How profitable is RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK)?

In FY 2025 (10-K), RICK converted $279.4M of revenue into a 52% gross margin, 10.8% operating margin, and $49.4M in free cash flow (17.7% FCF margin).

Stock Ratings / Consumer Discretionary / RICK / financials

JACK (38) RRGB (57) PLAY (28) PTLO (42) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) Revenue-to-Profit Sankey Flow & SEC XBRL Financials

$29.09 +2.72% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $29.18

RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) carries a Roarable Rating of D+ (Sell) with 54/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 54/100 (D+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (-0.7% avg 90D alpha vs SPY) →

ROARABLE D+ • SELL / AVOID Cap $216.5M

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on RICK Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is RICK stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-03, RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: RICK) is rated D+ (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 54/100 at a spot price of $29.09 (+2.72% 1D, market cap $216.5M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 8/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 12/20, Executive Insider Alignment 7/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 12/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 15/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, RICK ranks #472 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does RICK compare to JACK and RRGB in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

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Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Restaurants), RICK carries a Roarable D+ (54/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 20.0x, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 5.6%. By comparison, JACK (Jack In The Box Inc.) holds a D- grade (38/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC -35.0%, cap $249.6M) and RRGB (Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc.) posts a D+ grade (57/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC 5.7%, cap $172.2M). Among the 5-stock peer group, PTLO leads on earnings multiple (17.9x) while RRGB leads on capital efficiency (5.7% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for RICK?

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Per RICK's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-09-30, CIK 0000935419), RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. generated $279.4M in revenue (-5.5% YoY), $10.8M in net income, and $49.4M in free cash flow against $590.3M in total assets and $222.0M in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction.. Primary risk factors monitored: Recent SEC filings added new risk-factor disclosures that warrant keeping an eye on margins.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $29.18 (+0.30%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-2.08% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 8/20 (D-) • 17.7% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 54/100 (D+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (-0.7% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 51.0% hit rate — wait for RQD ≥ 70 breakout).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERSELL / AVOID • D+

2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw D+ · Rk D

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE-1.8% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for RICK)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±6.4%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (54/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY RICK SCORES 54/100 (D+) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+15/20 pts (28% of score)

SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 75% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-2.08% YoY Shares)

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+12/20 pts (22% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±6.4% realized swing band)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk7/20 pts (-13 pt drag)

Balance-sheet & 10-K footnote risk deducts 13 pts from forensic ceiling

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade D$26.44-0.7% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade D$26.26+5.6% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade C-$27.72+4.9% Next Q

Current

Grade D+$29.09-0.7% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: D (46) → D+ (54)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)CONTRARIAN TURNAROUND & SHORT-SQUEEZE DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a RICK Turnaround Squeeze

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

While RICK currently carries a cautious 54/100 (D+) rating due to SEC 10-K Forensic Risk (7/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #1

Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #2

Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($27.76) and Max Pain ($30.54) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $33.71.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #3

Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Cannibal Buyback (-2.08% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $RICK• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “RICK Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 29, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 54%NO 46%Trade / Inspect Odds →

VISUAL REVENUE-TO-PROFIT SANKEY WATERFALL • FY 2025 (10-K)

How RICK Turns Every Dollar of Sales Into Real Bottom-Line Profit

Free Cash Flow:$49.4M (17.7% FCF Margin)

Multi-Year SEC EDGAR XBRL Revenue, Net Profit & Free Cash Flow Trajectory

■ Revenue■ Net Profit■ Free Cash Flow

FY23

Rev $293.8M

FY24

Rev $295.6M

FY25

Rev $279.4M

Fiscal Year	Revenue	Gross Margin	Op Margin	Net Profit	Free Cash Flow	ROIC %
FY 2025	$279.4M	52%	10.8%	$10.8M	$49.4M	5.6%
FY 2024	$295.6M	52%	6.4%	$3.0M	$55.9M	3.3%
FY 2023	$293.8M	52%	17.5%	$29.1M	$59.1M	5.6%

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring RICK)

✓Walkthrough of RICK's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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RICK // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +16.36%▲ ASCENDING CHANNEL

2026-11-03O $28.33H $29.09L $28.32C $29.09VOL 36.1K

RES: $35.86SUP: $25.23SMA50: $27.76SMA200: $25.81

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

RICK Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 RICK Butterfly Map → + Track RICK →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)

