With UK box office ticket sales continuing to soar, I reckon Cineworld (LSE: CINE) is in great shape to enjoy solid earnings growth in the years ahead.
Sure, British cinema stubs may be some of the most expensive on the planet. But a trip to the flicks still remains one of the cheapest ways to have a night out in the UK, particularly for those taking advantage of Cineworld’s Unlimited membership card scheme.
Exceptional outlook
City analysts certainly expect the bottom line at Cineworld to keep swelling, and earnings rises of 3% and 14% are marked in for 2016 and 2017 correspondingly. A subsequent P/E rating of 17.2 times for this year may rise above the benchmark of 15 times widely considered reasonable value. But Cineworld’s multiple slips in line with this figure based on 2017’s earnings.
And I reckon this is a bargain given Cineworld’s exceptional revenues outlook.
Not only should a steady stream of blockbusters keep movie lovers flocking through its doors — the latest fare from Marvel and Disney helped power admissions 2.7% higher, to 46.1m, during January-June — but the screen operator’s ambitious expansion across the UK and central and eastern Europe bodes well for future earnings, too.
Cineworld opened four new multiplexes in the first half (two in the UK, one in Israel, and one in Romania), and the firm’s ongoing acquisition drive saw it vacuum up five Empire cinemas in August.
In great shape
But Cineworld is not the only hot bet for those seeking robust earnings growth in turbulent times. Indeed, Britain’s rampant fitness craze should keep sending admissions into The Gym Group (LSE: GYM) higher, too.
The Guildford-based business saw revenues shoot 26.1% higher between January and June, to £36.1m, with membership numbers swelling 19.4% year-on-year to 424,000.
And The Gym Group’s low-cost model should keep member numbers sailing comfortably higher, in my opinion, particularly if worsening economic conditions drag fitness fanatics from more expensive gymnasiums like Nuffield Health.
And like Cineworld, The Gym Group is also expanding its estate to keep the punters coming in, with the company aiming to open 15–20 new sites in both 2016 and 2017. The company currently has around 80 facilities up and running, leaving plenty of upside in what is a fast-growing sub-segment. There are only 450 cut-price gyms in the UK, according to The Gym Group’s estimates.
With the company also snapping up gyms from its competitors, the number crunchers expect The Gym Group to swing into the black with earnings of 5.1p per share this year, before enjoying a 55% advance in 2017.
Consequent multiples of 39.1 times and 25.2 times may be too heady for some, but I reckon the potential for further explosive earnings advances makes The Gym Group one that growth-seekers should keep an eye on.
