We introduced KNOT as a long idea approximately 3-4 months ago based on the following: KNOT still has leading media and ecommerce franchises serving large end-markets. The company has just started to scratch the surface of its market opportunity. We...
READ MORE >A few months ago, we published the first in what will be a series of reports backed by our proprietary survey of residential real estate brokers across the country, "A View from the Frontlines of Housing". At that time we argued...
READ MORE >Volatility has always been a hallmark of the publicly traded for-profit education companies. In the ten+ years we have been following the sector, the number of trading opportunities have been seemingly...
READ MORE >Approximately 12-months ago, we introduced the PAA Research SMid Cap Portfolio. Our objective was to provide our clients with the ability to track a long/short equity portfolio comprised entirely of small and mid cap names....
READ MORE >THQI's "summer of discontent" appears it could finally be coming to a close. Since Memorial Day, THQI shares have lost close to 40% in value. THQI shares now trade below book value and appear to discount a scenario in which the company...
READ MORE >Barron's columnist Andrew Bary published a follow up piece this weekend to his initial write-up on WPO in which he argued that the stock could be worth as much as $900/share. You can read the original article here. Mr. Bary's...
READ MORE >Our short thesis on COCO has never been predicated on a change in the regulatory landscape governing the for-profit postsecondary education sector. While the outcomes of NegReg 2009 and potential legislation by...
READ MORE >TTC reported strong 3Q10 result this morning, you can read the full release here. On the heels of BGG's blow-out numbers, it should come as no surprise that TTC delivered significant upside to...
READ MORE >We wanted to provide you with an update on the performance of our SMid Cap portfolio, which we introduced on 9/3/09. You can read more about the parameters for the portfolio, our approach to risk management, and return objectives of the PAA Research SMid Cap...
READ MORE >On July 23rd, stocks in the for-profit education sector "ripped" after the release of the Department of Education's initial proposal on "gainful employment". At that time, many investors thought...
READ MORE >We recently introduced a pair trade idea: long BGG/short TTC. Thus far the trade has returned 2.1% compared to a 2.3% gain for the S&P 500. We still think the pair trade has the potential to generate a total...
READ MORE >We are adjusting our 4Q10 and FY11 estimates to reflect a slower ramp-up in production at IPSU's Port Wentworth refinery and the feedback we received in our conversation with management. We recognize that many investors are frustrated by...
READ MORE >In our preview of WPO's 2Q10 earnings release we asked: "As the Questions Pile Up, Will We Finally Get Some Answers?" Today's earnings release provided little in the form of clarity on the questions we asked, but it...
READ MORE >IPSU reported its 3Q10 results this morning and issued its 10-Q filing for the quarter. Overall, the company's topline exceeded our expectations, but EPS fell short due to continued efficiency issues at the company's Port Wentworth refinery as well as a few other one-time...
READ MORE >Obviously this is an earnings call we did not get right. In our preview of the quarter, we argued that ARP was poised to deliver revenue and earnings upside for the second quarter based in large part on...
READ MORE >Don Graham and other senior executives of WPO laud themselves for their "Berkshire-like" approach to managing the company. In the world of WPO managment, the numbers speak for themselves. While we find this approach refreshing in some respects, we...
READ MORE >We wanted to provide you with an update on the performance of our SMid Cap portfolio, which we introduced on 9/3/09. You can read more about the parameters for the portfolio, our approach to risk management, and return objectives of the PAA Research SMid Cap...
READ MORE >BCO reported 2Q10 results this morning. You can read the full earnings release here. Overall, the company delivered both topline and bottomline outperformance for the first time in many quarters. Although management tempered its full year...
READ MORE >In April, we argued that the reprographics industry was showing signs of imminent revenue stabilization, despite what continued to be weakness in the macro-economic data related to non-residential construction...
READ MORE >At long last the details on the Department of Education's proposal for its "gainful employment" were released. You can read an excellent summary of the proposal as well as responses from Senator Harkin, Harris Miller (CCA),...
READ MORE >ESI reported 2Q10 earnings results this morning. Overall we think the precipitous slow down in new student start growth for the summer term should start to raise significant questions about the...
READ MORE >GCA shares sold off an astonishing 44.4% yesterday on massive volume (19.2MM shares) following the announcement that the company had received notice from Harrah's that the casino operator would not...
READ MORE >Even though we are only 24 hours away from the first earnings report of the season from a publicly traded for-profit education provider, investor focus remains firmly on the eventual outcome of the Department of Education's "gainful employment" proposal....
READ MORE >On Thursday, July 22nd ESI will report 2Q10 earnings results and its Summer 2010 enrollment figures. This quarter's earnings season for the for-profit postsecondary education sector should be unique. We would not go as far as...
READ MORE >Approximately three months ago we introduced two short ideas in the outdoor power equipment space: BGG and TTC. Since that time shares of BGG have sold off 21.2%, while those of TTC have declined 7.3% compared to a...
READ MORE >We wanted to provide you with an update on the performance of our SMid Cap portfolio, which we introduced on 9/3/09. You can read more about the parameters for the portfolio, our approach to risk management, and return objectives of the PAA Research SMid Cap...
READ MORE >Almost one year ago, we introduced IPSU as a long investment idea. At that time we argued IPSU shares were poised to witness substantial upside based on the following: The company's Port Wentworth refinery was on the brink of...
READ MORE >We wanted to provide you with an update on the performance of our SMid Cap portfolio, which we introduced on 9/3/09. As a reminder this is a “mock” portfolio with an initial value of $100 million. We plan to manage the portfolio like a long/short equity hedge...
READ MORE >AYI will report 3Q10 results before the market opens tomorrow. We expect the company to deliver inline revenues, but once again top consensus estimates due to better than expected gross margins. ...
READ MORE >MLHR reported 4Q10 earnings after the close. You can read the full release here. Overall, the company's revenue and earnings results fell well short of consensus and PAA Research's even more cautious estimates....
READ MORE >SELL
$50
LONG
$110
SELL/SHORT
$230
SELL/SHORT
$55
LONG
$70
SELL/SHORT
$4
SELL/SHORT
$45
SHORT
$18
SELL/SHORT
$5
SELL/SHORT
$42
LONG
$75
SELL/SHORT
$50
SELL/SHORT
$50
LONG
$5.50
SHORT
$50
SHORT
$28
LONG
$65
LONG
$37
PAIR TRADE
$10
PAIR TRADE
$30
LONG
$35
SHORT
$35
SELL/SHORT
$10
SHORT
$101
SHORT
$15
SHORT
$0
SHORT
$9
SHORT
$0
PAIR - LONG BGG/SHORT TTC
25%
SHORT
$14.00
SHORT
$22
SHORT
$15
SHORT
$20
SHORT
$31
SHORT
$35
SHORT
$30
PAIR - LONG KNL/SHORT MLHR
25%
SHORT
$100
LONG
$8
LONG
$20
SHORT
$22
PAIR - LONG CSGP/SHORT LOOP
40%
LONG
$35
SHORT
$275
SHORT
$0