IMAX stock hits 52-week high as summer box office strengthens

IMAX shares rose 5.2% to $44.55 on Tuesday, reaching a 52-week high and putting the stock on course to exceed its prior closing record of $43.22 set in June 2015. The gain occurred during afternoon trading.

The rise followed stronger summer box-office receipts and heavy advance sales for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. BFI IMAX in the U.K. reported about 28,000 advance tickets sold in 24 hours, generating roughly £750,000 (about $1 million). The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon, opens in U.S. theaters on July 17 and is the first film shot entirely on 70mm using IMAX Film cameras.

Domestic box-office revenue reached $4.17 billion through Sunday, up about 13% from the same period last year. The summer season, measured since May 1, is running about 11% ahead of last year’s pace. Universal’s Disclosure Day opened to roughly $44 million domestically and $92.9 million worldwide, with IMAX screens accounting for $13.8 million of the total. Lionsgate’s Michael added $4.3 million over the weekend and has reached $362.8 million domestically and $932.2 million globally, including $65.2 million from IMAX showings.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, noted that “the summer of ’26 is running just 3.5% behind the Avengers: Endgame-powered summer of ’19.” He highlighted Walt Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, due this weekend, which is scheduled to play on more than 1,600 IMAX screens worldwide, including locations in China.

Over the past five years IMAX grew revenue at a compound annual rate of 23.5% and expanded its free-cash-flow margin by 23.5 percentage points to 22.2% on a trailing 12-month basis. The company drew market attention in May when reports emerged that it was exploring a potential sale; no transaction has been announced. IMAX shares are up about 20% year to date and roughly 52% over the past 12 months.