Opinions David Baskin
Cineplex IncCGX.TOPAST TOP PICKJun 12, 2018
David BaskinStock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 05, 2026. Market Open.
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He bought it during Covid, but he's still waiting for its rebound. Q3 and Q4 had disappointing box office. Q1 is better, though, with a strong December 2025. The Blue Jays' playoff run last October hurt their box office. Also, their CEO will retire at the end of the year; CGX could be sold before he goes.
Jerome HassChart hasn't always been as ugly as it's been recently. Used to be a stock market darling. Disagrees that streaming will demolish it.
Real catalyst is a huge bonus to the retiring CEO and other management if they sell the business by end of 2026. There has to be a bid for the company by the end of June 2026. Risk/return is fantastic. His valuation of the company remains $34. No dividend.
Jerome HassWell managed. With NFLX, video on demand, and the changing landscape of movies, it's not the same company it used to be. Could be more assets to divest, and could capitalize on real estate. Still, not sure what next move is. Look to exit.
As to what to move to, though it depends what's already in your portfolio, he still really likes energy infrastructure companies. See his Top Picks for some ideas.
It was a darling, a great business years ago that generated tons of free cash flow. He once owned it. Then, it was supposed to be bought, but bad luck saw Covid hit and the deal died. Great management and still a good business that generates cash, but times have changed--there are many streaming services. They are paying down debt, which is a little high.
Trying to diversify. Q4 was steady, improving box office, strong roster of movies. Showing more dependable FCF. Tough stock in a tough industry. Very cheap at 9x 2026. Hasn't had steady earnings for years. Can have a good run when movie slate is strong.
Buy at $6-7, sell on strength. Dividend probably not coming back.
Current share price reflecting value of business much better than during the pandemic. Attendance numbers continue to remain flat even with new steaming services. Expecting single digit growth of revenue. Brand name is very strong with large share of market. Cinema experience is still very good.
Jerome Hass
Not your highest-quality play. Trying to get approval to extend debt schedule. If approved, will add flexibility and improve free cashflows. If all goes well, may be able to reinstate dividend. But a lot has to go right. Pricey at 27x. High risk, but now would be the time to allocate some capital. A lot of the bad news is already out.
Don't own in a registered account, as you want to take capital losses if you're wrong.
Covid hammered them, while a British company tried to buy them but aborted that deal (now in a lawsuit). It's not cheap seeing a movie, but he goes now and then. Movies are coming back, though. You can't duplicate the experience at home. Still a lot of uncertainty with this stock, though.
(A Top Pick May 17, 2017. Down 39%). This has been a disaster for him. The market has decided that people will never go to movies again, which is wrong. The number of people going to movies has gone down a little bit but box office revenue has been steady. Cineplex has additional revenue streams. They have rec rooms, like David & Busters in the United States, which is up significantly. In addition, Air Canada flights show movies from Cineplex, people watch Cineplex news feeds. Cineplex also gets more value add from its theatres by selling VIP seats where you can order a glass of wine and a sandwich. Cineplex is also hosting video game tournaments in its theatres, packing people in to play or watch. This can take the average ticket from $15 to $50. He thinks the investment public has gotten Cineplex wrong and thinks the stock will rise back to $40 or $45. He is still buying it.