Stock price when the opinion was issued
(Top Pick Jun 15/15, Down 30.22%) He rode it down. This was his value trap. This one was cheap for a good reason. Everything they do seems to be wrong. At some point all the bad news will be priced in and some catalyst will take the stock higher. There are assets in the company that are worth a lot more than the company is trading for.
The Viacom story is more interesting than “The Game of Thrones”, and unfortunately just as painful. They kicked out the CEO, and it was thought there was going to be a merger with CBS which is not going to happen. Doesn’t know what this company’s problem is but they don’t seem to want to create shareholder value.
He continues to be a buyer of this. They own significant assets such as MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Studios, assets that are worth something. Consumers are changing viewing habits of television. They are streaming through YouTube, using more Facebook and Twitter. The model of going right to the cable TV to view programs has gone down a lot. However, the sum of the parts is worth more than what they are currently trading at.
Rumours are flying that Cherry Redstone wants to merge this with CVS, and all the analysts are predicting that would be a huge mistake, because this is not investment grade. They are rated BBB, but could drop to BB, which would be junk status. The dividend was reduced last year from $1.40 to $.80. He wouldn't want to own this.
Merging with CBS. Third-rate movies. Lots of free cash flow. Wants to own the best companies for the long term, and this one doesn't fit the bill.
Has owned for a long time, and it has meaningfully underperformed, but there are some great reasons you should take another look at it. There is some potential for consolidation with CBS. The company is finally focusing on following the Disney (DIS-N) model and spending a lot of money. Thinks some of the advertising comps will improve. There is a lot of hidden real estate. Only trading at about 10X earnings and about10X free cash flow. Dividend yield of 2.42%.