United Parks & Resorts Announces $500M Share Repurchase Authorization

By Ahmed Jameison • Friday, September 05 10:35 • Permanent Link

United Parks & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: PRKS) has announced a $500.0 million share repurchase authorization, following a special meeting of stockholders held on September 3, 2025. The company's CEO, Marc Swanson, highlighted the strong balance sheet and significant free cash flow generation as the basis for this initiative, emphasizing the potential to invest in the company's own shares and return capital to stockholders.

The share repurchase program is subject to the qualification that the company will not repurchase additional shares if Hill Path's common stock ownership interest percentage would equal or exceed 70% as a result of any such repurchase. The authorization allows the company to repurchase shares through open market purchases, privately-negotiated transactions, or otherwise in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including through rule 10b5-1 trading plans and under rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act.

As of the record date, the company's common stock outstanding and entitled to vote required approval by the holders of a majority of the shares, excluding those beneficially owned by Hill Path and its affiliates.

United Parks & Resorts Inc. is a global theme park and entertainment company that owns or licenses a diverse portfolio of award-winning park brands and experiences, including SeaWorld®, Busch Gardens®, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place®, Water Country USA, Adventure Island, and Aquatica®. The company's seven world-class brands span 13 parks in seven markets across the United States and Abu Dhabi.

The share repurchase program has no time limit and may be suspended or discontinued completely at any time. The number of shares to be purchased and the timing of purchases will be based on the company's trading windows and available liquidity, general business and market conditions, and other factors, including legal requirements, debt covenant restrictions, and alternative investment opportunities. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved 0.74% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $54.35. For the full picture, make sure to review United Parks & Resorts's 8-K report.

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