Dine Brands Global, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, owns, franchises, and operates restaurants in the United States and internationally. The company operates through six segments: Applebee's Franchise Operations, International House of Pancakes (IHOP) Franchise Solutions, Fuzzy's franchise operations, Rental Operations, Financing Operations, and Company-Operated Restaurant Operations. It owns and franchises three restaurant concepts, including Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar within the casual dining category; and IHOP in the family dining category of the restaurant industry; Fuzzy's Taco Shop within the fast-casual dining category. In addition, its Applebee's restaurants offer American fare with drinks and local draft beers; IHOP restaurants provide full table services, food and beverage; and Fuzzy's Taco Shop offers baja-style mexican food like baja tacos, chips and queso, guacamole and salsa made in house, and a full bar including margaritas, and cold draft beer. The company was formerly known as DineEquity, Inc. and changed its name to Dine Brands Global, Inc. in February 2018. Dine Brands Global, Inc. was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Pasadena, California.

Анализ фундаментальных показателей Dine Brands Global, Inc. показывает, что компания находится в сложной финансовой ситуации. Показатели P/E, P/S и P/FCF значительно ниже медианных значений по отрасли, что указывает на возможную недооцененность, однако их снижение также может свидетельствовать о проблемах с доходностью и ростом. Операционные маржи остаются на высоком уровне, что является положительным аспектом. Однако, чистая прибыль и доходы находятся ниже медианных значений, что создает дополнительные риски. Долговая нагрузка высока, а долгосрочные обязательства значительно превышают активы, что негативно сказывается на финансовой устойчивости. Рентабельность активов и собственного капитала также значительно ниже медианных значений. Хотя ожидаемые EPS выше, текущая ситуация в денежном потоке и отсутствие дивидендных выплат вызывает опасения. В целом, несмотря на положительные аспекты, такие как высокая операционная маржа, общая картина финансового состояния компании выглядит слабо, что сказывается на целевой цене.

Dine Brands Global, Inc. Common Stock

Brinker International (EAT) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.9 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.85 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.66 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +1.72%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this operator of restaurant chains Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy would post earnings of $2.53 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.87, delivering a surprise of +13.44%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
Brinker International, which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry, posted revenues of $1.47 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.59%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.43 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Brinker International shares have lost about 10% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.3%.
What's Next for Brinker International?
While Brinker International has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Brinker International was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $3.06 on $1.53 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $10.71 on $5.81 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Retail - Restaurants is currently in the bottom 25% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Dine Brands (DIN), has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on May 6.
This parent company of Applebee's and IHOP restaurants is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.00 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -2.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.5% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.
Dine Brands' revenues are expected to be $223.73 million, up 4.2% from the year-ago quarter.
Should You Invest in Brinker International, Inc. (EAT)?
Before you invest in Brinker International, Inc. (EAT), want to know the best stocks to buy for the next 30 days? Check out Zacks Investment Research for our free report on the 7 best stocks to buy.
Zacks Investment Research has been committed to providing investors with tools and independent research since 1978. For more than a quarter century, the Zacks Rank stock-rating system has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +24.08% per year. (These returns cover a period from January 1, 1988 through May 6, 2024.)
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Brinker International (EAT) Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates

Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30.
In trading on Wednesday, shares of Dine Brands Global Inc (Symbol: DIN) entered into oversold territory, hitting an RSI reading of 29.8, after changing hands as low as $26.01 per share. By comparison, the current RSI reading of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is 38.3. A bullish investor could look at DIN's 29.8 RSI reading today as a sign that the recent heavy selling is in the process of exhausting itself, and begin to look for entry point opportunities on the buy side. The chart below shows the one year performance of DIN shares:
Looking at the chart above, DIN's low point in its 52 week range is $18.63 per share, with $39.68 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $26.49.
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Dine Brands Global is Now Oversold (DIN)

In trading on Monday, shares of Dine Brands Global Inc (Symbol: DIN) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $28.12, changing hands as low as $27.27 per share. Dine Brands Global Inc shares are currently trading off about 2.5% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of DIN shares, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, DIN's low point in its 52 week range is $18.63 per share, with $39.68 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $27.37.
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DIN Makes Notable Cross Below Critical Moving Average

Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in UnitedHealth Group Inc (Symbol: UNH), where a total volume of 46,369 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 4.6 million underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 61.2% of UNH's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 7.6 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $290 strike call option expiring March 20, 2026, with 2,832 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 283,200 underlying shares of UNH. Below is a chart showing UNH's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $290 strike highlighted in orange:
Dine Brands Global Inc (Symbol: DIN) saw options trading volume of 2,683 contracts, representing approximately 268,300 underlying shares or approximately 61.1% of DIN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 439,265 shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $25 strike call option expiring March 20, 2026, with 800 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 80,000 underlying shares of DIN. Below is a chart showing DIN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $25 strike highlighted in orange:
And Starwood Property Trust Inc. (Symbol: STWD) options are showing a volume of 21,531 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 2.2 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 60.9% of STWD's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 3.5 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $12 strike put option expiring September 18, 2026, with 10,500 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 1.1 million underlying shares of STWD. Below is a chart showing STWD's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $12 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for UNH options, DIN options, or STWD options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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Notable Tuesday Option Activity: UNH, DIN, STWD

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Dine Brands (DIN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

Cava Group (CAVA) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.04 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.03 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.05 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +55.64%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this Mediterranean restaurant chain would post earnings of $0.13 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.12, delivering a surprise of -7.69%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Cava, which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry, posted revenues of $274.99 million for the quarter ended December 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.54%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $227.4 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Cava shares have added about 16.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of 0.1%.
What's Next for Cava?
While Cava has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Cava was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.14 on $393.37 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.56 on $1.4 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Retail - Restaurants is currently in the bottom 34% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Dine Brands (DIN), has yet to report results for the quarter ended December 2025. The results are expected to be released on February 25.
This parent company of Applebee's and IHOP restaurants is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.10 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +26.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Dine Brands' revenues are expected to be $227.8 million, up 11.2% from the year-ago quarter.
Should You Invest in CAVA Group, Inc. (CAVA)?
Before you invest in CAVA Group, Inc. (CAVA), want to know the best stocks to buy for the next 30 days? Check out Zacks Investment Research for our free report on the 7 best stocks to buy.
Zacks Investment Research has been committed to providing investors with tools and independent research since 1978. For more than a quarter century, the Zacks Rank stock-rating system has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +24.08% per year. (These returns cover a period from January 1, 1988 through May 6, 2024.)
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Cava Group (CAVA) Beats Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 20, 2025 – Zacks Equity Research shares Acuity Inc. (AYI) as the Bull of the Day and Dine Brands Global, Inc. DIN as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Zions Bancorporation ZION, Western Alliance Bancorp. WAL and JPMorgan JPM.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
Acuity Inc. is a market-beating, high-tech lighting, energy efficiency, and building systems stock on the cusp of a potential breakout, while trading at value-stock levels.
AYI benefits from reshoring, AI data center expansion, and the broader push for energy efficiency and connected smart spaces across the economy. Acuity completed two acquisitions in FY25 and posted a beat-and-raise Q4 FY25 report in early October.
The industrial technology company is expected to post double-digit earnings growth in FY26 and FY27, and its upbeat earnings estimates have earned AYI a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Acuity stock has soared 1,200% in the past 20 years, crushing the S&P 500. Despite trading near its recent all-time highs, the dividend-paying stock trades at a 40% discount to its peaks on the valuation front—which is an increasingly attractive quality for best-in-class stocks in a seemingly overheated market.
Industrial Technology Stock AYI is a Great Buy-and-Hold Investment
In its own words, Acuity uses "technology to solve problems in spaces, light, and more things to come." AYI reports via Acuity Brands Lighting and Acuity Intelligent Spaces, aiming to grow across lighting, lighting controls, building management solutions, as well as audio, video, control platform solutions, and beyond.
The Atlanta-based firm's growing portfolio of lighting and connected smart building solutions operates across the entire economy, from commercial office spaces, retail, and residential to industrial, infrastructure, and healthcare.
Acuity's lighting offerings are at the cutting edge of the modern connected world, focused on saving energy and constantly adapting to current needs. Beyond lighting, Acuity's technologies help control and improve systems like heating, air conditioning, security, audio/video tech, and more.
Connected smart offices and buildings are the future as companies of all shapes and sizes race to become as efficient and adaptable as possible.
Acuity's portfolio is also prepared to grow alongside the rise of power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers desperate to save every last bit of energy they can. Broader long-term trends across reshoring and infrastructure spending provide additional wind in AYI's sails.
The company boosted its portfolio via two acquisitions (QSC and M3 Innovation) in fiscal 2025. The company also raised its dividend by 13% last year, while boasting a low payout ratio of 4%, which provides it with long-term runway for more hikes.
AYI posted solid beat-and-raise fourth quarter FY25 results on October 1. It grew its adjusted earnings per share (EPS) by 16% in fiscal 2025 and its revenue by 13%.
The company is set to follow that up with 10% revenue growth in FY26 and 5.4% growth in FY27 to reach $5 billion—up from $3.8 billion in FY24.
