Latest news with #CedarFair
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (FUN): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on Six Flags Entertainment Corporation on by Motherlode. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on FUN. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation's share was trading at $30.61 as of August 4th. FUN's trailing and forward P/E were 17.57 and 15.95, respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Marcio Jose Bastos Silva/ Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (ticker 'FUN') emerged from the July 2024 merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair, creating North America's largest amusement park operator with 42 parks across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. At $35/share, FUN carries a $3.6 billion market cap and $9.2 billion TEV. The Cedar Fair team now leads operations, replacing Six Flags' historically weak management. Despite a recent sell-off driven by consumer demand fears and a weather-disrupted start to 2025, these concerns appear overstated and present a compelling entry point with substantial upside potential. The company operates in an industry with extraordinary barriers to entry, where no significant new parks have been built in decades and replication would require $20–30 billion and 5–10 years. This moat protects earnings while management revitalizes legacy Six Flags properties, which have underperformed for years due to chronic underinvestment and poor strategy. Cedar Fair's disciplined approach—focused on guest experience, new attractions, and digital engagement—has already shown early signs of improvement, with guest satisfaction scores rising post-merger. Opportunities include recapturing 7–15 million annual visits lost since 2019, driving pricing power, and realizing $120 million in synergies (tracking ahead of plan, with an additional $60 million identified). Despite fears of cyclicality, theme parks remain a low-cost entertainment option, supported by season-pass-driven recurring revenue and resilient mid-to-upper-income demand. While weather could cause modest near-term misses, execution on attendance recovery, capital investment, and cost efficiencies could drive significant EBITDA growth. Management's targets appear conservative, and long-term potential suggests this could be a multi-year compounder. Normalized conditions and strategic progress could rerate shares to $55–60 by year-end, offering exceptional risk/reward. Previously, we covered a on Xponential Fitness, Inc. (XPOF) by Inflexio Research in February 2025, which highlighted its robust franchise pipeline and international expansion potential. The company's stock price has depreciated by approximately 38.33% since our coverage. This is because growth execution lagged expectations. The thesis still stands as long-term fundamentals remain strong. Motherlode shares a similar view on Six Flags Entertainment but emphasizes merger synergies and operational improvements. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 48 hedge fund portfolios held FUN at the end of the first quarter which was 47 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of FUN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Six Flags profits plummet after losing more than a million visitors
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation's profits have plummeted as the theme-park operator reported a seven-figure drop in visitors. The company's shares sank more than 15 percent in Wednesday morning's premarket sessions as it released its second-quarter results. Six Flags posted a net loss just shy of $100 million, compared with profits over $55 million in the same quarter last year. In the same period, attendance of 14.2 million – well below expectations for 15.31 million – fell by 9 percent, with about 1.4 million fewer visitors at its parks. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization are now expected to be between $860 million and $910 million for the year, the company said. Analysts had forecast $1.08 billion. The company pointed to a smaller base of season-pass holders heading into the final two quarters and a volatile economy for the downgrade. (Getty Images) Net revenue rose to $930.4 million, up from $571.6 million a year earlier, but still missed analysts' $982 million forecast. About $389 million of that revenue came from legacy Six Flags parks that were folded into the business as part of its merger with Cedar Fair last July. Around half a million fewer visitors are expected for the year, which is attributed to several parks removing winter events. Spending per visitor is expected to be slashed by 3 percent. Prolonged rains, extreme temperatures, and severe storms across Six Flags sites in the critical months of May and June 'adversely affected' guest attendance, the company said. Adverse weather has meant theme parks across the country experienced a slow start to the summer. Parks will likely be forced to open earlier in the year and stay open into the fall as they attempt to reduce their reliance on the summer months. Six Flags said it is looking to sell off land and other assets that aren't essential to its primary business. Richard Zimmerman also announced that he would be stepping down as the company's chief executive by the end of 2025. He said in a statement that 'it has been an honor to have led such talented teams through critical and transformative periods over the years.' The board has started the process to find the Charlotte, North Carolina, company's next CEO, 'with the assistance of a leading global executive search firm.' Zimmerman will continue to serve as CEO until the board has appointed a successor. He will also continue serving as a board director.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
When is Six Flags closing two parks? What we know about closing dates
