US movie theater chain Cinemark Holdings Inc (NYSE:CHK) is poised for an upturn despite recent weakness and now is a good entry point for investors.
That's the view of broker Wedbush, which gives the shares an 'outperform' rating and a 12 month price target of $44 (current price around $39).
The group is the third largest movie theater chain in the USA and also an presence in Latin America, and recently posted second quarter numbers.
Revenues surpassed consensus estimates, while the profit figure was in line.
Wedbush said in a note to clients: "Clearly, summer box office has been disappointing relative to initial expectations, and August faces the most difficult comparison. Share price volatility could remain through the quarter.
But analyst Michael Pachter notes: "However, Cinemark effectively navigated a difficult box office quarter by managing expenses, driving average ticket growth and concessions, and ultimately driving adjusted EBITDA margin growth."
He reckons the group is poised for growth due to an expanding domestic and international footprint, improving metrics on continued theater upgrades, easing currency translation headwinds, and finally, a reversal of recent weak box office trends.
"Cinemark’s stable annual attendance trends, industry-leading utilization rate, its industry-leading EBITDA margins, and its solid Q2 results demonstrate its ability to withstand temporary box office weakness," he added.