While Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY) shareholders are probably generally happy, the stock hasn’t had particularly good run recently, with the share price falling 22% in the last quarter. In contrast, the return over three years has been impressive. The share price marched upwards over that time, and is now 117% higher than it was. So the recent fall in the share price should be viewed in that context. If the business can perform well for years to come, then the recent drop could be an opportunity.
Although Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has shed US$91m from its market cap this week, let’s take a look at its longer term fundamental trends and see if they’ve driven returns.
See our latest analysis for Dave & Buster’s Entertainment
To quote Buffett, ‘Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace…’ One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.
During three years of share price growth, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment moved from a loss to profitability. Given the importance of this milestone, it’s not overly surprising that the share price has increased strongly.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..
A Different Perspective
Dave & Buster’s Entertainment shareholders gained a total return of 9.4% during the year. But that was short of the market average. On the bright side, that’s still a gain, and it is certainly better than the yearly loss of about 7% endured over half a decade. It could well be that the business is stabilizing. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks, for example – Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) we think you should know about.
If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
