By Angela Palumbo

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's time to buy IMAX stock, at least according to Seaport Research.

Analyst David Joyce wrote in a research note on Thursday that a slate of movies coming out in the days and months ahead will do well with the IMAX viewing experience, making now a perfect time to buy the stock.

"More people are choosing this premium moviegoing experience, more content is being created specifically to leverage the IMAX specs, and more screens are being added to and upgraded within the global platform, " Joyce wrote. He rates IMAX as a Buy with a $31 price target, which implies an 18% increase from the stock's closing price of $26.30 on Wednesday.

Shares of IMAX were up 0.5% to $26.44 on Thursday.

IMAX's larger screens, high-resolution images, and more immersive sound systems tend to attract people going to see movies with striking visual effects and action sequences. Customers pay a little more than for tickets to other theaters.

There are several movies that have already been launched, and even more coming out later in the year, that are both highly anticipated and likely to attract an IMAX audience. F1: The Movie was released on June 23 while Jurassic World Rebirth came out on July 2.

Superman comes out this Friday and Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 24. Wicked: For Good comes out Nov. 21 while Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled to be released Dec. 19.

Demand for IMAX viewing has already shown signs of strength. The company said on June 30 that it generated 23% of total box-office sales during opening weekend for F1.

"IMAX has delivered 20% or better of the domestic debut on eight films in history, with three having come in recent months -- Sinners, Mission: Impossible -- The Final Reckoning, and now F1: The Movie," IMAX said.

Still, there are risks ahead. The economic environment remains uncertain as President Donald Trump announces his latest round of tariffs. It is possible people will choose to cut back on nonessential spending, including trips to the movies, if prices of everyday goods rise.

IMAX reports its second-quarter earnings on July 24.

Write to Angela Palumbo at angela.palumbo@dowjones.com

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July 10, 2025 15:04 ET (19:04 GMT)

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