Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Boosts Stake in Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. $PLAY

Key Points

• Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund increased its stake in Dave & Buster’s by 40.1% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 1,515,000 shares worth about $24.6 million.
• Dave & Buster’s reported a weak first quarter, with EPS of $0.22 versus expectations around $0.60 and revenue of $559.2 million versus the $580.6 million consensus.
• The company also saw pressure on core performance, as comparable store sales fell 5.4% and quarterly profit dropped to $5.7 million, while analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold on the stock.

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its holdings in Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY - Free Report) by 40.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,515,000 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after acquiring an additional 434,000 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund owned 4.37% of Dave & Buster's Entertainment worth $24,558,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment during the third quarter worth $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment by 616.6% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,942 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,671 shares during the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment during the third quarter worth $104,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment by 292.4% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,062 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $152,000 after purchasing an additional 3,772 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.45% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Dave & Buster's Entertainment

Here are the key news stories impacting Dave & Buster's Entertainment this week:

• Negative Sentiment: First-quarter earnings came in well below estimates at $0.22 per share versus expectations ranging from $0.37 to $0.60, signaling weaker-than-expected profitability. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue also missed forecasts, coming in at $559.2 million versus the $580.6 million consensus, reinforcing concerns about softer demand. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Comparable store sales fell 5.4%, highlighting continued pressure on traffic and same-store performance. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: The company reported lower first-quarter profit of $5.7 million, down from a much stronger year-ago period, which adds to concerns about margin and earnings momentum. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Dave & Buster’s released its full first-quarter 2026 financial results, but the main market takeaway is the earnings and sales miss rather than any new strategic update. Article title

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Steve Klohn sold 6,989 shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.69, for a total value of $102,668.41. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 38,547 shares in the company, valued at $566,255.43. This trade represents a 15.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment in a report on Thursday. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment from $22.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment in a report on Monday, April 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $21.83.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Stock Down 4.7%

PLAY stock opened at $12.32 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $428.00 million, a PE ratio of -8.62 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.61, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a current ratio of 0.29. The firm's fifty day moving average is $12.00 and its 200 day moving average is $14.85. Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. has a one year low of $9.61 and a one year high of $35.53.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 15th. The restaurant operator reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.60 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $559.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $580.60 million. Dave & Buster's Entertainment had a negative net margin of 2.32% and a negative return on equity of 7.93%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.76 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. will post -0.77 EPS for the current year.

About Dave & Buster's Entertainment

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc operates a chain of combined restaurant and entertainment venues designed to appeal to families, young adults and corporate groups. Each location features a full-service restaurant and bar alongside an arcade gaming area with ticket-based redemption, virtual reality experiences and skill-based games. Many venues also include multiple large-screen televisions and a sports bar atmosphere, catering to fans who wish to watch live sporting events in a social setting.

The company was founded in 1982 by David Corriveau and James “Buster” Corley, opening its first location in Dallas, Texas.

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