Hollywood Bowl Group
Website:
Hollywood Bowl Group
Index:
FTSE 250
EPIC: BOWL
Supersector:
Travel and Leisure
Sector:
Travel and Leisure
Subsector:
Recreational Services
Market Cap:
£433.81M
Payout Frequency: Semi-Annual
Hollywood Bowl Group Dividend Analysis and Summary
Key Dividend Details
- Final dividend: 9.18p per share
- Total ordinary DPS for FY2025: 13.28p (up 10.1% year on year)
- Ex-dividend date: 29/01/2026
- Record date: 30/01/2026
- Payment date: 20/02/2026
- Dividend policy: 55% of adjusted profit after tax on a pre-IFRS 16 basis (updated in FY2025)
- Cash cost of final dividend: ~£15.3m; total FY2025 ordinary dividends ~£22.2m (interim £6.9m + proposed final £15.3m)
- Dividend cover (EPS basis): 1.62x on adjusted EPS (21.51p); 1.78x on pre-IFRS 16 adjusted EPS (23.61p); 1.56x on statutory EPS (20.28p)
Financial Support for the Dividend
- Adjusted PAT (pre-IFRS 16): £40.3m; policy-implied payout ~£22.2m (aligned with total ordinary dividends)
- Free cash flow: £21.2m (covers cash dividends paid in FY2025 of £20.8m; excludes buybacks)
- Balance sheet/liquidity: net cash £15.2m; undrawn RCF £25m at 130bps over SONIA
- Capital returns: £15m buyback completed; total shareholder returns for FY2025 £37.4m
Operational Context
- Revenue up 8.8% to £250.7m; adjusted EBITDA (pre-IFRS 16) £68.4m (+0.9%); statutory PAT £34.6m (+15.7%)
- LFL revenue +0.6% (UK +1.1%; Canada +3.2% CC); UK volumes down 7.5% offset by higher SPG
- Capex moderated to £36.5m in FY2025; guided £25–30m for FY2026
Analysis: Sustainability and Growth
- Sustainability: The dividend is well anchored by a 55% payout on pre-IFRS 16 adjusted PAT and comfortable cover on both adjusted and statutory EPS. FCF broadly covered dividends paid in-year; net cash and an undrawn RCF add resilience.
- Growth trajectory: DPS rose 10.1% despite essentially flat adjusted EPS year on year, reflecting confidence and the policy reset. Sustained growth will likely require delivery of FY2026 profit uplift from recent site openings/refurbs and Canadian scaling.
- Cash and allocation: With capex easing in FY2026 and strong cash conversion (70% OCF conversion), the ordinary dividend appears maintainable alongside selective growth capex. Additional buybacks remain discretionary and may flex with FCF.
Structural/Policy Developments
- Dividend policy change: Now based on pre-IFRS 16 adjusted PAT (aimed at reducing non-cash volatility in reported earnings).
- Shareholder returns mix: £15m buyback completed in FY2025; total returns £37.4m.
- Leadership changes: New Group CFO (Feb 2026) and current CFO moving to Canada CEO—no immediate impact on dividend policy, but underscores Canadian growth focus.
Risks and Flags to Dividend Stability
- Cost headwinds FY2026: UK living/minimum wage increases, employer NI full-year effect, and higher business rates likely to lift operating costs.
- Volume softness: UK LFL volumes fell 7.5%; continued reliance on SPG and pricing/yield management to offset could be tested in weaker macro or warmer summers.
- Canada expansion/cash uses: Ongoing greenfield build-out and a contingent consideration linked to Teaquinn (undiscounted ~£5.3m expectation) are additional calls on cash in FY2026.
- Mini-golf impairments: Further underperformance could prompt additional charges, though immaterial to cash and policy basis.
