Top hedge fund manager buys into Amaya
News on 19 Aug 2016
News on 19 Aug 2016
David Einhorn, a successful entrepreneur, hedge fund manager and tough poker player has bought almost 4 million shares in Pokerstars parent the Amaya group at an average cost of US$13.77 per share, the investment publication The Motley Fool reports.
The report notes that Einhorn’s Greenlight Capital fund may have lost 20 percent last year in its operations, but Einhorn has consistently been a globally savvy investor who has returned 1,902 percent cumulatively, or 16.5 percent annualised through January 2016.
The Fool observes that Einhorn’s formula for success is to identify and invest in undervalued companies, point out their problems, and then prosper from consequent improvements…and the canny hedge fund manager has apparently been busy buying up shares of the online gaming operator in the latest quarter.
The publication notes that although on the surface Amaya appears to have substantial debt and a daunting P/E ratio of 1,686, it also enjoyed a free cash flow over the year of US$242 million, and that independent analysts are of the view that the company will earn US$2.09 per share in 2016, increasing to US$2.51 per share in 2017 as it expands into wider activity than online poker.
The foreign exchange rates of the dollar to Euro are also likely to work in Amaya’s favour – whilst most of its revenue is generated in Euros, its earnings are reported in US dollars.
With the now permanent exit of former chairman and CEO David Baazov following insider trading accusations, the company can now leave the issue behind and focus on a potentially prosperous future, the article surmises, concluding that Amaya has the potential to generate large amounts of cash, and has more than US$500 million already available in cash.
“Ultimately, Amaya is still risky, but Einhorn is on to something. If things go right, Amaya shares could be much higher in a few years,” the article concludes.
