United Parks & Resorts

PRKS · NYSE · Consumer Discretionary · Financials, fiscal 2016 to 2025

PRKS · Last close · October 26, 2026

$30.68

United Parks & Resorts' revenue fell 3.6% to $1.7 billion in fiscal 2025. Its operating margin was 22.0%, down from 26.9% a year earlier. Free cash flow was $163 million, down 29.8%. It paid out $160 million in dividends and buybacks, 99% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 8.4%.

United Parks & Resorts Inc. Latest fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 10-K filed March 3, 2026 · 0001193125-26-088288 Updated October 11, 2026

Revenue

$1.7B

3.6%

Operating margin

22.0%

4.9 pts

Net income

$168M

26.0%

Free cash flow

$163M

29.8%

Return on capital

16.1%

5.6 pts

Market cap

$1.4B

Oct 26 close

P/E

12.0x

On $2.56 EPS, 4 qtrs

Operating margin is operating income as a share of revenue. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Return on capital is after-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash. Market cap is the last closing share price times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate. P/E is the last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters, or the latest fiscal year where the quarters aren't available; there is none when the company made a loss.

What United Parks & Resorts does

United Parks & Resorts runs theme parks built around animals and rides. It owns or licenses brands including SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica, Discovery Cove and Sesame Place. Its portfolio has 13 theme parks grouped in key markets across the United States and in the United Arab Emirates.

It makes money mainly by selling admission to its parks and from food, merchandise and other items that guests buy inside them. Many parks show its zoological collection and offer thrill and family rides, educational presentations and shows. The company also runs seasonal events such as holiday and Halloween events. It says it competes with other entertainment and leisure options for guests' time and money.

A large share of revenue has historically come from Florida, California and Virginia. The 10-K says the company has faced turnover and hiring challenges for some positions and more union organizing, and that Hill Path Capital LP and its affiliates could significantly influence its decisions.

Its biggest risks, as it describes them

Weather, attendance and other factors outside its control that change how many guests visit and what they spend.
Failing to hire and keep enough employees, and rising labor and benefit costs.
Rules on how it treats animals, scrutiny from activist groups, and bad publicity about its parks.
Relying on Florida, California and Virginia for a large share of revenue.
Hill Path Capital and its affiliates could influence its decisions in ways that conflict with other owners' interests.

From United Parks & Resorts's annual report on Form 10-K, filed March 3, 2026, in our words; the 10-K has the full description and every risk factor. Updated with each new 10-K.

Charts show fiscal years, from the 10-K filings.

Revenue and margins

Revenue

US$ billions, fiscal years

Margins

Percent of revenue

GrossOperatingNetFree cash flow

Net income and earnings per share

From fiscal 2018 to 2025, earnings per share grew 28.8% a year and net income 20.8% a year, as buybacks cut the share count by 37%.

Net income

US$ billions, fiscal years; loss years in red.

Diluted earnings per share

US$ per share, fiscal years, restated for any stock splits; loss years in red.

Returns on capital

Return on capital and on equity

Percent. Return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business (debt plus equity, minus cash); return on equity is net income over shareholders' equity. Both use the average of opening and closing balances.

Return on capitalReturn on equity

Cash flow

Free cash flow

US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure; negative years in red.

Payouts and share count

Dividends and buybacks

US$ billions, cash paid in each fiscal year

DividendsShare buybacks

Diluted share count

Weighted-average diluted shares, millions

Valuation

Two ways to value United Parks & Resorts yourself, both starting from its filings: a discounted cash flow model and the price-to-earnings method.

