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Side-by-side financial comparison of Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) and StepStone Group Inc. (STEP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

StepStone Group Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($586.5M vs $448.2M, roughly 1.3× Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.). Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. runs the higher net margin — -9.4% vs -21.0%, a 11.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, StepStone Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (73.0% vs -1.1%). StepStone Group Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($26.7M vs $-20.6M). Over the past eight quarters, StepStone Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (28.2% CAGR vs -13.5%).

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Dallas. Each Dave & Buster's location has a full-service restaurant, full bar, and a video arcade, the latter of which is known as the "Million Dollar Midway". As of February 2024, the company has 158 locations in the United States, as well as two in Puerto Rico and two in Canada.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is an American education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software. Best known for its language-learning products, in 2013, the company expanded beyond language into education-technology with its acquisitions of Livemocha, Lexia Learning, Fit Brains, and Tell Me More. In 2021, it became a subsidiary of IXL Learning.

PLAY vs STEP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STEP
STEP
1.3× larger
STEP
$586.5M
$448.2M
PLAY
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEP
STEP
+74.1% gap
STEP
73.0%
-1.1%
PLAY
Higher net margin
PLAY
PLAY
11.7% more per $
PLAY
-9.4%
-21.0%
STEP
More free cash flow
STEP
STEP
$47.3M more FCF
STEP
$26.7M
$-20.6M
PLAY
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEP
STEP
Annualised
STEP
28.2%
-13.5%
PLAY

Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Revenue
$448.2M
$586.5M
Net Profit
$-42.1M
$-123.5M
Gross Margin
85.8%
Operating Margin
-3.6%
-33.2%
Net Margin
-9.4%
-21.0%
Revenue YoY
-1.1%
73.0%
Net Profit YoY
-28.7%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$-1.22
$-1.55

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$448.2M
$586.5M
Q3 25
$557.4M
$454.2M
Q2 25
$567.7M
$364.3M
Q1 25
$534.5M
$377.7M
Q4 24
$453.0M
$339.0M
Q3 24
$557.1M
$271.7M
Q2 24
$588.1M
$186.4M
Q1 24
$599.0M
$356.8M
Net Profit
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$-42.1M
$-123.5M
Q3 25
$11.4M
$-366.1M
Q2 25
$21.7M
$-38.4M
Q1 25
$9.3M
$-18.5M
Q4 24
$-32.7M
$-192.0M
Q3 24
$40.3M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$41.4M
$13.3M
Q1 24
$36.1M
$30.8M
Gross Margin
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
85.8%
Q3 25
86.3%
Q2 25
85.5%
Q1 25
85.5%
Q4 24
85.0%
Q3 24
85.3%
Q2 24
85.2%
Q1 24
84.1%
Operating Margin
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
-3.6%
-33.2%
Q3 25
9.5%
-148.8%
Q2 25
11.1%
-5.6%
Q1 25
8.3%
2.6%
Q4 24
1.4%
-101.7%
Q3 24
15.2%
21.3%
Q2 24
14.5%
29.4%
Q1 24
14.9%
26.5%
Net Margin
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
-9.4%
-21.0%
Q3 25
2.0%
-80.6%
Q2 25
3.8%
-10.5%
Q1 25
1.7%
-4.9%
Q4 24
-7.2%
-56.6%
Q3 24
7.2%
6.5%
Q2 24
7.0%
7.2%
Q1 24
6.0%
8.6%
EPS (diluted)
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$-1.22
$-1.55
Q3 25
$0.32
$-4.66
Q2 25
$0.62
$-0.49
Q1 25
$0.32
$-0.37
Q4 24
$-0.84
$-2.61
Q3 24
$0.99
$0.26
Q2 24
$0.99
$0.20
Q1 24
$0.95
$0.47