The industrial smart lighting company is projected to grow its adjusted EPS by roughly 10% in FY26 and FY27.
AYI has topped our quarterly earnings estimates for five years running. More importantly, its EPS revisions picture began to climb again after its strong Q4, earning Acuity a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and restarting its strong upward earnings revisions trend over the past five years.
Acuity is gaining more attention from Wall Street recently. Zacks has nine brokerage recommendations for AYI, up from seven three months ago, with six coming in at "Strong Buys." Plus, the company has a solid balance sheet that will support further expansion, dividends, and other initiatives that will benefit investors in the long run.
Buy Top-Ranked AYI Stock for Value and Breakout Potential
Acuity skyrocketed 1,200% over the past 20 years, more than doubling the S&P 500. The stock has climbed 72% in the past decade to outclimb its Zacks Business Services sector's 55%.
Despite this run, AYI didn't break out meaningfully above its previous 2016 peaks until the last year.
Its 110% charge in the past two years helped it wash away a rough stretch from 2016 to the stock market's Covid lows in 2020. The stock is trading just below its new all-time highs and 6% under its average Zacks price target.
AYI completed a bullish golden cross in early August, with its 50-day moving average crossing above its 200-day. On top of that, its long-term 21-week moving average crossed above its 50-week in September.
The stock might face selling pressure in the short-term and possibly test its 21-day, 50-day, or even 200-day moving average. Pullbacks to those levels could mark strong entry points for traders.
Long-term investors might not want to play the market-timing game on AYI stock, given its broader bull case that's cemented by its valuation.
Acuity trades at a 10% discount to its Zacks sector, even though it has outperformed that group. Better yet, AYI trades at a 40% discount to its highs and near its 20-year median at 19.1X forward 12-month earnings.
At the same time, the AI-boosted rebound has the S&P 500 trading near some of its highest valuation levels in the past 20 years.
Acuity's valuation levels, coupled with its growth outlook and other key fundamentals, could help it gain even more momentum and attention from Wall Street.
Dine Brands Global, Inc. stock has tanked 60% in the past three years, while its Zacks sector climbed 65% and its Retail–Restaurants industry climbed 12%.
The restaurant giant behind Applebee's and other chains has a rough balance sheet, and its earnings revisions have tumbled over the past several years as Dine Brands struggles to navigate multiple headwinds.
Should Investors Stay Away from DIN Stock?
Dine Brands operates restaurants via subsidiaries and franchisees under the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar, IHOP, and Fuzzy's Taco Shop brands. The Pasadena, California-headquartered company boasted that its portfolio consisted of roughly 3,500 restaurants across 19 international markets as of June 30.
DIN has struggled since its massive post-Covid lockdown boom that benefited every area of the consumer economy. Since then, soaring inflation and slowing consumer spending have hurt revenue and crushed its bottom line.
On top of that, consumers have more dining options than ever, and more people are trying to eat healthier.
The chart above shows that DIN's earnings estimates fell off a cliff over the past several years. Dine Brands missed our Q2 earnings estimate by 22% and provided downbeat earnings per share (EPS) guidance.
DIN's Most Accurate estimates came in well below consensus for Q3, FY25, and FY26 (see below). Dine Brands' overall negative EPS revisions earn the stock a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Some investors might want to start bottom-feeding on Dine Brands stock since it's trading near its Covid lows while the broader stock market sits near fresh records.
But it might be wise to stay away from DIN since it has underperformed its industry by a wide margin over the past 10 years (down -68% vs. its industry's +75% climb).
The Retail–Restaurants space is in the bottom 15% of roughly 240 Zacks industries. This amplifies its near-term bear case since studies have shown that roughly half of a stock's price movement can be attributed to its industry group. And the top 50% of Zacks Ranked Industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
On top of that, Dine Brands has more liabilities (total and current) than assets (total and current).
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Regional Banks Stumble Over Concerns About Bad Loans
Yesterday, U.S. stock indices declined sharply after regional banks Zions Bancorporation and Western Alliance Bancorp. disclosed loan losses and fraud allegations. Zions and Western Alliance stocks tanked and closed the session down 13.1% and 10.8%, respectively.
The disclosure reignited investor fears about the overall health of the regional banking sector. The concern spread across the broader financial sector, with the KBW Regional Banking Index (KRE) dropping 6.3% and nearly all its constituents closing sharply lower in the session.
What Did Zions and Western Alliance Reveal?
Zions announced, in a filing, that a $50 million charge-off tied to two troubled commercial loans from its California Bank & Trust division will be included in its third-quarter 2025 results. This involved alleged misrepresentations and contractual defaults by borrowers. ZION is scheduled to announce quarterly numbers on Monday, Oct. 20.
Additionally, Western Alliance disclosed a lawsuit against Cantor Group V, LLC over loan fraud. Earlier in the week, it emerged that WAL had exposure to bankrupt auto-related companies such as First Brands Group and Tricolor Holdings. Despite revealing these matters, the company noted that as of Sept. 30, 2025, its total criticized assets are lower on a sequential basis. The bank is slated to report third-quarter numbers on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Escalating Credit Quality Concerns at Regional Banks
On Oct. 14, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, while discussing the losses his bank experienced from the downfall of Tricolor Holdings, said it was "not our finest moment." JPM disclosed a $170 million charge-off related to its wholesale lending to Tricolor. Further, Dimon warned that there could be many more such issues. He said, "My antenna goes up when things like that happen. I shouldn't say this, but when you see one cockroach, there's probably more. Everyone should be forewarned on this one."
Such disclosures by lenders actually highlighted a new reality: fraud is no longer just a compliance issue but a credit quality matter. This raises questions about the risk management and underwriting standards at regional banks, making investors more cautious about the sector's overall health. Investors are now scrutinizing regional banks more closely for other potential hidden loan problems.
Although ZION, WAL and JPM emphasized that these exposures were isolated, the market saw them as warning signs of broader credit deterioration, especially with continued bankruptcies and fraud surfacing in the opaque private credit market. These incidents heightened concerns about the rapidly expanding private credit market.
The spike in loan troubles and fraud risk has put regional lenders at the forefront of market turbulence. This has also renewed anxieties about overall credit quality and potential ripple effects through the U.S. financial system.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Acuity and Dine Brands Global have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

