Manchester United Q1 Preview: Musk's Favorite Soccer Team Could Boost Stock With On-Field Performance
Publicly traded soccer team Manchester United (NYSE:MANU) is one of the most-followed sports teams in the world and will look to show how a rebound in on-field performance can boost financial performance when the company reports first-quarter results Thursday before market open.
Here are the earnings estimates and key items to watch.
- Manchester United stock is trading in a tight range. What’s ahead for MANU stock?
Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Manchester United to report first-quarter revenue of $214.99 million, up from $186.07 million in last year's first quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
The company has beaten analyst revenue estimates in seven of the last 10 quarters.
Manchester United has posted three straight quarters of revenue of $200 million or more for the first time in company history and looks to add a fourth straight quarter if it beats estimates.
Analysts expect Manchester United to report a loss of 9 cents per share for the first quarter, an improvement from a loss of 27 cents per share in last year's first quarter.
The company has reported losses in six straight quarters.
Read Also: Elon Musk’s Favorite Soccer Team To Build New 100K-Seat Stadium, Can It Help Falling Stock?
Key Items to Watch: The first quarter is a key one for the public soccer team as it includes the first month of the 2025-2026 English Premier League (EPL) season, which kicked off on Aug. 15.
This year's EPL season includes a new domestic television rights deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports in the United Kingdom, which could boost broadcasting revenue.
Manchester United is currently in sixth place in the EPL with a record of 7-4-4. In recent years, the team has struggled, finishing 15th last season and 8th the season before that. This comes after the team was once among the most dominant in the English Premier League and European club competitions.
Performance on the field has a big role in the company's financials, as it can boost attendance, merchandise, and also lead to more fans overall and better partnership deals.
Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is one of the most well-known Manchester United fans. While he has been linked to purchasing the team in the past, those rumors never gained steam.
The team has landed a new minority investor in recent years, committed to making changes. Those changes include a new 100,000-seat stadium that would surpass the current 76,000-seat Old Trafford and be among the largest soccer-specific stadiums in the world. This could help land concerts and additional events outside of the soccer matches in the future.
Musk being linked to the team has helped put a spotlight on the valuation of the stock vs. the team valuation in recent years. Forbes values the team at $6.6 billion, which is significantly higher than the current $2.6 billion market capitalization and $3.4 billion enterprise value of the stock.
Investors have to decide how much of a premium to price into the stock with team ownership not looking to sell, but rumors popping up every couple of years that a sale could happen. A sale would likely command a premium over the current stock valuation.
Outside of a potential sale, Manchester United shareholders could have good news, given the recent on-field performance and improving commercial revenue. The team has been posting revenue records for its commercial business.
If the team can combine a strong on-field performance with the improving broadcast and commercial segments, the stock could see more upside ahead.
MANU Price Action: Manchester United stock trades at $15.40 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $12.05 to $19.65. Manchester United shares are down 9.3% year-to-date in 2025.
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