JANA Partners, a New York-based investment firm, has tapped NFL superstar Travis Kelce for a venture that is the literal definition of fun.  Kelce joins a group, which also includes consumer executive Glenn Murphy and technology executive Dave Habiger, that is investing in Six Flags Entertainment Corporation – the theme park giant with 42 locations across the United States, Mexico and Canada, with one coming to Saudi Arabia in 2026. This group will collectively own an economic interest of around 9%, or roug ...

Industry Overview - The Zacks Leisure and Recreation Services industry is experiencing growth due to optimized business processes, partnerships, and digital initiatives, with strong demand for concerts and cruise bookings supporting the sector [1][3] - The industry includes various recreation providers such as cruise operators, theme parks, and entertainment venues, thriving on economic growth and consumer demand driven by a healthy labor market and rising disposable income [2] Key Trends - The cruise industry is seeing robust demand, with strong booking volumes particularly in North America and Europe, leading to solid pricing and onboard spending [3] - Theme parks are benefiting from increased visitation and consumer spending, enhanced by technology integration like augmented and virtual reality, while live entertainment is experiencing a surge in ticket sales due to pent-up demand [4] - Easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China have improved investor sentiment, contributing to optimism about the economy and potential trade agreements [5] Industry Performance - The Zacks Leisure and Recreation Services industry ranks 87, placing it in the top 36% of 245 Zacks industries, indicating positive near-term prospects [6][7] - Despite this, the industry has underperformed the S&P 500, gaining 10.7% over the past year compared to the S&P 500's 12% and the broader sector's 18.4% [9][10] Valuation Metrics - The industry trades at a forward 12-month EV/EBITDA ratio of 60.75X, significantly higher than the S&P 500's 24.69X and the sector's 16.38X, with historical trading ranges between 18.33X and 66.92X [13] Company Highlights - Carnival Corporation is benefiting from strong demand, increased booking volumes, and higher onboard revenues, with a projected sales growth of 4.2% and earnings growth of 30.3% for fiscal 2025 [16][17] - Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality has shown a 9% year-over-year growth in ticket prices and lodging revenue, supported by healthy advance bookings [21] - The Marcus Corporation is optimistic about its film lineup and hotel segment resilience, with expected sales growth of 5.2% and a remarkable 264% increase in earnings for 2025 [23]

Group 1: Earnings Performance - United Parks & Resorts reported a quarterly loss of $0.29 per share, which was worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.23, and compared to a loss of $0.17 per share a year ago, indicating a significant earnings surprise of -26.09% [1] - The company posted revenues of $286.95 million for the quarter ended March 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.37%, and down from $297.42 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Over the last four quarters, the company has not surpassed consensus EPS estimates and has topped revenue estimates only once [2] Group 2: Stock Performance and Outlook - United Parks & Resorts shares have declined approximately 16% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's decline of -3.8% [3] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.69 on revenues of $500.75 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $4.36 on revenues of $1.73 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for United Parks & Resorts is currently unfavorable, resulting in a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating expected underperformance in the near future [6] Group 3: Industry Context - The Leisure and Recreation Services industry, to which United Parks & Resorts belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 35% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a challenging environment for stock performance [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact investor sentiment and stock performance [5]