http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.as...65921&cat=8

Quarterly profit up 60% and increased attendance. Although there is still a lot of ground to cimb.

StarTelegram

RTT News

BizJournals

And just because I enjoy their unbiased attitude towards Six Washington City Paper

Call Transcript

"Longer season, longer hours"???

Huh...considering GAdv's 08 season and hours were cut from 07!?

I wonder if that means they'll go back to 07 next year??

Also interesting they praised CF on one hand, but also dissed them claiming $20 million coasters are a waste and having their HQ in Sandusky saves them mad jack.

And you have to love the comment about "straight-up good old-fashioned customer service." I haven`t exactly heard glowing reviews about customer service from Six Flags parks, particularly the one a couple hours south from Cincinnati.

Yeah they painted a rosey picture, but skirted the stock topic and its poor performance.

Funny SIX is around 29 cents right now and has dropped over 33% in value today after their so called best year ever...

Six Flags' Dizzying Ride:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/10/six-flags...artner=yahootix

"Longer season, longer hours"???

Huh...considering GAdv's 08 season and hours were cut from 07!?

I wonder if that means they'll go back to 07 next year??

Also interesting they praised CF on one hand, but also dissed them claiming $20 million coasters are a waste and having their HQ in Sandusky saves them mad jack.

The reference is to NEXT year. From the call:

Mark Shapiro:

...We’re going to put value on steroids. More hours, more days, longer days, longer season, in every park then ever before. I’m not going to get into what our specific advertising creative is going to be but we’re going to be creative on our pricing......

Than ever before...not just going back to 07....than ever before.

Also clear from the call:

A restructuring of the debt is coming soon, one way or another.

Again, Mark:

....We said we intend to clean up the balance sheet once and for all, and we’re exploring all of our options. That’s it.

And then Jeff Speed:

To echo Mark’s comment, we’re really not going to get into any degree of specifics around timing or exactly what we’re thinking. The headline is that it’s the last piece of the turnaround that we have to address and we’re going to address it proactively....

NOTHING negative was said about Cedar Fair...a first in recent memory...

And, with the credit crunch, the company recently withdrew all available funds on its $250 million revolver, to ensure it could make it through this off-season.

Lastly, note the company is anticipating $90 million in capital spending this season...quite a bit more than FUN's $62 million....which is rather amazing. How smart that is on either company's part remains to be seen.

Bankruptcy would be a great way to restructure debt...

In a consumer driven business like this one, that would be the least attractive alternative. Even the creditors would not really want it, as this is no market to be selling real estate in. I'd imagine you would see a merger/sale long before that. Probably to a buyer spending a currency other than US Dollars....

10-Q filed:

http://investors.sixflags.com/phoenix.zhtm...&p=IROL-sec

Lastly, note the company is anticipating $90 million in capital spending this season...quite a bit more than FUN's $62 million....which is rather amazing. How smart that is on either company's part remains to be seen.

Don't forget that Kinzel mentioned that the reason why CF was at $62m was because they cancelled the CGA project. They would have been millions higher if they hadn't hit that speed bump.

Uh huh. A GCII coaster doesn't come anywhere close to making up that difference, even in California....

The price tag would have been somewhere around $8-$9 million.

Six Flags Falls On Debt Concern, Analyst Says:

http://www.app.com/article/20081111/BUSINESS/811110321/1003

Can SIX Get Off The Debt Roller Coaster?

http://seekingalpha.com/article/105564-can...t-rollercoaster

Six Flags Ratings on Negative Watch Fitch Ratings

Six Flags Ratings on Negative Watch Fitch Ratings

Yep:

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15507

Wow. It's beginning to be said in plain English, in widely circulated publications meant for general interest:

....New York-based Six Flags, which owns Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, fell on concern the company may not be able to refinance $287.5 million in debt next year, an analyst said.

David Miller, an analyst at Caris & Co., said banks, cautious in their lending, don't have much tolerance for companies operating with a high amount of debt....

http://www.app.com/article/20081116/BUSINESS/811160333/1003

It should be noted that GWL is currently having great difficulty re-negotiating the mortgage, which is maturing the end of this month, on the Mason lodge.

Refinancing debt in this market is nearly impossible for many of the most creditworthy of companies, not to mention amusement companies with high levels of debt, greatly exceeding the break-up value of the company...what with low real estate values and a limited market of buyers.

And before someone asks, SIX owes far more than $287.5 million....that's just what is due next year...and they don't have the cash to pay even that.

16 cents.

16 pathetic cents.

Sigh.

^^Yeah, I made a small fortune day-trading "penny" stocks back in 2004 (basically, when it doubled in value I usually sold). Now, I still don't know if I'd touch SIX!?

Small movements can make great profits...if you watch the commissions and have the guts and instinct of a day trader. You can also incur great losses quickly. And there is the possibility of a drastic restructuring, up to and including bankruptcy, on any given day.

The market has not been kind to Amusements.

Fun and Disney have both hit 52 week lows as well as Six and their 16 cent low.

High debt load companies are facing scrutiny right now, the market has gone almost purely emotional, and the bailout is not working.

Hold on kids.

Six is sinking like the Titantic. Down she goes!

I think the best way to make a short term fortune in the Stocks would be to watch the Auto Industry.

IMO, if it looks like the big 3 will get the bailout buy. GM is selling for just under $3!

If it looks like they won't get the bailout (Which it's looking like now), stay away.

Those who bet on short term fortunes sometimes do exceedingly well. More often, they lose tons. This type of trading is not for the faint of heart.

Nor the light pocketed

I thought the Auto's were getting loans, not bailout's??

Not to sure they will be getting loans either, since the 3 CEO's took private jets to Capital Hill begging for money. Irony?

^^Haha!!

A better investment would be for the gov't to build hydrogen, ethenol, and battery charging stations, while mandating the Big 3 build all those non-fossil fuel cars for the US that they keep sending overseas!!