Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) Reaches New 12-Month High After Analyst Upgrade

Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:ACEL)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after Citizens Jmp raised their price target on the stock from $13.00 to $14.00. Citizens Jmp currently has a market outperform rating on the stock. Accel Entertainment traded as high as $13.31 and last traded at $13.07, with a volume of 1460589 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $11.07.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Citigroup started coverage on Accel Entertainment in a research note on Friday, December 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Macquarie Infrastructure reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Accel Entertainment has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $14.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accel Entertainment

In related news, Director David W. Ruttenberg sold 25,000 shares of Accel Entertainment stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.19, for a total transaction of $279,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 223,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,496,880.65. The trade was a 10.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Derek Harmer sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.11, for a total transaction of $111,100.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 204,917 shares in the company, valued at $2,276,627.87. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,289,100 over the last ninety days. 18.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Accel Entertainment News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accel Entertainment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported record Q4 revenue of $341.4M (up 7.5% year/year) and reiterated solid growth in locations — core driver behind the rally. Accel Entertainment Reports Record Fourth Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Beat consensus on EPS ($0.19 vs. $0.15 est.) and revenue (reported $341.45M vs. ~$335.7M est.), confirming the quarter outperformance that traders are rewarding. Accel Entertainment Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined entry into the Chicago VGT market and projected margin expansion — operational levers that improve medium-term profitability expectations. Accel Entertainment outlines Chicago VGT market entry
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets after the results: Citizens JMP bumped its target to $14 with a “market outperform” rating, and Truist raised its target to $14 (maintaining a “hold”) — both imply incremental upside to the current quote and likely supported buying. Benzinga — analyst target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Financial press and headlines highlighting the beat and “stock soars” narrative amplified investor interest and volume. Accel Entertainment Exceeds Q4 CY2025 Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript and supporting slide deck are available for detail on guidance and product-level metrics — useful for evaluating sustainability of margins and growth cadence. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Accel Entertainment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ACEL. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in Accel Entertainment during the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Accel Entertainment by 456.2% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 5,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 4,608 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of Accel Entertainment by 195.9% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,099 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 4,700 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Accel Entertainment in the first quarter worth about $110,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Accel Entertainment in the fourth quarter worth about $118,000. 55.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Accel Entertainment Stock Up 18.1%

The company’s 50 day moving average is $11.33 and its 200 day moving average is $10.95. The company has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 21.78 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 2.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12.

Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $341.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $335.66 million. Accel Entertainment had a net margin of 3.87% and a return on equity of 27.69%. As a group, analysts predict that Accel Entertainment, Inc. will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Accel Entertainment

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.

Founded in 2005, Accel Entertainment has built a network that spans multiple states, including Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Iowa.