Gaming Stocks Turned Out to be Sure Bet in 2003

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2 January 2004
by Rod Smith
Las Vegas Gaming Wire

The past 12 months have been a banner year for gaming stocks, with the average value of casino shares up almost 40 percent -- more than double the broader market indices.

"The surprise of 2003 was how much the consumer was willing to put up and still want to travel especially when it came to gaming," said Goldman Sachs analyst Steve Kent. "We saw consumers still traveling to Las Vegas in the first half despite the Iraqi war and the fear of terrorism. And in the second half, we saw a resurgence in convention business (that drove demand in Las Vegas skyward)."

Driven by high holiday demand and expected fourth-quarter earnings, Applied Analysis' monthly weighted average of eight local stocks closed December at 215.71, up 5.4 percent from 204.75 in November and 37.2 percent from 156.9 in December a year earlier.

That is almost double the increase in a similarly weighted average of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index, which increased 19.8 percent to 1077.6 in 2003 from 899.2 a year earlier.

More: http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=140133

Says a lot about American culture.

[gator_in_Ontario]

1. It might be

the result of a "what the heck" attitude born of being kept in constant fear
:party:

[twilight]

2. yep

and fear of going anywhere too far from home, or lack of money or desire to travel abroad being THEY HATE US so much!

So, off to the casino I go ...

:nuke:

:dem: :kick:

[velocity]

3. Vice Mutual Fund is doing good.

http://www.vicefund.com/prospectus.html

:evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. LOL.... Damn, that's for real?