3 Casino Stocks to Gamble on - Investment Ideas
June 15 2011 - 8:00PM
Zacks
Willing to roll the dice on gaming stocks? Well, it is not quite
the gamble you may think it is.
2 Sides of the Coin
Essentially there are 2 scenarios that could play out and they
are not mutually exclusive. It is starting to look like a win-win
situation.
1.) If we see more economic optimism moving forward, the
propensity to gamble will rise and lead to more money for gamin
companies. That is pretty straight forward. Will we? That is very
much up for debate right now.
2.) But the other angle here is the struggling state budgets.
There are plenty of opponents to having casinos allowed in
particular areas. But guess what has even more opponents? Raising
taxes.
Here in Chicago, we are riddled with taxes on all levels and
fees for just about everything. As a result, there are talks to
allow casinos in Chicago and other areas in the state. This is not
entirely new, but more people are on board now, seeing it as a way
to bridge budget shortfalls rather than raising taxes. And I am
willing to bet other states will see similar legislation.
The Party is Over
In addition, in recent months the U.S. has come down hard on
internet gambling sites, effectively shutting down that segment of
the gaming industry. Online gambling has been embattled for years,
but the fatal blow may have just been dealt.
While not a huge impact, many professional poker players will
have to turn to live games. And those who have satiated the
gambling itch online will have to hit brick and mortal
locations.
Safe Bets
Ameristar Casinos (ASCA) has several locations across the
U.S. Right now the company does not have any new projects slated,
which would give them a big boost, but even if nothing changes,
they are in pretty good shape.
Estimates spiked after the last quarterly report. The full-year
consensus estimate for 2011 is up 65 cents in the past 3 months, to
$1.72. Next year's forecast popped 92 cents, to $2.06. That puts
growth rates at 135% this year and another 20% next year.
Shares are trading at just 13 times forward estimates, with a
PEG ratio of 0.8 and have a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy).
Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL) owns gaming and
entertainment resorts, primarily in Macau. Not necessarily a play
on the domestic budget angle but a solid gaming company and a Zacks
#2 Rank (Buy).
Estimates for 2011 are now averaging $0.24 per share, up from
$0.15 before the quarterly report. Next year's Zacks Consensus
Estimate is up 10 cents, to $0.38. In 2010 the company made just
$0.02, so profits should be up 12 times this year and another 58%
next year.
Just looking at the P/E, shares look a bit pricey at over 40
times the 2011 estimate. But factoring in the long-term growth rate
gives you a PEG ratio of just 0.6, which is a bargain. The price to
book is right near 2.1.
Bally Technologies, Inc. (BYI) makes, operates and
distributes gaming machines and technology worldwide. They offer
slot machines and other lottery-style games as well as various
casino management services.
Not sure which casino company to target? This one as exposure to
the industry as a whole. Right now BYI has a Zacks #3 Rank (Hold)
but that could be changing soon. Bally just announced an
enterprise-wide agreement with Caesars on June 14th.
The biggest casino entertainment company in the world will
implement Bally's machines across their casino operations. Other
details were not immediately announced, but could be substantial
given Caesars massive operation.
What are the Odds?
There are plenty of other casino and gaming related companies
out there, these are just a few. But, if you see the industry as
beaten down and undervalued with some upside potential, now may be
a good time to roll the dice.
Bill Wilton is the Aggressive Growth Stock Strategist for
Zacks.com. He is also the Editor in charge of the Zacks Small Cap
Trader service
AMERISTAR CASIN (ASCA): Free Stock Analysis Report
BALLY TECH INC (BYI): Free Stock Analysis Report
MELCO PBL ENTMT (MPEL): Free Stock Analysis Report
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