Hollywood Bowl Record Revenue Masks Weaker Second Half as Heat Bites
Hollywood Bowl booked record annual revenue of £261.6m, but sales fell in the second half as the hottest UK spring and summer on record hit UK like-for-like sales, leaving the company leaning on in-line profit guidance.
Hollywood Bowl Group (LON: BOWL), operator of the UK and Canada’s largest ten-pin bowling brands, reported record revenue of £261.6m for the year to the 30th of September, up 4.3% from £250.7m. Its trading statement this morning said full-year adjusted profit before tax growth is in line with expectations.
The shares closed yesterday at 246.5p, down 0.4% on the day, before the statement. That is about 20% below the May weekly-close high of 307.5p, and under both the 50-day average of 267.6p and the 200-day average of 267.5p.
The record was built early. First-half revenue rose 9.5% to £141.5m, but second-half revenue slipped 1.1% to £120.1m. Like-for-like (LFL) sales, a measure of trading at established sites, fell 1.0% over the year: up 2.3% in the first half, down 4.5% in the second.
Sponsored content
Ready to put what you’ve learned into practice?
Try IG’s platform with £10,000 in virtual funds and practise trading
without putting your own money at risk.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Sponsored content
Learn the markets with IG Academy
Build your knowledge with IG Academy educational content, then use a
demo account to practise what you’ve learned on the IG platform.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Sponsored content
See how trading works before risking real money
IG’s demo gives you access to thousands of markets and £10,000 in
virtual funds, so you can explore the platform and test your ideas first.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Sponsored content
Turn trading theory into practical experience
Learn with IG Academy, explore charts and market tools, and practise
strategies in a simulated trading environment before going live.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Sponsored content
Ready to take your learning further?
IG combines market education, analysis and an established trading platform,
giving you the tools to keep learning as you develop your trading skills.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
The company said UK LFL sales were heavily affected in the second half by exceptionally prolonged hot, dry weather, falling 5.6%. UK revenue still grew 3.5% to £219.9m. Canada, where the Splitsville brand operates, rose 9.0% to £41.7m, with second-half LFL sales up 2.7% at constant currency.
Chief executive Stephen Burns said cost control and pricing had cushioned the hit.
Demand remained resilient during the extended period of record hot weather in the UK, supported by our disciplined cost and pricing model, and our operational initiatives to drive footfall.
Stephen Burns, CEO
Hollywood Bowl shares over the past twelve months: about 20% below their May 2026 weekly-close high at the 6 October close, ahead of Wednesday’s trading statement.
The revenue figure sits 2.7% below the £268.9m average analyst forecast for the year. The statement gave no profit figure, but the company’s own compilation of eight analysts’ forecasts has adjusted profit before tax averaging £51.0m, in a range of £48.0m to £53.2m, so the focus is on whether guidance holds after a weaker second half.
Sponsored
Net cash closed at £13.5m after a £2.9m share buyback in the second half. The statement did not mention the dividend.
Four new centres opened in the year, taking the estate to 95, with eight more planned to reach 103 during the next financial year. Full-year results are due in December, with the date to be confirmed.
The AskTraders Analyst Team features experts in technical and fundamental analysis, as well as traders specializing in stocks, forex, and cryptocurrency.
