FILE - In this publicity film image released by Disney, Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, left, and and Chris Evans portrays Captain America, in a scene from "The Avengers," expected to be released on May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Disney, Zade Rosenthal, File)
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FILE - In this publicity film image released by Disney, Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, left, and and Chris Evans portrays Captain America, in a scene from "The Avengers," expected to be released on May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Disney, Zade Rosenthal, File)
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In this publicity photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake, is shown in a scene in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action thriller “The Dark Knight Rises," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. TM & © DC Comics. (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Ron Phillips)
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FILE - In this file photo of a publicity film image released by Disney, Iron Man, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., left, and Captain America, portrayed by Chris Evans, are shown in a scene from "The Avengers." (AP Photo/Disney, File)
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In this publicity photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures, Tom Hardy, center, as Bane, is shown in a scene in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action thriller “The Dark Knight Rises," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. TM & © DC Comics. (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Ron Phillips)
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This undated publicity photo released by Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. shows Jessica Chastain, as Maya, a member of the elite team of spies and military operatives stationed in a covert base overseas, who secretly devoted themselves to finding Osama Bin Laden in Columbia Pictures' new thriller, "Zero Dark Thirty," directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Chastain received an Academy Award nomination for best actress for her portrayal of the young, obsessed CIA operative driving the search. (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Jonathan Olley)
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FILE - This undated publicity film image provided by Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. shows elite Navy SEALs raiding Osama Bin Laden's compound in the dark night in Columbia Pictures' gripping new thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty." (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Jonathan Olley, File)
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This undated publicity photo released by Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. shows Navy SEALs seen through the greenish glow of night vision goggles, as they prepare to breach a locked door in Osama Bin Laden's compound in Columbia Pictures' hyper-realistic new action thriller from director Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty." (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Jonathan Olley)
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This film image released by Open Road Films shows Essence Atkins, left, and Marlon Wayans in a scene from "A Haunted House." (AP Photo/Open Road Films, Will McGarry)
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This undated publicity photo released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, from left, Ryan Gosling as Sgt. Jerry Wooters, Josh Broslin, as Sgt. John O’Mara, Michael Pena, as Officer Navidad Ramirez, Robert Patrick, as Officer Max Kennard, and Anthony Mackie, as Officer Coleman Harris, in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ drama, “Gangster Squad,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. To bring the story of mobster Mickey Cohen's reign over post-war Los Angeles to life, the director of “Gangster Squad” employed Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and more than 100 irreplaceable vintage American cars. (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Wilson Webb)
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This film image released by Open Road Films shows, from left, Andrew Daly, Marlene Forte, Essence Atkins, and Marlon Wayans in a scene from "A Haunted House." (AP Photo/Open Road Films, Will McGarry)
Sector Snap: Movie theater companies downgraded
LOS ANGELES (
AP) — An analyst downgraded his rating on several movie theater chains Monday because he expects lower box office revenues this quarter, despite higher ticket prices.
For the year through Sunday, theaters in the U.S. and Canada have taken in $1.55 billion, about 8 percent less than a year ago, according to Hollywood.com. Attendance is down 9 percent at 192.7 million, while average ticket prices crept up to $8.05 from $7.96 a year ago.
Theater chains face "increasingly difficult comparisons" for the remainder of the quarter through March, said B. Riley Caris analyst Eric Wold. He expects box office grosses will be down 15 percent versus a year ago in the quarter through March.
Last year, "The Hunger Games" pulled down $153 million in its opening weekend. In contrast, the biggest of films of this March include Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful," DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods," and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" from Paramount.
"Jack the Giant Slayer" from Warner Bros. underwhelmed expectations this past weekend with a $28 million opening.
Wold downgraded Cinemark Holdings Inc., Regal Entertainment Group and Carmike Cinemas Inc. to "Neutral" from "Buy," and trimmed price targets on all three.
Regal shares fell 9 cents to $15.29 in afternoon trading Monday. Cinemark shares shed 16 cents to $27.25 and Carmike shares fell 81 cents to $15.26.
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