PLAY
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. Consumer Discretionary - Entertainment Investor Relations →
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) closed at $12.82 as of 2026-03-20, trading 62.9% below its 200-week moving average of $34.50. This places PLAY in the extreme value zone. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from -62.6% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 30, indicating neutral momentum.
A big spike in selling this week — 2.9x the usual volume, and the price dropped. Sometimes this kind of heavy selling marks the end of a decline. The idea is that the last reluctant holders have finally sold, leaving fewer sellers left to push the price lower.
Over the past 549 weeks of data, PLAY has crossed below its 200-week moving average 18 times. On average, these episodes lasted 14 weeks. Historically, investors who bought PLAY at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +12.9%.
With a market cap of $445 million, PLAY is a small-cap stock. Free cash flow yield is currently negative, meaning the company is burning cash. Return on equity stands at 0.2%. The stock trades at 3.4x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 26.7% over the past three years.
Over the past 10.6 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in PLAY would have grown to $32, compared to $405 for the S&P 500. PLAY has returned -10.3% annualized vs 14.1% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been declining at a -100% compound annual rate. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: PLAY vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After PLAY Crosses Below the Line?
Across 18 historical episodes, buying PLAY when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +7.1% after 12 months (median +12.0%), compared to +12.2% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 61% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was -10.2% vs +35.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment PLAY crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
PLAY has crossed below its 200-week MA 18 times with an average 1-year return of +12.9% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2016 | Feb 2016 | 1 | 0.3% | +63.5% | -60.1% |
| Mar 2018 | Jun 2018 | 11 | 12.9% | +15.6% | -68.6% |
| Dec 2018 | Jan 2019 | 4 | 7.2% | -12.4% | -71.4% |
| Feb 2019 | Feb 2019 | 1 | 0.5% | -1.5% | -72.5% |
| Mar 2019 | Mar 2019 | 3 | 4.5% | -34.9% | -71.5% |
| Jun 2019 | Mar 2021 | 90 | 84.0% | -57.6% | -67.2% |
| Jun 2021 | Jun 2021 | 1 | 0.7% | -14.0% | -67.7% |
| Jul 2021 | Sep 2021 | 11 | 18.5% | -16.5% | -66.7% |
| Oct 2021 | Dec 2021 | 11 | 21.2% | -16.2% | -66.4% |
| Jan 2022 | Feb 2022 | 3 | 10.7% | +23.9% | -62.3% |
| May 2022 | Jul 2022 | 10 | 13.9% | -1.0% | -63.2% |
| Sep 2022 | Oct 2022 | 4 | 13.7% | +11.5% | -60.2% |
| Dec 2022 | Dec 2022 | 3 | 4.1% | +36.3% | -63.0% |
| Mar 2023 | Mar 2023 | 1 | 0.9% | +82.8% | -62.6% |
| Apr 2023 | Apr 2023 | 3 | 1.1% | +90.2% | -62.3% |
| May 2023 | Jun 2023 | 2 | 3.1% | +50.4% | -61.3% |
| Oct 2023 | Oct 2023 | 1 | 2.5% | -0.4% | -61.5% |
| Jul 2024 | Ongoing | 90+ | 62.8% | Ongoing | -66.1% |
| Average | 14 | — | +12.9% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PLAY below its 200-week moving average?
Yes. As of 2026-03-20, Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) is trading 62.9% below its 200-week moving average of $34.50. The current price is $12.82.
What is PLAY's 200-week moving average price?
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.'s 200-week moving average is $34.50 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when PLAY drops below its 200-week moving average?
PLAY has crossed below its 200-week moving average 18 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +12.9%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 14 weeks on average.
Is PLAY a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about PLAY as of 2026-03-20: The stock is below its 200-week moving average, which is the starting point for our analysis. The 14-week RSI is 30. Free cash flow is currently negative. Return on equity is 0.2%. Price-to-book is 3.4x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does PLAY compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 10.6 years, $100 invested in PLAY would have grown to $32, compared to $405 for the S&P 500. That's -10.3% annualized vs 14.1% for the index. PLAY has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20