Discounted cash flow (DCF)

A discounted cash flow (DCF) model values a business as the cash it may generate in future, discounted back to today. The starting figures come from United Parks & Resorts' 10-K (or, for net cash and shares, its latest 10-Q) and the assumptions are yours: start from one of three example scenarios, then change any figure to see what it implies for a share, and how that compares with the last share price.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from United Parks & Resorts' fiscal 2025 free cash flow of $163M, net cash of −$2.1B at December 31, 2025 and 55 million diluted shares, from its filings. The scenarios are fitted to United Parks & Resorts: the base scenario's growth in years 1 to 5 is its revenue growth over the last 3 years, -1.3% a year, kept between 0% and 20%; the cautious and optimistic ones are lower and higher, and growth in years 6 to 10 is halfway to the long-run rate. The base scenario's discount rate is 11%: 9% for a business of moderate risk (Leisure Facilities), plus 1 point as a smaller company, worth $1.4B, plus 1 point for unsteady results (revenue fell in two of the last five years); the cautious and optimistic ones use a point more and a point less. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target. A negative value means United Parks & Resorts' net debt is larger than what that scenario's cash flows are worth today.

From the filings

Starting free cash flow, US$ millions

Cash from operations minus capital spending in fiscal 2025.

Net cash, US$ millions

Cash and short-term investments minus debt and finance leases at December 31, 2025. Negative means net debt.

Diluted shares, millions

Weighted-average diluted shares in fiscal 2025.

Your assumptions

Start from

Fitted to United Parks & Resorts's own revenue growth, as above. Cautious: growth of -2% then 0% a year, 2% after year 10, a 12% discount rate. Base: growth of 0% then 1% a year, 2.5% after year 10, a 11% discount rate. Optimistic: growth of 2% then 2.5% a year, 3% after year 10, a 10% discount rate.

Free cash flow growth, years 1 to 5 (% a year)

Free cash flow growth, years 6 to 10 (% a year)

Growth after year 10 (% a year)Long-run growth forever after year 10. Usually close to inflation, and always below the discount rate.

Discount rate (% a year)The yearly return an investor wants for the risk. A higher rate gives a lower value.

Value per share on these assumptions

—

Last close, October 26, 2026: $30.68
Value on these assumptions, against the last close: —

Cash flows in years 1 to 10, valued today: —
Everything after year 10, valued today: —
Plus net cash: —
Share of value from after year 10: —

Projected free cash flow

US$ billions. Each column is one year's projected free cash flow, split into what it is worth today and the part removed by discounting.

Value todayRemoved by discounting

How the value changes with two assumptions

Value per share in US$, with the growth rates above. The highlighted cell matches the current assumptions.

How the model works. Free cash flow grows at the first rate for five years and the second rate for five more, and each year is discounted at the discount rate. Everything after year 10 is valued as year-10 cash flow × (1 + growth after year 10) ÷ (discount rate − growth after year 10), discounted back ten years. Net cash is added and the total is divided by diluted shares. The result depends entirely on the assumptions. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation. The last close is the consolidated US closing price, from Databento.

Price-to-earnings (P/E) method

Another common way to value a company is to multiply its earnings per share by a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple: the number of years of today's earnings an investor pays for a share. A higher multiple usually means investors expect earnings to grow. Choose a multiple, for example from similar companies, to see the value it gives.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from United Parks & Resorts' earnings per share of $2.56 (over the last four quarters). Each grows earnings for a year at the cash flow scenarios' rates and applies a multiple to next year's earnings: 17.8×, the middle of United Parks & Resorts' own P/E today, its peers' median and its sector's median (the Consumer Discretionary median) for the base scenario, 20% less and more for the cautious and optimistic ones. The price is brought back a year at 12%, 11% and 10%. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

Earnings per share, US$

Diluted earnings per share over the four quarters to June 30, 2026, from the 10-Qs and 10-K.

P/E multiple

P/E today is the last close divided by the latest earnings per share, the four quarters' where available. Peers: OneSpaWorld, Life Time Group.

Earnings growth in the years ahead (% a year) Starts at United Parks & Resorts' revenue growth over the last 3 years, -1.3% a year, kept between 0% and 20%, as the base scenario does.

Earnings per share in the years ahead, US$

Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5

Type your own estimate for any year; the years after it carry on at the growth rate.

Apply the multiple to earnings

A multiple on a future year's earnings gives the price then, brought back to today at the discount rate below.

