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q1: $2.1B Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q2: $2.1B Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q3: $2.1B Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q4: $2.1B Revenue (TTM), FY27 Q1: $2.1B Revenue (TTM), FY27 Q2: $2.1B $2.1B

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue (TTM)
FY24 Q3 $2.2B
FY24 Q4 $2.2B
FY25 Q1 $2.2B
FY25 Q2 $2.2B
FY25 Q3 $2.2B
FY25 Q4 $2.1B
FY26 Q1 $2.1B
FY26 Q2 $2.1B
FY26 Q3 $2.1B
FY26 Q4 $2.1B
FY27 Q1 $2.1B
FY27 Q2 $2.1B
Revenue growth, TTM YoY Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.
-10% 0% 10% 20% 30% FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q3: 24.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q4: 12.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q1: 4.1% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q2: 1.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q3: 1.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q4: -3.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q1: -3.8% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q2: -4.5% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q3: -4.1% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q4: -1.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY27 Q1: -0.8% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY27 Q2: -1.5% -1.5%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue growth, TTM YoY
FY24 Q3 24.4%
FY24 Q4 12.3%
FY25 Q1 4.1%
FY25 Q2 1.2%
FY25 Q3 1.3%
FY25 Q4 -3.3%
FY26 Q1 -3.8%
FY26 Q2 -4.5%
FY26 Q3 -4.1%
FY26 Q4 -1.4%
FY27 Q1 -0.8%
FY27 Q2 -1.5%
Operating margin (TTM) Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.
0% 5% 10% 15% FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 13.6% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 13.9% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: 12.3% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: 12.6% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: 12.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: 10.3% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 9.4% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 7.9% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: 6.8% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q4: 4.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY27 Q1: 3.3% Operating margin (TTM), FY27 Q2: 1.7% 1.7%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

View chart data
Period Operating margin (TTM)
FY24 Q3 13.6%
FY24 Q4 13.9%
FY25 Q1 12.3%
FY25 Q2 12.6%
FY25 Q3 12.1%
FY25 Q4 10.3%
FY26 Q1 9.4%
FY26 Q2 7.9%
FY26 Q3 6.8%
FY26 Q4 4.1%
FY27 Q1 3.3%
FY27 Q2 1.7%
FCF margin (TTM) Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.
-20% -10% 0% 10% FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 6.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 1.5% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: -0.5% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: -2.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: -8.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: -10.2% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: -12.9% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: -14.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: -9.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q4: -4.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY27 Q1: -1.6% FCF margin (TTM), FY27 Q2: -0.8% -0.8%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

View chart data
Period FCF margin (TTM)
FY24 Q3 6.1%
FY24 Q4 1.5%
FY25 Q1 -0.5%
FY25 Q2 -2.1%
FY25 Q3 -8.3%
FY25 Q4 -10.2%
FY26 Q1 -12.9%
FY26 Q2 -14.8%
FY26 Q3 -9.3%
FY26 Q4 -4.8%
FY27 Q1 -1.6%
FY27 Q2 -0.8%

Data: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (as filed in 10-K/10-Q); forms 10-K, 10-K/A, 10-Q, 10-Q/A. Generated November 3, 2026. Definitions in our methodology.

Financial statements

US$ millions unless shown otherwise. Fiscal years, plus the last twelve months (LTM) when newer.

