Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:ACEL) shares gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $11.07, but opened at $13.00. Accel Entertainment shares last traded at $12.95, with a volume of 168,126 shares.

The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.04. Accel Entertainment had a return on equity of 27.51% and a net margin of 3.34%.The company had revenue of $341.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.66 million.

Key Stories Impacting Accel Entertainment

Here are the key news stories impacting Accel Entertainment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported a record Q4: revenue of $341.4M (+7.5% YoY) and EPS $0.19, beating consensus on both top and bottom lines — results cited as the primary catalyst supporting the rally. Accel Entertainment Reports Record Fourth Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management flagged expansion into the Chicago VGT market and said actions to expand margins are underway — commentary suggests upside to future profitability if execution continues. Accel Entertainment outlines Chicago VGT market entry and projects margin expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target from $13 to $14 (hold) — an analyst upgrade that reinforces investor confidence and provides additional technical support for the move higher. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for deeper color on guidance, location growth (ended Q4 with ~4,501 locations) and operating details — useful for investors who want to vet management’s path to margin expansion. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes and summaries (Zacks, MarketBeat, Yahoo Finance) confirm the beat and provide consensus context; they do not add new surprises but help validate the beat-driven reaction. Zacks: Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Balance sheet/leverage remains a watch item (debt-to-equity ~2.12); investors should monitor cash flow and capex needs as the company scales locations and enters new state markets.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACEL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Accel Entertainment in a report on Friday, December 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Citizens Jmp upped their price objective on Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Macquarie Infrastructure reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $16.00 target price on shares of Accel Entertainment in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accel Entertainment

In other news, Director David W. Ruttenberg sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.04, for a total value of $276,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 198,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,187,410.40. This trade represents a 11.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Derek Harmer sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.50, for a total value of $57,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 199,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,299,045.50. This trade represents a 2.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,289,100. Company insiders own 18.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Accel Entertainment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACEL. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Accel Entertainment by 2.0% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,896,993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,140,000 after purchasing an additional 74,992 shares during the period. Hill Path Capital LP purchased a new stake in Accel Entertainment in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,828,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Accel Entertainment by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,266,697 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,912,000 after buying an additional 26,419 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Accel Entertainment by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 926,303 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,254,000 after buying an additional 50,305 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Accel Entertainment by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 857,240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,490,000 after acquiring an additional 65,610 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.39% of the company’s stock.

Accel Entertainment Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $11.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.32 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 2.50 and a current ratio of 2.57.

Accel Entertainment Company Profile

Accel Entertainment, Inc is a Chicago-based gaming and entertainment company specializing in the provision of regulated electronic gaming terminals and related management services to licensed establishments across the United States. The company’s core offerings include video gaming terminals (VGTs), digital payment solutions, player loyalty programs and compliance support, all designed to enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency for bars, restaurants, truck stops and convenience stores.

Founded in 2005, Accel Entertainment has built a network that spans multiple states, including Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Iowa.