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BATRA - The Liberty Braves Group


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This one just started trading so I don't yet have any real analysis of it.

 

I find it interesting because of the transparency of a MLB team as a publicly traded company.

 

The Liberty Braves Group, through its subsidiary, owns and operates Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball club, stadium, and associated real estate projects. The company is based in the United States. The Liberty Braves Group operates as a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation

 

Something I don't feel like I understand is how tracking stocks work with this continuing to be a subsidiary of liberty media group. What is the long term outcome of a stock of this type? what happens in bankruptcy and other situations? Who actually owns the assets of the business, shareholders or liberty media group?

 

Anyone have any good resources to understand the implications of tracking stocks?

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Tracking stocks highlight value of the underlying components of the company can be currency for acquisitions; further, certain divisions may be treated differently when spun out as a separate company (e.g. taxation may be as a).

 

Tracking stocks are generally misunderstood and often mispriced; so it has some of the benefits of a spinoff without an actual separation of parent (which is a bonus).

 

Check out Cable Cowboy for more about Malone's ways of thinking investing.

 

It pays to pay attention to Dr. John Malone.

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Like most sports teams, the Braves will likely just break even over time. Team management acknowledged in the initial tracking stock conference call that the team (like all or nearly all American major league sports teams) isn't run for profitability. 

 

The "hidden value" consists of all of the owned real estate around the new stadium they will be moving into next season. However, it's very unclear to me how the cash flows coming from this real estate will be utilized.

 

Also note that the Braves have an absolutely terrible team right now. In the 1990s and early 2000s the Braves had fans all over the Southeast due to (1) their track record of success on the field and (2) Ted Turner owned the team and broadcast their games all over his television networks. Neither of these two things is true anymore.

 

IMO the assets are worth more than the tracking stock gives them credit for, but I don't see how the value is unlocked without a sale of the team.

 

No position

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Also worthwhile to keep in mind that this asset to Liberty literally has a cost basis of nothing. But to you and I it does not. You can afford to take a much more relaxed view when you pay nothing for something that may have a value later on when you go to sell it or develop it. It's like a CEO who gets free options, it really is another dimension compared to your hard earned capital being deployed at market value, even if it's 1/2 to 1/3 fair value.

 

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Does anyone use interactive/know when the ability to subscribe to rights should show up in the corporate actions tab?

 

Edit: Is it on the date listed here (May 18/19): http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005431/en/Liberty-Media-Corporation-Announces-Proposed-Terms-Previously

 

 

Or will the option to oversubscribe (and I guess know how much you ended up subscribing to) not be known until much later?

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This is how I am viewing the Braves.  Have no intention on taking a position in the company since I'm a Cardinals fan :p

 

The revenue from the new stadium/real-estate will help offset some of the shitty tv contract they have in place until 2027.  As players salaries continue to rise, currently the revenue from the real estate will help them field a competitive team.  The tv contract is one of the worst if not the worst in baseball when 2027 comes around they could get a market value contract.

 

Looking out to 2027 they will have a new tv contact but the real estate will be 10 years old and roughly half of the lifetime use of the stadium gone. Seems like one event cancels out the other in regards to funding a competitive team. 

 

I remember reading somewhere that when the Celtics was a public traded company.  During the season the stock would gravitate toward the type of season (w and L record) they were having then during the offseason it would more accurately reflect the actual underlying business. 

 

 

Liberty probably has a plan and it is probably different then how I view it.

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What are people planning on doing with the rights?  Exercising or selling?

 

The rights offering should be concluded today. I only own a few shares but went full bore on the oversubscription rights and they seem to be showing up today, looks like 100% assignment to me. That would be a lot of shares and I'd have start watching baseball :P.

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What are people planning on doing with the rights?  Exercising or selling?

 

The rights offering should be concluded today. I only own a few shares but went full bore on the oversubscription rights and they seem to be showing up today, looks like 100% assignment to me. That would be a lot of shares and I'd have start watching baseball :P.

Yea, I oversubscribed many times the rights allocated to me and it seems to show all of them as "BATRA.OS"  Is that correct?  The right strike is at $12.80 so the delta to the last trading price is all upside??

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In my experience, you're unlikely to get your oversubscription ask in full. Many brokers will put a temporary hold on the cash required to purchase your entire oversubscription "just in case" you are able to get the full amount of shares. Once the actual number of shares that are available for oversubscription is calculated, the broker will release the funds that were not accepted for oversubscription.

 

Next week we'll probably know the true amount of extra shares we all purchased.

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You are right Maybe.  In my brokerage acct it says "Submitted oversubscription."  Not fulfilled yet.

 

I wouldn't watch the Braves.  Watch their minor league teams - AAA Gwinett Ozzie Albies, AA Mississippi pitcher Sean Newcomb, and their A ball Carolina and Rome teams for Dansby Swanson and Kolby Allard.  They need to hit on a bunch of these guys to rebuild.  Most of the players on the MLB squad (with some exceptions) won't figure into the 2017-2019 rebuilding.

 

 

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I'm sure that this one is a good bet based on the public presentation, and you're getting more than compensated for the risk of this project with the rights offering plus over subscription privilege on a tanking stock, but I kinda don't need to get involved.  I can't be confident of a 5% position with this one so I will pass.  good luck to those holding it.

 

edit: oh sorry I answered a different question.  I was trying to answer the question from a previous poster about what we  were doing with the rights.  I sold mine. 

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You are right Maybe.  In my brokerage acct it says "Submitted oversubscription."  Not fulfilled yet.

 

I wouldn't watch the Braves.  Watch their minor league teams - AAA Gwinett Ozzie Albies, AA Mississippi pitcher Sean Newcomb, and their A ball Carolina and Rome teams for Dansby Swanson and Kolby Allard.  They need to hit on a bunch of these guys to rebuild.  Most of the players on the MLB squad (with some exceptions) won't figure into the 2017-2019 rebuilding.

 

Did they mention/anyone contact their brokerage to determine when the BATRA.OS/BATRA.EX becomes "regular" BATRA?

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