
TSE:CGX
This summary was created by AI, based on 3 opinions in the last 12 months.
Cineplex Inc. has been facing challenges since the pandemic, particularly with disappointing box office performance in Q3 and Q4 of the previous year, although Q1 shows promise. The company's future is further complicated by the impending retirement of its CEO, with speculation about a potential sale before his departure. While some experts believe the stock can rebound, they express concerns about the impact of streaming services and changing consumer behaviors in the film industry. However, others see a possible upside through strategic management decisions, particularly regarding divestitures and capitalizing on real estate. Overall, opinions on Cineplex's future vary, with some experts holding a more optimistic view of valuation and risk-reward potential.
Cineplex remains a recovery story, and its beta of 2.88 signals more risk than usual. It rose 10% in Q1, but the chart was choppy. So, consider Cineplex a partial buy. After all, Covid didn’t kill cinema-going, as some expected, but deferred it. We still love the big screen. Read Dark horses: Nuvei, Cineplex, Boralex for our full analysis.
Revenue growth is coming back a bit, with lower comparables from last year helping the year-over-year figures. Its debt levels are high, with net debt of $1.9B, and a net debt/EBITDA of 6.8X. Interest costs are $137M (last 12 months) and these will likely rise a bit with higher rates. 12-month cash flow was $116M and therein lies the problem. The debt is mostly due in the next five years. With attendance back, and a decent film slate, bankruptcy is becoming less of a concern, but it is still hard to paint a really positive picture here because of the leverage.
It is somewhat cheap (0.4X forward sales), but also has a fairly high forward P/E of 20.2X. It could become a takeover target, however, we would not place a high level of probability on that at these current levels.
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