Industry Overview - The Zacks Gaming industry is experiencing growth due to increased gaming revenues in Macau, strong demand for sports betting, and robust U.S. commercial gaming revenues [1][3][4] - The industry includes companies that operate integrated casinos, hotels, and entertainment resorts, as well as those providing technology products and services in gaming markets [2] Key Themes - Macau's gross gaming revenues (GGR) reached MOP 22.15 billion ($2.76 billion) in August, marking a 12.2% year-over-year increase and a 0.1% gain from July [3] - U.S. commercial gaming revenues rose 9.8% year-over-year in Q2 2025, totaling $19.44 billion from traditional casino games, sports betting, and iGaming [4] - The legalization of sports betting across multiple states has significantly contributed to industry growth, with popular gaming applications including DraftKings and FanDuel [5] Economic Factors - Ongoing economic uncertainty, rising inflation, and geopolitical tensions pose challenges to the gaming industry, potentially reducing consumer discretionary spending [6] Industry Performance - The Zacks Gaming industry ranks 96, placing it in the top 39% of over 245 Zacks industries, indicating positive near-term prospects [7][8] - The industry has outperformed the S&P 500 Index, rising 37.3% over the past year compared to the S&P 500's 19.9% growth [10] Valuation Metrics - The industry has a trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA ratio of 21.45, which is higher than the S&P 500's ratio of 18.35, reflecting a premium valuation [13] Notable Companies - **Boyd Gaming**: Benefits from a diversified business model and operational efficiencies, with a 4.9% increase in 2025 earnings estimates to $6.89 [17][18] - **Red Rock Resorts**: Strong performance from Durango Casino Resort and Las Vegas operations, with a 12.7% increase in 2025 earnings estimates to $1.77 [20][22] - **Melco Resorts & Entertainment**: Strong momentum in Macau operations, with a 69% surge in 2025 earnings estimates to $0.49 [24][25]

Core Viewpoint - Melco Resorts Finance Limited is proposing an international offering of senior notes to fund a conditional cash tender offer for its existing senior notes and for general corporate purposes [1][9]. Group 1: New Notes Offering - The New Notes will be senior obligations of Melco Resorts Finance, ranking equally with existing and future senior indebtedness, with Melco not acting as a guarantor [2]. - The interest rate and terms of the New Notes will be determined at the time of pricing, and the offering is subject to market conditions and investor interest [3]. - The proceeds from the New Notes Offering are expected to fund the Conditional Tender Offer, cover related fees, and potentially redeem any remaining Existing Notes [9][10]. Group 2: Conditional Tender Offer - Melco Resorts Finance has initiated a conditional cash tender offer for its outstanding 5.250% senior notes due 2026, contingent upon the successful completion of the New Notes Offering [4]. - The Conditional Tender Offer will expire on September 19, 2025, unless extended or terminated, with settlement expected on September 24, 2025 [4][5]. - The consideration for each US$1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes will be US$1,000, with minimum denominations of US$200,000 [5]. Group 3: Redemption and Management - Melco Resorts Finance intends to redeem any Existing Notes not purchased in the Conditional Tender Offer, but is not obligated to do so [6]. - The Conditional Tender Offer is being conducted according to the terms set out in the Offer to Purchase, which will be distributed to holders by Kroll Issuer Services Limited [7]. - Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are acting as dealer managers for the Conditional Tender Offer [8].

Group 1 - The article focuses on the Asia Value & Moat Stocks research service, which targets value investors looking for Asia-listed stocks with significant discrepancies between price and intrinsic value [1] - The service emphasizes deep value balance sheet bargains, such as net cash stocks and low price-to-book (P/B) stocks, as well as wide moat stocks that represent high-quality businesses [1] - The author provides a range of watch lists with monthly updates, particularly concentrating on investment opportunities in the Hong Kong market [1]

Core Viewpoint - Morgan Stanley's research report indicates that Macau's gaming revenue in August increased by 12% year-on-year, aligning with the bank's and market expectations [1] Group 1: Revenue Growth - After three consecutive months of double-digit growth, the operating leverage is expected to start playing a role in the second half of the year, driving margin expansion and profit correction [1] - The bank anticipates a 16% year-on-year growth in gaming revenue for September, suggesting a 16% year-on-year increase for the third quarter [1] Group 2: Company Ratings - Morgan Stanley has assigned "Overweight" ratings to Sands China, MGM China, Wynn Macau, and Melco Resorts [1]