Summer 2025 will be the final season for one state's only Six Flags location. Six Flags Entertainment announced the upcoming closure of Six Flags America and its accompanying waterpark, Hurricane Harbor, in a press release that called the move a "difficult decision." The Bowie, Maryland, location is the second planned closure announced by the company since May. Park closures: Six Flags plans to close this 49-year-old California park in 2027 "As part of our comprehensive review of our park portfolio, we have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,' Six Flags President & CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in a statement. The announcement was shortly followed by news that Six Flags California's Great America of Santa Clara, California, would also be closing, though not until 2027. The amusement company currently operates 42 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada, according to its website. When is Six Flags America closing in Maryland? Six Flags America and its accompanying waterpark, Hurricane Harbor Maryland, will both close their gates for good at the end of the 2025 season. `According to Six Flags' press release announcing the closures, the location's final day will be Nov. 2, 2025. The parks' calendar details the specifics of the wind down, showing that both Hurricane Harbor and Six Flags America will begin operating on weekends only, plus Labor Day, beginning on Friday, Aug. 22. Hurricane Harbor will welcome its last guests on Saturday, Sept. 6, but Six Flags America will remain open on weekends through the Halloween season for Fright Fest, officially closing its gates to the public on Sunday, Nov. 2. When is Six Flags California's Great America closing? Six Flags California's Great America won't close until the end of the 2027 season, unless the company chooses to extend or accelerate that timeline. The park was originally poised to close by 2033, then-owner Cedar Fair told CBS News in 2022. That date was bumped up after Cedar Fair and Six Flags merged in 2024, in part due to the park's lease expiring, USA TODAY previously reported. 'Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park's last year without that extension would be after the '27 season,' Six Flags' chief financial officer, Brian Witherow, told investors in May.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Six Flags plans to close this 49-year-old California park in 2027. Is the Illinois one next?
Six Flags is likely to close its California's Great America park in Santa Clara, California, at the end of the 2027 season. The park's lease is coming to an end, and the company's chief financial officer, Brian Witherow, told investors in May that there were no current plans to extend the lease. 'Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park's last year without that extension would be after the '27 season,' he said during a question and answer session at the company's investor day this spring. The remarks were first reported by People. California's Great America was originally opened in 1976 by the Marriott Corporation and traded hands multiple times before coming under ownership by Cedar Fair in 2006. Cedar Fair and Six Flags merged in 2024. Cedar Fair had previously announced plans to close the park by 2033 after the operator sold the land to a logistics company, CBS News reported in 2022, but Six Flags decided to move up the closure date with the lease expiring. There are no plans to shutter the Six Flags Great America located in Gurnee, Illinois, about 40 miles north of Chicago. According to reports from NBC Chicago, even though the park has merged with Cedar Fair and plans to close another park in Maryland, the Illinois park is slated to stay open. The Six Flags in Gurnee originally opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America before Six Flags took it over. Six Flags also announced in May that it would close Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Maryland at the end of this season. The final day of operation for both of these parks will be Nov. 2, 2025. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Six Flags may close a California park. Illinois park is staying open.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Six Flags plans to close this 49-year-old California park in 2027. Is the Illinois one next?
Six Flags is likely to close its California's Great America park in Santa Clara, California, at the end of the 2027 season. The park's lease is coming to an end, and the company's chief financial officer, Brian Witherow, told investors in May that there were no current plans to extend the lease. 'Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park's last year without that extension would be after the '27 season,' he said during a question and answer session at the company's investor day this spring. The remarks were first reported by People. California's Great America was originally opened in 1976 by the Marriott Corporation and traded hands multiple times before coming under ownership by Cedar Fair in 2006. Cedar Fair and Six Flags merged in 2024. Cedar Fair had previously announced plans to close the park by 2033 after the operator sold the land to a logistics company, CBS News reported in 2022, but Six Flags decided to move up the closure date with the lease expiring. What's the status of Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois? There are no plans to shutter the Six Flags Great America located in Gurnee, Illinois, about 40 miles north of Chicago. According to reports from NBC Chicago, even though the park has merged with Cedar Fair and plans to close another park in Maryland, the Illinois park is slated to stay open. The Six Flags in Gurnee originally opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America before Six Flags took it over. Six Flags also announced in May that it would close Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Maryland at the end of this season. The final day of operation for both of these parks will be Nov. 2, 2025. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@
