Spotting Winners: European Wax Center (NASDAQ:EWCZ) And Leisure Facilities Stocks In Q3

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after investors wagered geopolitical tension would be contained following the U.S. military's operation in Venezuela, with the Dow hitting a fresh record. 

Sentiment remained firmly "risk-on" for early 2026, with Wall Street prioritizing domestic economic strength over foreign turbulence. Analysts noted that while the event raises short-term supply questions, the market largely viewed the potential stabilization of Venezuela's vast oil reserves as a long-term economic positive.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Toys and Electronics company Hasbro jumped 3.4%. Is now the time to buy Hasbro? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Leisure Facilities company European Wax Center jumped 3.3%. Is now the time to buy European Wax Center? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Bright Horizons jumped 3.6%. Is now the time to buy Bright Horizons? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Grand Canyon Education jumped 4.2%. Is now the time to buy Grand Canyon Education? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Home Furnishings company Purple jumped 2.9%. Is now the time to buy Purple? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Grand Canyon Education (LOPE)

Grand Canyon Education’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 4 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 20 days ago when the stock gained 2.9% on the news that the company announced a $300 million increase to its stock repurchase program and its partner, Grand Canyon University (GCU), received formal recognition of its non-profit status from the U.S. Department of Education. 

The expanded buyback program, which brought the total authorization to $2.545 billion, signaled management's confidence in the company's value. Separately, the government's decision on GCU's non-profit status ended a long-running legal dispute. This recognition was expected to allow the university to access more private scholarships, government grants, and relief funds. It also opened the door for more partnerships with school districts and hospitals while significantly cutting down on legal costs previously spent battling for the designation.

Grand Canyon Education is up 3.8% since the beginning of the year, but at $171.68 per share, it is still trading 22.2% below its 52-week high of $220.55 from October 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Grand Canyon Education’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,871.

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after investors wagered geopolitical tension would be contained following the U.S. military's operation in Venezuela, with the Dow hitting a fresh record. 

Sentiment remained firmly "risk-on" for early 2026, with Wall Street prioritizing domestic economic strength over foreign turbulence. Analysts noted that while the event raises short-term supply questions, the market largely viewed the potential stabilization of Venezuela's vast oil reserves as a long-term economic positive.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Leisure Products company YETI jumped 3.5%. Is now the time to buy YETI? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Leisure Facilities company Topgolf Callaway jumped 8.9%. Is now the time to buy Topgolf Callaway? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Toys and Electronics company Funko jumped 3.3%. Is now the time to buy Funko? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Real Estate Services company Cushman & Wakefield jumped 4.7%. Is now the time to buy Cushman & Wakefield? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Adtalem jumped 6.8%. Is now the time to buy Adtalem? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Topgolf Callaway (MODG)

Topgolf Callaway’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 40 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 7 months ago when the stock gained 15.2% on the news that Director Adebayo Ogunlesi announced he bought 383,700 shares valued at about $2.5 million. These transactions are often seen as a sign of leadership's belief in the company's strategic plan and potential for future growth.

Topgolf Callaway is up 10.9% since the beginning of the year, and at $13 per share, has set a new 52-week high. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Topgolf Callaway’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $524.19.

Check out the companies making headlines this week:

PacBio : Genomics company Pacific Biosciences of California rose by 6.1% on Wednesday after Cathie Wood's investment firm, ARK Invest, purchased a substantial number of its shares. See our full article here.

Crocs : Footwear company Crocs fell by 3% on Monday after the stock tested a technical resistance level amid underlying investor concerns about slowing growth. See our full article here.

FuelCell Energy : Carbonate fuel cell technology developer FuelCell Energy fell by 9.8% on Wednesday after the company filed for a common stock offering of up to $200 million See our full article here.

AMC Entertainment : Theater company AMC Entertainment fell by 3.2% on Monday after investor concerns about the company's underlying financial health overshadowed a report of strong moviegoer attendance over the final weekend of 2025. See our full article here.

ON24 : Digital engagement platform ON24 rose by 36.9% on Tuesday after the company agreed to be acquired by Cvent in an all-cash transaction. See our full article here.

As the Q3 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the leisure facilities industry, including United Parks & Resorts and its peers.

Leisure facilities companies often sell experiences rather than tangible products, and in the last decade-plus, consumers have slowly shifted their spending from "things" to "experiences". Leisure facilities seek to benefit but must innovate to do so because of the industry's high competition and capital intensity.

The 11 leisure facilities stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.6% below.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.9% on average since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q3: United Parks & Resorts

Parent company of SeaWorld and home of the world-famous Shamu, United Parks & Resorts is a theme park chain featuring marine life, live entertainment, roller coasters, and waterparks.

United Parks & Resorts reported revenues of $511.9 million, down 6.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with a miss of analysts’ visitors and revenue estimates.

"We are obviously not happy with the results we delivered in the quarter. Performance during the quarter was negatively impacted by an unfavorable calendar shift, poor weather during peak holiday periods, a decline in international visitation and less than optimal execution. The consumer environment in the U.S. appears to be inconsistent, as has been outlined by a number of other leisure and hospitality businesses. Nonetheless, we can and expect to do better," said Marc Swanson, Chief Executive Officer of United Parks & Resorts Inc.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 24.6% since reporting and currently trades at $34.84.

Read our full report on United Parks & Resorts here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: AMC Entertainment

With a profile that was raised due to meme stock mania beginning in 2021, AMC Entertainment operates movie theaters primarily in the US and Europe.

AMC Entertainment reported revenues of $1.3 billion, down 3.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

AMC Entertainment pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 29.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $1.79.

