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

Avoid
Avoid: short interest has been falling
$9.40
Last close
-61.7%
1-year return
PLAY Bull Case vs. Bear Case

A data-driven read of PLAY's strengths and risk factors, built from its financials, earnings history, analyst activity, and insider trading, not opinion or speculation.

Strengths
Share count fell 2.3% year over year via buybacks.
Watch Items
Revenue declined 1.4% year over year.
Operating margin has compressed for 2 straight years on record.
Debt exceeds cash & investments by 1,505,400,000 (raw units).
Total debt has risen for 4 straight years on record.
Free cash flow was negative in the most recent year.
Operating cash flow covers only -597% of net income, profit isn't fully backed by cash.
Who's Bullish on PLAY, and Who Isn't

Five independent market signals, analysts, institutions, insiders, short sellers, and price trend, each scored from real, current data. See exactly where the smart money agrees, and where it's split.

Signals are mixed: 2 of 5 available lean bullish, 2 lean bearish.

Institutionsβ–²
15.5K shares net this 13F cycle
Insidersβ–Ό
Net selling
Analysts●
Hold consensus, 7 analysts
Short Sellersβ–²
Short interest falling, 2 straight reports
Price Trendβ–Ό
Downtrend, price below a falling 50-day average
Valuation check: Revenue growth trend and analyst price target trend are roughly in line.
PLAY's Biggest Trading Days

Every trading day in the last 2 years where PLAY moved 4% or more in a single session, most recent first, a quick read on how volatile this stock has really been. See full daily price history β†’

DateMoveClose
Aug 27, 2026-6.90%$9.18
Aug 21, 2026+4.06%$10.25
Aug 14, 2026-4.14%$10.19
Aug 10, 2026-4.09%$9.85
Aug 4, 2026-8.30%$10.61
Aug 3, 2026+6.73%$11.57
Jul 30, 2026+5.76%$10.84
Jul 27, 2026+5.67%$10.43
Jul 23, 2026-4.51%$9.75
Jul 22, 2026-4.22%$10.21
Jul 21, 2026+5.44%$10.66
Jul 15, 2026+7.86%$10.29
Jul 14, 2026-5.07%$9.54
Jul 9, 2026+4.04%$10.55
Jul 8, 2026-5.50%$10.14
Jul 6, 2026-6.25%$10.35
Jul 2, 2026-4.17%$11.04
Jun 29, 2026-4.15%$11.33
Jun 26, 2026+4.60%$11.82
Jun 25, 2026-6.53%$11.30
Jun 24, 2026+7.28%$12.09
Jun 22, 2026-8.79%$10.90
Jun 18, 2026+6.79%$11.95
Jun 16, 2026-6.25%$11.55
Jun 15, 2026-4.72%$12.32

Showing the 25 most recent of 166 on record. Full history is on the Price Insights page.

The PLAY Timeline: Earnings, Insider Trades & Analyst Calls

Every major event from the past 12 months, earnings reports, insider transactions, and analyst upgrades or downgrades, merged into a single chronological feed so you can see what clustered together.

RJun 16, 2026The Benchmark Company: DowngradeHold
EJun 15, 2026Q1 '26 earnings: missed EPS-73.2% surprise
IApr 17, 2026Klohn Steve: Sale$103K
EMar 31, 2026Q4 '25 earnings: missed EPS-392.6% surprise
RJan 16, 2026The Benchmark Company: UpgradeBuy
IJan 16, 2026Rodriguez Rodolfo Jr: Purchase$15K
EDec 9, 2025Q3 '25 earnings: missed EPS-16.5% surprise
IOct 21, 2025Lal Tarun: Purchase$18K
ISep 18, 2025Lal Tarun: Purchase$51K
ESep 15, 2025Q2 '25 earnings: missed EPS-64.4% surprise
Sector
Communication Services
Industry
Entertainment
Exchange
NASDAQ

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates entertainment and dining venues for adults and families in North America. Its venues offer a menu of entrΓ©es and appetizers, as well as a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; and an assortment of entertainment attractions centered on playing games and watching live sports, and other televised events. The company also provides food, drinks, and entertainment, including bowling, laser tag, arcade games, and virtual reality. The company operates its venues under the Dave & Buster's and Main Event brands. Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Coppell, Texas.

1221 Beltline Road, Coppell, TX, 75019, United States, 214 357 9588

Stocks Like PLAY

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$108.10
PLAY By the Numbers

A complete statistical profile built from PLAY's full price, financial, and ownership history, not an isolated snapshot. Explore any category in depth below.

Price & Momentum
Full price insights β†’
Volatility regime
Above its normal
52-week range position
1%
Trend
Downtrend, price below a falling 50-day average
Current streak
1d up
View full historical prices β†’
Financial Health
Full financial statements β†’
Revenue growth
Contracting
FCF conversion
207%
Net debt
$1.51B
Share count, 1yr
-2.3%
Earnings
Full earnings history β†’
EPS beat rate
+13%
Current streak
7q miss
Analyst Coverage
Full analyst ratings β†’
Consensus
Hold
Avg target upside
+380.9%
Target agreement
Wide disagreement
Insider Activity
Full insider transactions β†’
Net flow
-$18.3K
Transactions on record
4
Short Interest
Full short interest β†’
Shares short
9.8M
Days-to-cover percentile
99th
Days to cover
7.9
Institutional Ownership
Full institutional holders β†’
Total holders
145
Net flow this cycle
-$206.45M
Top 10 concentration
+66%
This overview draws together PLAY's price action, fundamentals, and market activity into one view, click through any section above for the full underlying analysis. The bull/bear breakdown and agreement matrix combine independently-sourced signals and are not a recommendation; any single signal can be wrong, and agreement between them is not a guarantee of future performance. This is historical data, not investment advice. Read disclaimer β†’