Earnings preview: Here’s what to expect from Dave & Buster’s Q2 report

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (NASDAQ: PLAY), an operator of leisure and event venues, recently cautioned the market that its performance in the second half of the year might not be as impressive as initially expected. The stock’s muted performance since then, despite a positive start to the year, shows that investors are still concerned. (check for live earnings updates)

The company is scheduled to publish its second-quarter results on September 10 at 4:05 pm ET. Analysts expect it to report earnings of $0.84 per share, which is in line with the performance in the year-ago quarter. In the past, earnings topped the Street’s view in three of the trailing four quarters, and the positive trend is expected to continue this time. Meanwhile, second-quarter revenues are seen growing about 8% to $344.5 million.

Growth Initiatives

As far as growth is concerned, the positive effect of the steps taken by the management at the beginning of the year to strengthen the brand will likely reflect in the results. Especially, the steady expansion of the store network bodes well for the company.

Also see: Slack Q2 loss narrows as revenue rises

The recent weakness in walk-in comparable-store sales points to the need for extra attention in that area. High expenses could be a dampener for profitability as margins might come under pressure.

Losing Sheen

The strong momentum witnessed in earnings and revenue in the past seems to have softened this year. Going forward, competition might add to the weakness as new players are entering the market, encouraged by the growing demand for the dining-entertainment combination.

Looking Back

For the first quarter of 2019, the company reported a 9% increase in earnings to $1.13 per share, beating the estimates, on the back of solid revenue growth and a decline in taxes. Revenues grew in the same degree to $364 million but fell short of expectations. Meanwhile, a downward revision of the full-year outlook took the sheen off the positive performance and triggered a stock sell-off.

Related: Dave & Buster’s Q1 2019 Earnings Call Transcript

Dave & Buster’s shares are yet to fully recover from the huge loss they suffered after the management issued dismal full-year guidance in June. The stock has lost about 13% in the past six months and 27% since last year.

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