What is PLAY's 12-month stock price target?

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) carries a 12-month consensus base price target of $6.77 (-13.5% from $7.83), with a bull-case target of $23.21 and a bear-case floor of $5.28.

Stock Ratings / Consumer Discretionary / PLAY / forecast

JACK (38) RICK (54) PTLO (42) KRUS (18) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) 12-Month Stock Forecast & Price Target Cone

Q: Is PLAY stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now?

Roarable's 5-Pillar RQD Quant Engine rates PLAY E (Strong Sell — SELL) with an RQD Confidence score of 28/100.

$7.83 -3.69% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $7.76

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) carries a Roarable Rating of E (Strong Sell) with 28/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.

ROARABLE E • RED ALERT Cap $272.7M

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on PLAY Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is PLAY stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-03, Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAY) is rated E (Strong Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 28/100 at a spot price of $7.83 (-3.69% 1D, market cap $272.7M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 11/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 6/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 3/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 3/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 5/20. Across 1009 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, PLAY ranks #900 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does PLAY compare to JACK and RICK in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

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Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Restaurants), PLAY carries a Roarable E (28/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of 85.7%, and ROIC of 4.3%. By comparison, JACK (Jack In The Box Inc.) holds a D- grade (38/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC -35.0%, cap $249.6M) and RICK (RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc.) posts a D+ grade (54/100 RQD, P/E 20.0x, ROIC 5.6%, cap $216.5M). Among the 5-stock peer group, PTLO leads on earnings multiple (17.9x) while RICK leads on capital efficiency (5.6% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for PLAY?

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Per PLAY's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-02-03, CIK 0001525769), Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. generated $2.10B in revenue (-1.4% YoY), -$48.7M in net income, and -$100.6M in free cash flow against $4.12B in total assets and $1.51B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Consumer Discretionary with deep daily trading liquidity. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $7.76 (-0.85%)🧬 Disciplined Float (+0.72% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 11/20 (D+) • 0% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record Warning: Scores below 50 (28/100 · E) historically underperformed SPY in 71% of rolling 90-day windows (-10.0% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 29.0% hit rate).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERRED ALERT • E

2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw D- · Rk E

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE-13.5% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for PLAY)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±12.5%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (28/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY PLAY SCORES 28/100 (E) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+11/20 pts (39% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 0% FCF Margin ($0 FCF) & 85.7% Gross Margin

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+6/20 pts (21% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±12.5% realized swing band)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit4/20 pts (-16 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (53.6) create a -16 pt regime headwind

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade E$7.39+5.4% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade E$7.79-2.7% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade E$7.58+3.3% Next Q

Current

Grade E$7.83-10% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: E (20) → E (28)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)CONTRARIAN TURNAROUND & SHORT-SQUEEZE DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a PLAY Turnaround Squeeze

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

While PLAY currently carries a cautious 28/100 (E) rating due to Macro Regime Fit (4/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #1

Established market leader in Consumer Discretionary with deep daily trading liquidity.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #2

Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($7.61) and Max Pain ($8.22) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $23.21.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #3

Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Disciplined Float (+0.72% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $PLAY• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “PLAY Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Feb 2, 2027) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 28%NO 72%Trade / Inspect Odds →

INTERACTIVE 12-MONTH POSITION SIMULATOR

Drag to Test Your PLAY Position Size: $10,000

Shares at $7.83: 1277.1 sh

$1,000$10,000$25,000$50,000$100,000

12M Bear Case FloorTarget $5.28

$6,743

$-3,257 (-32.6%)

12M Consensus BaseTarget $6.77

$8,646

$-1,354 (-13.5%)

12M Bull Case BreakoutTarget $23.21

$29,642

+$19,642 (+196.4%)

Wall Street Analyst Breakdown & Historical Accuracy Audit (35 Desks)

Street Historical Accuracy: 64/100

● Strong Buy / Buy: 17● Hold: 9● Sell: 9

Wall Street Firm	Stance	12M Target	1Y Accuracy	Track Grade
Morgan StanleyInstitutional Equity Desk	HOLD	$7	74%	A
Goldman SachsSector Coverage Lead	UNDERPERFORM	$22	69%	B
JP MorganUS Large-Cap Research	SELL	$6	58%	C

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring PLAY)

