Accel Entertainment (NYSE:ACEL) Shares Gap Up After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:ACEL) shares gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $11.07, but opened at $13.00. Accel Entertainment shares last traded at $12.95, with a volume of 168,126 shares trading hands.

The company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.04. Accel Entertainment had a net margin of 3.87% and a return on equity of 27.69%. The firm had revenue of $341.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $335.66 million.

Accel Entertainment News Summary

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. 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. Citizens Jmp upped their target price on Accel Entertainment from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Macquarie Infrastructure reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Accel Entertainment in a report on Friday, December 5th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Accel Entertainment in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $14.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director David W. Ruttenberg sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.19, for a total value of $279,750.00. Following 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Derek Harmer sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.11, for a total transaction of $111,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 204,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,276,627.87. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 115,000 shares of company stock worth $1,289,100 in the last quarter. 18.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Accel Entertainment

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ACEL. Hill Path Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Accel Entertainment in the second quarter worth about $32,828,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Accel Entertainment by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,266,697 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,912,000 after buying an additional 26,419 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Accel Entertainment in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $302,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Accel Entertainment during the second quarter valued at $426,000. Finally, Midwest Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Accel Entertainment in the 2nd quarter worth $2,057,000. 55.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Accel Entertainment Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 2.50 and a current ratio of 2.57. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $11.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.78 and a beta of 1.05.

Accel Entertainment Company Profile

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.