Does RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC. have an economic moat?

Based on its FY2025 SEC filings, the Moat Index scores RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC. (RICK) 46.4 out of 100 — a Shallow moat. The five questions behind that score begin at 20% each; if exactly one genuinely lacks data, the other four weights are renormalized and disclosed. revenue and EPS trend 54, pricing power 100, returns on capital 20, balance-sheet safety 0, capital allocation 58.

Is RICK trading below the conservative owner-earnings estimate?

The value if growth stopped today — a zero-growth baseline — is $37.42 per share. It capitalizes normalized owner earnings at a 9% rate and assumes 0% growth. Versus a recent price of $28.97, that is 23% below value if growth stopped today. The model also publishes a capped-growth comparison, but the zero-growth estimate is the cautious baseline. It assumes trailing owner earnings persist and is unreliable for declining businesses. This is an educational estimate from primary SEC filings, not intrinsic value as a fact or investment advice.

How has RICK's Moat Score changed over time?

The record logs 16 readings since Jul 17, 2026; the latest reads 46.4 out of 100 (shallow moat). No tier changes on record yet. (Methodology or normalizer upgrades on Jul 20, 2026, Jul 23, 2026, Jul 26, 2026 re-based the score; readings across versions aren't compared.) The history is append-only — readings are only ever added, never rewritten.

RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.

RICK · Consumer Discretionary · $252M mkt cap · FY2025 filings · as of Sep 4, 2026 · Shallow moat ·

Doesn't clear the bar

Shallow moat

The five investor questions

2021–2025 (latest 5 aligned FYs; v3 window cap 5): revenue $195M to $279M, increasing; diluted EPS 3.37 to 1.23, decreasing.

100

Median gross margin 85.7% over 5y, very stable.

Median ROIC 8.0%, above the 12% hurdle in 20% of years.

Net debt/EBITDA 4.5x, interest coverage 2x.

Owner earnings changed +0.1%/yr over up to the ten most recent annual observations.

Price vs. value if growth stopped today

A cautious baseline, not a price target: what the shares may support if normalized owner earnings simply hold steady.

Above value if growth stopped todayBelow value if growth stopped today

23% below value if growth stopped today

: $29.2M
: $37.42
: $37.42
: $28.97
: 23% below value if growth stopped today

A discount this large is often a warning rather than a bargain — the market may expect earnings to keep falling. See the revenue trend above.

How to read this

What today’s price assumes: owner earnings shrinking ~5%/yr over 5 years. The estimate assumes owner earnings stay flat (0% growth).

We solve for the constant annual change in owner earnings that would make the five-year zero-growth estimate equal today’s price. This keeps the existing model inputs and calculation unchanged; it is an expectations lens, not a forecast.

This zero-growth estimate assumes trailing owner earnings persist — unreliable for declining businesses. The recent FY revenue series does not trigger the three-consecutive-declines flag.

Among the current top-score group, the median current price is 238% above the zero-growth estimate across 49 of the current top 50 companies by Moat Score with both values.

Score records captured Sep 4, 2026.

Exactly which 50 companies?

FTNT, META, MEDP, IBEX, MSFT, GOOG, LULU, ANF, IDXX, TXRH, FHI, QLYS, FFIV, ADBE, LLY, MANH, VEEV, RMD, GRMN, PCTY, EAT, UI, SSD, MNST, DOCS, LRCX, MCO, CPRT, NTAP, NVDA, CORT, SFM, MPTI, ULTA, SN, ROL, CTAS, PAYC, IRMD, INTU, DECK, MORN, JKHY, TPR, LGCY, DAL, GWW, ISRG, MPWR, LOPE

Missing a usable price or zero-growth estimate: ANF.

Model details under moat-index@3.0.0: zero-growth multiple 11.1×, capped-growth comparison at no more than 18×; 9% discount rate; high-end growth 0% (capped at 4%) using min(5y revenue CAGR, 5y diluted-EPS CAGR), clamped to 0%–4%; maintenance capex uses min(capex, D&A); abstain when D&A is unavailable. This is a disclosed model range, not intrinsic value as fact.

18 years of fundamentals

The business, in plain English

Across the filed record, revenue grew from $65.4M (FY2009) to $279M (FY2025) — about 9.5% a year compounded over 16 years.

