Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD) and the best and worst performers in the casino operator industry.
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 8 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 9.2% on average since the latest earnings results.
Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD)
Run by the Boyd family, Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD) is a diversified operator of gaming entertainment properties across the United States, offering casino games, hotel accommodations, and dining.
Boyd Gaming reported revenues of $991.6 million, up 3.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.
Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming, said: "During the first quarter, we achieved revenue and Adjusted EBITDAR growth on both a Companywide and property-level basis, maintaining property operating margins of 40% – an impressive performance by our Company, considering the impact of severe weather this year across our Midwest & South segment, as well as difficult comparisons to Leap Year. While economic uncertainty has increased in recent weeks, we are encouraged that trends in our business have remained consistent over the first three weeks of April. In all, we are pleased with the overall performance of our business and remain confident in our ability to manage through the current environment, supported by our strong balance sheet and experienced management team."
Interestingly, the stock is up 12.3% since reporting and currently trades at $74.02.
Is now the time to buy Boyd Gaming? Access our full analysis of the earnings results 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 achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 8% since reporting. It currently trades at $82.01.
Is now the time to buy Monarch? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q1: Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN)
Founded by the former Mirage Resorts CEO, Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) is a global developer and operator of high-end hotels and casinos, known for its luxurious properties and premium guest services.
Wynn Resorts reported revenues of $1.7 billion, down 8.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.8%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.
Wynn Resorts delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 12.8% since the results and currently trades at $94.25.
Read our full analysis of Wynn Resorts’s results here.
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 number lagged analysts' expectations by 2.1%. It was a softer quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Golden Entertainment had the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. The stock is up 9.9% since reporting and currently trades at $28.48.
Read our full, actionable report on Golden Entertainment here, it’s free.
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 result was in line with analysts’ expectations. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
The stock is up 10% since reporting and currently trades at $34.57.
Read our full, actionable report on MGM Resorts here, it’s free.
Market Update
Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
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