Macau Sees Record Visitor Traffic During Chinese New Year Holiday
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 20 2026
0mins
Should l Buy MLCO?
Source: seekingalpha
- Visitor Traffic Analysis: Macau welcomed 551,623 visitors in the first four days of the Chinese New Year holiday, averaging about 138,000 arrivals per day, which is approximately 8.4% lower than the same period in 2025, yet still above the 100,000 visitor threshold deemed profitable by local businesses.
- Record Single-Day Arrivals: The region set a new single-day record with around 227,943 visitor arrivals and over 750,000 total cross-boundary movements during the holiday, indicating strong appeal and market vitality.
- Gaming Revenue Expectations: Analysts forecast that combined gross gaming revenue for January and February will rise approximately 13% year-over-year after adjusting for festival timing, with growth anticipated in both premium-mass and mass segments, while the VIP segment is expected to lag slightly, reflecting shifts in market dynamics.
- Holiday Performance Outlook: Despite a decline in overall visitor numbers, analysts generally believe that Macau's casino operators are on track to post holiday gaming results that exceed expectations, suggesting optimism about future profitability and market potential.
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Analyst Views on MLCO
Wall Street analysts forecast MLCO stock price to rise
4 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 5.680
Low
9.50
Averages
11.21
High
12.55
Current: 5.680
Low
9.50
Averages
11.21
High
12.55
About MLCO
Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd is a Company engaged in the development and operation of resort facilities. The Company is engaged in the operation of casinos in Macau and Philippines. The Company operates three casinos based in Macau, namely, City of Dreams, Altira Macau and Studio City. In addition, the Company is engaged in the operation of hotels in Macau and Manila.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Record Visitor Numbers: During the Spring Festival holiday, Macau welcomed approximately 1.55 million inbound visitors, with single-day arrivals exceeding 227,000, marking a new all-time high and showcasing the strong recovery of the tourism sector and its appeal to the premium market.
- Optimistic Market Outlook: Citi analysts highlighted strong performance in the premium mass segment, with concerts by South Korean boy group Ateez and Taiwanese-American rapper Mark Tuan drawing significant crowds, suggesting continued growth potential for Macau's gaming market.
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See More
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- Holiday Effect Boost: The GGR for March surpassed February's 20.6 billion patacas, which included the Chinese New Year holiday, demonstrating the positive impact of holiday traffic and further bolstering market confidence.
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- Optimistic Market Outlook: Citi analysts highlighted strong performance in the premium mass segment, with concerts by South Korean boy group Ateez and Taiwanese-American rapper Mark Tuan drawing significant crowds, suggesting continued growth potential for Macau's gaming market.
See More
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- Ownership Ratio Change: Following this transaction, Brightlight's stake in Hilton Grand Vacations now represents 9.65%, which may affect market confidence in the company, especially as its primary revenue source from vacation ownership sales faces challenges.
- Financial Overview: As of February 13, 2026, Hilton Grand Vacations' stock price was $46.22, reflecting a 9.3% increase over the past year, yet underperforming the S&P 500 by 2.5 percentage points, indicating relative weakness in the market that could influence investor decisions.
- Investor Considerations: Hilton Grand Vacations relies heavily on vacation ownership sales and resort operations for revenue; while it has stable recurring income, it still faces consumer credit risk, prompting investors to monitor market demand and credit conditions' impact on sales and profitability.
See More
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- Share Reduction Details: Brightlight Capital Management disclosed in an SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, that it sold 79,500 shares of Hilton Grand Vacations, resulting in a $2.43 million decline in quarter-end position value, reflecting both trading activity and stock price movements.
- Holding Proportion Change: Following this transaction, Brightlight's stake decreased to 303,200 shares valued at $13.57 million, representing 9.65% of its assets under management, which places it outside the fund's top five holdings, indicating a strategic shift in investment focus.
- Market Performance Analysis: As of February 13, 2026, Hilton Grand Vacations' stock was priced at $46.22, up 9.3% over the past year, yet underperformed the S&P 500 by 2.5 percentage points, reflecting a potential decline in market confidence towards the company.
- Business Model and Risks: Hilton Grand Vacations relies on revenue from timeshare sales and club management, with approximately 333,000 members; however, its performance is highly dependent on consumer demand and credit risk, suggesting that economic fluctuations could significantly impact profitability.
See More
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- Record Visitor Numbers: Macau welcomed approximately 1.55 million visitors during the Spring Festival Golden Week, with single-day arrivals exceeding 227,000 on the third day of the holiday, marking a historic high and indicating strong market demand and recovery potential.
- Optimistic Revenue Forecast: According to Jefferies' latest analysis, Macau's gaming revenue is expected to achieve low to mid-teens growth in March, driven by relatively easy comparisons and robust premium market performance.
- High Hotel Occupancy Rates: Macau's hotel occupancy rates remain in the mid-90s, with average daily rates up by mid to high teens compared to 2025, reflecting the tourism sector's recovery and strong market demand.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Despite strong growth momentum in the first half of the year, analysts anticipate increased competition in the second half, particularly for premium operators like Galaxy Entertainment and Wynn Resorts, making market share battles more complex.
See More
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- Holiday Impact Analysis: Although January's GGR was 22.6 billion patacas, the average daily arrivals during the Chinese New Year increased by 5.5%, with hotel occupancy rates reaching an impressive 95.6%, highlighting the positive impact of the holiday on gaming revenue.
- Market Performance Comparison: For the first two months of 2026, Macau's GGR increased by 13.9% year over year to 43.3 billion patacas ($5.4 billion), although still below pre-pandemic levels in 2019, it shows signs of gradual recovery.
- Industry Outlook: With operators focusing on premium mass markets and non-gaming attractions benefiting from strong traffic, Macau's gaming sector is expected to continue its growth trajectory, particularly during holidays and peak tourism periods.
See More
Macau's Chinese New Year Golden Week Sees Record Visitation
- Surge in Visitors: Macau welcomed approximately 1.55 million visitors during the Chinese New Year Golden Week, with single-day arrivals exceeding 227,000 on the third day, marking a historic high and indicating strong tourism recovery that is expected to boost February gaming revenue.
- High Hotel Occupancy: Hotel occupancy rates remained in the mid-90s, with average daily rates increasing by mid- to high teens compared to 2025, reflecting robust travel demand and enhancing confidence in Macau's overall economic recovery.
- Market Structure Shift: Some integrated resorts may have returned to near-2019 premium-mass levels during the peak of the holiday, highlighting a structural shift towards mass-driven profitability, even as the VIP segment remains comparatively softer.
- Positive Market Outlook: Jefferies anticipates continued market growth in Macau through mid-year, although future revenue comparisons will become more challenging, with analysts viewing recent updates as positive for premium-exposed stocks like Wynn Macau and Galaxy Entertainment.
See More
