MUFG Securities EMEA plc Invests $7.36 Million in Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. $PLAY

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought 454,000 shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in the fourth quarter, a stake valued at about $7.36 million and representing roughly 1.31% of the company.
• Dave & Buster’s reported a weaker-than-expected quarterly result, posting an EPS loss of $0.35 versus estimates for a profit, while revenue of $529.6 million also missed analyst forecasts.
• Sentiment remains mixed: several analysts have cut ratings or price targets, but institutional ownership is high at 91.45%, and the stock recently traded at $13.37 with a market cap of about $464 million.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 454,000 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $7,359,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc owned approximately 1.31% of Dave & Buster's Entertainment as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PLAY. Nomura Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment by 532.9% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 2,411,191 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $43,787,000 after buying an additional 2,030,186 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment by 232.3% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 634,148 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $10,280,000 after buying an additional 443,308 shares in the last quarter. Fund 1 Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $7,791,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment during the 3rd quarter valued at about $6,118,000. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its position in shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment by 137.2% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 509,924 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $9,260,000 after buying an additional 294,916 shares in the last quarter. 91.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Stock Performance

Shares of PLAY opened at $13.37 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.61, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.19. Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. has a 1 year low of $9.61 and a 1 year high of $35.53. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $11.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.03. The firm has a market cap of $464.47 million, a P/E ratio of -9.35 and a beta of 1.81.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The restaurant operator reported ($0.35) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.74). Dave & Buster's Entertainment had a negative net margin of 2.32% and a negative return on equity of 7.93%. The company had revenue of $529.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $556.56 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.69 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. will post -0.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Dave & Buster's Entertainment

In other Dave & Buster's Entertainment news, SVP Steve Klohn sold 6,989 shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at $566,255.43. The trade was a 15.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on PLAY. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Dave & Buster's Entertainment from $22.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research cut Dave & Buster's Entertainment from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Dave & Buster's Entertainment from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $21.83.

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Profile

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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