Chorus Aviation IncCHR.TOWEAK BUYMar 10, 2020Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 05, 2026. Market Open.
He owned it before. They operate Jazz for Air Canada. They lease and maintain airplanes, a solid business, but all airlines have been wacked since 2020. It's now a cheap stock. The story will get better. It used to pay a 5-6% dividend, not now, as the balance sheet got stretched. But there are hopes that a dividend will return, which will attract more investors.
Converted to a leasing business of planes smaller than most major airlines use, one of the major players in the world in that space. Using cashflow to pay down debt. Talk of reinstating dividend, perhaps in 2 years. Dirt cheap. Buy it, put it away, it could be a double, though it may take a while. Undervalued.
Like the larger AC, these shares have come off but are seeing a bounce. The reopening of more and more travel will benefit CHR. However, North American fundamentals in airlines may not be as strong as Asian or Europe. CHR could see less performance than the larger and more global Air Canada, but this bounce in CHR should continue for the next little while.
They're not exposed to oil prices or currencies. They have a take-or-pay contract with Air Canada, who pay CHR whether AC uses them or not. CHR is Jazz Airlines, an AC regional offset. The dividend is sustainable, above 8%. Input costs won't change much. This stock has sold off, the baby with the bathwater. CHR is like a bond on the health of AC. Their contract runs to 2035.