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Ask Packer - No Seriously, Ask Him Anything (AHA)!


infinitee00

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Packer,

 

I took some time yesterday to go through this thread and want to say thanks for the time you already put in to answer everyone's questions. What struck me the most is that you mention your DD is just around 10 hours, however, when you open/discuss an idea you are very able to answer a wide variety/range of questions without a lot of time in between. I think this is very very impressive, to say the least.

 

Would you consider the ability to do that kind of DD in just 10 hours to be a result from your year long experience in the markets? How drastically would you say your framework has improved over the years? Or would you relate it to above average intelligence? Or a combination of both?

 

I wish I could form investment ideas in around 10 hours!

 

Also another question, how often do you look at the fixed income side for ideas? For instance, I do not hold a position in Intralot equity, but their bonds look very interesting from a "we're a greek company so we have to pay a high coupon, although greek revenue is just 5%" kind of perspective.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

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Experience is cumulative in investments and most of the ideas are either good ideas others have (FIATY, Awilco, CIDM,GM, FRE/FNM Pfds, AIQ) or extensions of models in similar industries I have studied before (LIN, GNMCA, TI, Intralot).  I also like to focus on recurring revenue models of media (TV/radio), telcos/cable, leasing cos and gaming equipment/operations companies.  I have gone into other areas when I have found bargains (autos and O&G).  I am an average guy who has fun with investments and uses a value lens to observe the market.

 

I look at the fixed income side to help me with my equity selection.  Since most of the firms I like have debt, I use the market value of the debt to tell me if I am buying into a dangerous situation.  I like the situation that Intralot is in now (cheap equity and debt selling for above par).  I also like to see the debt prices increase as this typically tells you the creditworthiness is increasing.  As to investing in the debt, I typically do not.  As many times the debt is callable and if the situation is getting better, the debt we debt will be re-fied with additional cash flow to the equity.  This happened to the radio/TV stocks a few years ago and may happen with Intralot today if the economics improves.

 

Packer

 

 

 

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That is why the price is cheap but listening to Jim Rogers and friend of mine who has friends over there convinced me to look into it.  Also, Wertham Capital (a referral from the Manual of Ideas book) appears to bullish on Russia.  The bear case is the same as it always has been but the bull case has some interesting new aspects - Putin releasing dissidents, joint gov't corporate JVs in R&D, repaired infrastructure and a huge need for Russia's resources from China.

 

 

Packer

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That is why the price is cheap but listening to Jim Rogers and friend of mine who has friends over there convinced me to look into it.  Also, Wertham Capital (a referral from the Manual of Ideas book) appears to bullish on Russia.  The bear case is the same as it always has been but the bull case has some interesting new aspects - Putin releasing dissidents, joint gov't corporate JVs in R&D, repaired infrastructure and a huge need for Russia's resources from China.

 

 

Packer

 

thanks packer for the idea. i will look more closely into it. on the first glance russia makes me fearful and now i think exactly this could be the error and why it is maybe a good Investment. because i was too fearful.  i remember that li lu also said lukoil is cheap in his last Video at the University.

 

 

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packer what do you think about Chorus . A new zealand telecom. Trading at about 3x earnings, or 1x ebitda. They get into some trouble with the government. But apparantly they can borrow with zero interest from the government. They are rolling out a network that will cost about 1.7 billion NZ$ by 2019 I think. It looks really cheap based on the 2013 numbers, but didnt read up on anythign yet.

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Took a quick Look at Chrous.  It is interesting that they are building out a fiber network in NZ.  The overall EV/EBITDA is about 4x.  However, the EBITDA is expected to continue to decline in FY2014.  When the trend turns up I will be more interested.  It appears the legacy pricing will be reduced and may cause more pressure on EBITDA until the fiber network growth is greater than legacy copper decline.  One to keep an eye though.  Thanks.

 

Packer

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Jim Rogers, Li Lu and Jim Grant all agree that Russian oil stocks are cheap... At the very least this looks interesting. Thanks for the heads up all.

 

When did Li Lu make those comments? any links?

 

Thanks.

 

i think it was here fareastwarriors

 

http://investingonsale.com/tag/li-lu/

 

Well, it looks like he agreed Russian oil stocks were cheap in the 1990s. :)  Says nothing about today. And even then, it says he sold them at a 90% discount to intrinsic value because he didn't feel adequately compensated for the geo-political risk. (Of course, that was Russia in the 1990s.)

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Took a quick Look at Chrous.  It is interesting that they are building out a fiber network in NZ.  The overall EV/EBITDA is about 4x.  However, the EBITDA is expected to continue to decline in FY2014.  When the trend turns up I will be more interested.  It appears the legacy pricing will be reduced and may cause more pressure on EBITDA until the fiber network growth is greater than legacy copper decline.  One to keep an eye though.  Thanks.

 

Packer

 

Chorus owns all the copper wire lines in NZ and is also committed (by contract) to investing ~$3b in rolling out fibre across the country. Given it is essentially a monopoly the returns they are permitted to earn are regulated by the Commerce Commission (which is an independent body). Imho the key questions one needs to answer are (a) What returns will the commission let it earn in the future on its copper wire (b) if it can't earn enough on the copper to fund the fiber investment, how much capital will it need to raise, dilution, etc and © What returns will the commission let it earn on its $3b fiber investment after its all rolled out

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hi packer-

 

thanks for all your posts.  wondering if you're still long the $COF warrants?  $COF seems to have advanced quite a bit.  the high end of the fair value range for $COF to me seems to around $100 - but i could be off.

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I sold the COF warrants to purchase Intralot.  COF is near fair value and may get additional competition from P-to-P networks who can provide the same cash for a lower costs.  Credit card rates are close to 20% and P-to-P rates are closer to 15%.

 

Packer

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  • 3 weeks later...

may I know how you reach this number $75 ?

 

hi packer-

 

given gm dividend and warrants not having dividend protection (at least i don't believe so), wondering if you are you sticking with them, rotating into the common, or perhaps selling?  my take on the common is that it has upside to $75.  thanks in advance.

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