If we have learned anything over the past 12 years in which we have been following ESI as analysts and investors it is this: never underestimate the guile of the company’s management team, particularly when it comes to crafting...
READ MORE >The statistics in many respects are simply overwhelming. Consider the following: More than 700,000 students have now graduated from the University of Phoenix Stated another way, 1 in roughly 450 Americans has a degree from the...
READ MORE >In the 8-months since we originally introduced MLHR as a short idea, the stock has declined (-17.4%) compared to a 7.7% gain in the S&P 500 over the same time frame. For those that also rely on...
READ MORE >Admittedly, WPO’s 4Q11 results beat our estimates by a wide margin. Normally this type of EPS upside would yield a more meaningful reaction in any given company’s stock price – that did not happen. WPO...
READ MORE >Approximately 3-months ago we published a report entitled: “The Monster Is Out of the Cage and APOL’s Secular Decline Begins in Earnest” in which we outlined our short thesis for APOL. Below we quickly review the principal tenets of the secular short case...
READ MORE >Presumably, WWE investors will awake tomorrow morning after fully digesting 4Q11 results that can best be described as substandard to a round of negative estimate revisions for 2012 EPS in the 30-45%...
READ MORE >We cannot think of a better testament to the skill and guile of ARC’s current management team than the chart below. In it we compare ARC’s aggregate free cash flow generation over the past five...
READ MORE >Humor us for a moment and allow us to walk you through a sequence of events that occurred for a company for the past 12-months. For the moment we will not reveal the name of the company (but at...
READ MORE >At the highest level here are the headlines about OPEN’s 4Q11 earnings results and subsequent earnings conference call: 1) the company delivered a low quality beat, 2) underlying operating metrics for the most part were...
READ MORE >Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: a heavily shorted stock, which was one of the worst performing names in its sector in 2011 has now rallied more than 20% to start the year. Of course in...
READ MORE >Admittedly when we founded PAA Research, investment recommendations like what BCO has become for us, were exactly what we’re trying to avoid. Our absolute return focus and strict adherence to loss...
READ MORE >THQI reported 3Q12 non-GAAP EPS that was actually higher than our forecast ($0.35 vs. $0.31). Unfortunately consensus expectations were considerably higher, so we consider this somewhat of a...
READ MORE >It seems like an outlandish question to ask on a day when COCO shares have gapped up a draw-dropping 30% in response to a modest earnings beat that was almost entirely driven by lower bad-debt expense and a 2Q12 enrollment intake that was inline with expectations. However, we think...
READ MORE >Admittedly, we did not expect something like this. Suffice it to say BGG’s 2Q12 earnings results and conference call included a number of unexpected outcomes both operationally and strategically. Obviously the big news of the day was...
READ MORE >It’s True They Did Beat, But….ESI reported 4Q11 revenue and EPS results that were significantly better than consensus estimates. Despite the overall outperformance, many of the critical underlying metrics the company reported were weak and/or should...
READ MORE >Yesterday we published a lengthy report that outlined the 12 issues that we think will have the greatest impact on the enrollment, revenue, EPS and stock sentiment of the publicly traded for-profit...
READ MORE >If there has been any sector that has served as the backbone of the recent rally in the market it has been the homebuilders. Most of the largest publicly traded homebuilders have witnessed stock...
READ MORE >Perhaps it happens every year, but the relative outperformance of last year’s losers compared to the prior year’s winners has been particularly pronounced thus far in 2012. The 25 worst...
READ MORE >APOL reported 1Q12 enrollment and earnings results that on the surface, at least looked like exactly what bulls on the stock were hoping for. To quickly review: The company posted slight revenue upside and beat on EPS by a...
READ MORE >First and foremost we wanted to wish you a healthy, happy, and what we hope will be a lucrative new year. 2011 has not been without its challenges, but as a firm we are pleased that we continued to provide our clients with action oriented, thought-provoking, highly differentiated...
READ MORE >In the 5-months since we originally introduced MLHR as a short idea, the stock has declined (-18.3%) compared to a (-5.2%) sell-off in the S&P 500 over the same time frame. The sell-off in MLHR shares over the...
READ MORE >It used to be something that operators in the for-profit postsecondary education space could joke about with investors. When asked what would represent the biggest competitive threat to their enrollment growth prospects, 5-years ago...
READ MORE >We are closing out our long idea on IPSU with a 63% loss. Our views on the relatively positive fundamentals in the US sugar markets (widening refined sugar spreads) the asset value inherent in the company, and the cash flow potential of the business once normalized...
READ MORE >THQI reduced its holiday quarter revenue guidance by 25% last night; the company did not provide an update on its EPS or cash flow expectations. In an ironic twist, all signs suggest that THQI’s core...
READ MORE >In the four months since we first introduced WWE as a long idea, the stock has increased approximately 7.3% compared to a 0.4% gain for the S&P 500 over the same time frame. The stock has witnessed better price action of late from a...
READ MORE >Even in the context of a market that has been characterized by huge price swings and “whip-saw” action, IPSU’s stock has distinguished itself in terms of volatility. It seems almost impossible to...
READ MORE >We’ve been watching our screens this morning in bewilderment at the stock price action in THQI. Make no mistake, Saints Row the Third is the most important title in the history of the company. ...
READ MORE >In many respects, WPO’s 3Q11 earnings results represent a complete validation of our short thesis on WPO shares. At a time when it appears most bulls on the stock own it based on some theoretical breakup value, two unalienable truths remain clear: 1) WPO management has no...
READ MORE >If we have learned anything about THQI over the past 30-months since we originally started recommending the stock as a long idea it’s that shares can turn on a dime. Even though the stock now trades more than 40% below where we...
READ MORE >In the lengthy report we published on OPEN on Monday (backed by a survey of 110-120 restaurant owners) we outlined a number key issues that we expected to become discounted in the stock over the next...
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