Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

DAVE & BUSTERS ENTMT INC (PLAY)

188 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in PLAY. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↓ -2
Streak
1Q ▼
Buyers last Q
49%

Smart Money Signals — PLAY

Based on 188 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their PLAY positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
📊

High ownership — 82% of 3.0Y peak

82% of all-time peak
188 funds currently hold this stock — 82% of the 3.0-year high of 228 funds (reached 2024 Q1). Ownership is elevated but not yet at maximum concentration. Room to grow, but watch if the trend reverses.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding PLAY is almost the same as a year ago (-1 funds, -1% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟠

More sellers than buyers — 49% buying

101 buying107 selling
Last quarter: 107 funds reduced or exited vs 101 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.
➡️

Steady new buyers — ~44 new funds per quarter

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 34 → 27 → 39 → 44. A stable flow of new institutional buyers suggests ongoing interest without signs of either acceleration or slowdown.
🔒

62% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 62% conviction (2yr+) ■ 20% medium ■ 18% new
117 out of 188 hedge funds have held PLAY for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares -2%, value -36%

Value
-35%
Shares
-2%
Last quarter: funds added -2% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -36%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
📈

Growing discovery — still being found

30 → 34 → 27 → 39 → 44 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 34 → 27 → 39 → 44. A growing number of institutions are discovering PLAY each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.
🏛️

Deep conviction — 72% of holders stayed 2+ years

■ 72% veterans ■ 12% 1-2yr ■ 16% new
Of 212 current holders: 153 (72%) have held for over 2 years without selling. These are not momentum buyers — they have lived through drawdowns and stayed. A large veteran base acts as a stabilizing force during selloffs.
✅

Strong quality — 29% AUM from major funds

29% from top-100 AUM funds
38 of 188 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 29% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
2.6
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 2.6/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — PLAY

In 2026 Q1, 101 hedge funds were net buyers of PLAY (44 opened a new position, 57 added to an existing one), while 107 reduced or exited (61 trimmed, 46 sold completely) — a 49% buyer ratio, indicating roughly balanced activity. 29% of total institutional value in PLAY is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: -2 funds (more exits than new entries). Total institutional holders: 188.

Hedge Fund Ownership: PLAY

How many hedge funds hold PLAY — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of PLAY vs. share price

Market Analysis: PLAY

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: PLAY

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy DAVE & BUSTERS ENTMT INC (PLAY) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much PLAY has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLC) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 51d ago
PLAY
+8.5%
XLC
+5.3%

PLAY outperformed XLC by +3.2% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 6d ago
PLAY
+14.3%
XLC
+0.5%

Since the filing became public, PLAY outperformed XLC by +13.8% .

Interpretation: The stock has meaningfully outrun its sector. The trade has partially played out; entry is at a premium to the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

20 top-rated funds 0 high-conviction
Consensus
5.7
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
1.0
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: PLAY
188 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in PLAY. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 188 190 -1.05%
13F Shares 43M 44M -2.35%
Total Value $460M $716M -35.78%
New Positions 44 39 +5
Increased Positions 56 61 -5
Closed Positions 46 33 +13
Reduced Positions 54 65 -11
Total Calls 15 13 15.38%
Total Puts 14 10 40.0%
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.93 0.77 Neutral

Statistics: PLAY

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Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

188 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in PLAY. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 institutional holders of PLAY — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Hill Path Capital LP 5.63% 7,119,255 $77.1M
2 Incline Global Management LLC 1.73% 405,860 $4.4M
3 Kazazian Asset Management, LLC 1.26% 106,360 $1.2M
4 M.E. ALLISON & CO., INC. 0.70% 97,700 $1.1M
5 CenterBook Partners LP 0.58% 1,003,674 $10.9M
6 EMINENCE CAPITAL, LP 0.58% 2,346,038 $25.4M
7 Sapience Investments, LLC 0.53% 375 $4K
8 Fund 1 Investments, LLC 0.48% 383,228 $4.2M
9 Clearline Capital LP 0.47% 829,594 $9.0M
10 Patient Capital Management, LLC 0.46% 1,151,658 $12.5M
11 Nebula Research & Development LLC 0.24% 93,218 $2.8M
12 MUFG Securities EMEA plc 0.19% 1,171,000 $12.7M
13 Saba Capital Management, L.P. 0.11% 382,606 $4.1M
14 CastleKnight Management LP 0.11% 619,365 $6.7M
15 GSA CAPITAL PARTNERS LLP 0.09% 126,871 $1K
16 NOMURA HOLDINGS INC 0.07% 2,411,191 $26.1M
17 LANDSCAPE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. 0.05% 72,744 $788K
18 Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC 0.04% 71,429 $774K
19 Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd 0.04% 22,345 $242K
20 OCCUDO QUANTITATIVE STRATEGIES LP 0.04% 63,788 $719K
21 ING GROEP NV 0.03% 451,000 $4.9M
22 Bridgefront Capital, LLC 0.03% 11,018 $119K
23 Crawford Fund Management, LLC 0.03% 14,000 $152K
24 FOX RUN MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. 0.03% 16,577 $166K
25 SCHWARZ DYGOS WHEELER INVESTMENT ADVISORS LLC 0.03% 11,440 $124K
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — DAVE & BUSTERS ENTMT INC (PLAY)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for PLAY?

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their PLAY positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for PLAY?

More sellers than buyers — 49% buying: Last quarter: 107 funds reduced or exited vs 101 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.

What is the fund quality score for PLAY holders?

Strong quality — 29% AUM from major funds: 38 of 188 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 29% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held PLAY?

62% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 117 out of 188 hedge funds have held PLAY for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy DAVE & BUSTERS ENTMT INC (PLAY) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, PLAY has moved +14.3% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +0.5% for the XLC sector ETF — an outperformance of +13.8%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), PLAY has gained +8.5% vs +5.3% for XLC. The stock has meaningfully outrun its sector. The trade has partially played out; entry is at a premium to the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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