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$13.6M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.6B
$270.2M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$130.8M
$-378.8M
Total Assets
$4.1B
$5.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
12.17×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$13.6M
Q3 25
$12.0M
Q2 25
$11.9M
Q1 25
$6.9M
Q4 24
$8.6M
Q3 24
$13.1M
Q2 24
$32.1M
Q1 24
$37.3M
Total Debt
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$1.6B
$270.2M
Q3 25
$1.6B
$269.9M
Q2 25
$1.6B
$269.6M
Q1 25
$1.5B
$269.3M
Q4 24
$1.5B
$168.9M
Q3 24
$1.3B
$172.3M
Q2 24
$1.3B
$172.1M
Q1 24
$1.3B
$148.8M
Stockholders' Equity
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$130.8M
$-378.8M
Q3 25
$166.2M
$-233.5M
Q2 25
$146.8M
$153.9M
Q1 25
$145.8M
$179.4M
Q4 24
$226.6M
$209.8M
Q3 24
$284.4M
$397.5M
Q2 24
$292.5M
$366.9M
Q1 24
$251.2M
$324.5M
Total Assets
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$4.1B
$5.2B
Q3 25
$4.1B
$5.3B
Q2 25
$4.1B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$4.0B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$3.9B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$3.8B
$4.0B
Q2 24
$3.8B
$3.8B
Q1 24
$3.8B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
12.17×
Q3 25
9.57×
Q2 25
10.98×
1.75×
Q1 25
10.45×
1.50×
Q4 24
6.58×
0.81×
Q3 24
4.72×
0.43×
Q2 24
4.58×
0.47×
Q1 24
5.33×
0.46×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$58.0M
$27.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-20.6M
$26.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-4.6%
4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
17.5%
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-195.6M
$18.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$58.0M
$27.2M
Q3 25
$34.0M
$16.2M
Q2 25
$95.8M
$46.3M
Q1 25
$108.9M
$-66.5M
Q4 24
$-7.2M
$27.6M
Q3 24
$101.8M
$53.7M
Q2 24
$108.8M
$50.2M
Q1 24
$97.2M
$7.6M
Free Cash Flow
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$-20.6M
$26.7M
Q3 25
$-55.2M
$15.9M
Q2 25
$-58.8M
$45.2M
Q1 25
$-61.0M
$-69.2M
Q4 24
$-138.4M
$27.0M
Q3 24
$-14.3M
$52.4M
Q2 24
$-4.2M
$49.6M
Q1 24
$-25.4M
$6.7M
FCF Margin
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
-4.6%
4.6%
Q3 25
-9.9%
3.5%
Q2 25
-10.4%
12.4%
Q1 25
-11.4%
-18.3%
Q4 24
-30.6%
8.0%
Q3 24
-2.6%
19.3%
Q2 24
-0.7%
26.6%
Q1 24
-4.2%
1.9%
Capex Intensity
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
17.5%
0.1%
Q3 25
16.0%
0.1%
Q2 25
27.2%
0.3%
Q1 25
31.8%
0.7%
Q4 24
29.0%
0.2%
Q3 24
20.8%
0.5%
Q2 24
19.2%
0.3%
Q1 24
20.5%
0.3%
Cash Conversion
PLAY
PLAY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
Q3 25
2.98×
Q2 25
4.41×
Q1 25
11.71×
Q4 24
Q3 24
2.53×
3.05×
Q2 24
2.63×
3.76×
Q1 24
2.69×
0.25×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

PLAY
PLAY

Game Play Credit Usage$273.1M61%
Food And Nonalcoholic Beverages$115.1M26%
Alcoholic Beverage$53.7M12%
Other Entertainment$6.3M1%
Gift Card Revenue$3.5M1%

STEP
STEP

Other$210.1M36%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Focused Commingled Funds$143.3M24%
Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$85.1M15%
Carried Interest Allocation Separately Managed Accounts$63.6M11%
Carried Interest Allocation Realized$46.7M8%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Advisory And Other Services$18.3M3%
Legacy Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$10.3M2%
Income Based Incentive Fees$6.0M1%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Fund Reimbursement Revenues$3.1M1%

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