Monarch Casino & Resort (NASDAQ:MCRI) Stock Price Up 14.2% Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Key Points

• Shares were up 14.2% after Monarch reported Q1 EPS $1.52 (vs. $1.15 consensus) and revenue of $136.6M (vs. $128.5M), with revenue +8.9% y/y and materially higher net income and margins.
• The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share (annualized $1.20, ~1.1% yield), payable June 15 to shareholders of record on June 1, with a payout ratio around 22.1%.
• Analyst reaction was mixed but notable: Truist upgraded to a "buy" and raised its target to $125, while the Street consensus remains mostly "Hold" with an average target near $105.60.

Shares of Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCRI - Get Free Report) were up 14.2% during trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $111.91 and last traded at $112.5630. Approximately 60,176 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 47% from the average daily volume of 114,086 shares. The stock had previously closed at $98.58.

The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $136.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $128.49 million. Monarch Casino & Resort had a return on equity of 18.68% and a net margin of 18.60%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Monarch Casino & Resort Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. Monarch Casino & Resort's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.10%.

More Monarch Casino & Resort News

Here are the key news stories impacting Monarch Casino & Resort this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record Q1 results — Monarch reported record first-quarter 2026 results: revenue $136.6M (+8.9% y/y), net income $27.6M (+38.9% y/y), adjusted EBITDA $48.95M (+19%), and diluted EPS $1.52 vs. $1.05 a year ago; the quarter beat revenue and EPS consensus. This is the primary driver of today's bullish sentiment. View Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share (annualized yield ~1.2%); record/ex‑dividend date: investors of record June 1; payable June 15. The payout and the timing can support investor demand for the stock. Dividend Report
• Positive Sentiment: Truist upgrade and higher target — Truist raised its price target to $125 and has a "buy" rating, implying ~27% upside from the referenced $98.58 level; this is a strong bullish signal for growth/earnings visibility. Truist Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel adjusts target but keeps hold — Stifel raised its price target modestly to $102 but kept a "hold" rating (small implied upside), indicating some analyst caution on valuation or near-term catalysts despite the beat. Stifel Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Media / analyst coverage — multiple outlets (Zacks, TipRanks, GlobeNewswire) highlighted the earnings beat and shareholder returns; broader coverage can fuel intraday flows but also brings more analyst scrutiny. Zacks Earnings TipRanks

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on MCRI. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Monarch Casino & Resort from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Monarch Casino & Resort in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Monarch Casino & Resort from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $112.00 price objective on shares of Monarch Casino & Resort in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Monarch Casino & Resort from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $105.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Farahi sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 536,304 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $53,094,096. The trade was a 0.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 25.52% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Monarch Casino & Resort

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MCRI. Tributary Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Monarch Casino & Resort by 57.8% in the third quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 389,306 shares of the company's stock worth $41,204,000 after acquiring an additional 142,621 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Monarch Casino & Resort by 77.1% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 188,498 shares of the company's stock valued at $19,951,000 after acquiring an additional 82,035 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Monarch Casino & Resort during the 4th quarter worth about $7,244,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in Monarch Casino & Resort by 64.5% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 178,976 shares of the company's stock worth $18,943,000 after purchasing an additional 70,185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clark Capital Management Group Inc. acquired a new position in Monarch Casino & Resort in the 3rd quarter valued at about $6,192,000. 62.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Monarch Casino & Resort Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a PE ratio of 20.83 and a beta of 1.30. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $97.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $95.69.

About Monarch Casino & Resort

Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc is a publicly traded owner and operator of an integrated casino resort in Reno, Nevada. The company's flagship property, the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, features a full-service casino floor with table games, slot machines, and sports betting, complemented by a diverse portfolio of amenities. Guests can choose from over 800 rooms and suites, dine at multiple on-site restaurants and bars, unwind at the full-service spa and salon, or enjoy live entertainment in the property's showroom.

Monarch's revenue streams are diversified across gaming operations, hotel accommodations, food and beverage services, and convention and meeting facilities.

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