The latest Investing Matters Podcast with Jean Roche, Co-Manager of Schroder UK Mid Cap Investment Trust has just been released. Listen here.
Also decent reading on Dr Strange
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2022/05/05/why-a-rising-india-needs-the-midmarket-to-innovate-in-the-cloud/?sh=125162379080
Cruis (a d any others that enjoy a bit cinema).
I would recommend Everything, Everywhere All At Once.
Saw it tonight at a pretty busy Unlimited screening. (These seem to have got slowly busier last month or so which is good for some baseline revenues.
Regards more releases, although we are yet to see evidence of them there was a recent interview where Mooky covered this.
He made reference to some being held up in production due to COVID, some gone to streaming, but now we were nearing more for release. Or words to that effect.
Seems share was in auction.
Look at AMC and Everyman (same industry) and also large drops today.
No denying SP is in an awful place, so are a great many companies SP. Worse here than many/most yes, but that is down to the high risk element of where company has found itself.
While I don't see 85% this and next month I do see reason to expect SIGNIFICANT improvement on what we have seen almost every month since reopenings (December excluded).
Robin, I am a short ar5ed Jock so I wouldn't be shy at coming forward with direct questions to whomever it may be when required.
As you probably noticed on here I have no issue calling a spade a spade.
"Court case not likely to be resolved one way or another until the middle of next year at earliest"
If indeed you believe this AND are correct insiderinfo then this is FANTASTIC as it is by far the biggest threat to the company.
(Currently and short term don't have money to pay the current judgement).
Longer it drags the better for company to buy box office improvement time.
THANKS for confidence boost ;-)
And your flaw is not reading the companies own base case LPD.
It is very simple, 85% of BOX OFFICE.
NOTHING ELSE.
I use various sources for my information including the company reports.
As I have previously stated if we were close to 85% I wouldn't be making these valid points.
The share price is c. 15% of what it was pre pandemic for a reason (well number of reasons).
Let's not pretend everything is peachy it serves no genuine holder well.
I can see a case for the SP being a "little" better than it is currently, but I can also understand why it is where it is.
A genuine holder of shares will always look at all information both upsides and down in their investment.
No value pretending there is and can only be one outcome e.g. court case.
...and yet I will still be (pleasantly) surprised if even this month we hit company's own base case in US of 85%
There is as yet no depth which the industry needs.
It can't work on a couple big movies only per (good) month.
I watched as much as or more than most here and it was not for me an open and shut Cineworld win as many here say.
I expressed as much during the case that it would be legal interpretation of "ordinary course" the key.
None of us here hold the expertise to say what is or is not correct in legal interpretation.
We don't benefit from saying "we were robbed" A court has made judgement, it's now for a second court to hear the appeal and cross appeal to that.
Indeed Hexam.
They have mixed the domestic and international numbers.
Yip Dr Strange in itself minimal impact.
Win or significant reduction in court award far greater impact.
Consistent trading at or above base case also significant impact of/when we get there.
Betahighalpha, that's one of your main questions from the other day just worded differently.
Again we already know the answer.
YES the company (when in a position to do so) wants to and will look to refinance at better rates.
Do you really need ask if we are in better negotiating position right now than when those were raised?
We have since lost a $1bn court case and have a US year to date comparative to 2019 of c. 57% which is clearly well short of base case (we may argue reasons for this and signs of improvement possible) however we have what we have so far and cash is still extremely tight as can be seen by company releases and latest RNS.
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/best-in-edinburgh/edinburgh-host-top-gun-maverick-23892096
It's the Thursday previews and Friday only.
So Saturday and Sunday to add with thoughts a £200m+ opening weekend is very possible.
Cruis, currently see nothing of note August - mid October .
The schedule has space allocated for ', untitled ' releases in a few spots in this period.
We have original Avatar re-release September which as things currently stand could well be highest earner of what is currently showing.
These are often quieter months, but I am hoping as we get nearer we will see some added to release schedules.
Beta,
We know much of this already.
It has been stated the first and most important step to easing many of company problems os getting attendance back to levels as noted.
That in turn puts company in position to move on deleveraging/getting cheaper debt.
We are currently not a good proposition until those attendances.
YTD, no we will not have been cashflow positive. We basically know this from attendance percentage info company have supplied and wider industry numbers.
Out of court couldn't be agreed prior to initial case, I see it as far less of an option now than it was prior to case for obvious reasons.
The company whenever talking of case/appeal make NO suggestion of an out of court now.
Think we need to accept it's almost certain not to be at this stage and we are in for a wait.
You say May has started strongly, it's difficult to say yet as week one of massive movie will give much needed $. Let's not forget we want in region of $850/$900m for month and with exception of Dr Strange we have little until Top Gun in the last week.
US still has some more than here, but I believe ZERO other releases in UK this week and little of note next week.
Marvel is MASSIVE for the industry, but it can't do it alone for us.
Hope this is true, sounds like a fantastic addition to the massive money machine for Marvel and Cinemas :-)
https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/exclusive-jason-statham-marvel.html
Close poor performing sites reducing losses from them.
Open new better locations that can (when back up to "normal" levels) add substantial profits.
The majority of Cineworld estate is NOT owned by them. So I would imagine a large part of costs are not ours . Also these are not built and done in a couple weeks. So spend and commitment to many/most of these upgrades and new locations would have been made some time ago.
No brainer really for any business minded person
https://www.indiewire.com/2022/05/doctor-strange-2-top-gun-2-box-office-preview-1234722226/
Encouraging early indicators thanks Cruis.
Having just seen it maybe I had built up expectations too much, but found it below those hopes overall.
Still it's Marvel and was again clear it draws crowds.
One thing I did like was use of "prime" viewing time to bang out many of the BIG guns as trailers.
We had : Jurassic, Top Gun, Thor, Avatar!!