PLAY · sample dossier
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.
29/100
OutdatedGenerated Sep 12, 2026 · 10:00 AM UTC · 55 days ago
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EquityDave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. · XNAS
Decision context
Recommendation
Weighed down by weak Momentum (0/100) and Growth (9/100) scores.
A cautious picture — if you own it, consider taking some off.
AlphaDog Fair Value
Executive thesis & key metrics
Executive Investment Thesis
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. operates entertainment and dining venues, currently trading as a micro-cap with a market capitalization of $283.18M and an EV/EBITDA of 9.74. Operating deterioration is reflected in a negative net margin of -3.1%, an EPS growth contraction of -74.2% YoY, and a 1-year price drawdown of -63.4%. The primary vulnerability is balance sheet solvency, underscored by an Altman Z-score of 0.58 in the distress zone and an extreme Debt/Equity ratio of 35.79.
Key Metrics to Watch
What changed recently
No material changes found in the last 30 days.
Why this rating
Score 29 · Sell
Data through
OutdatedApr 30, 2026
Composite 29/100 — weak across most factors.
Re-evaluate if
- Net margin falls below -2.5% (was -3.1%)
Trim / reconsider if
- ROA falls below 1.0% (was 1.6%)
- Net margin drops below -3.1%
- Debt/Equity exceeds 35.79.
Think of these dollars as a map of our value estimate for Sell — helpful context, not a reason to override the view.
A Calmer Look · Devil's Advocate
Consensus has universally capitulated to an imminent solvency collapse narrative anchored on an Altman Z-score of 0.58 and an extreme Debt/Equity ratio of 35.79.
May be overlooked
The consensus solvency panic relies on balance sheet disclosures from May 5, 2026, which are more than 129 days stale as of September 12, 2026, blinding the market to subsequent operational adjustments.
Consensus conflates $1,495.3M in net long-term debt with near-term default risk, overlooking that current debt installments are only $7.0M against a cash balance of $19.6M and quarterly operating income of $46.9M.
The Debt/Equity ratio of 35.79 is mechanically inflated by $1,556.3M in operating lease liabilities on $99.6M of equity, misrepresenting venue lease agreements as callable institutional debt.
Expectations look stretched
Bulls over-interpret August 2026 insider buying of 513,530 shares as an immediate solvency cure, ignoring that executive purchases cannot bridge trailing negative free cash flow of -$1.71 per share.
Extrapolating gross margin resilience at 39.3% obscures that store operating costs compressed quarterly operating income from $63.2M to $46.9M YoY and drove net margin to -3.1%.
Bull reliance on positive quarterly EPS of $0.16 from April 30, 2026 relies on stale data older than 90 days and ignores the trailing EPS growth collapse of -74.2% YoY and negative P/E of -4.4.
Revenue growth YoY recovers above -1.5%.
Revenue growth YoY recovers above -1.5%.
Monitor These Triggers
3 Checkpoints · Next PrintRevenue growth YoY (baseline -1.5% for the period ended May 5, 2026) and operating income (baseline $46.9M).
Market context
Snapshot returns at report publication
1 month
-21.5%
3 months
-38.2%
6 months
-37.2%
1 year
-63.4%
At a Glance
A smaller company is in a pullback at unprofitable earnings.
Top Holders
Financial trajectory
Financial Performance
Go deeper
For learning and research only — not investment advice. AlphaDog doesn’t hold stocks and isn’t your financial advisor.
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