PENN vs MLCO vs CHDN Stock Comparison

PENN Entertainment, Melco Resorts & Entertainment and Churchill Downs Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
CHDN Churchill Downs Inc
$81.52 +2.2% 1M -20.9% 1Y
Market cap
$5.68B
P/E
13.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$2.99B
Div. yield
0.54%
Casinos Consumer Discretionary
4 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Churchill Downs leads on 4 of the 12 questions below (Churchill Downs 4, Melco Resorts & Entertainment 4, PENN Entertainment 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionPENNMLCOCHDNLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $1.99B $1.53B $5.68B CHDN
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -2.2x 6.4x 13.8x MLCO
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 17.7x 10.7x 11.6x MLCO
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +6.1% +5.2% +5.7% PENN
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -12.7% 5.0% 13.8% CHDN
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -11.9% 231.9% 8.4% MLCO
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -18.9x -2.9x 4.8x PENN
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.54% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -17.8% -55.6% -20.9% PENN
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -27.3%/yr -19.6%/yr -7.3%/yr CHDN
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 52.4% 39.4% 34.3% CHDN
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 51/100 85/100 51/100 MLCO

Percentile Scorecard

PENNMLCOCHDN

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisPENNMLCOCHDN
Valuation 61 #18 of 44 100 #1 of 44 63 #17 of 44
Growth 26 #32 of 43 91 #5 of 43 69 #14 of 43
Profitability 28 #30 of 41 88 #6 of 41 83 #8 of 41
Financial Health 46 #26 of 47 61 #19 of 47 20 #38 of 47
Shareholder Returns 93 #3 of 29 – 21 #23 of 29
Overall 51 85 51
  • PENN ranked among 48 companies in Gaming and Leisure
  • MLCO ranked among 48 companies in Gaming and Leisure
  • CHDN ranked among 48 companies in Gaming and Leisure

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodPENNMLCOCHDNSPY
1 month -5.2%-20.7%+2.2% -0.2%
3 months -29.6%-33.5%-8.6% +3.9%
6 months -17.6%-32.4%-18.1% +8.2%
Year to date +0.5%-50.5%-28.4% +12.9%
1 year -17.8%-55.6%-20.9% +12.3%
3 years -19.4%-55.3%-24.9% +87.4%
3 years, per year -7.0%-23.6%-9.1% +23.3%
5 years -79.7%-66.3%-31.6% +67.9%
5 years, per year -27.3%-19.6%-7.3% +10.9%
10 years +13.8%-77.9%+256.3% +261.1%
10 years, per year +1.3%-14.0%+13.6% +13.7%

Risk

MeasurePENNMLCOCHDNSPY
Volatility, 1Y 52.4%39.4%34.3% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 46.6%46.9%34.5% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.040.670.49 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.34-1.41-0.61 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -84.3%-74.1%-50.4% -25.4%
From 52-week high -32.8%-60.1%-30.7% -1.2%
52-week high $22.06$9.39$117.59 $779.14
52-week low $11.76$3.73$73.95 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultiplePENNMLCOCHDN
P/E now vs peer median -2.2xmedian 17.0x 6.4xmedian 17.0x 13.8xmedian 17.0x
P/S now vs peer median 0.3xmedian 1.9x 0.3xmedian 1.9x 1.9xmedian 1.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median -38.8xmedian 10.8x 7.1xmedian 10.8x 10.8xmedian 10.8x
P/FCF now vs peer median 20.7xmedian 11.2x 3.0xmedian 11.2x 10.0xmedian 11.2x
P/B now vs peer median 1.1xmedian 2.4x 173.9xmedian 2.4x 4.2xmedian 2.4x
PEG now vs peer median 0.04median 0.56 0.19median 0.56 1.65median 0.56

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsPENNMLCOCHDN
Revenue $7.16B $4.69B $2.99B
Gross profit $2.47B $4.54B $1.02B
Operating income -$565.10M $477.81M $721.50M
Net income -$908.20M $196.16M $415.70M
Free cash flow $96.10M $506.29M $567.90M
R&D – $4.78M –
EPS (diluted) $-6.61 $0.59 $5.91
Cash & equivalents $887.20M $454.26M $196.00M
Total debt $2.77B $14.51M $4.77B
Shares (diluted) 137.10M 400.63M 70.00M
Enterprise value -$961.19M -$1.10B $4.95B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricPENNMLCOCHDN
P/E -2.2x 6.4x 13.8x
P/FCF 20.7x 3.0x 10.0x
P/Operating cash flow 3.1x 1.9x 7.1x
P/S 0.3x 0.3x 1.9x
P/B 1.1x 173.9x 4.2x
P/Tangible book 4.2x -8.7x -4.8x
EV/EBITDA -38.8x 7.1x 10.8x
EV/EBIT -6.9x 2.3x 14.2x
EV/Revenue 0.5x 0.2x 3.4x
EV/FCF 40.3x 2.1x 18.1x
EV/Operating cash flow 6.0x 1.4x 12.9x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.04 0.19 1.65

