It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Caesars Entertainment (CZR) . Shares have added about 1.6% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Caesars Entertainment due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.How Have Estimates Been Mov ...

Group 1 - The investment approach has received over 500 five-star reviews from members who are experiencing benefits [1] - The company invests significant resources, over $100,000 annually, into researching profitable investment opportunities [1] - The economy is facing challenges, including a trade war, which could further weaken it as it enters 2025 [1] Group 2 - Jussi Askola leads the High Yield Landlord investing group, sharing real-time REIT portfolio and transactions [1] - The group offers features such as three portfolios (core, retirement, international), buy/sell alerts, and direct access to analysts [1] - Leonberg Capital, led by Jussi Askola, is a value-oriented investment boutique consulting hedge funds and private equity firms on REIT investing [1]

Group 1 - The market sentiment around Caesars Entertainment (CZR) stock indicates a potential bullish outlook, suggesting that there are favorable conditions for investment in the company [1] - The author has been involved in investment analysis since 2011, focusing on value investing, which may provide a context for the analysis of Caesars Entertainment [1] Group 2 - No specific financial data or performance metrics related to Caesars Entertainment are provided in the text [2][3]

Core Viewpoint - Caesars Entertainment, Inc. reported mixed first-quarter 2025 results, with earnings missing consensus estimates while revenues exceeded expectations, showing year-over-year improvement [1][3]. Financial Performance - The company recorded an adjusted loss per share of 54 cents, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 19 cents, compared to an adjusted loss of 55 cents in the prior-year quarter [3]. - Net revenues reached $2.79 billion, slightly above the consensus mark of $2.78 billion by 0.5%, and increased by 1.9% year over year [3]. Segmental Performance - **Las Vegas Segment**: Net revenues totaled $1 billion, down 2.4% from $1.03 billion in the prior year, with adjusted EBITDA of $433 million, down from $440 million [4]. - **Regional Segment**: Quarterly net revenues were $1.39 billion, up from $1.37 billion year over year, with adjusted EBITDA reaching $440 million, up from $433 million [4]. - **Caesars Digital Segment**: Net revenues were $335 million, an increase of 18.8% year over year from $282 million, with adjusted EBITDA totaling $43 million, up from $5 million in the prior year [5]. - **Managed and Branded Segment**: Net revenues totaled $67 million, down from $68 million year over year, with adjusted EBITDA of $16 million, down from $18 million [5]. - **Corporate and Other Segment**: Net revenues were $1 million compared to $(1) million reported a year ago, with adjusted EBITDA totaling $(48) million compared to $(43) million in the prior year [6]. Balance Sheet - As of March 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents were $884 million, up from $866 million as of December 31, 2024 [7]. - Net debt was $11.42 billion, slightly down from $11.43 billion as of December 31, 2024 [7].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated net revenues for Q1 2025 were $2.8 billion, an increase of 2% year over year, while total adjusted EBITDAR rose to $884 million, up 4% year over year [5][6] - Same store adjusted EBITDAR in Las Vegas was $433 million, essentially flat compared to the prior year, marking the third-best Q1 performance on record [5][6] - Las Vegas EBITDA margins improved to 43.2%, up 50 basis points year over year [6] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Regional segment delivered $440 million of adjusted EBITDAR for the quarter, up 2% year over year, driven by stable same store trends and contributions from New Orleans and Danville [8] - Caesars Digital reported net revenue of $335 million, a 19% increase year over year, with adjusted EBITDA of $43 million, up $38 million year over year [10] - Sports Betting net revenue increased by 9%, while iCasino net revenue grew by 53% year over year [10][11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Regional segment experienced significant improvement compared to the last three quarters of 2024, despite weather disruptions and the impact of one less operating day [8] - In April 2025, iGaming revenue was reported to be up almost 70% year over year, indicating strong growth momentum [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on capital projects in Las Vegas, which are expected to drive better-than-expected returns, particularly from recent hotel remodels and food and beverage projects [7] - The company is in a capital inflection point, transitioning to a free cash flow harvesting mode, with expectations to use operating free cash flow primarily for debt paydown [22][24] - The management remains optimistic about the forward outlook for Las Vegas, with solid occupancy trends driven by leisure and group customers [7] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that despite economic uncertainties, they have not observed any consumer softness and forward bookings remain strong [20][22] - The company is prepared to leverage its database to outperform peers if economic conditions soften [29] - Management expressed confidence in the growth of the digital segment, which is expected to continue to perform well despite potential macroeconomic challenges [20][22] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $100 million of its stock at an average price of $23.84, indicating a commitment to opportunistic share repurchases alongside debt reduction [14] - The company expects full-year CapEx for 2025 to be approximately $600 million, excluding the Virginia joint venture [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the outlook for Las Vegas bookings and group-related revenue? - Management indicated that group bookings were about 20% of the first quarter room base and expect 2025 to be a record year for group bookings, particularly strong in Q4 [28] Question: Can you clarify the headwind from last year's other revenue piece? - Management confirmed a $6 million headwind on the EBITDA side due to declines in skin revenues and World Series of Poker revenues [31] Question: What was the net impact of weather and leap year on regional performance? - Management estimated the net impact to be in excess of $10 million, with an additional $6 million from the leap year effect in Las Vegas [36] Question: Have there been changes in customer behavior, particularly among lower-end customers? - Management noted that unrated play has been softer than rated play, but rated play is up mid-single digits [43] Question: How does the company view the impact of international travel on Las Vegas? - Management stated that they primarily operate as a domestic business, with some international high-end play continuing without change [92] Question: What are the expectations for regional margins moving forward? - Management expects regional margins to improve as competitive pressures are anniversaried and as Danville and New Orleans ramp up [98]

