New York, June 22, 2026, 11:03 (EDT)
- AMC reported Toy Story 5 pulled in its biggest U.S. weekend of 2026, with more than 4.8 million people going to AMC Theatres and Odeon Cinemas between Thursday and Sunday.
- AMC shares traded at $2.79, off 4 cents, after TipRanks reported the stock jumped 24.12% this week while traders moved into shares and options.
- Another factor is leverage on concessions and fixed costs. In AMC’s first quarter, U.S. food and beverage per patron increased 4.5%. U.S. operating expense dropped as a percentage of revenue, the company’s filing showed.
AMC Entertainment shares were flat Monday. The company said the debut of Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 made it the busiest weekend of the year at its U.S. theaters, raising a question for investors about whether the improving box office will lead to real cash for AMC or just trigger another quick meme-stock run.
AMC turned into a momentum play again just as timing started to matter. TipRanks said shares jumped 24.12% over the past week, with options trading active and more calls than puts changing hands. A TradingView post by Invezz pointed to a potential “golden cross,” which is when a short-term moving average crosses above a longer-term average. TipRanks
AMC said Toy Story 5 brought in a media-estimated $160 million at the domestic box office, the biggest opening weekend of 2026. The company also reported record 2026 weekend levels for U.S. attendance, admissions revenue, and food-and-beverage sales. U.S. food and beverage revenue for the weekend was the highest in more than a year.
Box office numbers went beyond just one movie. The Associated Press reported Toy Story 5 pulled in $312 million globally over its first weekend, and AMC said it’s the seventh film in three months to open with over $75 million in U.S. ticket sales. AMC CEO Adam Aron said, “not been just one film” making the difference. AP News
The stock has this hidden angle. A bigger slate fills more screens, pulls in more showtimes, and can drive up concession sales. Theater chains make more margin on food and drinks than tickets. In AMC’s U.S. segment, food-and-beverage per patron hit $8.43 in the first quarter, up from $8.07 the year before. Operating expense dropped to 39.4% of revenue from 46.7%, according to a filing.
Paul Dergarabedian, who runs marketplace trends at Rentrak, told AP the summer was turning into what he called “a hybrid summer,” as both franchise titles and smaller hits did well at the same time. AP said summer ticket sales came in 15% ahead of 2025 and just 1.9% below 2019’s comparable period, without inflation adjustments. AP News
Cinemark reported a strong peer read-through. The company said Toy Story 5 delivered its largest-ever domestic opening weekend for a G- or PG-rated film, along with best June weekend numbers for the U.S. It also posted a new high for June weekend domestic food-and-beverage per capita. Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble pointed to theaters’ “unique ability to bring people together.” Business Wire
AMC’s risk stands apart from the wider exhibitor sector. The company said June 11 it finished a $150 million at-the-market equity sale, moving about 105.3 million shares. At-the-market deals push shares out over time. A filing listed 612.1 million Class A shares outstanding as of May 4 and flagged that more share sales could sharply dilute current holders.
AMC in the filing also cited the risk that its shares can swing based on retail sentiment, short interest and options trading, not just financial results. The company said that short squeezes may push up the price but can leave investors exposed when that demand falls.
Options trading could stay a key driver for now. TipRanks reported AMC’s put-call ratio dropped close to 0.07 to 0.10, with call contracts far outpacing puts, and implied volatility moving into the upper quarter of its one-year range. Delta hedging—where traders buy or sell stock to balance out options bets—can heighten swings, especially in thin or crowded trades.
AMC is telling investors to watch the next six weeks, not just the chart. The company flagged a string of titles: Supergirl hits June 26, Minions & Monsters lands July 1, Moana July 10, The Odyssey July 17 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day closes out the month July 31. AMC says these are the big tests for theater traffic. If attendance holds, margins get a boost. If movies stumble, it’s a return to AMC’s core issue—decent box office, too many shares.
