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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

2 Reasons to Like PRKS (and 1 Not So Much)

PRKS Cover Image

Over the past six months, United Parks & Resorts’s stock price fell to $44.05. Shareholders have lost 18.6% of their capital, disappointing when considering the S&P 500 was flat. This was partly driven by its softer quarterly results and might have investors contemplating their next move.

Given the weaker price action, is now an opportune time to buy PRKS? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Why Does United Parks & Resorts Spark Debate?

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

Two Positive Attributes:

1. Outstanding Long-Term EPS Growth

We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) because it highlights whether a company’s growth is profitable.

United Parks & Resorts’s EPS grew at an astounding 39.1% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years, higher than its 5.2% annualized revenue growth. This tells us the company became more profitable on a per-share basis as it expanded.

United Parks & Resorts Trailing 12-Month EPS (Non-GAAP)

2. New Investments Bear Fruit as ROIC Jumps

A company’s ROIC, or return on invested capital, shows how much operating profit it makes compared to the money it has raised (debt and equity).

We like to invest in businesses with high returns, but the trend in a company’s ROIC is what often surprises the market and moves the stock price. United Parks & Resorts’s ROIC has increased significantly over the last few years. This is a great sign when paired with its already strong returns. It could suggest its competitive advantage or profitable growth opportunities are expanding.

One Reason to be Careful:

Inability to Grow Visitors Points to Weak Demand

Revenue growth can be broken down into changes in price and volume (for companies like United Parks & Resorts, our preferred volume metric is visitors). While both are important, the latter is the most critical to analyze because prices have a ceiling.

Over the last two years, United Parks & Resorts failed to grow its visitors, which came in at 3.39 million in the latest quarter. This performance was underwhelming and implies there may be increasing competition or market saturation. It also suggests United Parks & Resorts might have to lower prices or invest in product improvements to accelerate growth, factors that can hinder near-term profitability. United Parks & Resorts Visitors

Final Judgment

United Parks & Resorts’s positive characteristics outweigh the negatives. After the recent drawdown, the stock trades at 9.1× forward P/E (or $44.05 per share). Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More Than United Parks & Resorts

Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.

While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

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