In this second of a series of columns about why I bought a particular stock for my portfolio, lets hover over Auckland International Airport[AIA.NZ] for a while a see what motivated me to buy.
Recent political interference involved over a possible Airport sale aside, there wasn't a lot negative about this company to speak of before I plunked down my dineros.
Perhaps a large requirement for capital expenditure in the short to medium term, to expand the business to meet growth expectations was the only thing that would keep the company taxiing down the runway, the rest looked blue sky to me.
Why did you buy that stock?
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Why did you buy that stock? [The Warehouse Group]
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Why did you buy that stock? [Auckland Airport]
Why did you buy that stock? [Sky City Entertainment]
Discuss this stock @ Shareinvestor.net.nz
Again, like Sky City Entertainment [SKC.NZ] Auckland Airport stood out as a monopoly, protected in its position for the foreseeable future and it has that "moatability" that Warren Buffett talks about :
The competitive advantage that one company has over other companies in the same industry.
The wider the moat, the larger and more sustainable the competitive advantage. By having a well-known brand name, pricing power and a large portion of market demand, a company with a wide moat possesses characteristics that act as barriers against other companies wanting to enter into the industry.
Warren Buffett
Auckland Airport, because of its monopoly position, has the ability to raise prices well above the rate of inflation and does so within its division of different businesses. From car parking and retail rents, to landing and departure fees, regular price rises seem the order of the day.
The economic moat factor is the main reason I bought shares in the company, although there are a couple of others.
The history of passenger growth for the company is excellent and more could be expected, but not guaranteed, in the future if history is any measure of the company going forward.
The individual share purchase cost relative to the various financial ratios and measures of the business in comparison to international airports was also an attractive carrot.
Bids by The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board and Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for a premium of over 60% of my purchase price is evidence of how cheap the shares were. In a relative sense anyway.
Now the question I must answer. Would I buy this stock again?
Again political interference aside, yes(I will go into this in another column but I don't want politics to enter here)
The affirmative answer is reinforced by the long term growth prospects and again the fact that the company is unlikely to be challenged in its monopoly position in its industry.
Auckland International Airport @ Share Investor
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Related Links
AIA Financial Data
Related Amazon Reading
Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage (3rd Edition) by Jay Barney
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c Share Investor 2008