Core Insights - Caesars Entertainment reported revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter ended March 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.9% and a surprise of +0.50% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.78 billion [1] - The company's EPS was -$0.54, slightly improved from -$0.55 in the same quarter last year, but significantly below the consensus estimate of -$0.19, resulting in an EPS surprise of -184.21% [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Net Revenues from Las Vegas were $1 billion, which was below the four-analyst average estimate of $1.03 billion, showing a year-over-year decline of -2.4% [4] - Managed and Branded Net Revenues were reported at $67 million, slightly below the average estimate of $69.34 million, with a year-over-year change of -1.5% [4] - Caesars Digital Net Revenues reached $335 million, close to the average estimate of $336.18 million, marking an 18.8% increase year over year [4] - Regional Net Revenues were $1.39 billion, exceeding the average estimate of $1.37 billion, with a year-over-year growth of +1.7% [4] - Adjusted EBITDA for Las Vegas was $433 million, nearly matching the average estimate of $433.44 million [4] - Adjusted EBITDA for Regional operations was $440 million, surpassing the average estimate of $430.71 million [4] - Caesars Digital Adjusted EBITDA was $43 million, exceeding the average estimate of $34.07 million [4] - Adjusted EBITDA for Managed and Branded was $16 million, below the average estimate of $18.35 million [4] Stock Performance - Shares of Caesars Entertainment have returned +12.2% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.8% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Insights - Caesars Entertainment reported a quarterly loss of $0.54 per share, which was worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.19, marking an earnings surprise of -184.21% [1] - The company generated revenues of $2.79 billion for the quarter, slightly exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.50%, and showing a year-over-year increase from $2.74 billion [2] Financial Performance - Over the last four quarters, Caesars has only surpassed consensus EPS estimates once [2] - The company has experienced a stock price decline of approximately 16% since the beginning of the year, compared to a 6% decline in the S&P 500 [3] Future Outlook - The future performance of Caesars' stock will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the revisions of earnings estimates [3][4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.27 on revenues of $2.88 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.69 on revenues of $11.5 billion [7] Industry Context - The Leisure and Recreation Services industry, to which Caesars belongs, is currently ranked in the top 34% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated net revenues for Q1 2025 were $2.8 billion, an increase of 2% year over year, while total adjusted EBITDAR rose by 4% to $884 million [6][10] - Same store adjusted EBITDAR in Las Vegas was $433 million, essentially flat compared to the prior year, marking the third-best Q1 performance on record [6][8] - Las Vegas EBITDA margins improved to 43.2%, up 50 basis points year over year [8] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Regional segment delivered adjusted EBITDAR of $440 million, up 2% year over year, driven by stable same store trends and contributions from New Orleans and Danville [10] - Caesars Digital reported net revenue of $335 million, a 19% increase year over year, with adjusted EBITDA of $43 million, up $38 million [12] - Sports Betting net revenue increased by 9%, while iCasino net revenue grew by 53% year over year [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Regional segment experienced significant improvement compared to the last three quarters of 2024, despite weather disruptions [10] - In April 2025, iGaming revenue was up nearly 70% compared to the same period last year, indicating strong growth momentum [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on capitalizing on new projects in Las Vegas, which are expected to yield better-than-expected returns [9] - There is a commitment to enhancing guest experiences through significant capital investments over the past four years [10] - The company is in a "free cash flow harvesting mode," with expectations to use operating free cash flow primarily for debt paydown [25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the Las Vegas market outlook, despite economic uncertainties, citing solid occupancy trends driven by leisure and group customers [9][22] - The company does not foresee consumer softness impacting its business, with strong forward bookings and continued growth in digital segments [22][24] - Management acknowledged potential macroeconomic challenges but emphasized that the digital segment is growing robustly, which could mitigate risks [24][46] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $100 million of its stock at an average price of $23.84, indicating a commitment to opportunistic share repurchases alongside debt reduction [16] - The company expects full-year CapEx for 2025 to be approximately $600 million, excluding the Virginia joint venture [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the outlook for Las Vegas bookings and group-related revenue? - Management indicated that group bookings accounted for about 20% of the first quarter room base and expect 2025 to be a record year for group bookings, particularly strong in Q4 [29] Question: Can you clarify the headwind from last year's other revenue piece? - Management confirmed a $6 million headwind on EBITDA from skin revenues and World Series of Poker revenues, which are expected to decline in Q2 and Q3 [32] Question: What was the net impact of weather and leap year on regional performance? - Management estimated the net impact from weather and leap year to be in excess of $10 million [37] Question: Have you seen any changes in customer behavior, particularly among lower-tier customers? - Management noted that unrated play has been softer than rated play, but rated play is up mid-single digits [44] Question: How does the company view the impact of international travel on Las Vegas? - Management stated that while there has been a reduction in Canadian visitation, the overall business remains strong with 97-98% occupancy [91] Question: What are the expectations for digital growth, particularly between iGaming and sports betting? - Management indicated that while sports betting is expected to generate significant EBITDA, iGaming is seen as a stronger growth area due to its stability and customer engagement [58][62]