13.5%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. -5.5% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on RICK today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for RICK. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for RICK today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (RICK)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #472 of 1011 ⚔️ JACK vs RICK Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (RICK vs. JACK, RRGB, PLAY, PTLO)

Industry: Restaurants (51 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) ranks #472 by composite RQD confidence (54/100, grade D+) and #682 by equity capitalization ($216.5M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, PTLO leads on earnings valuation at 17.9x trailing P/E, while RRGB leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 5.7% ROIC and — gross margin. RRGB currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 57/100 (D+) compared with RICK at 54/100 (D+).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
RICK ACTIVE RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc.	D+	54/100	20.0x	—	5.6%	+2.72%	$216.5M	Benchmark Subject
JACK Jack In The Box Inc.	D-	38/100	—	—	-35.0%	+6.03%	$249.6M	/jack-vs-rick →
RRGB Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc.	D+	57/100	—	—	5.7%	+0.33%	$172.2M	/rrgb-vs-rick →
PLAY Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc.	E	28/100	—	85.7%	4.3%	+8.69%	$272.7M	/play-vs-rick →
PTLO Portillo's Inc. (Class A)	D-	42/100	17.9x	—	4.9%	+6.37%	$369.8M	/ptlo-vs-rick →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-09-30 • CIK 0000935419

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-09-30), RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) reported GAAP revenue of $279.4M (-5.5% vs. FY2024 revenue of $295.6M , and -4.9% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $10.8M, operating cash flow of $49.4M, and free cash flow of $49.4M (-11.6% YoY). On the balance sheet, RICK closed FY2025 with $590.3M in total assets against $222.0M in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 1.44, Piotroski F-Score: 6/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2025-09-30	$279.4M	$10.8M	$49.4M	$49.4M	$590.3M	$222.0M
FY2024 (FY)	2024-09-30	$295.6M	$3.0M	$55.9M	$55.9M	$586.2M	$217.7M
FY2023 (FY)	2023-09-30	$293.8M	$29.1M	$59.1M	$59.1M	—	—

3. RICK Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is RICK stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does RICK compare to JACK and RRGB in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for RICK?

Where is RICK trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

RICK last traded at $29.09 (+2.72% on volume of 64,235 shares), positioning the stock +4.79% above its 50-day simple moving average ($27.76) and +12.71% above its 200-day simple moving average ($25.81). Across its 52-week range of $20.76 to $32.00, RICK sits at the 74.1% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 63.0 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±6.4% ($27.23 to $30.95).

Direct Sub-Reports: RICK RQD Cockpit RICK 12M Forecast RICK Earnings & Move RICK Dividends & DRIP RICK Insiders & 13F RICK Whale Options RICK Profit Sankey RICK News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 54/100 (D+) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

RICK — RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5

As of: 2026-11-02T15:40:47Z

1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

RICK scores 54 out of 100, grade D+, labeled "Roarable Sell — Weak Fundamentals / Trim." Across the five pillars, the Fundamental Cash Engine scores 8 of 20, citing ROIC of 5.6% and an FCF yield of 22.82%. Whale/13F Flow scores 12 of 20 on institutional accumulation and options positioning. Insider Conviction scores 15 of 20 on SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow. Macro Regime Fit scores 12 of 20 on beta of 1.0 and sector sensitivity. Forensic Balance Sheet scores 7 of 20, citing Altman Z of 1.44, Piotroski F of 6/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.95.

For a prospective investor, the pillar profile points to a stock whose strongest-scoring area is insider conviction, while its weakest areas are the cash-generation engine and balance sheet resilience. The high FCF yield figure (22.82%) is an upside-oriented data point, but it is weighed against a low ROIC (5.6%) and a balance sheet the rating frames as stressed. The beta of 1.0 indicates market-level sensitivity per the rating. The verdict label suggests the rating framework views the fundamental case as weak at this time; this is an educational reading of the scores, not a recommendation.

