AMC Theaters hopes to capitalize on box office momentum this year.
The world’s largest movie theater chain, which has been working to reduce its debt load, revealed on Thursday that it has closed a $150 million market equity offering that it launched in February.
President Adam Aron said the move “strengthens our balance sheet, enhances our cash reserves and provides additional flexibility to support our long-term strategic objectives.” Exhibitor, which has soared as a stock on the New York Stock Exchange during the pandemic years, has seen its shares fall between $1.60 a share and $2.08 this year, but has seen an uptick.
In recent months, the domestic box office has shown surprising strength due to a host of unexpected blockbusters (A24’s Back roomsto focus’ mania) and Sure Hits (Universal’s Super Mario Galaxy movie), this year is 13 percent ahead of 2025, according to a weekly tally from Rentrak. In May, AMC saw the most moviegoers heading to theaters, 25.5 million, since May 2019 before the pandemic, when Avengers: Endgame Not shown on screens.
To that end, the theater chain is switching gears on one of its big initiatives that it revealed timing its latest earnings report a month ago before the box office boost takes the narrative. AMC says it will postpone its plan to broadcast live concerts by Bebe Rexha on June 17, Paris Hilton on June 18, and Maren Morris on June 20, which were slated for 300 AMC locations in 89 markets. It seems that the studios’ product on their screens has proven convincing enough that they retain titles for longer periods.
“Week after week in 2026, domestic box office performance has exceeded or met expectations. With a strong film lineup and strong advance ticket sales in the coming weeks, AMC is making some programming adjustments through the month of June,” a theater representative said Wednesday.
To use focus mania For example, the Curry Barker horror film fell just 7 percent in its fourth weekend, after posting larger receipts in its second and third weekends than its opening. This type of legs is a rare feature (1982 ET: Extraterrestrial He was called out as a comp on that front).
The move to postpone its entry into concerts is a notable one, given that Aaron described the partnership as launching “a whole new chapter in live entertainment while increasing attendance and revenue across our circuit.” The initiative is also an attempt to reduce its dependence on studio-driven productions, so that if a major film underperforms, it can rely on the fan base of a popular music artist to attract moviegoers to theaters. AMC benefited greatly in 2023 when it partnered with Taylor Swift for Tour of the ages The feature grossed $261 million globally.
AMC’s CEO on Thursday added to the debt reduction move to raise capital, “As the theatrical exhibition industry continues to recover as evidenced by the 2026 box office surge, AMC remains focused on striving on all fronts to increase adjusted EBITDA, reduce leverage, enhance the guest experience, and create value for our shareholders.”