Market Overview - On August 25, US stock indices collectively declined, with the Dow Jones falling by 349.27 points to close at 45,282.47, a decrease of 0.77% [1] - The Nasdaq dropped by 47.24 points to 21,449.29, down 0.22%, while the S&P 500 fell by 27.59 points to 6,439.32, a decline of 0.43% [1] Technology Sector - Major tech stocks showed mixed performance; Tesla rose by 1.94%, Google increased by over 1%, and Nvidia also gained over 1%. In contrast, Microsoft fell by 0.59%, Amazon by 0.39%, Apple by 0.26%, and Facebook by 0.2% [3] - Nvidia announced the launch of the Drive AGX Thor development kit, available for pre-order immediately and set to ship in September, aimed at accelerating the design, testing, and deployment of autonomous vehicles and smart transportation solutions [3] - Nvidia also launched the Jetson AGX Thor developer kit, specifically designed for robotics applications, with a starting price of $3,499, now available for global customers including those in China [3] - Intel stated that Trump's US stockholding plan poses business risks, and on August 22, Intel announced an agreement with the US federal government for an $8.9 billion investment to acquire 433.3 million shares of Intel common stock at $20.47 per share, representing 9.9% of the company [3] Banking Sector - Most bank stocks declined, with JPMorgan down 0.49%, Goldman Sachs down 0.45%, Citigroup down 0.31%, and Morgan Stanley down 0.25%. However, Bank of America rose by 0.04%, and Wells Fargo increased by over 1% [4] Chinese Stocks - The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index saw a slight increase of 0.11%. Among popular Chinese stocks, Daqo New Energy rose by over 4%, Melco Resorts increased by over 3%, and NetEase gained over 2%. Conversely, Newegg fell by over 15%, DaJiang Cloud Warehouse dropped by over 9%, and Semtech declined by over 5% [4] Economic Indicators - According to the CME Group's FedWatch tool, traders currently estimate an 84% probability of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September [5] - The London Stock Exchange was closed, while the other two major European indices reported declines, with the CAC40 index in Paris closing at 7,843.04, down 126.65 points or 1.59%, and the DAX index in Frankfurt closing at 24,273.12, down 89.97 points or 0.37% [5]

Core Viewpoint - Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) shows positive financial growth with a significant increase in revenue and net profit, indicating strong operational performance and market confidence [1][2]. Financial Performance - As of June 30, 2025, Melco Resorts reported total revenue of $2.561 billion, representing a year-over-year growth of 12.7% [1]. - The company's net profit attributable to shareholders reached $49.724 million, marking a substantial increase of 36.01% compared to the previous year [1]. Stock Performance - On August 20, the stock price of Melco Resorts increased by 2.1%, closing at $8.77 per share, with a trading volume of $5.1779 million and a total market capitalization of $3.424 billion [1]. Analyst Ratings - On August 1, Melco Resorts received a target price upgrade from Citigroup to $11.5, with a current rating of "Buy" [2]. Business Operations - Melco Resorts operates integrated resort businesses in Asia and Europe, including Altira Macau and City of Dreams in Macau, and is the largest non-casino gaming machine operator in Macau through Mocha Clubs [2]. - The company is also developing the Mediterranean City of Dreams in Cyprus, which is expected to become the largest integrated resort in Europe, alongside operating a temporary casino and four satellite casinos [2].

Group 1 - Lindblad Expeditions (LIND) is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector, which includes 253 companies and ranks 8 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - LIND has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), with a consensus estimate for full-year earnings increasing by 22.4% over the past quarter, indicating positive analyst sentiment [3] - Year-to-date, LIND has returned 15.5%, outperforming the average return of 10.2% for Consumer Discretionary companies [4] Group 2 - Lindblad Expeditions operates within the Leisure and Recreation Services industry, which consists of 29 stocks and currently ranks 181 in the Zacks Industry Rank [5] - The average return for the Leisure and Recreation Services industry is 7.1% year-to-date, showing that LIND is performing better than its industry peers [5] - Investors may want to monitor both Lindblad Expeditions and Melco Resorts as they continue to show strong performance in the Consumer Discretionary sector [6]

