Theater company AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) beat Wall Street\u2019s revenue expectations<\/mark> in Q1 CY2026, with sales up 21.2% year on year to $1.05 billion. Its non-GAAP loss of $0.36 per share was 6.9% below analysts\u2019 consensus estimates. <\/p>\n Is now the time to buy AMC Entertainment? Find out in our full research report<\/a>.<\/p>\n With a profile that was raised due to meme stock mania beginning in 2021, AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) operates movie theaters primarily in the US and Europe.<\/p>\n A company\u2019s long-term performance is an indicator of its overall quality. Even a bad business can shine for one or two quarters, but a top-tier one grows for years. Luckily, AMC Entertainment\u2019s sales grew at an excellent 62.1% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years. Its growth beat the average consumer discretionary company and shows its offerings resonate with customers. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Long-term growth is the most important, but within consumer discretionary, product cycles are short and revenue can be hit-driven due to rapidly changing trends and consumer preferences. AMC Entertainment\u2019s recent performance shows its demand has slowed significantly as its annualized revenue growth of 2.3% over the last two years was well below its five-year trend. Note that COVID hurt AMC Entertainment\u2019s business in 2020 and part of 2021, and it bounced back in a big way thereafter. This quarter, AMC Entertainment reported robust year-on-year revenue growth of 21.2%, and its $1.05 billion of revenue topped Wall Street estimates by 9%. <\/p>\n Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 7.7% over the next 12 months. While this projection implies its newer products and services will fuel better top-line performance, it is still below the sector average. <\/p>\n ONE MORE THING: The $21 AI Application Stock Wall Street Forgot.<\/strong> While Wall Street obsesses over who\u2019s building AI, one company is already using it to print money. And nobody\u2019s paying attention.<\/p>\n AI chip stocks trade at ridiculous valuations. This company processes a trillion consumer signals monthly using AI and trades at a third of the price. The gap won\u2019t last. The institutions will figure it out. You need to see this first. Read the FREE Report Before They Notice<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Operating margin is a key measure of profitability. Think of it as net income – the bottom line – excluding the impact of taxes and interest on debt, which are less connected to business fundamentals. <\/p>\n AMC Entertainment\u2019s operating margin has risen over the last 12 months, leading to break even profits over the last two years. However, its large expense base and inefficient cost structure mean it still sports inadequate profitability for a consumer discretionary business. <\/p>\n This quarter, AMC Entertainment generated a negative 4.4% operating margin. <\/p>\n We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) for the same reason as long-term revenue growth. Compared to revenue, however, EPS highlights whether a company\u2019s growth is profitable. <\/p>\n Although AMC Entertainment\u2019s full-year earnings are still negative, it reduced its losses and improved its EPS by 64.8% annually over the last five years. The next few quarters will be critical for assessing its long-term profitability. <\/p>\n In Q1, AMC Entertainment reported adjusted EPS of negative $0.36, up from negative $0.58 in the same quarter last year. Despite growing year on year, this print missed analysts\u2019 estimates. Over the next 12 months, Wall Street expects AMC Entertainment to improve its earnings losses. Analysts forecast its full-year EPS of negative $0.75 will advance to negative $0.31. <\/p>\n Revenue beat. On the other hand, its EPS missed. Zooming out, we think this was a mixed quarter. The market seemed to be hoping for more, and the stock traded down 2.8% to $1.55 immediately following the results. <\/p>\nAMC Entertainment (AMC) Q1 CY2026 Highlights:<\/h3>\n
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Company Overview<\/h3>\n
Revenue Growth<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nOperating Margin<\/h2>\n
![\"AMC](\"https:\/\/news-assets.stockstory.org\/chart-images\/AMC-Entertainment-Trailing-12-Month-Operating-Margin-GAAP_2026-05-05-211623_qenu.png\"\/)
<\/p>\nEarnings Per Share<\/h2>\n
![\"AMC](\"https:\/\/news-assets.stockstory.org\/chart-images\/AMC-Entertainment-Trailing-12-Month-EPS-Non-GAAP_2026-05-05-211627_uuei.png\"\/)
<\/p>\nKey Takeaways from AMC Entertainment\u2019s Q1 Results<\/h2>\n