Dine Brands Global, Inc. DIN stock has tanked 60% in the past three years, while its Zacks sector climbed 65% and its Retail–Restaurants industry climbed 12%.
The restaurant giant behind Applebee's and other chains has a rough balance sheet, and its earnings revisions have tumbled over the past several years as Dine Brands struggles to navigate multiple headwinds.
Should Investors Stay Away from DIN Stock?
Dine Brands operates restaurants via subsidiaries and franchisees under the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop brands. The Pasadena, California-headquartered company boasted that its portfolio consisted of roughly 3,500 restaurants across 19 international markets as of June 30.
DIN has struggled since its massive post-Covid lockdown boom that benefited every area of the consumer economy. Since then, soaring inflation and slowing consumer spending have hurt revenue and crushed its bottom line.
On top of that, consumers have more dining options than ever, and more people are trying to eat healthier.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The chart above shows that DIN’s earnings estimates fell off a cliff over the past several years. Dine Brands missed our Q2 earnings estimate by 22% and provided downbeat earnings per share (EPS) guidance.
DIN's Most Accurate estimates came in well below consensus for Q3, FY25, and FY26 (see below). Dine Brands' overall negative EPS revisions earn the stock a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Some investors might want to start bottom-feeding on Dine Brands stock since it’s trading near its Covid lows while the broader stock market sits near fresh records.
But it might be wise to stay away from DIN since it has underperformed its industry by a wide margin over the past 10 years (down -68% vs. its industry’s +75% climb).
The Retail–Restaurants space is in the bottom 15% of roughly 240 Zacks industries. This amplifies its near-term bear case since studies have shown that roughly half of a stock's price movement can be attributed to its industry group. And the top 50% of Zacks Ranked Industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
On top of that, Dine Brands has more liabilities (total and current) than assets (total and current).
#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)
The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.
One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.
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DINE BRANDS GLOBAL, INC. (DIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Bear of the Day: Dine Brands Global, Inc. (DIN)

