United Parks & Resorts (NYSE:PRKS) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.14 EPS

United Parks & Resorts (NYSE:PRKS) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.88 by ($0.14), FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $506.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $511.03 million. United Parks & Resorts had a net margin of 7.57% and a negative return on equity of 23.19%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from United Parks & Resorts’ conference call:

• Q3 revenue fell 1.1% to $506.5 million, attendance declined 4.7%, and Adjusted EBITDA decreased $11.2 million to $205.1 million. Management attributed attendance weakness to weather, calendar effects, and lower international visitation, while higher per-capita spending partly offset the decline.
• Pass sales rose nearly 8% in Q3, and the paid pass base was up 0.3% year over year as of October 31; passes tied specifically to 2027 were up more than 15%. Management sees these trends, alongside double-digit growth in forward bookings for Discovery Cove and group business, as support for a return to growth in 2027.
• The company is targeting another $40 million–$50 million in gross cost savings for 2027, following its existing $50 million savings program, and expects technology, automation, and tighter cost management to help. Management said revenue growth could also support margins, though past gross savings have not always translated into net savings or margin expansion.
• United Parks bought back about $218 million of stock, or roughly 12% of shares outstanding, this year, but made no repurchases in Q3 because of cash-flow dynamics and expects to resume only when liquidity and other conditions permit. Discussions with prospective real-estate partners continue, but management cautioned that there is no assurance of a deal.

United Parks & Resorts Stock Performance

Shares of United Parks & Resorts stock traded up $1.95 during trading on Friday, hitting $39.81. 1,068,820 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 744,648. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.98, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 1.22. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.47 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.07. United Parks & Resorts has a 52-week low of $28.77 and a 52-week high of $50.00.

Trending Headlines about United Parks & Resorts

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parks & Resorts this week:

• Positive Sentiment: United Parks’ 2027 outlook helped offset its Q3 earnings miss, and shares rose as investors responded to the forward view. United Parks Shares Rise as 2027 Outlook Offsets Third-Quarter Earnings Miss
• Positive Sentiment: The stock moved above its 50-day moving average following the results, a potentially encouraging technical signal. United Parks Stock Price Crosses Above 50-Day Moving Average Following Weak Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The CEO promised continued investment and improvements at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This could support the park’s longer-term appeal, though investment may also involve added costs. United Parks CEO Promises Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Improvements
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 adjusted earnings were $1.74 per share, below the roughly $1.87–$1.88 analyst consensus. Revenue of about $506.5 million also missed expectations of $511 million and declined 1.1% year over year. United Parks Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Lower attendance weighed on the quarter; the company pointed to poor weather and international-market headwinds as factors dragging traffic. United Parks Points to International Headwinds and Poor Weather as Traffic Drags

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of United Parks & Resorts from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of United Parks & Resorts from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of United Parks & Resorts from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $39.00 price objective on shares of United Parks & Resorts in a research note on Friday. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on United Parks & Resorts from $53.00 to $49.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.70.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider James Forrester, Jr. sold 1,150 shares of United Parks & Resorts stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.71, for a total transaction of $41,066.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 26,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $954,635.43. The trade was a 4.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

About United Parks & Resorts

United Parks & Resorts Inc (NYSE: PRKS) is a theme park and entertainment company that owns and operates a portfolio of destination amusement and water parks in the United States. Its properties combine rides, live entertainment, animal exhibits, educational experiences, seasonal events and hospitality-related offerings.

The company’s portfolio includes SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Virginia; Sesame Place parks in Pennsylvania and California; and water parks and attractions such as Aquatica, Adventure Island, Water Country USA and Discovery Cove.