✓Walkthrough of PLAY's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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PLAY // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: -27.50%⚡ TESTING RESISTANCE

2026-11-03O $8.13H $8.13L $7.83C $7.83VOL 1.37M

RES: $8.18SUP: $4.35SMA50: $7.61SMA200: $11.46

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

PLAY Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 PLAY Butterfly Map → + Track PLAY →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle

-12.7%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. -1.4% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on PLAY today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for PLAY. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for PLAY today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (PLAY)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #900 of 1009 ⚔️ JACK vs PLAY Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (PLAY vs. JACK, RICK, PTLO, KRUS)

Industry: Restaurants (51 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1009 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) ranks #900 by composite RQD confidence (28/100, grade E) and #654 by equity capitalization ($272.7M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, PTLO leads on earnings valuation at 17.9x trailing P/E, while RICK leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 5.6% ROIC and — gross margin. RICK currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 54/100 (D+) compared with PLAY at 28/100 (E).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
PLAY ACTIVE Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc.	E	28/100	—	85.7%	4.3%	-3.69%	$272.7M	Benchmark Subject
JACK Jack In The Box Inc.	D-	38/100	—	—	-35.0%	-0.11%	$249.6M	/jack-vs-play →
RICK RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc.	D+	54/100	20.0x	—	5.6%	-0.04%	$216.5M	/rick-vs-play →
PTLO Portillo's Inc. (Class A)	D-	42/100	17.9x	—	4.9%	-1.81%	$369.8M	/ptlo-vs-play →
KRUS Kura Sushi USA Inc. (Class A)	E	18/100	—	—	-1.9%	+0.09%	$424.8M	/krus-vs-play →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2026-02-03 • CIK 0001525769 ↗

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2026-02-03), Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) reported GAAP revenue of $2.10B (-1.4% vs. FY2024 revenue of $2.13B , and -4.6% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of -$48.7M, operating cash flow of $290.8M, and free cash flow of -$100.6M (+53.8% YoY). On the balance sheet, PLAY closed FY2025 with $4.12B in total assets against $1.51B in total debt (Altman Z-Score: N/A, Piotroski F-Score: 3/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2026-02-03	$2.10B	-$48.7M	$290.8M	-$100.6M	$4.12B	$1.51B
FY2024 (FY)	2025-02-04	$2.13B	$58.3M	$312.3M	-$217.9M	$4.02B	$1.48B
FY2023 (FY)	2024-02-04	$2.21B	$126.9M	$364.2M	$364.2M	—	—

3. PLAY Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is PLAY stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does PLAY compare to JACK and RICK in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for PLAY?

Where is PLAY trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

PLAY last traded at $7.83 (-3.69% on volume of 1,370,456 shares), positioning the stock +2.89% above its 50-day simple moving average ($7.61) and -31.68% below its 200-day simple moving average ($11.46). Across its 52-week range of $6.26 to $22.10, PLAY sits at the 9.9% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 53.6 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±12.5% ($6.85 to $8.81).

Direct Sub-Reports: PLAY RQD Cockpit PLAY 12M Forecast PLAY Earnings & Move PLAY Dividends & DRIP PLAY Insiders & 13F PLAY Whale Options PLAY Profit Sankey PLAY News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 28/100 (E) ✓ SEC XBRL & RQD VERIFIED

PLAY — Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Methodology: RQD v6.2 Deterministic 5-Pillar & SEC XBRL Audit

Updated: 2026-02-03

1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) earns a live Roarable RQD composite score of 28/100, corresponding to a E letter grade (Roarable Strong Sell) at a spot price of $7.83 (-3.69% 1D, market capitalization $272.7M).

Fundamental Cash Engine (11/20): Anchored by return on invested capital (ROIC) of 4.3%, gross margin of 85.7%, operating margin of 4.1%, and free cash flow yield of —.
Whale 13F & Options Flow (6/20) + Insider Conviction (5/20): Tracks institutional 13F accumulation, CBOE options call/put positioning, and SEC Form 4 / Congressional PTR filings.
Macro Regime Fit (3/20) + Forensic Balance Sheet (3/20): Incorporates a 1.00x equity beta, Altman Z-Score of N/A, Piotroski F-Score of 3/9, and Debt/Equity of 8.50x.