Fiscal year 2013 Feb 2013 2014 Feb 2014 2015 Feb 2015 2016 Jan 2016 2017 Jan 2017 2018 Feb 2018 2019 Feb 2019 2020 Feb 2020 2021 Jan 2021 2022 Jan 2022 2023 Jan 2023 2024 Feb 2024 2025 Feb 2025 2026 Feb 2026 LTM Aug 2026
Income
Revenue 608 636 747 867 1,005 1,140 1,265 1,355 437 1,304 1,964 2,205 2,133 2,103 2,081
Gross profit 489 511 600 704 825 943 1,045 1,121 362 1,099 1,641 1,852 1,818 1,803 1,776
EBITDA 107 117 145 189 239 269 279 281 −114 326 432 515 459 366 332
Operating income 44 51 74 110 151 166 161 148 −253 187 263 307 220 86 36
Net income 9 2 8 60 91 121 117 100 −207 109 137 127 58 −49 −89
Diluted EPS $0.26 $0.06 $0.21 $1.39 $2.10 $2.84 $2.93 $2.94 −$4.75 $2.21 $2.79 $2.88 $1.46 −$1.40 −$2.57
Growth (year on year)
Revenue — +4.5% +17.5% +16.1% +15.9% +13.4% +11.0% +7.1% −67.8% +198.7% +50.6% +12.3% −3.3% −1.4% −1.5%
EBITDA — +9.5% +23.3% +30.4% +26.6% +12.4% +4.0% +0.5% −140.6% — +32.7% +19.3% −11.0% −20.3% −19.6%
Operating income — +16.8% +44.7% +49.0% +36.8% +10.1% −2.9% −8.0% −270.6% — +40.2% +16.8% −28.1% −60.9% −78.3%
Net income — — — — +52.3% +33.2% −3.1% −14.5% −306.4% — +26.1% −7.4% −54.1% −183.5% —
Diluted EPS — — — — +51.1% +35.2% +3.2% +0.3% −261.6% — +26.2% +3.2% −49.3% −195.9% —
Margins
Gross margin 80.4% 80.3% 80.4% 81.2% 82.1% 82.7% 82.6% 82.8% 82.8% 84.3% 83.5% 84.0% 85.3% 85.7% 85.4%
EBITDA margin 17.6% 18.5% 19.4% 21.8% 23.8% 23.6% 22.1% 20.7% −26.1% 25.0% 22.0% 23.4% 21.5% 17.4% 15.9%
Operating margin 7.2% 8.0% 9.9% 12.7% 15.0% 14.5% 12.7% 10.9% −57.9% 14.4% 13.4% 13.9% 10.3% 4.1% 1.7%
Net margin 1.4% 0.3% 1.0% 6.9% 9.0% 10.6% 9.3% 7.4% −47.4% 8.3% 7.0% 5.8% 2.7% −2.3% −4.3%
Free-cash-flow margin 0.7% 0.6% −5.8% 2.8% 5.0% 3.9% 9.6% 4.5% −30.3% 14.6% 10.7% 1.5% −10.2% −4.8% −0.8%
Cash flow
Cash from operations 83 110 87 187 231 265 338 289 −49 283 444 364 312 291 322
Capital spending 79 106 130 163 181 220 216 228 83 92 234 330 530 391 338
Free cash flow 4 4 −43 24 51 45 121 61 −132 191 210 34 −218 −101 −16
Stock-based pay 1 1 2 4 6 9 7 7 7 13 20 16 5 20 12
Free cash flow after stock pay 3 3 −45 20 45 36 114 54 −139 179 190 18 −223 −120 −28
Balance sheet
Cash 36 38 71 25 20 19 22 25 12 26 182 37 7 17 16
Total debt 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1,534
Net debt (negative = net cash) −36 −38 −71 −25 −20 −19 −22 −25 −12 −26 −182 −37 −7 −17 1,518
Diluted shares 34m 34m 37m 43m 43m 43m 40m 34m 44m 49m 49m 44m 40m 35m 35m
Returned to shareholders
Dividends — — — — — — 12 16 5 0 0 — — — —
Buybacks — — — — 29 152 149 297 0 0 25 300 172 24 0
Total returned — — — — 29 152 161 313 5 0 25 300 172 24 0

Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (US and foreign periodic filings); column headings link to the filing. EBITDA is operating income plus depreciation and amortisation. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Growth is left blank when last year's figure was a loss or under 2% of revenue. Share counts and EPS are restated for stock splits. A dash means the company didn't report the figure.

Financial health

1 of 6 checks passed · August 4, 2026
What it owns · $4.1bn
Short-term assets $128mLonger-term assets $4.0bn
What it owes, and who funded it · $519m
Short-term liabilities $431mShareholders' equity $88m
  • Short-term assets cover short-term liabilities $128m of assets due within a year against $431m of liabilities due within a year.
  • Short-term assets cover long-term liabilities Not assessable from the reported split. Not assessable.
  • More cash than debt $16m of cash against $1.5bn of debt.
  • Debt below 40% of shareholders' equity Debt is 1715% of equity.
  • Debt burden no higher than five years ago Debt to equity moved from 157% to 1715% over five years.
  • A year's operating cash flow covers at least 20% of debt $322m of operating cash flow against $1.5bn of debt.
  • Operating profit covers interest at least five times over Operating income of $36m against $153m of interest.

From Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s latest balance sheet as filed. Checks are fixed, documented rules (methodology), counted only where the company reports the figures — a dot means the filing doesn't break the item out. Descriptions of reported data, not advice.

Dividends, buybacks and capital spending

FY2027 Q2 TTM
Buybacks (TTM)
$0
Buybacks, last 3 fiscal years
$496M
Diluted share count
−6.7%
year over year
Total shareholder yield
0.0%
dividends 0.0% + buybacks 0.0% of market value

Competitors: side by side with peers

Closest by revenue in restaurants
Last 12 months unless stated PLAY PZZA WEN BROS CHA SHAK Median
Revenue, last 12 months $2.1bn $2.0bn $2.2bn $1.9bn $1.8bn $1.6bn $1.4bn
Revenue growth, last 12 months −1.5% −5.6% −1.0% 29.6% 4.2% 17.3% 4.6%
Revenue growth, 3-year average −1.6% −1.8% 0.7% 30.5% — 16.1% 5.1%
Revenue growth, latest quarter −2.4% −8.8% 1.7% 32.5% — 17.2% 4.5%
Gross margin 85.4% — 63.0% 25.1% — — 68.6%
Operating margin 1.7% 4.3% 13.6% 9.6% 10.4% 3.6% 4.9%
Operating margin, 3-year average 7.4% 5.9% 15.8% 8.8% — 2.1% 6.9%
Net margin −4.3% 1.4% 5.7% 4.9% 9.1% 2.6% 2.5%
Cash from operations / revenue 15.5% 4.8% 16.3% 19.4% 12.7% 12.3% 11.9%
Free-cash-flow margin −0.8% 1.7% 12.0% 5.0% 9.5% −0.8% 3.4%
Free-cash-flow margin, 3-year average −5.9% 2.6% 11.8% 1.8% — 1.4% 2.8%
Stock pay / revenue 0.6% 0.8% 0.5% 1.1% 5.6% 1.2% 0.8%
Change in share count −6.7% 0.5% −4.9% 7.9% 63.7% −6.7% 0.2%

Median of all 44 companies we cover in restaurants. Shaded: best of the six on that line (lowest for stock pay and share-count growth). 3-year figures average the last three 12-month periods; 3-year growth is compound annual. Source: SEC filings.

Peer comparison

44 restaurants companies
Measure Company Peer median Rank
Revenue growth Growth -1.5% 4.7% 35 of 44
Change in growth rate Growth -0.6pp +0.3pp 31 of 44
Gross margin Profitability 85.4% 63.0% 3 of 15
Operating margin Profitability 1.7% 5.2% 29 of 42
Net margin Profitability -4.3% 2.6% 38 of 44
Free-cash-flow margin Cash generation -0.8% 3.6% 35 of 44
Stock pay as % of revenue Cash generation 0.6% 0.8% 12 of 40
Long-term debt as % of assets Balance sheet 36.4% 29.0% 21 of 36
Change in share count Balance sheet -6.7% 0.3% 3 of 42

Rank 1 = best in the group (for spending, debt and dilution, lower ranks first).

Where the revenue comes from

Fiscal year to February 3, 2026
Products and services
Line of business Revenue Share YoY
Entertainment $1.3B 62.9% ▼ 4.9%
Game Play Credit Usage $1.3B 98.0% ▼ 5.1%
Other Entertainment $26.7M 2.0% ▲ 9.9%
Food and Beverage $779M 37.1% ▲ 5.1%
Food and Nonalcoholic Beverages $536M 68.8% ▲ 5.9%
Alcoholic Beverage $243M 31.2% ▲ 3.3%

From Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s 10-K filed March 31, 2026, as tagged in the filing. View filing. Indented rows are part of the line above; their share is of that line. In the bars, the faint bar behind is the year before.

Who owns it

Funds buying and selling
Reported value
$474M
Institutions reporting
169
Shares held vs prior quarter
▲ 2.5%
Positions opened / closed
31 / 44

Top buyers and sellers, Q2 2026: 89 institutions bought and 99 sold ; the biggest buyer was Wolf Hill Capital Management, LP (+1.4M shares) and the biggest seller Eminence Capital, LP (−2.3M). See which funds bought and sold →

Largest reported holders, June 30, 2026
Manager Value Shares Share of 13F value Shares QoQ
Hill Path Capital LP $81.2M 7.1M 17.1% 0.0%
Blackrock, Inc. $36.7M 3.2M 7.7% ▲ 49.6%
Nomura Holdings Inc $27.5M 2.4M 5.8% 0.0%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc $24.4M 2.1M 5.2% ▲ 45.5%
Arrowstreet Capital, Limited Partnership $20.6M 1.8M 4.3% ▲ 19.5%
Healthcare Of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund $16.6M 1.5M 3.5% 0.0%
Wolf Hill Capital Management, LP $15.5M 1.4M 3.3% New
Vanguard Capital Management LLC $13.3M 1.2M 2.8% ▲ 0.4%
SG Americas Securities, LLC $12.8M 1.1M 2.7% ▲ 69.2%
Morgan Stanley $11.9M 1.0M 2.5% ▼ 32.5%
Two Sigma Investments, LP $11.8M 1.0M 2.5% New
Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc $8.7M 762K 1.8% ▲ 13.0%

From Form 13F filings with the SEC ( quarterly data sets), as reported by each manager for June 30, 2026 and filed up to 45 days later. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M only, so this is not Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s complete shareholder register. Values are as reported by the filers .