It earned 4.6% on invested capital in the latest filed year, FY2025. Across the full 17-year measurable filed record, median ROIC was 7.9%. Over the v3 recent window (10 measurable filed years), median ROIC was 8.0%. The Returns on Capital filter above scores it 20/100.

The balance sheet carried $236M of total debt in FY2025 against $11.4M of owner earnings — roughly 20.8 years of owner earnings to retire it all. Balance-Sheet Safety scores it 0/100.

Put together: Pricing Power is the strongest of the five filters (100/100) and Balance-Sheet Safety the weakest (0/100), which is how RICK lands at 46/100 — a Shallow moat.

This breakdown is generated from the filed numbers and sub-scores above — no outside narrative, no estimates. Where a filing doesn’t disclose an input, the sentence that would need it is omitted instead of guessed.

Sales, as filed$279M FY2025

Revenue kept after cost of goods85.3% FY2020

Standard ROIC or separately labeled Operating ROICStandard ROIC 4.6% FY2025

Exact FY and FY-1 financing invested-capital inputs are required.

Cash an owner could take out$11.4M FY2025

The explained ROIC gaps have filed inputs but no meaningful positive invested-capital denominator. Other gaps mean the item is not in the filings for that year. The series is never interpolated or estimated. The Table view lists every filed value, including operating and net margins, total debt, and share count.

Flagship explainer

How RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC. makes its money

RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.'s filing does not supply enough comparable lines for a truthful flow chart — here's what is filed:

Table alternative
Filed line	Value	% of revenue	Source
	$279M	100%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
	$30.3M	11%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Income before tax	$15.4M	6%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Income tax	$4.6M	2%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
	$10.8M	4%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

Source:

10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

· event Sep 30, 2025 · retrieved Sep 4, 2026 · annual-row source set

Flagship explainer

What RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC. owns — and owes

RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.'s filing tags don't support a full breakdown — here's what is filed:

Table alternative
Filed line	Value	% of assets	Source
Total assets	$597M	100%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Cash and equivalents	$33.7M	6%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
	$236M	39%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Stockholders’ equity	$261M	44%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

Source:

10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

· event Sep 30, 2025 · retrieved Sep 4, 2026 · annual-row source set

Flagship explainer

What drives RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.’s return on equity?

ROE is five filed business factors multiplied together.

DuPont source inputs
Input	Value	Fiscal year	Source
	$10.8M	FY2025	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Income before tax	$15.4M	FY2025	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Operating income	$30.3M	FY2025	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
	$279M	FY2025	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Ending assets	$597M	FY2025	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Beginning assets	$584M	FY2024	10-K · FY 2024Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
	$261M	FY2025	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
	$263M	FY2024	10-K · FY 2024Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

Source:

10-K · filed Mar 19, 2026Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

· event Sep 30, 2025 · retrieved Sep 4, 2026 · annual-row source set

Embed this chart

Flagship explainer

Where RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.'s cash went

RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.’s filing does not supply enough provenance-matched cash-flow lines for a truthful flow chart — here’s what is filed:

Table alternative
Filed line	Value	% of cash from operations	Source
Cash from operations	$49.4M	100%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026
Depreciation and amortization	$15.1M	31%	10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

Source:

10-K · FY 2025Filing detailsAccession 0001628280-26-019804 · filed Mar 19, 2026

· event Sep 30, 2025 · retrieved Sep 4, 2026 · annual-row source set

Curated 19-manager tier

Who reported holding RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.

Delayed public 13F reports for 2026-Q2—not live positions, trades, or recommendations.

0 holding0 exited0 not holding0/19 resolved19 not retrieved

Named manager positions and quarter-over-quarter changes
Manager	Reported position	Quarter-over-quarter	Filing accession
Abrams Capital	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Akre Capital	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Baupost Group	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Berkshire Hathaway	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Brave Warrior Advisors	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Dodge & Cox	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
First Eagle	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Fundsmith	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Gardner Russo & Quinn	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Gates Foundation Trust	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Mairs & Power	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Markel / Markel-Gayner	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Oakmark / Harris Associates	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Pershing Square	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Polen Capital	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Sequoia / Ruane Cunniff	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Southeastern Asset Management	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Tweedy, Browne	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved
Yacktman Asset Management	Not retrieved	Comparison not retrieved	Filing not retrieved

Position size uses shares and filed value from each manager’s 13F. Portfolio weight uses the eligible long-share filing denominator. Changes compare only with the immediately preceding calendar quarter.

