February 29, 2024 · Asia Pacific Gaming Financial

Melco Resorts One of 10 Best Stocks Under $10, Says Morningstar

For less than the damage of a Big Mac inward some parts of the U.S., an investor can buoy win two shares of Melco Resorts & Entertainment (NASDAQ: MLCO). That’s to say, by terms tag, the casino operator is cheap.

So chintzy that it resides to a lower place $10, earning it a place on Morningstar’s of late revealed heel of the 10 topper stocks trading under $10. As of this writing, Gertrude Lawrence Ho’s gaming company trades around $8.30, or to a lesser extent than some folks’ day-after-day Starbucks tab.

That low-toned cost is the ensue of a 33.3% tumble o'er the past tense twelvemonth — one that forced Ho cancelled Forbes’ rankings of the richest people. Don’t blazon out for the Melco chief executive officer, however, because he’s stock-still a billionaire. Still, Ho and other Melco investors make suffered for a piece now. In mid-April 2021, the gillyflower traded around $20 before tumbling to $4.85 on July 15, 2022.

To live fair, Melco isn’t the only when underperformer among Macau gaming equities. The radical notched dismal showings shoemaker's last year. That forced valuations to levels some analysts argued were reflective of catastrophic events, such as the world(a) financial crisis and the head start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Melco Can Rebound

There are important differences betwixt chinchy stocks and credible value names. Potentially bolstering the compositor's case for Melco is the pointedness that some marketplace observers trust the gaming inventory is a economic value play.

Morningstar said the caudex is worth $12.60, implying it’s undervalued past virtually 32%. To hit that price, Melco would want to go up more than 50% from electric current levels. It hasn’t closed in(p) above $12.60 since May 2023.

We believe the gaming marketplace in Macau testament bask whole ontogeny inward the longer term,” notes Morningstar analyst Jennifer Song. “This structural tailwind is goaded past the rising middle division inwards People's Republic of China and the incursion place of to a lesser extent than 2% in Macao, compared with Las Vegas’ 13%. New hotel rooms by major operators inwards the next few years should reconcile increased and extended visits from larger spenders from these provinces, and ride the cover line for integrated resort hotel operators.”

In Macau, Melco operates City of Dreams, Morpheus, Studio City, and Altira. The companionship also runs casino hotels under the City of Dreams trademark in Republic of Cyprus and Manila.

Macau Can Support Melco Resurgence

With nongaming revenue in Macau coming(a) 2019 levels and 144 gaming revenue (GGR) on stride to run into or top pre-pandemic highs this year, Melco shares could rebound.

As single of only if 6 conceding holders to run casinos in Macao, Melco Resorts & Entertainment is ideally placed to welfare from this market place dynamic, granted its portfolio of properties catering to both mass-market and premium patrons,” added Song. “We wait the launch of Studio City phase 2 with 900 luxury rooms inward 2023 to follow the next benefit driver.”

Song noted that Melco’s exposure to mass and premium-mass clients dampens the volatility associated with VIP customers, a segment that’s noneffervescent struggling inwards Macau because of previous junket industry controversies.

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