2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory

RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. Is a NASDAQ-listed issuer in the Consumer Discretionary sector, Restaurants industry. The profile describes the company as operating in Restaurants with a market capitalization of $0.2B. Specific product, customer, and revenue-model details are —

Revenue declined from $293.8M in FY 2023 to $279.4M in FY 2025, while net income moved from $29.1M to $10.8M over the same span. Per the market data, the operating margin is 10.8%, the net margin is 3.9%, and the gross margin is 0%. ROIC is 5.6%. The Altman Z-Score is 1.44 and the Piotroski F-Score is 6/9; the rating's Debt/Equity is 0.95. Cash fell from $34.7M to $28.6M while debt rose from $217.7M to $222.0M across FY 2024 and FY 2025.

3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff

🐂 Primary Bull Case: A 22.82% FCF yield and 18.6 forward P/E give the stock a cash-generation profile that could support upside if the cash engine holds. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 8/20 (ROIC 5.6%, FCF yield 22.82%) and Institutional Whale Flow at 12/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the top of the $20.76 – $32.00 52-week range.
🐻 Primary Bear Case: Altman Z of 1.44, Debt/Equity of 0.95, and ROIC of 5.6% against $222.0M of debt point to a stressed balance sheet and weak returns on capital. Investors must weigh 20.0x trailing P/E and 13.5x EV/EBITDA against 10.8% operating margins and a 1.00 macro beta if sector demand softens.

4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch

The supply chain is NONE, with an empty list of butterfly links. Upstream supplier and downstream customer dependencies are — Sector correlation data beyond the Consumer Discretionary / Restaurants classification is — Second-order bottlenecks cannot be mapped from the provided sources.

Key Question #1: What drove the decline in revenue and net income from FY 2023 through FY 2025, and what is the company's stated outlook?
Key Question #2: What is the debt maturity schedule and interest cost behind the $222.0M debt figure, given cash of $28.6M?
Key Question #3: Why is the gross margin reported as 0%, and how is it calculated for this business?

RICK Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to RICK Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE TradingView • 20h ago

RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. Estimates – NASDAQ:RICK

TradingView report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST Investing.com • 23h ago

RCI Hospitality reports Q4 sales up 0.8%, Bombshells gains 18.3%

Investing.com report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

RCI Reports 4Q26 & FY26 Club & Sports Bar Sales

Yahoo Finance report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE MarketBeat • 1d ago

RCI Hospitality (NASDAQ:RICK) Stock Price Breaks Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

MarketBeat report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Stock Titan • 1d ago

On Nov. 11, veterans and active-duty troops will eat free; accompanying family members get 20% off meals

Stock Titan report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE MarketBeat • 1d ago

RCI Hospitality (RICK) Short Interest & Short Float | Updated Oct 2026 $RICK

MarketBeat report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Stock Traders Daily • 1d ago

Understanding Momentum Shifts in (RICK)

Stock Traders Daily report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST https://www.siam.in/ • 1d ago

RCI Hospitality (RICK) Slips 1.33% to $26.62, Sitting at the Midpoint of Its Recent Range - Price Surge Stocks

https://www.siam.in/ report covering RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. (RICK) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

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🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

RICK Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $29.09?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON RICK 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION

QU QuantViper Systematic Momentum Desk 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $34.55 (+22.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

A 22.82% FCF yield and 18.6 forward P/E give the stock a cash-generation profile that could support upside if the cash engine holds.

Picked up a starter position in RICK in my $100K Virtual Cash book at $28.32. A 22.82% FCF yield and 18.6 forward P/E give the stock a cash-generation profile that could support upside if the cash engine holds.. Trading inside a $20.76–$32.00 52-week range with 22.82% FCF yield gives solid downside support if Restaurants multiples expand this quarter.

CapAlloc_Nerd 🐂 BULL

@ForensicBear Fair point on 20.0x trailing P/E, but you're ignoring the forward operating leverage in Restaurants. If gross margin (0.0%) holds, EPS grows into the multiple faster than bears think.

FO ForensicBear 10-K Footnote Auditor 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $22.09 (-22.0%)

Spot @ $28.32

Altman Z of 1.44, Debt/Equity of 0.95, and ROIC of 5.6% against $222.0M of debt point to a stressed balance sheet and weak returns on c

Here is the bear case nobody on the bull side wants to address on RICK: Altman Z of 1.44, Debt/Equity of 0.95, and ROIC of 5.6% against $222.0M of debt point to a stressed balance sheet and weak returns on capital.. At 20.0x trailing P/E, even a small guidance miss in Restaurants triggers a 12-15% air pocket.