Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) Issues Earnings Results

07 May 2026, 12:00 by Amy Steele · The Cerbat Gem

Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL – Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. Accel Entertainment had a net margin of 3.79% and a return on equity of 25.86%. The firm had revenue of $351.56 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $342.88 million.

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

Record Q1 results: Revenue of $352 million (+9% YoY) and adjusted EBITDA of $54 million (+9% YoY), with the network at 4,540 locations and 28,353 terminals — highest quarterly revenue and strongest Q1 EBITDA in company history.
Illinois is the core growth engine: Illinois revenue ex‑Fairmount was $242 million (+6% YoY), hold per location rose ~9%, TITO rollout is complete with early adoption ~13%, and management expects the Chicago VGT market to begin late 2026/early 2027 as a major near‑term opportunity.
Momentum in developing markets and M&A: Nebraska revenue +57% and Georgia +43% YoY; Nevada expanded via the Dynasty acquisition and a Rebel Convenience Stores partnership, and the bolt‑on acquisition pipeline (notably Louisiana) remains active.
Strong liquidity and shareholder returns: $274 million cash, net debt ~ $306 million (net leverage ~1.4x), $300 million revolver undrawn, Q1 repurchases of ~1.1M shares ($12M) with ~$151.2M remaining authorization, and CapEx guide of $60–70M with a stated free‑cash‑flow focus.
Key risks and comparability items: A $2M timing shift in Fairmount purse expense affected quarter comparability, regulatory/legal uncertainty remains around Chicago approvals and vertical‑integration rules, and macro risks (tariffs, inflation, consumer trends) could pressure outcomes despite management calling the model resilient.

Accel Entertainment Stock Performance

ACEL traded up $0.08 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $11.45. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 101,356 shares, compared to its average volume of 381,561. The company has a current ratio of 2.61, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.08. The stock has a market cap of $933.98 million, a P/E ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 1.04. Accel Entertainment has a twelve month low of $9.55 and a twelve month high of $13.31.

Insider Transactions at Accel Entertainment

In related news, Director David W. Ruttenberg sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.53, for a total transaction of $115,300.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Gordon Rubenstein sold 172,943 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.37, for a total transaction of $1,966,361.91. Following the transaction, the director owned 22,674 shares in the company, valued at approximately $257,803.38. The trade was a 88.41% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 864,247 shares of company stock worth $9,865,047. Insiders own 14.47% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of ACEL. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new position in Accel Entertainment during the fourth quarter worth about $255,000. PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Accel Entertainment during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $259,000. Moore Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Accel Entertainment in the 3rd quarter valued at $277,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Accel Entertainment in the third quarter valued at $151,000. Finally, Zacks Investment Management raised its stake in Accel Entertainment by 9.4% during the third quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 23,647 shares of the company’s stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 2,035 shares in the last quarter. 55.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ACEL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Accel Entertainment from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research upgraded Accel Entertainment from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Accel Entertainment from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Citizens Jmp raised their price objective on Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $14.67.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ACEL

Accel Entertainment Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.