Growth

14 metrics
MetricPENNMLCOCHDN
Revenue growth (1Y) 6.1% 5.2% 5.7%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 3.0% 35.8% 10.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 25.4% 5.4% 8.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -2.8% 35.9% 13.2%
Operating income growth (1Y) -504.5% 24.6% 1.0%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -39.6% 53.5% 19.7%
Net income growth (1Y) -1,067% 914.5% -4.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -47.9% 32.2% 5.2%
EPS growth (1Y) -1,203% 347.7% -1.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -51.9% 34.2% 8.4%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 30.8% 3.7% 1.0%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -5.2% 84.2% 14.3%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 168.6% -3.5% 54.7%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -42.1% 38.1% 160.6%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricPENNMLCOCHDN
Gross margin 34.6% 96.6% 34.2%
EBITDA margin -1.4% 3.3% 31.8%
Operating margin -7.9% 10.2% 24.1%
Pretax margin -12.9% 4.0% 19.6%
Net margin -12.7% 5.0% 13.8%
FCF margin 1.3% 10.8% 19.0%
Operating cash flow margin 9.1% 16.9% 26.6%
Return on equity -49.3% 1,233% 34.1%
Return on assets -6.4% 3.2% 5.5%
Return on invested capital -11.9% 231.9% 8.4%
Return on capital employed -4.5% 9.4% 11.7%
Asset turnover 0.5x 0.8x 0.4x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) -0.7x 4.0x 1.9x
Stock comp / revenue 0.8% – 1.1%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricPENNMLCOCHDN
Debt / assets 19.7% 0.2% 63.5%
Debt / equity 1.5x 1.7x 3.6x
Net debt / EBITDA -18.9x -2.9x 4.8x
Debt / FCF 28.9x 0.0x 8.4x
Liabilities / assets 86.8% 99.9% 82.2%
Equity / assets 13.2% 0.1% 17.8%
Interest coverage – 1.4x 2.5x
Current ratio 0.9x 1.0x 0.4x
Quick ratio 0.8x 1.0x 0.2x
Cash ratio 0.6x 0.5x 0.1x
Altman Z-score 0.31 0.72 1.37

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricPENNMLCOCHDN
Dividend yield – – 0.5%
Net buyback yield 12.0% – 1.5%
Shareholder yield 12.0% 0.0% 2.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusPENNMLCOCHDN
Forward P/E 17.7xFY2026 10.7xFY2026 11.6xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.84FY2026 $0.35FY2026 $7.03FY2026
EPS growth, next FY – -23.9%FY2026 +14.7%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +85.7% +57.1% -3.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $7.14BFY2026 $5.39BFY2026 $3.17BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +2.6%FY2026 +4.4%FY2026 +8.2%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +1.8% -8.0% +1.4%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersPENNMLCOCHDN
Held by institutions 100.0% 25.7% 85.5%
Institutions holding 379 165 462
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.5% -6.1% +7.5%
Institutions buying 196 84 239
Institutions selling 109 49 146
Buyers to sellers 1.80 1.71 1.64

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

PENNMLCOCHDN
PENN 1.00 0.20 0.46
MLCO 0.20 1.00 0.21
CHDN 0.46 0.21 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, PENN, MLCO and CHDN?

Churchill Downs (CHDN) is the largest by market capitalisation: PENN Entertainment (PENN) $1.99B, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) $1.53B, Churchill Downs (CHDN) $5.68B.

Which stock is cheaper, PENN, MLCO and CHDN?

Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (PENN Entertainment (PENN) -2.2x, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) 6.4x, Churchill Downs (CHDN) 13.8x). On next year's consensus earnings, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) is cheapest (PENN Entertainment (PENN) 17.7x, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) 10.7x, Churchill Downs (CHDN) 11.6x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

PENN Entertainment (PENN) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: PENN Entertainment (PENN) +6.1%, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) +5.2%, Churchill Downs (CHDN) +5.7%.

Which company is more profitable?

Churchill Downs (CHDN) has the highest net margin (PENN Entertainment (PENN) -12.7%, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) 5.0%, Churchill Downs (CHDN) 13.8%). On return on invested capital, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) leads (PENN Entertainment (PENN) -11.9%, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) 231.9%, Churchill Downs (CHDN) 8.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year PENN Entertainment (PENN) returned the most: PENN Entertainment (PENN) -17.8%, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) -55.6%, Churchill Downs (CHDN) -20.9%. Over five years, Churchill Downs (CHDN) compounded fastest (PENN Entertainment (PENN) -27.3%/yr, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) -19.6%/yr, Churchill Downs (CHDN) -7.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: PENN Entertainment (PENN) 0.00%, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) 0.00%, Churchill Downs (CHDN) 0.54%. PENN Entertainment (PENN) and Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Churchill Downs (CHDN) has been the steadiest (PENN Entertainment (PENN) 52.4%, Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) 39.4%, Churchill Downs (CHDN) 34.3%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, PENN, MLCO and CHDN?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Churchill Downs (CHDN) leads on 4. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.