Insider trading activity

Full insider history and chart
Insider purchases History → $203,393 4 trades by 3 insiders, last 12 months Insider sales History → $102,668 1 trade by 1 insider · 0% under pre-set plans
Net ▲ $100,725 net buying
Insider Date Trade Shares Price Value
Hatton Cory Interim CFO September 28, 2026 Buy 4,000 $6.50 $26,000
Lipman Nathaniel Director September 17, 2026 Buy 12,000 $6.78 $81,360
Lipman Nathaniel Director September 17, 2026 Buy 12,000 $6.78 $81,360
Klohn Steve SVP Chief Information Officer April 17, 2026 Sell 6,989 $14.69 $102,668
Rodriguez Rodolfo Jr SVP, Chief Legal Officer January 16, 2026 Buy 730 $20.10 $14,673

From insiders' Form 4 filings with the SEC. Excludes awards, option exercises and shares withheld for tax. "Pre-set plan" means the filing marks the trade as made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. See every insider trade since five years ago, on a price chart.

Trades by members of Congress

All 4 trades and filings

No trades in Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. disclosed in the last 12 months; 4 earlier trades on record.

  • Tom Malinowski(D-NJ 7):Purchase, $15,001 - $50,000, traded August 9, 2019, filed August 26, 2021
  • Tom Malinowski(D-NJ 7):Sale (full), $15,001 - $50,000, traded August 7, 2019, filed July 9, 2021
  • Tom Malinowski(D-NJ 7):Sale (partial), $1,001 - $15,000, traded April 5, 2019, filed August 26, 2021

Value ranges as filed; reports can arrive up to 45 days after a trade.

Earnings dates and SEC filings

Results announcements

Next expected around December 8, 2026 estimated from the company's past filing pattern, not announced

  • September 14, 2026
  • June 15, 2026
  • March 31, 2026
  • December 9, 2025
  • September 15, 2025
  • June 10, 2025

Recent SEC filings

Data status

When each part of this page on Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. was last updated.

DataLast updatedSource
Share priceExchange closing prices
Financial statementsSEC 10-K and 10-Q filings
News and updatesCompany releases and SEC 8-K filings
Analyst estimatesAggregated analyst estimates
Valuation and scoresOur models, from the filed figures

How we build and check these figures: methodology and data sources.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. in brief

What does Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. do?
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. is a US-listed company in the restaurants industry. Its financial year ends in January.
What is Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s stock ticker?
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. trades under the ticker PLAY on Nasdaq. This page brings together its financial statements, valuation models, ownership and recent company updates.
What is Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s revenue, and how fast is it growing?
Over its most recent trailing twelve months, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. reported revenue of $2.1B, 1.5% lower than a year earlier, according to its SEC filings.
What is Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s free cash flow?
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s free-cash-flow margin is -0.8% of revenue over the trailing twelve months, ranking 35 of the 44 restaurants companies we cover.
Who are Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s largest institutional shareholders?
By value reported in 13F filings for June 30, 2026, the largest reported holders are Hill Path Capital LP, Blackrock, Inc. and Nomura Holdings Inc. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M, filed up to 45 days after quarter end.
Is Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. buying back stock, and does it pay a dividend?
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. spent $0 on share repurchases over the trailing twelve months, and its diluted share count fell 6.7% over the year.
What is Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s market cap?
On November 2, 2026, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s market capitalisation was about $294M and net debt of $1.5B. Market figures come from third-party market data and may be delayed.
How much debt does Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. have?
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s debt-to-equity ratio is 1715.0%, from its latest balance sheet (156.6% five years earlier). The financial health section below sets out its other solvency checks.
Who are Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s competitors?
In our Restaurants peer group, the companies closest to Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. are Papa Johns International Inc, Wendy's Co, Dutch Bros Inc., Chagee Holdings Ltd. and Shake Shack Inc. The side-by-side comparison below sets their revenue, margins and growth against Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s.
Are insiders buying or selling Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. stock?
Over the last 12 months, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s directors and officers reported 4 open-market purchases and 1 sales on Form 4. The insider trading page charts every trade.
When is Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s next earnings date?
Around December 8, 2026, estimated from the spacing of its past results announcements (8-K filings). That is an estimate, not a confirmed date — Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. announces its own schedule.