National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) Issues Earnings Results

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The business services provider reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.32, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $61.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.22 million. National CineMedia had a negative return on equity of 1.31% and a negative net margin of 3.05%.

Here are the key takeaways from National CineMedia’s conference call:

• Q3 revenue excluding Captivate fell about 7% year over year to $58.8 million, while adjusted OIBDA dropped to $3.3 million from $10.2 million. NCM attributed the shortfall to softer early-quarter attendance, later-arriving movie hits that were harder to monetize, and advertisers shifting spending to the FIFA World Cup.
• Management forecast Q4 revenue of $117 million to $124 million and adjusted OIBDA of $42 million to $48 million, citing a stronger film slate and a full quarter of Captivate results. Captivate bookings were more than 30% ahead of the prior-year pace; management said NCM’s cinema revenue was tracking roughly in line with last year.
• The Captivate acquisition added more than 27,000 office and residential screens, expanding NCM’s network to about 48,000 screens and broadening its reach beyond cinema advertising. Management sees opportunities to bundle the networks and expects more than $3.5 million in annual run-rate acquisition synergies within the first year after closing.
• NCM said operational transformation savings are ahead of plan, with expected 2026 savings raised to more than $7.5 million and approximately $11 million in annualized run-rate savings expected once fully realized. The company also said it has already achieved more than 60% of its targeted Captivate synergies.
• NCM reported a trailing 12-month net leverage ratio of about 4.4 times and set a long-term target of 2.5 to 3 times, with debt reduction dependent primarily on free cash flow and realizing planned savings.

National CineMedia Stock Down 2.4%

NASDAQ:NCMI opened at $1.62 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $2.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.10. National CineMedia has a 52 week low of $1.43 and a 52 week high of $4.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $151.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.00 and a beta of 1.75.

Insider Activity at National CineMedia

In other news, insider Maria Woods sold 12,189 shares of National CineMedia stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $2.09, for a total value of $25,475.01. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 176,806 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $369,524.54. The trade was a 6.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting National CineMedia

Here are the key news stories impacting National CineMedia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NCMI reported earnings of $0.33 per share, above the roughly $0.01–$0.03 analysts expected and compared with break-even earnings a year earlier. Article: National CineMedia Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: The company announced a leadership transition plan. The available report does not specify its terms or timing, so the plan’s effect on operations and investor confidence is unclear. Article: National CineMedia Announces Leadership Transition Plan
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue was $61.40 million, below analyst estimates of $72.22 million. This sizable shortfall tempers the earnings-per-share beat and may weigh on sentiment about the company’s advertising business. Article: National CineMedia Reports Fiscal Third-Quarter 2026 Results

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on NCMI. Barrington Research set a $4.25 price objective on shares of National CineMedia in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Wedbush set a $5.00 target price on shares of National CineMedia and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of National CineMedia from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings cut shares of National CineMedia from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of National CineMedia from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, National CineMedia presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $4.20.

National CineMedia Company Profile

National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) is a media and advertising company focused on cinema-based marketing in the United States. Through its network of movie theaters, the company sells advertising opportunities that allow brands to reach audiences before feature films and throughout the theater environment. Its primary product is the Noovie pre-show, a branded entertainment and advertising program shown on theater screens before movies. National CineMedia also offers on-screen advertising, lobby and other in-theater placements, digital and experiential campaigns, and related marketing solutions designed to connect advertisers with moviegoers.