The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Golden Entertainment (NASDAQ: GDEN) and the rest of the casino operator stocks fared in Q1.
Casino operators enjoy limited competition because gambling is a highly regulated industry. These companies can also enjoy healthy margins and profits. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘the house always wins’? Regulation cuts both ways, however, and casinos may face stroke-of-the-pen risk that suddenly limits what they can or can't do and where they can do it. Furthermore, digitization is changing the game, pun intended. Whether it’s online poker or sports betting on your smartphone, innovation is forcing these players to adapt to changing consumer preferences, such as being able to wager anywhere on demand.
The 9 casino operator stocks we track reported a slower Q1. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.
Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 6.8% on average since the latest earnings results.
Golden Entertainment (NASDAQ: GDEN)
Founded in 2001, Golden Entertainment (NASDAQ: GDEN) is a gaming company operating casinos, taverns, and distributed gaming platforms.
Golden Entertainment reported revenues of $160.8 million, down 7.6% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.
Blake Sartini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Entertainment, commented, “Our focus on customer experience and operational efficiencies allowed us to generate strong financial performance despite uncertain macroeconomic conditions. Our business remains resilient and we intend to continue to opportunistically repurchase our common stock under our current buyback authorization.”
Golden Entertainment delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 12.3% since reporting and currently trades at $29.12.
Read our full report on Golden Entertainment here, it’s free.
Best Q1: Monarch (NASDAQ: MCRI)
Established in 1993, Monarch (NASDAQ: MCRI) operates luxury casinos and resorts, offering high-end gaming, dining, and hospitality experiences.
Monarch reported revenues of $125.4 million, up 3.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. The business had a strong quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.
Monarch delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 9.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $83.43.
Is now the time to buy Monarch? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q1: PENN Entertainment (NASDAQ: PENN)
Established in 1982, PENN Entertainment (NASDAQ: PENN) is a diversified American operator of casinos, sports betting, and entertainment venues.
PENN Entertainment reported revenues of $1.67 billion, up 4.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.
As expected, the stock is down 4.1% since the results and currently trades at $15.06.
Read our full analysis of PENN Entertainment’s results here.
MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM)
Operating several properties on the Las Vegas Strip, MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM) is a global hospitality and entertainment company known for its resorts and casinos.
MGM Resorts reported revenues of $4.28 billion, down 2.4% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
The stock is up 2.6% since reporting and currently trades at $32.25.
Read our full, actionable report on MGM Resorts here, it’s free.
Red Rock Resorts (NASDAQ: RRR)
Founded in 1976, Red Rock Resorts (NASDAQ: RRR) operates a range of casino resorts and entertainment properties, primarily in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
Red Rock Resorts reported revenues of $497.9 million, up 1.8% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Taking a step back, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ Casino revenue estimates.
The stock is up 19.9% since reporting and currently trades at $50.50.
Read our full, actionable report on Red Rock Resorts here, it’s free.
Market Update
In response to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been gradually trending down from its post-pandemic peak, trending closer to the Fed’s 2% target. Despite higher borrowing costs, the economy has avoided flashing recessionary signals. This is the much-desired soft landing that many investors hoped for. The recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November 2024) have bolstered the stock market, making 2024 a strong year for equities. Donald Trump’s presidential win in November sparked additional market gains, sending indices to record highs in the days following his victory. However, debates continue over possible tariffs and corporate tax adjustments, raising questions about economic stability in 2025.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
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