Dave & Buster's

Founded by a former game parlor and bar operator, Dave & Buster’s operates a chain of arcades providing immersive entertainment experiences.

Dave & Buster's reported revenues of $448.2 million, down 1.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $18.12.

Read our full analysis of Dave & Buster’s results here.

Lucky Strike

Born from the transformation of traditional bowling alleys into modern entertainment destinations, Lucky Strike operates bowling alleys and other entertainment venues with upscale amenities, arcade games, and food and beverage services across North America.

Lucky Strike reported revenues of $292.3 million, up 12.3% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 3.3%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Lucky Strike delivered the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is up 12% since reporting and currently trades at $9.04.

Read our full, actionable report on Lucky Strike here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Planet Fitness

Founded by two brothers who purchased a struggling gym, Planet Fitness is a gym franchise that caters to casual fitness users by providing a friendly and inclusive atmosphere.

Planet Fitness reported revenues of $330.3 million, up 13% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

The stock is up 19.8% since reporting and currently trades at $109.87.

Read our full, actionable report on Planet Fitness here, it’s free for active Edge members.

The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how leisure facilities stocks fared in Q3, starting with Planet Fitness .

Leisure facilities companies often sell experiences rather than tangible products, and in the last decade-plus, consumers have slowly shifted their spending from "things" to "experiences". Leisure facilities seek to benefit but must innovate to do so because of the industry's high competition and capital intensity.

The 11 leisure facilities stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.6% below.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.9% on average since the latest earnings results.

Planet Fitness

Founded by two brothers who purchased a struggling gym, Planet Fitness is a gym franchise that caters to casual fitness users by providing a friendly and inclusive atmosphere.

Planet Fitness reported revenues of $330.3 million, up 13% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

"We are making significant progress in executing on our long-term strategy, as highlighted by our strong financial performance during the quarter, which enabled us to raise certain growth targets for our 2025 outlook," said Colleen Keating, Chief Executive Officer.

Interestingly, the stock is up 19.8% since reporting and currently trades at $109.87.

Best Q3: AMC Entertainment

With a profile that was raised due to meme stock mania beginning in 2021, AMC Entertainment operates movie theaters primarily in the US and Europe.

AMC Entertainment reported revenues of $1.3 billion, down 3.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

AMC Entertainment scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 29.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $1.79.

Weakest Q3: United Parks & Resorts

Parent company of SeaWorld and home of the world-famous Shamu, United Parks & Resorts is a theme park chain featuring marine life, live entertainment, roller coasters, and waterparks.

United Parks & Resorts reported revenues of $511.9 million, down 6.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ visitors estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 24.6% since the results and currently trades at $34.84.

Read our full analysis of United Parks & Resorts’s results here.

Vail Resorts

Founded by two Aspen, Colorado ski patrol guides, Vail Resorts is a mountain resort company offering luxury experiences in over 30 locations across the globe.

Vail Resorts reported revenues of $271 million, up 4.1% year on year. This result came in 1.2% below analysts' expectations. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ skier visits estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 9.1% since reporting and currently trades at $154.46.

Read our full, actionable report on Vail Resorts here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Dave & Buster's

Founded by a former game parlor and bar operator, Dave & Buster’s operates a chain of arcades providing immersive entertainment experiences.

Dave & Buster's reported revenues of $448.2 million, down 1.1% year on year. This number missed analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. It was a softer quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $18.12.

Read our full, actionable report on Dave & Buster's here, it’s free for active Edge members.

The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Dave & Buster's and the rest of the leisure facilities stocks fared in Q3.

Leisure facilities companies often sell experiences rather than tangible products, and in the last decade-plus, consumers have slowly shifted their spending from "things" to "experiences". Leisure facilities seek to benefit but must innovate to do so because of the industry's high competition and capital intensity.

The 11 leisure facilities stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.6% below.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.5% on average since the latest earnings results.

Dave & Buster's

Founded by a former game parlor and bar operator, Dave & Buster’s operates a chain of arcades providing immersive entertainment experiences.

Dave & Buster's reported revenues of $448.2 million, down 1.1% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

“I am pleased to report we are making substantive progress on our back-to-basics plan,” said Tarun Lal, Chief Executive Officer.

Interestingly, the stock is up 1.8% since reporting and currently trades at $18.52.

Read our full report on Dave & Buster's here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: AMC Entertainment

With a profile that was raised due to meme stock mania beginning in 2021, AMC Entertainment operates movie theaters primarily in the US and Europe.

AMC Entertainment reported revenues of $1.3 billion, down 3.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

AMC Entertainment delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 27.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $1.83.

Weakest Q3: United Parks & Resorts

Parent company of SeaWorld and home of the world-famous Shamu, United Parks & Resorts is a theme park chain featuring marine life, live entertainment, roller coasters, and waterparks.

United Parks & Resorts reported revenues of $511.9 million, down 6.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ visitors and revenue estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 23.5% since the results and currently trades at $35.34.

Read our full analysis of United Parks & Resorts’s results here.

Xponential Fitness

Owner of CycleBar, Rumble, and Club Pilates, Xponential Fitness is a boutique fitness brand offering diverse and specialized exercise experiences.

Xponential Fitness reported revenues of $78.82 million, down 2.1% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 3.9%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 21% since reporting and currently trades at $7.62.

Read our full, actionable report on Xponential Fitness here, it’s free for active Edge members.

European Wax Center

Founded by two siblings, European Wax Center is a beauty and waxing salon chain specializing in professional wax services and skincare products.

European Wax Center reported revenues of $54.19 million, down 2.2% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. It was a strong quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

European Wax Center had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 2.5% since reporting and currently trades at $3.74.

Read our full, actionable report on European Wax Center here, it’s free for active Edge members.