DraftKings Inc. (DKNG)
DraftKings is a digital sports entertainment company that lets users place bets on sports and play fantasy games through its mobile app.
Is DraftKings Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong brand recognition in the sports betting space. Worth weighing: High marketing costs required to acquire and keep users.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does DraftKings Inc. do?
DraftKings operates a popular online platform where people can bet on sports matches and participate in fantasy leagues. A small slice of the wagers placed on its platform, together with advertising, is what keeps the lights on. How they balance the high costs of attracting new customers against their goal of becoming consistently profitable is what to watch.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and quality, and weakest on growth.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- !Revenue slipped about 5% over the year
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 3.4x its equity
- —
- Quality screens low
- Growth screens low
- Momentum screens low
- Income screens low
Does DraftKings Inc. pay a dividend?
No - DraftKings Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does DraftKings Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $983.88M in cash against about $1.92B of debt - so it has net debt of about $932.13M. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do DraftKings Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has DraftKings Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, DraftKings Inc. fell as much as −61% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns DraftKings Inc.?
About 78% of DraftKings Inc., or about 78 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 3%. The rest, roughly 19%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
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.
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.
How much money does DraftKings Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does DraftKings Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
DraftKings Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-05 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | $0.19 | $0.09 | Missed -53% |
| 2026-05-06 | $0.17 | $0.20 | Beat +16% |
| 2026-02-12 | $0.41 | $0.36 | Missed -12% |
| 2025-11-06 | $-0.26 | $-0.26 | Missed -2% |
| 2025-08-06 | $0.41 | $0.38 | Missed -6% |
| 2025-05-08 | $0.12 | $0.12 | Missed -2% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, DraftKings Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 1 time. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for DraftKings Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Dominant market share and sustained profitability.
Stricter government regulations limiting betting options.
What are the pros and cons of DraftKings Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong brand recognition in the sports betting space
- High gross margins indicate a scalable digital business model
- Growing revenue base as more regions legalise sports betting
- High marketing costs required to acquire and keep users
- Very thin net profit margins
- No dividend payments for shareholders
- Heavy reliance on changing government regulations and gambling laws
- High share price volatility compared to the broader market
- Intense competition from other established betting platforms
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sudden, widespread ban on online sports betting in key markets
- A permanent shift in consumer interest away from sports entertainment
Common questions about DraftKings Inc.
Does DraftKings Inc. pay a dividend?
No - DraftKings Inc. does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does DraftKings Inc. report earnings next?
DraftKings Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-05. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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JD Sports FashionBuilt 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 2026-08-02 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.