Core Viewpoint - Caesars Entertainment has not observed any signs of weakening consumer spending in the United States for the year 2025 [1] Group 1 - The company remains optimistic about consumer spending trends, indicating stability in the market [1] - Caesars Entertainment's analysis suggests that current economic conditions do not point to a decline in consumer expenditure [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated net revenues for Q1 2025 were $2.8 billion, an increase of 2% year-over-year [6] - Total adjusted EBITDAR for the quarter was $884 million, up 4% year-over-year [6] - Same store adjusted EBITDAR in Las Vegas was $433 million, essentially flat compared to the prior year [6][8] - Las Vegas EBITDA margins improved to 43.2%, up 50 basis points year-over-year [8] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Regional segment delivered adjusted EBITDAR of $440 million, up 2% year-over-year [10] - Caesars Digital reported net revenue of $335 million, a 19% increase year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA of $43 million, up $38 million year-over-year [12] - Sports Betting net revenue increased by 9%, while iCasino net revenue grew by 53% year-over-year [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Convention room nights accounted for 20% of the Las Vegas mix, with the Forum Convention Center achieving a Q1 EBITDA record [8] - The New Orleans and Danville projects contributed positively to the Regional segment despite weather disruptions [10][19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on capital projects in Las Vegas, which are yielding better-than-expected returns [9] - There is a commitment to enhancing guest experiences through significant capital investments over the past four years [10] - The company is in a free cash flow harvesting mode, with plans to use operating free cash flow primarily for debt paydown [25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the Las Vegas market outlook despite economic uncertainties [9][22] - Forward bookings remain strong, with expectations for continued growth in digital segments [22] - Management noted that they have not observed any significant consumer softness, with rated play showing mid-single-digit growth [44][46] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $100 million of its stock at an average price of $23.84 [16] - Full-year CapEx for 2025 is expected to be approximately $600 million, with interest expenses projected to decrease significantly [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: Las Vegas outlook and group-related bookings - Management indicated that group bookings were about 20% of the first quarter room base and expect 2025 to be a record year for group bookings [29][30] Question: Clarification on last year's revenue piece - Management confirmed a $6 million headwind on EBITDA due to skin revenues and World Series of Poker revenues declining [32] Question: Impact of weather and leap year on regional performance - Management estimated the net impact of weather and leap year to be in excess of $10 million [37] Question: Changes in customer behavior among different segments - Management noted that unrated play has been softer than rated play, but rated play is up mid-single digits [44] Question: Digital segment performance and future expectations - Management confirmed that iCasino is performing well, with a 70% increase in revenue in April compared to the previous year [21][84] Question: International customer exposure and trends - Management stated that they primarily operate as a domestic business, with some international high-end play continuing without significant changes [91] Question: Regional margins and future expectations - Management expects regional margins to improve as competitive pressures ease and new properties ramp up [97] Question: Buyback strategy and market conditions - Management indicated they would remain active in stock buybacks if the stock dislocates as it did in early April [100]