Parks! America (OTCMKTS:PRKA) held its first quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call with limited formal prepared remarks, as management said no questions were submitted in advance and no live questions were raised during the webcast.
Operator Doug Jaffe opened the call with customary disclosures, noting that management’s comments could include forward-looking statements and potential references to non-GAAP measures, with additional detail available in the company’s quarterly filings. Jaffe said the company filed its quarterly earnings release and Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission the prior Friday, and encouraged shareholders to review the 10-Q for more complete information, including segment financial results referenced in the earnings materials.
Stock repurchase plan: no activity reported in the quarter
Gannon attributed the expected slow pace primarily to administrative and practical constraints associated with the company’s stock, describing it as illiquid and noting that some shareholders have held shares for a long time, including in physical form. He said the absence of “meaningful amounts” of repurchases early on would not indicate a lack of interest in buying back shares, but rather the time required to administer the plan compared to more liquid public companies.
Revenue recognition policy change tied to ticket redemption
Gannon also pointed to a change discussed in the company’s revenue recognition note for fiscal 2026 related to the ticket redemption window. He explained that, historically, if a ticket was purchased but not scanned at the park, revenue recognition could be delayed for up to a year because tickets were available to be redeemed anytime during the following year.
Under the updated approach, Gannon said the ticket redemption policy will be different such that tickets are “not just available to be redeemed for a whole year.” He characterized the accounting impact as likely “a really small item,” and said the change should simplify accounting. He noted that most tickets are purchased and used promptly—scanned on entry—at which point revenue is recognized in the normal course.
Marketing-related staffing expected to lift personnel costs
In additional remarks near the end of the call, Gannon said the company expects higher expenses in personnel costs tied to planned salary additions in marketing. He described the increase as involving “two to three people” and said it was the first quarter in which this change appeared in personnel costs.
According to Gannon, the employees will support marketing activities such as events, social media, and graphic design, and will work across all three of the company’s parks. He emphasized that these costs are allocated to the parks and reflected in segment income, as presented in the company’s reporting.
Gannon did not provide guidance on whether the additional personnel costs would affect margins as a percentage of sales, saying that would depend on sales performance. However, he said the company expects personnel costs to be higher in dollar terms during the year as these additional full-time employees are added and shared across the parks. He described this as a notable change, adding that the company previously did not have personnel expenses of this type spanning all three parks.
Weather commentary: holiday benefit, near-term disruptions expected
Gannon also referenced weather as a factor, noting that conditions were “particularly good” during the week of Christmas. He said he did not view weather as a major driver, but suggested it could have mattered by “a couple % of sales” at each park.
To assess the scale of weather’s impact, Gannon suggested comparing the company’s performance to larger peers in theme parks and attractions that may discuss weather in their own results. He reasoned that because Parks! America operates three parks in three different states, broader industry trends could help indicate whether weather was a significant factor.
Looking to the current quarter, Gannon said adverse weather would likely be a headwind, referencing ice storms and park closures. He said this would not be a surprise and noted that the period is typically a slow time of year for the company. He added that there could be a couple of weeks with “barely any sales,” and said investors should be prepared for that seasonal pattern.
With no questions from participants, the call concluded after management’s brief updates.
About Parks! America (OTCMKTS:PRKA)
Parks! America, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in acquiring, developing, and operating local and regional theme parks and attractions in the United States. The company owns and operates three Wild Animal Safari theme parks located in Pine Mountain, Georgia; Strafford, Missouri; and Bryan/College Station, Texas. The company was formerly known as Great American Family Parks, Inc and changed its name to Parks! America, Inc in June 2008. Parks! America, Inc is based in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
