This Movie Theater Chain Stock Has Outperformed Peers With 86% Gains In 2026: Wall Street Sees Further Upside

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

• AMC stock has gained about 86% so far this year, outperforming IMAX, Cinemark Holdings and Marcus Corp.
• Roth Capital raised its price target on AMC Entertainment to $3.25 from $3 and maintained a 'Neutral' rating on the shares, implying about 12% upside from its last close. 
• The analyst said that it is raising its third-quarter estimates on AMC to reflect record domestic box office and stronger-than-expected European growth. 

AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) shares have rallied in 2026, soaring past its peers as booming box office collections, record financial results, and major debt restructuring have worked in its favor. 

AMC stock has gained about 86% so far this year, outperforming Imax Corp. (IMAX), Cinemark Holdings Inc. (CNK), and Marcus Corp. (MCS). 

Meanwhile, Roth Capital raised its price target on AMC Entertainment to $3.25 from $3 and maintained a 'Neutral' rating on the shares, implying about 12% upside from its last close. 

Analyst Rationale On AMC Stock

The analyst said that it is raising its third-quarter (Q3) estimates on AMC to reflect record domestic box office and stronger-than-expected European growth, with notable market share gains given its sizable IMAX exposure and the stellar performance of The Odyssey. 

AMC recorded 4.3 million visitors during the film's opening weekend, marking its largest R-rated opening since 2024. The Odyssey crossed $286 million in North America and $640 million worldwide shortly after launch, later scaling past $1.1 billion globally to become one of the highest-grossing IMAX releases in history.

Meanwhile, in the second quarter, AMC Entertainment's European operations delivered about an 18% year-over-year increase in attendance that outperformed the broader European industry growth rate of 16.2%. International revenues climbed 19.2% year-over-year to $338.1 million, boosted by about 2% from European currency appreciation. 

AMC Stock: Q3 Expectations 

The movie theater chain is expected to report third-quarter (Q3) results after market hours on Nov. 4. 

According to Fiscal estimates, analysts expect the company to post $1.62 billion in revenue for the quarter, up 24%. Meanwhile, earnings per share are forecast at $0.1, compared to a loss of $0.58 per share the previous year. 

AMC Stock: Retail Stance

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around AMC stock was 'bearish' at the time of writing amid 'low' message volumes. 

AMC stock was trading in the green in the overnight session late Sunday. 

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