Read more
Hollywood Bowl Group Annual Dividend Yield - 4.7%
Dividends Used in Calculation:
| Ex-Dividend Date |
Payment Date |
Type |
Amount |
Currency |
| 30/01/2025 |
21/02/2025 |
Final |
8.08p |
GBX |
| 26/06/2025 |
25/07/2025 |
Interim |
4.10p |
GBX |
Total (Annual Dividends Per Share):
12.18p
Dividend Yield =
Annual Dividends Per Share (12.18p)
÷ Share Price (259p)
= 4.7%
Hollywood Bowl Group Dividend History
| Ex Dividend Date |
Payment Date |
Type |
Amount |
Currency |
| 29/01/2026 |
20/02/2026 |
Final |
9.1800p |
GBX |
| 26/06/2025 |
25/07/2025 |
Interim |
4.10p |
GBX |
| 30/01/2025 |
21/02/2025 |
Final |
8.08p |
GBX |
| 13/06/2024 |
10/07/2024 |
Interim |
3.98p |
GBX |
| 01/02/2024 |
23/02/2024 |
Special |
2.73p |
GBX |
| 01/02/2024 |
23/02/2024 |
Final |
8.54p |
GBX |
| 08/06/2023 |
05/07/2023 |
Interim |
3.27p |
GBX |
| 02/02/2023 |
24/02/2023 |
Special |
3.00p |
GBX |
| 02/02/2023 |
24/02/2023 |
Final |
8.53p |
GBX |
| 09/06/2022 |
06/07/2022 |
Interim |
3.00p |
GBX |
| 30/01/2020 |
19/02/2020 |
Special |
4.50p |
GBX |
| 30/01/2020 |
19/02/2020 |
Final |
5.16p |
GBX |
| 13/06/2019 |
10/07/2019 |
Interim |
2.27p |
GBX |
| 31/01/2019 |
27/02/2019 |
Special |
4.33p |
GBX |
| 31/01/2019 |
27/02/2019 |
Final |
4.23p |
GBX |
| 14/06/2018 |
10/07/2018 |
Interim |
2.03p |
GBX |
| 01/02/2018 |
27/02/2018 |
Special |
3.33p |
GBX |
| 01/02/2018 |
27/02/2018 |
Final |
3.95p |
GBX |
| 15/06/2017 |
12/07/2017 |
Interim |
1.80p |
GBX |
| 23/02/2017 |
24/03/2017 |
Final |
0.19p |
GBX |
| Year |
Interim |
Final |
Special |
Currency |
Total |
Change |
| 2024 |
3.980 |
8.080 |
2.730 |
GBX |
14.790 |
-0.130 |
| 2023 |
3.270 |
8.540 |
3.000 |
GBX |
14.810 |
28.440 |
| 2022 |
3.000 |
8.530 |
|
GBX |
11.530 |
156.220 |
| 2020 |
|
|
4.500 |
GBX |
4.500 |
-61.730 |
| 2019 |
2.270 |
5.160 |
4.330 |
GBX |
11.760 |
22.620 |
| 2018 |
2.030 |
4.230 |
3.330 |
GBX |
9.590 |
66.780 |
| 2017 |
1.800 |
3.950 |
|
GBX |
5.750 |
2,926.310 |
| 2016 |
|
0.190 |
|
GBX |
0.190 |
|
Hollywood Bowl Group Dividend Calculator
Hollywood Bowl Group Dividend Growth
| Dividend Growth (1Y) |
10.12%
|
| Dividend CAGR (5Y) |
34.65%
|
| Years of Growth |
–
|
| Payout Ratio |
60.18%
|
| Buyback Yield |
0.55%
|
| Shareholder Yield |
5.68%
|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 12.86 |
|---|
| Forward P/E | 11.44 |
|---|
| P/FCF | 11.45 |
|---|
| Earnings Yield | 8.01% |
|---|
| FCF Yield | 8.73% |
|---|
| ROE | 22.81% |
|---|
| ROCE | 15.36% |
|---|
| Profit Margin | 13.81% |
|---|
| Operating Margin | 23.83% |
|---|
| Gross Margin | 62.62% |
|---|