Key Points
AI continues to be a growth driver for big tech companies.
Casual dining is suddenly taking share away from quick-service restaurants.
Tariffs could have a broad effect across the economy.
Earnings season can give investors a glimpse into what's currently driving the market. With the bulk of the second-quarter earnings season in the rearview mirror -- more than 90% of S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) companies have already reported as of this writing -- three major themes should be on every investor's radar. Let's look at each.
Big tech and AI are still driving the market
The first big takeaway is that the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) is not cooling off. Megacap tech companies are still spending huge on this technology with their investments only expected to rise.
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Microsoft's quarter was a great example of this theme with the company seeing strength across its businesses, all driven by AI. Its cloud computing unit, Azure, led the way, but its enterprise software business also saw strong growth as adoption of its Microsoft 365 Copilot apps accelerated. Alphabet and Amazon's cloud businesses also saw robust growth, and and all three companies said demand outstripped capacity.
Meta Platforms was able to harness the power of AI to help drive strong ad revenue growth. The same was also true for Google's search business and Amazon's ad business.
Big tech companies continue to lean into AI infrastructure spending. Alphabet raised its yearly capital expenditure (capex) guidance by $10 billion to $85 billion, while Microsoft said it would spend heavily on servers and graphics processing units (GPUs) in its new fiscal year to try to meet growing demand.
This, not surprisingly, is leading to robust growth in the semiconductor space. Nvidia continues to be a standout, while Advanced Micro Devices also saw strong growth outside of China. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing saw a 44% increase in revenue as it remains the market leader in manufacturing advanced chips.
Right now, the impact of AI is real, and the biggest beneficiaries are the biggest companies in the tech space.
Consumers are pulling back on quick-service dining
There is an interesting dichotomy in the restaurant space right now. There was a clear pullback in quick-service dining in the U.S. during the second quarter, and it affected both fast-food and fast-casual chains.
The fast-food space was more of a mixed bag. Yum Brands saw its U.S. same-store sales (comps) sink 5% for the KFC and Pizza Hut brands, while its Taco Bell division saw a 4% increase. McDonald's U.S. comps were strong, rising 2.5%, as it leaned into value offerings.
However, other brands were weaker with Wendy's seeing a 3.6% decline in U.S. comps and a 7.1% decrease for Jack in the Box. Both Wendy's and McDonald's called out breakfast as being weak spots.
The usually more resilient fast-casual category struggled in the second quarter too. Chipotle Mexican Grill saw a surprising 4.0% decline in comps, while Cava Group's results came up well short of expectations. Sweetgreen's comps plunged 7.6%.
Surprisingly, though, casual restaurants were seeing robust results. Chili's, owned by Brinker International, led the way with comps up 23.7%, driven by strong traffic, positive mix, and price increases. Dine Equity reported 4.9% comps growth for its Applebee's chain, while Darden's Olive Garden saw comps increase 6.9%.
Right now, the economy appears to be weighing on lower-income consumers, who are shifting to value options as a result. This is an environment in which McDonald's has typically been able to shine compared to the competition.
More interesting, though, is the shift being seen between fast-casual and casual dining. With prices for fast-casual chains up quite a bit over the past few years, specialists in casual dining, led by Chili's, have been able to lean into value promotions and viral marketing to draw in younger customers. It's working and taking market share away from fast-casual stalwarts. This is an interesting dynamic to keep an eye on.
Tariffs are starting to bite across industries
The last big theme this earnings season is the growing drag from tariffs. One of the hardest-hit sectors was the auto industry. Both General Motors and Ford Motor Company absorbed huge tariff bills, although both were confident in their strategies to mitigate the impact.
Consumer staple companies are also feeling the effect. For example, Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive both flagged tariffs and rising costs as pressure points. That means these companies need to actively manage prices and cut costs just to keep operating margins in line.
Retailers added their own perspective. Walmart had a strong quarter, but management discussed how the impact of tariffs would start to flow through to consumers as it began replenishing more inventory.
What stands out is how broad the impact is becoming. It's not just automakers or niche industries; tariffs are affecting nearly all of them. The big question is: How much will tariffs hurt the consumer down the line, and could they drag the economy into a downturn?
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Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Colgate-Palmolive, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Cava Group, General Motors, and Sweetgreen and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft, short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft, and short September 2025 $60 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