Discount rate (% a year) The yearly return an investor wants for the risk, as in the cash flow model.

Value per share today at this multiple

—

Last close, October 26, 2026: $30.68
Value at this multiple, against the last close: —
United Parks & Resorts' P/E at the last close: 12.0×

Company	Last close	Earnings per share	P/E today
OneSpaWorldOSW	$23.99	$0.79	30.4×
Life Time GroupLTH	$43.86	$1.84	23.8×
United Parks & ResortsPRKS	$30.68	$2.56	12.0×

How the P/E method works. Value per share is earnings per share times the multiple. On a future year's earnings, that gives the price in that year, which is brought back to today at the discount rate: price ÷ (1 + discount rate) for each year ahead. It is quick and easy to compare across companies, but it ignores debt and cash, and earnings can swing with one-off gains and charges, so a multiple says most about steady, profitable businesses. Like the cash flow model, the result depends entirely on the assumptions you choose. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation.

Balance sheet

Fiscal year end	FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Cash and short-term investments	444	79	247	116	100
Debt incl. finance leases	2,120	2,114	2,110	2,249	2,239
Net debt (negative means net cash)	1,676	2,034	1,863	2,133	2,139
Net debt to EBITDA	2.9x	3.1x	3.0x	3.4x	4.0x
Debt to equity	—	—	—	—	—
Interest coverage	3.7x	4.3x	3.1x	2.8x	2.7x
Current ratio	1.5x	0.6x	0.9x	0.7x	0.7x
Quick ratio	1.4x	0.4x	0.8x	0.5x	0.6x

US$ millions unless stated, at each fiscal year end. Net debt to EBITDA is debt minus cash, divided by operating income before depreciation and amortization: roughly how many years of those earnings the net debt equals. Debt to equity is debt as a multiple of shareholders' equity. Interest coverage is operating income divided by interest expense. The current ratio is current assets over current liabilities; the quick ratio leaves out inventory.

Insider trades

Over the 12 months between October 27, 2025 and October 26, 2026, no insider bought United Parks & Resorts shares on the open market, and 2 insiders sold $880,702.

Date	Insider	Trade	Shares	Price	Value	Filing
Sep 15, 2026	James W Forrester JrSee Remarks	Sold	1,150	$35.71	$41,066	Form 4
Aug 6, 2026	Christopher L. FinazzoChief Commercial Officer	Sold	6,622	$44.20	$292,692	Form 4
May 22, 2026	Christopher L. FinazzoChief Commercial Officer	Sold	8,000	$36.76	$294,080	Form 4
Dec 15, 2025	Christopher L. FinazzoChief Commercial Officer	Sold	7,200	$35.12	$252,864	Form 4

Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from their Form 4 filings with the SEC: one row per person, day and filing, at the day's average price. Grants, option exercises and shares withheld for tax aren't counted. Insiders buy and sell for many reasons, such as taxes, spreading their savings or a plan set up months earlier, so a trade on its own says little about where a company is heading. For information only, not investment advice. Insider trades at all companies

Piotroski F-score

The F-score counts how many of nine simple tests of profitability, funding and efficiency a company passed in a year (Piotroski, 2000). The more tests passed, the stronger the year: 8 or 9 is strong, 0 to 2 weak. Companies that report no gross profit are scored on the other eight.

Test	FY23	FY24	FY25
Net income is positive	Pass	Pass	Pass
Cash from operations is positive	Pass	Pass	Pass
Return on assets rose	Fail	Fail	Fail
Cash from operations exceeds net income	Pass	Pass	Pass
Debt fell relative to assets	Pass	Fail	Pass
Current ratio rose	Pass	Fail	Pass
Share count didn't rise	Pass	Pass	Pass
Gross margin rose	—	—	—
Revenue rose relative to assets	Pass	Fail	Fail
F-score	7 of 8	4 of 8	6 of 8
Accruals ratio	−10.9%	−9.7%	−8.2%

The accruals ratio is net income minus cash from operations, over average total assets.