2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. Is listed on NASDAQ under the ticker PLAY and is classified in the Consumer Discretionary sector and Restaurants industry per the company profile. The market capitalization is $0.3B.

In its latest audited SEC EDGAR 10-K filing for FY2025 (filed 2026-02-03), Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) reported $2.10B in annual revenue (up from $2.13B in FY2024, -1.4% YoY) and -$48.7M in GAAP net income. Over the multi-year SEC filing window from FY2023 ($2.21B revenue, $126.9M net income) through FY2025, PLAY scaled operating cash flow to $290.8M and free cash flow to -$100.6M, backed by $4.12B in total assets against $1.51B in total debt.

3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff

🐂 Primary Bull Case (E • RQD 28/100): Established market leader in Consumer Discretionary with deep daily trading liquidity. Free cash flow yield of — and institutional whale pillar of 6/20. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 11/20 and Institutional Whale Flow at 6/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the upper end of the $6.26 – $22.10 52-week range.
🐻 Primary Bear Case & Valuation Risk: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately. Investors must weigh current valuation and 4.3x EV/EBITDA against 4.1% operating margins and a 1.00x macro beta.

4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch

The sector and industry classification (Consumer Discretionary / Restaurants) is the only structural context provided.

Key Question #1: Can PLAY sustain or expand its 4.1% operating margin and 4.3% ROIC against Restaurants peers over the next 4 quarters?
Key Question #2: Following FY2025 revenue of $2.10B and free cash flow of -$100.6M, how will capital allocation balance growth reinvestment against $1.51B in total debt?
Key Question #3: How sensitive is PLAY's equity valuation to Consumer Discretionary capital spending cycles and macro interest-rate shifts (Beta 1.00x)?

PLAY Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to PLAY Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo! Finance Canada • 22h ago

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) Stock Price, News, Quote & History

Yahoo! Finance Canada report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE MarketWatch • 1d ago

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors

MarketWatch report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Seeking Alpha • 1d ago

Dave & Buster's: I'm Still Not Betting On The Turnaround (NASDAQ:PLAY)

Seeking Alpha report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE MarketBeat • 1d ago

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) - What Are Researchers Thinking About This Stock?

MarketBeat report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

Dave & Buster's (PLAY) Up 7.7% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

Yahoo Finance report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST MarketWatch • 1d ago

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

MarketWatch report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Stock Titan • 1d ago

No shares sold as Dave & Buster's (PLAY) withholds 735 shares for its interim CFO's taxes.

Stock Titan report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST MarketWatch • 1d ago

Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. stock rises Thursday, outperforms market

MarketWatch report covering Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (PLAY) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

PLAY Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $7.83?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON PLAY 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION

MA MacroHawk_NYC RQD DEBATE OPENER • Cross-Asset Macro Desk 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $9.94 (+26.9%)

📌 Pinned Debate

The EV/EBITDA multiple of 4.3 and a 52-week low of $6.26 with the stock at $8.13 leave room for a re-rating if operating income stabili

The EV/EBITDA multiple of 4.3 and a 52-week low of $6.26 with the stock at $8.13 leave room for a re-rating if operating income stabilizes.. When you look under the hood at PLAY, Fundamental Cash Engine is 11/20 with 85.7% gross margins and 4.3% ROIC. Bears are staring in the rearview mirror while institutional 13F flow (6/20) has been quietly accumulating below $22.10. My 12M target is $9.94.

RetailWhale_TX 🐂 BULL

@FadeTheHype Shorting a 6/20 institutional whale-flow stock at $7.83 is dangerous when funds are rotating into Consumer Discretionary.

FA FadeTheHype RQD DEBATE OPENER • Contrarian Tape Reader 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $6.50 (-17.0%)

Spot @ $7.83

Negative free cash flow in FY 2025 and FY 2024, debt of $1.51B against $16.6M cash, and a Piotroski F-Score of 3/9 signal forensic ba

Careful chasing PLAY at $7.83. Negative free cash flow in FY 2025 and FY 2024, debt of $1.51B against $16.6M cash, and a Piotroski F-Score of 3/9 signal forensic balance-sheet stress.. Gross margin is 85.7%, but operating margin is 4.1%, which shows SG&A and reinvestment are eating into bottom-line EPS. Target $6.50 on multiple compression.