Source: Filing source not retrieved · event Jun 30, 2026 · retrieved Sep 4, 2026

Flagship explainer

What RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC. insiders reported

We could not retrieve insider activity for this rendering; no zero-activity claim is shown.

Unavailable: Form 4 activity could not be retrieved for this rendering.

Moat Score history

Moat Score over timeLast scored reading of each day, on the 0–100 scale46.4 / 100

Breaks in the line mark methodology or normalizer upgrades — readings across versions aren’t compared, so a level shift there isn’t a change in the business.

Tier changesSame-methodology and same-normalizer crossings of the Wide / Narrow / Shallow bars

Normalizer upgraded unstamped (version unknown)tomoat-xbrl-normalizer@1.1.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 26, 2026
Methodology upgraded moat-index@2.0.0tomoat-index@3.0.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 23, 2026
Methodology upgraded moat-index@1.2.0tomoat-index@2.0.0 — readings across versions aren’t comparedJul 20, 2026

Scores are logged append-only and never overwritten — this record cannot be reconstructed retroactively, which is exactly why it’s worth keeping.

Insider activity

Form 4 reports mix P/S market or private transactions with compensation-plan mechanics. Activity casually described as “insider selling” can include compensation mechanics; awards, tax withholding, and option exercises are shown by their exact filed class here, never collapsed into “Bought” or “Sold.”

These are disclosed filing facts and arithmetic aggregates, not a signal or verdict.

The insider-filing service is temporarily unavailable, so no partial or guessed answer is shown for RICK.

Track record

How RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.’s moat rated in each of the years we can reconstruct from its filings — scored only on what was knowable at the time — and what its price and returns did afterward. The score never saw a price; the two are joined only in hindsight, for education, not as a signal.

Point-in-time Moat Score (dot colored by tier)Indexed price (total-return (dividends reinvested))Rated Wide-moat that year

How to read this: each dot is what the engine would have scored RICK on that December 31; the line below is its total-return price path (dividends reinvested) in the years since.

Two tracks, one timeline: the score has its own 0–100 scale (top), the price its own 100-based scale (bottom) — never a shared axis. The price path is a total-return (dividends reinvested) index built from the same data the forward returns use; gaps in the score line are years with no reconstructed rating (see the table for why). The Table view carries every value.

What followed, in the years it rated Wide

In the reconstructed history shown, RICK did not rate Wide-moat in any year, so there is no wide-moat track record to report. That absence is itself the honest answer — we don’t manufacture a comparison where the rating never earned one.

Consumer Discretionary context

#232 of 486 scored Consumer Discretionary companies, ranked by Moat Score.

Nearest peers by Moat Score

#230ACI Albertsons Companies, Inc.46.6 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat
#231BRLT Brilliant Earth Group, Inc.46.5 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat
#233DIBS 1stdibs.com, Inc.46.4 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat
#234GME GameStop Corp.46.3 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat

Compare RICK with its nearest peers →All Consumer Discretionary companies on the Index →

Common questions about RICK

Does RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC. have an economic moat?: Based on its FY2025 SEC filings, the Moat Index scores RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC. (RICK) 46.4 out of 100 — a Shallow moat. The five questions behind that score begin at 20% each; if exactly one genuinely lacks data, the other four weights are renormalized and disclosed. revenue and EPS trend 54, pricing power 100, returns on capital 20, balance-sheet safety 0, capital allocation 58.
Is RICK trading below the conservative owner-earnings estimate?: The value if growth stopped today — a zero-growth baseline — is $37.42 per share. It capitalizes normalized owner earnings at a 9% rate and assumes 0% growth. Versus a recent price of $28.97, that is 23% below value if growth stopped today. The model also publishes a capped-growth comparison, but the zero-growth estimate is the cautious baseline. It assumes trailing owner earnings persist and is unreliable for declining businesses. This is an educational estimate from primary SEC filings, not intrinsic value as a fact or investment advice.
How has RICK's Moat Score changed over time?: The record logs 16 readings since Jul 17, 2026; the latest reads 46.4 out of 100 (shallow moat). No tier changes on record yet. (Methodology or normalizer upgrades on Jul 20, 2026, Jul 23, 2026, Jul 26, 2026 re-based the score; readings across versions aren't compared.) The history is append-only — readings are only ever added, never rewritten.

Scored from primary SEC filings via the public methodology. Educational only — not a recommendation to buy or sell RICK. See the disclaimer.