Sept. 16, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Shares of Six Flags hit a 52-week low of $12.26 today, continuing a mostly steady slide since the 2024 combination of Six Flags and Cedar Fair.
Here’s what management had to say back on July 1, 2024, the day the transaction was completed.
“Today marks a significant milestone for our company, shareholders, guests and associates, unlocking higher value and greater opportunities to deliver engaging entertainment experiences,” Richard Zimmerman, then the chief executive of Six Flags, said in a press release more than two years ago.
The company has about $5 billion of debt and financial results have not been impressive. So much for unlocking higher value for the owner of Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom in South Whitehall Township.
Zimmerman is no longer with the company. New Chief Executive John Reilly has made a lot of personnel changes but the share price has continued to drop. Not even the efforts of “brand ambassador” Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League, have helped.
Perhaps Kelce’s wife Taylor Smith should be recruited. The singer from Berks County can be counted on to draw crowds. She might also help improve the food. I recently went to Via Carota in Manhattan’s West Village, Swift’s favorite restaurant, and it was excellent.
So, what does the decline mean for Six Flags? The company is an amusement-park operator, but it’s also in the real estate business. It has sold and closed parks that didn’t meet its goals.
“We’ll be willing to look at it again in the future,” Reilly said in May of park closings or sales. The company is moving its headquarters to Texas from North Carolina, but that’s not going to excite investors.
The closing price of Six Flags (NYSE:FUN) was $12.36, less than half of the 52-week high of $27.37.
Disclosure: I own shares of Six Flags. I wish I’d used that money for more zucchini fritti.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 