Compare

Put United Parks & Resorts side by side with any other company we cover: revenue, growth, margins, cash flow and returns, with ten years of charts.

Similar companies

Company	Year	Revenue growth	Operating margin	Free cash flow margin	Return on capital	Net debt to EBITDA	F-score	Compare
United Parks & Resorts	FY25	−3.6%	22.0%	9.8%	16.1%	4.0x	6
Planet Fitness	FY25	12.1%	29.8%	19.2%	18.4%	3.7x	—	Compare
OneSpaWorld	FY25	7.4%	8.5%	7.1%	12.7%	0.6x	6	Compare
Life Time Group	FY25	14.3%	16.1%	−0.7%	8.5%	1.7x	8	Compare
Six Flags	FY25	14.4%	−44.4%	−4.9%	−17.6%	—	4	Compare

Each company's latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so the periods don't line up exactly. Free cash flow margin is free cash flow as a share of revenue. Net debt to EBITDA is explained under the balance sheet, and the F-score above.

10 years of figures

Fiscal year	FY16	FY17	FY18	FY19	FY20	FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Income statement
Revenue	1,344	1,263	1,372	1,398	432	1,504	1,731	1,727	1,725	1,663
Revenue growth	−1.9%	−6.0%	8.6%	1.9%	−69.1%	248.3%	15.1%	−0.3%	−0.1%	−3.6%
Gross profit	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Research and development	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Operating income	60	−201	152	213	−242	432	508	460	463	365
Net income	−12	−202	45	90	−312	256	291	234	228	168
Diluted EPS (US$)	−0.15	−2.36	0.52	1.10	−3.99	3.22	4.14	3.63	3.79	3.06
Diluted shares (millions)	85	86	87	81	78	80	70	64	60	55
Cash flow
Cash from operations	280	192	294	348	−121	503	565	505	480	380
Capital expenditure	160	172	180	195	109	129	201	305	248	218
Free cash flow	120	20	114	153	−230	374	364	200	232	163
Dividends paid	65	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Share buybacks	0	0	98	150	12	216	694	18	483	160
Acquisitions	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation	38	23	22	11	8	40	18	17	14	17
Balance sheet at fiscal year end
Cash and short-term investments	69	33	34	40	434	444	79	247	116	100
Debt incl. finance leases	1,583	1,542	1,540	1,552	2,196	2,120	2,114	2,110	2,249	2,239
Total assets	2,379	2,086	2,116	2,300	2,566	2,610	2,326	2,625	2,574	2,616
Total liabilities	1,918	1,798	1,850	2,090	2,672	2,644	2,764	2,833	3,035	3,052
Shareholders' equity	461	288	265	211	−106	−34	−438	−208	−462	−436
Margins and ratios
Gross margin	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Operating margin	4.4%	−15.9%	11.1%	15.2%	−56.0%	28.7%	29.3%	26.6%	26.9%	22.0%
Net margin	−0.9%	−16.0%	3.3%	6.4%	−72.3%	17.1%	16.8%	13.6%	13.2%	10.1%
Free cash flow margin	8.9%	1.6%	8.3%	11.0%	−53.2%	24.9%	21.0%	11.6%	13.4%	9.8%
Return on capital	2.3%	−8.4%	6.1%	8.5%	−11.3%	26.2%	23.4%	21.1%	21.7%	16.1%
Return on equity	−2.6%	−54.1%	16.2%	37.6%	—	—	—	—	—	—
Return on assets	−0.5%	−9.1%	2.1%	4.0%	−12.8%	9.9%	11.8%	9.5%	8.8%	6.5%
Net debt to EBITDA	5.8x	—	4.8x	4.0x	—	2.9x	3.1x	3.0x	3.4x	4.0x

US$ millions unless stated. Where a later 10-K restated a year, the latest filed figure is shown. Download all figures (CSV, US$ millions)

Source: United Parks & Resorts' Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR. For information only, not investment advice. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with United Parks & Resorts.