Heading into IPSU's 4Q10 earnings release, we thought a messy quarter would be overshadowed by commentary from management highlighting significant production gains at the company's Port Wentworth refinery. Our...
READ MORE >First and foremost, we want to wish everyone a joyous Holiday Season and a prosperous and healthy New Year. We hope that you have enjoyed reading our research throughout the year and that it has significantly enhanced your investment process. More than anything, we hope we have...
READ MORE >For several months now, we have been waiting for an update on the status of three separate qui tam actions outstanding against Kaplan Higher Education in the United States District Court Southern District of Florida. ...
READ MORE >We have argued for a long time that the broader media would take a keen interest in the transgressions that have occurred at Kaplan Higher Education given the parent company's perceived status in DC and the history of the Graham family. There have been a few critical articles...
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...
READ MORE >Approximately 9-months ago we introduced MLHR as a short idea. Many elements of our short thesis have come to fruition: up until recently the recovery in orders for the company and other leading office...
READ MORE >Investors have not historically focused a great deal on the actions of the HLC and other accrediting agencies. On the heels of Congressional hearings, Dept. of Education scrutiny, and highly critical...
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...
READ MORE >We want to eliminate any potential confusion immediately: As far as we know, ESI is not currently subject to an investigation from the SEC. It is not uncommon for the SEC's Division of Corporate Finance to issue comments on a...
READ MORE >Over the past several months there has been a growing bifurcation in the for-profit postsecondary education industry between those companies that have enacted significant "self regulation" measures in order to improve compliance with...
READ MORE >We recently conducted a survey of approximately 20 independent specialty jeweler retailers. The purpose of our survey was to: Gain greater insight on sales trends in the first few weeks of the holiday season Determine how independent...
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...
READ MORE >In the 15-months since we initially recommended going long shares of IPSU, the stock has been volatile but has only yielded a total gain of 5.0%, compared to a 21.0% return for the S&P 500. The lackluster performance of IPSU shares is...
READ MORE >Approximately two and a half months ago, we published a report that argued that the tail risk associated with owning WPO shares continued to increase. Today we received further evidence that "tail risk" continues to grow for the company.Filing...
READ MORE >Admittedly, WPO's headline earnings results for 3Q10 appear to be compelling. The company reported total revenues of $1.189 billion and adjusted EPS from continuing operations of $11.40. This compares to our...
READ MORE >Approximately 5-months ago we introduced KNOT as a long investment idea. At that time our primary thesis was as follows: KNOT still has leading media and ecommerce franchises serving large end-markets. The company has just...
READ MORE >GCA reported 3Q10 results after the close that we can only characterize as "more of the same....". That is to say, the company's results were hampered by continued weakness in same store transaction volumes, a mix shift towards ATM transactions, both of which had a...
READ MORE >On Friday, November 5th, WPO will report 3Q10 earnings. WPO is at a significant crossroads. Fundamental demand for the company's primary growth vehicle over the past five years has changed abruptly at a time when secular headwinds facing WPO's...
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...
READ MORE >In our 1Q11 earnings preview for COCO, we argued that the company's first quarter earnings could represent a seminal event. As we stated in our preview:"The decisions management makes over the next 3-6 months...
READ MORE >As early as April of this year, we argued that the revenue trends in the reprographics industry were on the cusp of stabilization, if not recovery. Obviously we have been a little bit early in our call,...
READ MORE >COCO will report 1Q11 earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, November 2nd. In our view, the company finds itself in an extraordinarily precarious position irrespective of what happens with the Dept. of Educationa's Gainful Employment...
READ MORE >Over the past few weeks, three large, publicly traded for-profit postsecondary education companies reported earnings. The general feedback from each company (APOL, CPLA, and ESI) has been fairly similar: 1) new student starts have...
READ MORE >Long time followers of our research know that we have been bearish on the earnings prospects and consequently the share price potential of ESI for quite some time. In light of our views on the stock, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that our...
READ MORE >ESI's third quarter results and fall term enrollment intake add further credence to our argument that the higher education "moonshot" in demand has come to an end. Below we discuss some of our key observations from the...
READ MORE >ESI will release 3Q10 earnings tomorrow morning and host a conference call at 11AM. We wanted to make sure all of our subscribers had our estimates heading into the earnings release. Here are our key assumptions. THEY DO NOT INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT.Fall Term Intake We...
READ MORE >Approximately 7-months ago we introduced a pair trade: long CSGP/short LOOP. Thus far the trade has worked out reasonably well. Both stocks have appreciated considerably, but shares of CSGP have outperformed those of...
READ MORE >We have been recommending a pair trade: long BGG/short TTC for approximately three months. Thus far the trade has not been a winner, generating a (-4.7%) return compared to a 9.4% gain for the S&P 500. As...
READ MORE >For the past 6-7 months we have argued that the definition of a credit hour could become a significant regulatory issue in the higher education space, one that has generally overlooked by most investors. As a reminder, upon the passage of NegReg 2009 the Department of Education will...
READ MORE >Investing in the for-profit education sector over the past 2-3 months has been almost entirely about one's ability to tap into various DC lobbying groups, read the "tea leaves" from public statements from...
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