Dave & Buster's Reports Q1 Earnings Miss: Net Income Down 74%, Sales Decline 5.4%
PLAY sits 19% above its 52-week low of $9.61 on elevated volume (2.2× avg).
Summary
Dave & Buster's reported a significant drop in Q1 net income and continued comparable store sales declines, missing analyst expectations, despite an improvement in adjusted free cash flow.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · PLAY
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Significant Profit Decline
Net income for Q1 2026 fell 74% to $5.7 million ($0.16 per diluted share) from $21.7 million ($0.62 per diluted share) in Q1 2025.
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Comparable Store Sales Drop
Comparable store sales decreased 5.4% compared to the same period in fiscal 2025, continuing a negative trend.
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Revenue Decline
Total revenue decreased 1.5% to $559.2 million from $567.7 million in the prior year's first quarter.
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Improved Free Cash Flow
Adjusted free cash flow turned positive at $25.3 million, a significant improvement from negative $58.8 million in Q1 2025.
Analysis · PLAY · Trade & Services
Dave & Buster's first-quarter results significantly missed expectations, with net income plummeting 74% year-over-year and comparable store sales continuing their negative trend. While the company reported a positive adjusted free cash flow, the substantial decline in profitability and revenue indicates ongoing operational challenges. Management's forward-looking statements about achieving positive comparable store sales and over $100 million in free cash flow for the full fiscal year will be critical to watch as the company attempts to execute its 'back-to-basics' strategy.
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In the 30 days to Sep 30, 2026, 34.7% of the 1013 measured filings Wiseek scored 8 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.50%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
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At the time of this filing, PLAY was trading at $11.40 on NASDAQ in the Trade & Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $428M. The 52-week trading range was $9.61 to $35.53. This filing was assessed with negative market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10.