Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY) Shares Pass Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY) shares crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $11.80 and traded as high as $12.36. Dave & Buster’s Entertainment shares last traded at $11.30, with a volume of 1,159,246 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment from $22.00 to $14.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock 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 research note on Monday, April 6th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $19.33.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Trading Down 6.5%

The firm has a market cap of $393.13 million, a P/E ratio of -5.98 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.01, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $11.80 and a 200 day moving average of $14.51.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 15th. The restaurant operator reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.60 by ($0.38). Dave & Buster’s Entertainment had a negative return on equity of 24.19% and a negative net margin of 3.09%.The firm had revenue of $559.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $580.60 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.76 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. will post -1.02 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Dave & Buster’s Entertainment

In related news, SVP Steve Klohn sold 6,989 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.69, for a total transaction of $102,668.41. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 38,547 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $566,255.43. This trade represents a 15.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Nomura Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 532.9% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 2,411,191 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $43,787,000 after acquiring an additional 2,030,186 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 44.9% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,509,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $16,351,000 after purchasing an additional 468,174 shares in the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the 4th quarter valued at $7,359,000. ING Groep NV bought a new position in shares of Dave & Buster’s Entertainment during the 4th quarter valued at $7,311,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Dave & Buster’s Entertainment by 232.3% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 634,148 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $10,280,000 after purchasing an additional 443,308 shares during the period. 91.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Company 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.