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Hollywood Bowl Group plc (BOWL.L)

Consumer Cyclical Balanced

Picture the clatter of falling pins and neon lights on a rainy Saturday afternoon—that is the world of Hollywood Bowl Group.

£2.85

Is Hollywood Bowl Group plc a good stock for a UK beginner?

The honest version: Picture the clatter of falling pins and neon lights on a rainy Saturday afternoon—that is the world of Hollywood Bowl Group.

No rating · no target price · nothing for sale here
Price-14.1%
52-week range+15% past year
£2.85
Low £2.27High £3.12
Where today's price sits versus its past year - context, not a signal.
If you had put £1,000 into Hollywood Bowl Group plc
£859-14%

Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.

Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'.
£476.01M
Avg volume: How many shares change hands on a typical day. Higher means it's easy to buy or exit without moving the price.
791.15K
Day range: The lowest and highest price the shares traded at during the latest day.
£2.85 – £2.93
52-week range: The lowest and highest the shares have traded over the past year - a sense of how wide the swings have been.
£2.27 – £3.12
P/E ratio: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth.
14.3
Dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone.
4.8%
Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down.
0.36
How bumpy is it?Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. 0.36
Calm
Wild
Steadier than most

Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.

Why has it been moving?▼ -2% past week · ▲ +15% past year

Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.

The bull case

successful international expansion particularly in North America pays off

The bear case

structural shift in leisure habits leaves bowling alleys deserted

What does Hollywood Bowl Group plc do?

This British leisure business operates sprawling bowling alleys and family entertainment centres across the UK and Canada, making its money by charging visitors for games, food, and drinks. It relies on people seeking affordable family days out and evening socializing. Their fortunes rest on keeping customers coming through the doors when household budgets face a squeeze.

VQGMI
Factor profile

On our factor screen it looks strongest on income and quality, and weakest on value.

Value: How cheap the stock looks versus profits, sales and assets (higher = cheaper). 48Quality: How profitable and financially healthy the company is (higher = stronger). 59Growth: How fast revenue and earnings are growing (higher = faster). 52Momentum: How the share price has been trending recently (higher = stronger recent run). 51Income: The dividend income on offer and how sustainable it looks (higher = more/steadier). 60
Quick checks
What's strong
  • Healthy profit margins compared to many standard high street businesses
  • Solid cash returns paid out to shareholders via dividends
  • Proven track record of modernizing and improving bowling venues
What to watch
  • Rising minimum wages and utility bills eating into venue profitability
  • Economic downturns forcing families to slash leisure budgets
  • Competition from alternative entertainment options like gaming arcades and boutique cinemas

What do Hollywood Bowl Group plc's numbers mean?

P/E
14.3
This shows you are paying roughly fourteen pounds for every pound of yearly profit the company currently makes.
Dividend yield
4.8%
This tells you the cash payout returned to shareholders relative to the share price, roughly matching a healthy slice of income.
Return on equity
21.7%
A strong measure of how efficiently management uses shareholder money to generate actual profit.
Gross margin
62.1%
This highlights that for every pound taken at the till, a generous sixty-two pence remains after covering the direct costs of running the lanes and kitchens.

Does Hollywood Bowl Group plc pay a dividend?

Yes - Hollywood Bowl Group plc currently pays a dividend of about 4.8% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.

More in Consumer Cyclical

Booking HoldingsExpedia GroupeBay Inc.Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.Yum! Brands, Inc.Las Vegas Sands Corp.Marriott International, Inc.Casey's General Stores, Inc.

What are the scenarios for Hollywood Bowl Group plc?

An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.

£3£3£2today · £3▲ Bull · £3• Base · £3▼ Bear · £2in 1 yearILLUSTRATIVE · NOT A PREDICTION OR PRICE TARGET
Bull
+10% to +18%strong weekend footfall beats expectations through rainy seasons
Base
0% to +8%steady visitor numbers match steady seasonal trends
Bear
-10% to -18%surging energy and wage costs pinch profit margins

What are the pros and cons of Hollywood Bowl Group plc?

3bull points
6bear points

How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.

The bull case3
  • Healthy profit margins compared to many standard high street businesses
  • Solid cash returns paid out to shareholders via dividends
  • Proven track record of modernizing and improving bowling venues
The catch3
  • Recent earnings experienced a slight year-on-year dip
  • Exposed to the whims of discretionary consumer spending
  • Heavy reliance on physical venues incurring high property and utility costs
Key risks3
  • Rising minimum wages and utility bills eating into venue profitability
  • Economic downturns forcing families to slash leisure budgets
  • Competition from alternative entertainment options like gaming arcades and boutique cinemas
What would flip the thesis

The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.

Confidence: medium · data: GBP · flags: none · Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™
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Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →

This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.

Figures as of 2026-08-01. Prices may be delayed and numbers can go stale - always double-check before acting.