3 Standout Themes That Emerged From Earnings Season

Key Points
SoundHound's market opportunity continues to grow.
Q2 saw numerous impressive customer wins and 217% sales growth.
What does soaring revenue mean for the stock?
When I last spoke to you about SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) in mid-July, I outlined three reasons the stock could explode to the upside. The stock rocketed 40% since the article was published, assisted by another stellar earnings report. Given the recent action, a debriefing is definitely in order. Let's take a look at what went right and what's next for this up-and-coming artificial intelligence (AI) player.
Market, customers, and revenue (oh my!)
The first pillar I mentioned in the previous article was the massive market that speech recognition has. Automobiles, drive-thrus, retail, and customer service are some of the largest and most obvious markets. Voice recognition technology in automobiles is advancing rapidly thanks to companies like SoundHound AI. The days of simply saying "play music" and hoping it doesn't make another phone call are gone.
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Future voice technology in vehicles will enable complex interactions, such as "give me directions to the highest rated Italian restaurant within five miles of my route home." Quite a step up!
Drive-thrus and customer service will also be served by AI technology with limited human involvement. This is a game-changer for the cost structures of businesses. The savings will be immense, and companies can't afford to be left behind. Statista pegs the market opportunity at $16 billion by 2030; however, this estimate may be too conservative.
Other research firms peg the total addressable market at more than $140 billion. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.
The key for SoundHound to capture as large a piece of the pie as possible is to win new customers and expand offerings with current customers. SoundHound's customer list is impressive, with well-known brands like Stellantis, Hyundai, White Castle, Jersey Mike's, and many more. SoundHound reported Q2 wins of Red Lobster, Applebee's, IHOP, and a major Chinese automotive brands, and expansions with current customers like Chipotle and Firehouse Subs. SoundHound tech is now operating at more than 10,000 restaurant locations.
The terrific execution translated easily to the top line with 217% year-over-year sales growth from $13.5 million to $42.7 million. As shown below, not only is SoundHound's revenue growing, but the growth rate is accelerating.
Sales grew 151% year over year in Q1 2025, which was exciting. But the 217% growth in Q2 took it to a new level.
What's next?
In addition to the obvious use cases for speech recognition AI, emerging markets include smart homes, financial services, smart TVs and entertainment, healthcare, and employee training. Using AI in employee training, for example, will be a huge time and cost saver. A new team member can request step-by-step instructions for procedures, seek specific guidance from company handbooks, and receive coaching from AI on best practices, brand features, and more. The technology is only scratching the surface so far.
But what does this mean for SoundHound stock? It's important to note that SoundHound isn't profitable and is losing cash from its operations. This isn't unusual for smaller, fast-growing tech companies, but it means that the company raises money to fund growth by selling additional shares of stock. This dilutes current shareholders. It isn't ideal, but it is necessary for now. The plan is for the company to become cash-flow-positive as revenue continues to rise.
The stock trades for 46 times the last 12 months' sales; however, this will drop to 36 if SoundHound hits the high end of its 2025 guidance of $178 million in revenue. The valuation is high by traditional metrics, but a company growing sales by more than 200% is not at all typical. The bottom line is that the stock is exceedingly difficult to value at this stage. For this reason, the stock isn't for everyone, and investors should be cautious. Here's a handy guide to risk tolerance.
The biggest long-term factor for success for investors will be whether the company continues to execute its growth strategy. So far, so good. The stock will likely experience significant fluctuations as it matures. Long-term investors should consider taking some profits when it rises, and adding to a core position on significant dips.
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Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $649,544!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,113,059!*
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Bradley Guichard has the following options: long January 2027 $20 calls on SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool recommends Stellantis and recommends the following options: short September 2025 $60 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.