Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. Accel Entertainment had a return on equity of 27.69% and a net margin of 3.87%.The company had revenue of $341.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $335.66 million.

Here are the key takeaways from Accel Entertainment’s conference call:

• Record results: Q4 revenue was $341M (+7.5% y/y) and adjusted EBITDA was $56M (+19% y/y), and full-year revenue exceeded $1.3B with adjusted EBITDA of $210M — all-time highs for the company.
• Strong liquidity and disciplined capital allocation: management ended the year with $297M cash, conservative net debt (~$311M), an untapped $300M revolver, and repurchased ~3.8M shares in 2025 while prioritizing accretive tuck‑ins.
• Large Chicago opportunity: the company sees a long‑term market of ~2,500 Chicago VGT locations and says its Illinois scale, regulatory relationships, and route infrastructure position Accel to meaningfully participate and drive high incremental margins.
• Operational progress and modernization: management reported 81% TITO penetration, ongoing route optimizations (Illinois, Montana), Nevada expansion (Dynasty acquisition + Rebel rollout), and continued ramp at Fairmount Park, all of which should support future margin gains though timing/realized benefit remain gradual.
• Regulatory and market risks: Chicago rollout still requires city rulemaking and licensing (management estimates live deployment possibly late‑2026/Q1‑2027), and Illinois horse‑racing headwinds (Hawthorne bankruptcy) create near‑term uncertainty for the racing/casino segment.

Accel Entertainment Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACEL opened at $13.07 on Thursday. Accel Entertainment has a 12-month low of $9.02 and a 12-month high of $13.31. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $11.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.95. The firm has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 21.78 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 2.50, a current ratio of 2.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ACEL. Macquarie Infrastructure restated an “outperform” rating and set a $16.00 target price on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Accel Entertainment in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citizens Jmp boosted their price objective on Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup initiated coverage on Accel Entertainment in a research report on Friday, December 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $14.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Derek Harmer sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.50, for a total transaction of $57,500.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 199,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,299,045.50. This represents a 2.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David W. Ruttenberg sold 25,000 shares of Accel Entertainment stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.04, for a total value of $276,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 198,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,187,410.40. This represents a 11.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,289,100. 18.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Accel Entertainment by 34.5% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 25,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 6,447 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management raised its position in shares of Accel Entertainment by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 23,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 2,035 shares in the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Accel Entertainment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $259,000. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Accel Entertainment during the 4th quarter worth approximately $255,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Accel Entertainment by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,083 shares of the company’s stock worth $248,000 after acquiring an additional 1,694 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.39% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Accel Entertainment

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reported record Q4 revenue of $341.4M (up 7.5% year/year) and reiterated solid growth in locations — core driver behind the rally. Accel Entertainment Reports Record Fourth Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Beat consensus on EPS ($0.19 vs. $0.15 est.) and revenue (reported $341.45M vs. ~$335.7M est.), confirming the quarter outperformance that traders are rewarding. Accel Entertainment Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined entry into the Chicago VGT market and projected margin expansion — operational levers that improve medium-term profitability expectations. Accel Entertainment outlines Chicago VGT market entry
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets after the results: Citizens JMP bumped its target to $14 with a “market outperform” rating, and Truist raised its target to $14 (maintaining a “hold”) — both imply incremental upside to the current quote and likely supported buying. Benzinga — analyst target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Financial press and headlines highlighting the beat and “stock soars” narrative amplified investor interest and volume. Accel Entertainment Exceeds Q4 CY2025 Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript and supporting slide deck are available for detail on guidance and product-level metrics — useful for evaluating sustainability of margins and growth cadence. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

About Accel Entertainment

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.