AMC Stock Soars On Box Office Comeback: CEO Bullish On ‘Record Post-Pandemic’ Year

• AMC reported Q1 adjusted loss per share of $0.36 versus Wall Street estimates of a $0.34 loss.
• CEO Adam Aron projected the 2026 domestic box office could finish between $500 million and $1.2 billion above 2025 levels.
• AMC posted its strongest Q1 adjusted EBITDA since pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Shares of AMC Entertainment (AMC) jumped 10% on Tuesday after CEO Adam Aron predicted a “record post-pandemic box office” year for 2026, betting that blockbuster releases, Netflix’s theater push and longer theatrical windows will fuel a major cinema rebound.

AMC stock jumped about 1% in Tuesday’s extended trading session after hitting $1.59 in regular hours. Shares snapped four straight sessions of losses following a flat close on Tuesday. 

AMC Q1 Review

AMC reported first-quarter (Q1) adjusted loss per share of $0.36, compared with Wall Street estimates of a $0.34 loss. However, revenue came in at $1.045 billion, above analyst estimates of $968.85 million.

Despite the earnings miss, Aron struck a bullish tone during the company’s earnings call, saying that “the box office is back and in a big and powerful way.” He said that the 2026 domestic box office could finish between $500 million and $1.2 billion above 2025 levels. “This is a year where in our theaters, movie after movie after movie after movie after movie after movie will delight both our guests and our shareholders,” Aron said. 

AMC also posted its strongest Q1 adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) since pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with adjusted EBITDA up $96 million from the previous year. Aron said the results were pushed by stronger domestic attendance, improved European performance and rising demand for premium movie formats.

The development marks a turnaround after AMC’s struggles following the pandemic and Hollywood strikes. The company’s stock had previously become one of the most volatile meme stocks of 2021, surging to a record high during the retail-trading frenzy before collapsing as theater attendance weakened and debt concerns intensified.

AMC Sees Box Office Tailwinds 

A major part of AMC’s optimism now comes from Hollywood’s focus on theatrical releases and longer cinema windows before taking movies to streaming platforms. Aron highlighted Netflix’s upcoming global theatrical rollout for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew as a tailwind for the industry. The Greta Gerwig-directed film will debut with exclusive IMAX previews in February 2027, then receive a global theatrical release, and later arrive on Netflix after a 49-day cinema window.

“Netflix is well aware that AMC is solidly in their corner. We are all in with respect to Narnia, we enthusiastically will continue to seek more opportunities for our two great companies to work together in the future,” Aron said. 

AMC also flagged the growing profitability of premium screens such as IMAX, Dolby Cinema and XL formats. Aron said premium large-format screens “command higher prices and sell first,” adding that about half of the opening weekend revenue for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” came from premium screens despite such formats accounting for less than 10% of total screens.

The company currently operates 225 IMAX screens, 181 Dolby Cinema locations and 168 XL screens globally. Aron said AMC could potentially double its XL screen footprint by the end of next year.

AMC Says Pandemic Debt Burden Is Easing

Meanwhile, Aron said AMC has eliminated one-third of the over $6 billion in debt and deferred lease obligations accumulated during the pandemic period. “As we look back on the last crazy six years that the good Lord threw our way with COVID and its aftermath, we're very proud of what we've accomplished at this company,” Aron added. 

Last month, AMC refinanced $425 million in debt and pushed a portion of its maturities out to 2031.

AMC also unveiled a major live entertainment expansion called “Arena One at AMC,” which will bring interactive live concerts to over 300 AMC theaters across the U.S. before eventually expanding into Europe. The company expects the business to operate under a revenue-sharing model requiring limited upfront investment from AMC.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About AMC?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for AMC improved to ‘neutral’ from ‘bearish’ levels after the results amid a 291% jump in 24-hour message volumes. 

One user said, “Today is the day — after 5 years, AMC Entertainment Holdings finally starts its uptrend.”

Another bullish user noted, “I have never seen AMC green after earnings.”

AMC stock has declined 40% over the past year. 

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