AMC Entertainment Welcomes Over 5M Moviegoers During Memorial Day Weekend
AMC Entertainment welcomed more than 5M moviegoers to its theatres across the United States and to its ODEON Cinemas locations internationally during the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend, spanning Thursday through Monday. At its U.S. locations, AMC enjoyed its highest-attended Thursday-through-Monday period of 2026, reflecting continued strong momentum at the box office as the industry heads into a busy summer moviegoing season. The company said, "Leading the weekend was THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, with a media-reported $82M domestically over a 3-day period and around $100M when including the holiday Monday. The film's strong debut also marks the fifth movie in the past two months to open to more than $75M domestically, underscoring the growing consistency of major theatrical releases in 2026. In addition to the box office performance, demand was strong for collectible items tied to THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. AMC guests sought out the Grogu Pram popcorn vessel, Mando Helmet popcorn bucket, and more. As a result, THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU's movie-themed merchandise program performance is the third best in AMC history during a movie's opening weekend. Not to be lost among a strong blockbuster opening, the weekend also featured an impressive hold from OBSESSION, which delivered rare week-over-week box office strength and continued to resonate with audiences. At the domestic box office, OBSESSION earned a media-reported $30-plus million during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. That's up more than 30% versus its opening weekend. And MICHAEL continued its exceptionally strong run at the box office during the holiday weekend. These results highlight the sustained appeal of theatrical moviegoing when audiences are presented with compelling, well-marketed films across a range of genres."
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- Increased Viewing Frequency: Data from Fandango indicates that in 2025, Gen Z averaged seven movie viewings, matching millennials, while Generation X and baby boomers averaged only six, highlighting Gen Z's growing significance in box office dynamics.
- Expanding Market Share: Gen Z accounted for nearly 40% of moviegoers in North America, with AMC's marketing VP Carrie Trotter noting that not only is their number increasing, but their viewing frequency is also rising year over year, potentially making them the most crucial audience in the future.
- Popularity of Loyalty Programs: Participation in movie loyalty programs among Gen Z has tripled since the pandemic, with AMC's A-List attracting a significant number of young viewers, indicating their willingness to spend more for social activities and movie experiences.
- Social Experience Priority: Gen Z prioritizes social experiences when choosing films, with Trotter stating that they prefer to enjoy movies with friends and family, suggesting that this social aspect drives box office growth beyond mere film content.
- Share Purchase Details: AMC Entertainment's CEO Adam Aron reported an open-market purchase of 250,000 shares at an average price of $1.38 per share on May 19, 2026, totaling approximately $345,000, increasing his direct holdings to 2,437,020 shares, which indicates confidence in the company's future.
- Increased Ownership Percentage: This transaction raised Aron's direct ownership by 11.43%, reflecting his optimistic outlook on AMC's future, particularly as the company reported first-quarter sales of $1 billion, up from $862.5 million the previous year.
- Financial Recovery Indicators: AMC's first-quarter adjusted EBITDA reached $38.3 million, a significant improvement from a negative $57.7 million in 2025, marking the best performance since the pandemic, suggesting a revival in business and increased audience engagement.
- Market Timing Analysis: Although AMC's stock price has significantly declined from its 52-week high of $3.60 in 2025, Aron's purchase signals that he views this as a good investment opportunity, prompting investors to monitor the company's performance over the next few quarters to assess its growth potential.
- Share Acquisition: AMC CEO Adam Aron purchased 250,000 shares at a weighted average price of $1.38 on May 19, 2026, totaling approximately $345,000, which increased his Class A holdings by 11.43%, bringing his total direct ownership to 2,437,020 shares, reflecting confidence in the company's future.
- Financial Recovery: AMC's Q1 2026 sales reached $1 billion, a 15.9% increase from $862.5 million in the previous year, while adjusted EBITDA improved to $38.3 million from a negative $57.7 million in 2025, indicating a significant recovery post-pandemic.
- Positive Market Reaction: Aron's share purchase coincided with the release of AMC's Q1 earnings, suggesting his optimistic outlook, especially with record attendance during the holiday weekend, which further bolstered market confidence in AMC.
- Cautious Investment Advice: Although AMC's stock is down significantly from its 52-week high of $3.60 in 2025, Aron's purchase is seen as a buying opportunity; however, analysts advise potential investors to monitor the company's performance over the next few quarters to ensure the sustainability of its recovery.
- Market Opportunity Analysis: UBS believes that meaningful investment opportunities still exist despite stocks nearing all-time highs, particularly in companies like Broadcom and Accenture, reflecting optimism for future growth.
- Broadcom's Strong Performance: Broadcom's stock has risen 22% this year, with a forecasted cash flow return on investment (CFROI) exceeding 80% by 2027, indicating its leadership in ASIC chips and the importance of AI workloads, suggesting robust future performance.
- Accenture Facing Challenges: Although Accenture's CFROI is projected to reach 43.7%, its stock has fallen 34% this year, reflecting market concerns over margin pressure and disintermediation risks from emerging AI models, leading to subdued investor sentiment.
- Investment Strategy Recommendations: UBS advises investors to focus on companies with improving cash flow returns and high-quality laggards, emphasizing the potential value of these firms in the software and IT consulting sectors, despite their stock prices having declined by over 5%.
- Stock Performance Analysis: Jim Cramer highlights Boost Run's impressive year-to-date stock performance, indicating strong market interest that could attract more speculative investors.
- DoorDash Investment Advice: Cramer sees DoorDash as a buy despite competition from hardware stocks, suggesting that its market potential remains significant and could appeal to investors seeking diversification.
- Leidos Stock Outlook: Although Leidos' stock is underperforming, Cramer believes its contributions to security are noteworthy, recommending investors consider buying during this downturn for potential future gains.
- Flex Stock Potential: Cramer expresses optimism about Flex's prospects, suggesting it could rise by 50% in the future, indicating strong market confidence in its business model that may draw more investor attention.
- Surge in Attendance: AMC Theatres and ODEON Cinemas attracted over 5 million moviegoers during the Memorial Day weekend, marking the strongest Thursday-to-Monday attendance in the U.S. for 2026 so far, indicating a robust return of the summer moviegoing season.
- Strong Box Office Performance: Earlier in May, The Devil Wears Prada 2 helped draw over 4.4 million guests globally, further validating AMC's recovery and reflecting sustained audience interest and repeat visits driven by new releases.
- Box Office Growth Trend: The U.S. box office saw a 23% increase in Q1 and an 11.1% rise halfway through Q2, showcasing a recovery momentum in the film market, particularly fueled by major studio titles and premium large-format offerings.
- Future Film Outlook: Analyst Eric World noted that the remaining film slate for Q2 is relatively attractive, with anticipated releases like Scary Movie 6 and Toy Story 5 expected to further drive audience engagement and enhance AMC's market performance.











