United Parks & Resorts (NYSE:PRKS) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.33 EPS

United Parks & Resorts (NYSE:PRKS) posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The company reported ($0.69) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.36) by ($0.33), Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $278.29 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $279.92 million. United Parks & Resorts had a negative return on equity of 41.63% and a net margin of 10.13%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.29) EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from United Parks & Resorts’ conference call:

• Attendance fell roughly 171,000 year?over?year in Q1, which management attributed mainly to adverse weather (about 140,000 guests) and weaker international visitation (about 80,000), pressuring revenue for the quarter.
• Forward demand indicators improved — in?park per capita reached a record $40.62 (up 5.3%), total revenue per capita rose 2.1%, paid pass sales were up ~10% in Q1 (~12% through Apr. 30), and deferred revenue increased 4.1% to $203.8M.
• Management continued aggressive buybacks, repurchasing 2.6M shares for ~$92.7M in Q1 and an additional 1.8M shares for ~$64.8M post?quarter, with ~ $198M remaining on the $500M authorization, signaling confidence in the stock and strong cash flow.
• Profitability weakened as net loss widened to $34.1M (vs. $16.1M prior year) and adjusted EBITDA fell to $58M (down $9.5M), while operating and SG&A rose due mainly to non?cash self?insurance adjustments, one?time consulting costs, and ERP amortization.
• Management highlighted several growth initiatives — a revamped marketing plan (new national SeaWorld campaign), a strong 2026 attractions/events slate, tech investments, sponsorship deals (expecting >$15M in 2026 toward a longer?term ~$30M target) and active real estate discussions — which they say should drive attendance and revenue going forward.

United Parks & Resorts Trading Down 3.3%

NYSE:PRKS opened at $35.32 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.14. United Parks & Resorts has a 1-year low of $28.77 and a 1-year high of $56.95. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $34.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.15.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PRKS. Truist Financial raised their price objective on United Parks & Resorts from $47.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of United Parks & Resorts in a report on Friday, March 27th. Citigroup decreased their price target on United Parks & Resorts from $40.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on United Parks & Resorts from $56.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of United Parks & Resorts from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parks & Resorts currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $47.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parks & Resorts

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PRKS. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of United Parks & Resorts by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 21,685 shares of the company’s stock worth $787,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in United Parks & Resorts by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 8,999 shares of the company’s stock valued at $424,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in United Parks & Resorts in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Swiss National Bank lifted its position in United Parks & Resorts by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 53,300 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,756,000 after buying an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Parks & Resorts during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000.

About United Parks & Resorts

United Parks & Resorts, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the ownership and operation of theme parks. Its portfolio includes SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place, and Sea Rescue. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL.