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Live Nation Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings: Factors to Note

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Key Takeaways

  • Live Nation's Q3 EPS estimate fell to $1.37, signaling a 17.5% drop from last year's results.
  • Revenues are projected to climb 12.9% year over year to $8.64 billion, fueled by live event demand.
  • Higher labor, artist and venue costs might have weighed on margins despite gains in concerts and ticketing.

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (LYV - Free Report) is scheduled to report third-quarter 2025 results on Nov. 4, after market close. 

In the last reported quarter, the company’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 59.4% and declined 60.2% year over year. On the other hand, revenues surpassed the consensus mark by 3.1% and increased 16% year over year.

LYV’s earnings topped the consensus mark in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 24.7%.

Trend in LYV’s Estimates

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Live Nation Entertainment’s third-quarter EPS has moved south to $1.37 from $1.40 in the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates a 17.5% year-over-year decline from EPS of $1.66 reported in the year-ago quarter.

The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $8.64 billion, indicating an increase of 12.9% from $7.65 billion reported in the year-ago quarter.

Factors to Note Ahead of LYV’s Q3 Results

Live Nation Entertainment is expected to post revenue growth in the third quarter of 2025, supported by pent-up demand for live events and strong ticket sales. The company is likely to have benefited from strategic ticket pricing and robust fan engagement across global markets. High occupancy at stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters is expected to have driven growth in ticket and onsite spending. Expansion in the Venue Nation portfolio, including newly opened amphitheaters and stadiums, is also likely to have added incremental capacity. 

For third-quarter 2025, our model predicts Concerts revenues to increase 12.1% year over year to $5.7 billion. Moreover, we expect Sponsorship and Advertising as well as Ticketing revenues to increase 10% and 23.7%, respectively, year over year to $429.2 million and $857.8 million.

However, increased labor-hiring costs, artist activation costs and other operational expenses are likely to have hurt LYV’s bottom line in the quarter to be reported. Also, it has been witnessing a rise in venue costs and service fees. The company has been cautious of cost overruns related to the development and expansion of live music venues. We expect the adjusted operating margin to decline year over year by 70 basis points (bps) to 11.2%.

What the Zacks Model Unveils for LYV

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Live Nation Entertainment this time around. Per our proven model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. This is not the case here.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

LYV’s Earnings ESP: LYV has an Earnings ESP of -11.81% at present. 

LYV’s Zacks Rank: LYV currently holds a Zacks Rank #3.

Stocks With the Favorable Combination

Here are some stocks from the Zacks Consumer Discretionary space that investors may consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat estimates this time around.

Amer Sports, Inc. (AS - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +4.84% and a Zacks Rank of 1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

For the to-be-reported quarter, Amer Sports is expected to register a 78.6% increase in earnings. Amer Sports reported better-than-expected earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 83.9%.
 
Wynn Resorts, Limited
(WYNN - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +9.24% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present.
 
For the to-be-reported quarter, Wynn Resorts’ earnings are expected to increase 20%. Wynn Resorts reported better-than-expected earnings in one of the trailing four quarters and missed on three occasions, the average surprise being 11.5%.
 
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.49% and a Zacks Rank of 3.

For the to-be-reported quarter, AMC Entertainment’s earnings are expected to decline 325% year over year. AMC Entertainment reported better-than-expected earnings in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion, the average surprise being 33.8%.

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