Stock fact sheet · data as of
The Marcus Corporation (MCS): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Communication Services · Entertainment · United States · Blend
Is MCS undervalued?
At 28.65 (close of 16 Oct 2026), MCS trades within a few percent of the GLS average fair value of 26.39 (8.6% above fair value). 9 models produced a value and they split 3 above the price to 6 below. A stock priced at fair value earns about half of the Wheel Score's Value points; the rest of the score comes from health, moat, premium and stability.
There is a wide gap between DDM (4.86) and DCF (56.15). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
The nightly engine files MCS under Blend.
Nine valuation models for MCS
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 56.15 | +96% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 15.60 | -46% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 22.95 | -20% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 8.62 | -70% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 14.38 | -50% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 55.45 | +94% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 51.32 | +79% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 4.86 | -83% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 8.14 | -72% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -15.68 | -155% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 33.50 | +17% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
The Marcus Corporation scores 9 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score, the nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency on the latest annual accounts - a strong reading that passes the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule with room to spare. A GLS Moat score of 3.2/10 is a weak reading: the ten-year history the score grades (revenue, EPS, book value, margins, cash flow, share count, ROIC) has not been steady, so the Moat part of the Wheel Score contributes little.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 1.6%, ROE 2.8%, ROA 1.3% - with debt at 0.73 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 7.5%.
The dividend yield is 1.15% with a payout ratio of 43% - a small yield that leaves most of the earnings in the business.
Institutional ownership scores 8/10, insider activity 8/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 9 / 9 | ROIC | 1.6% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 3.2 / 10 | ROE | 2.8% |
| Debt / equity | 0.73 | ROA | 1.3% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 7.5% | Payout ratio | 43% |
| Institutions | 8 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 8 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 63: Fair
A Wheel Score of 63 puts The Marcus Corporation in the Fair band - below the 70 the Sunday Scan requires. Value 9/25, Health 20/20, Moat 5/15, Premium 20/20 and Stability 10/20; the weakest part is Moat (5/15).
Implied volatility is 50% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is thin - 270 contracts across every expiry - so fills at a fair price are not guaranteed; a 30-45-day put may not exist at a usable strike.
Volume runs at 194k shares a day on a market cap of $883M, with a beta of 0.51 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 10 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 9 / 25 | -9% margin of safety | |
| Health | 20 / 20 | Piotroski 9/9 | |
| Moat | 5 / 15 | moat 3.2/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 50% | |
| Stability | 10 / 20 | 194k shares/day, $883M cap, beta 0.51 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The Marcus Corporation reports earnings on 30 Oct 2026 (before the open) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Entertainment
The 12 companies below are the closest to The Marcus Corporation by market cap within the Entertainment industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IQ iQIYI, Inc. | 0.9825 | 93.01 | +99% | 45Weak | $948M |
| ANGX Angel Studios, Inc. | 3.68 | - | - | 45Weak | $687M |
| RSVR Reservoir Media, Inc. | 9.63 | 4.47 | -115% | 42Weak | $635M |
| HUYA HUYA Inc. | 2.31 | 8.21 | +72% | 45Weak | $528M |
| STRZ Starz Entertainment Corp. | 25.47 | - | - | 41Weak | $436M |
| AMCX AMC Global Media Inc. | 10.82 | 168.12 | +94% | 45Weak | $351M |
| AMC AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. | 3.02 | 15.70 | +81% | 45Weak | $2.7B |
| BATRB Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. | 62.75 | 17.30 | -263% | 22No options | $2.7B |
| IMAX IMAX Corporation | 51.55 | 34.45 | -50% | 58Fair | $2.8B |
| BATRK Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. | 49.41 | 22.48 | -120% | 44Weak | $3.2B |
| BATRA Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. | 54.66 | 23.88 | -129% | 41Weak | $3.5B |
| MANU Manchester United plc | 20.58 | - | - | 45Weak | $3.5B |
⚖ Compare MCS with 7 of them All Communication Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about MCS
Is MCS undervalued right now?
Not meaningfully: at 28.65 the stock trades within a few percent of the GLS average fair value of 26.39 (8.6% above fair value, data as of 16 Oct 2026).
What is the Wheel Score of MCS and what does it mean?
MCS scores 63 out of 100 (Fair). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for MCS?
26.39 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does The Marcus Corporation report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 30 Oct 2026 (before the open), 14 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does MCS have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 98 listed contracts with 270 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 50% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.