Core Viewpoint - Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) shows positive financial growth with a significant increase in revenue and net profit, indicating strong operational performance and market confidence [1][2]. Financial Performance - As of June 30, 2025, Melco Resorts reported total revenue of $2.561 billion, representing a year-on-year growth of 12.7% [1]. - The company's net profit attributable to shareholders reached $49.724 million, marking a substantial increase of 36.01% compared to the previous year [1]. Stock Performance - On August 12, MLCO's stock price increased by 2.08%, reaching $8.82 per share, with a trading volume of $2.9661 million and a total market capitalization of $3.443 billion [1]. Analyst Ratings - On August 1, Melco Resorts received a target price upgrade from Citigroup to $11.5, with a current rating of Buy [2]. Business Operations - Melco Resorts operates integrated resort businesses in Asia and Europe, including Altira Macau and City of Dreams in Macau, and is the largest non-casino gaming machine operator in Macau through Mocha Clubs [2]. - The company is also developing the Mediterranean Dream City in Cyprus, which is expected to become the largest integrated resort in Europe, alongside operating a temporary casino and four satellite casinos [2].

Core Viewpoint - Morgan Stanley reports that Macau's gaming revenue has exceeded expectations for two consecutive months, with a year-on-year growth of 19%, prompting an upward revision of the annual growth forecast for gaming revenue from 5% to 10% and EBITDA growth from 2% to 6% [1] Group 1: Industry Performance - The significant positive operating leverage, reduced competition, and improved profit estimates are highlighted as key factors contributing to the industry's strong performance [1] - Despite the recent strong performance, the industry is still considered undervalued if growth can be sustained [1] Group 2: Future Projections - Macau's gaming revenue forecasts for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are projected at MOP 248.963 billion, MOP 263.9 billion, and MOP 279.7 billion, representing year-on-year increases of 9.8%, 6%, and 6% respectively [1] Group 3: Company Target Price Adjustments - Morgan Stanley has raised the target prices for all six companies under coverage, maintaining a positive outlook on Melco Resorts, MGM China, and Sands China, all rated as "Overweight" [1] - Specific target price adjustments include MGM China from HKD 14.5 to HKD 18, Sands China from HKD 17.5 to HKD 21, and Silver Heritage from HKD 35 to HKD 40, maintaining a "Market Perform" rating [1]

Core Viewpoint - Melco Resorts & Entertainment reported better-than-expected Q2 2025 results, with net revenue of $1.328 billion, a 15% year-over-year increase and an 8% quarter-over-quarter increase, recovering to 91% of Q2 2019 levels [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - Adjusted property EBITDA was $378 million, up 25% year-over-year and 11% quarter-over-quarter, recovering to 84% of Q2 2019 levels, exceeding Bloomberg consensus estimate of $347 million [1] - The company maintained stable operating cost control, leading to improved profit margins [1] Group 2: Management Insights - Management indicated that the strong trend observed in June 2025 continued into July 2025, with expectations for this trend to persist into Q3 2025, driven by record visitor numbers at Macau properties and strong performance in the premium mass segment [1] - The company plans to close the Junket Room and three Mocha Clubs by the end of 2025, with an impairment loss of approximately $56 million recognized in Q2 2025 [1] - Management is optimistic about the benefits from the closure of competitor satellite casinos and the company's own satellite properties [1] - Competitors are increasing reinvestment rates, but the company remains focused on enhancing its products to retain customers [1] - Enhanced information technology for smart gaming tables is expected to optimize customer rebate expenditures [1] - The "The House of Dancing Water" show is helping to attract visitors back to City of Dreams, positively impacting non-gaming revenue [1] - Despite the impact of the Israel-Iran conflict on City of Dreams Cyprus, summer hotel bookings have significantly increased [1] - City of Dreams Sri Lanka is set to open on August 1, 2025, primarily targeting Indian customers, with expectations for a longer ramp-up period due to its status as the first resort of its kind in South Asia [1] - City of Dreams Manila's performance remained stable in July 2025 [1] - The company repurchased approximately $120 million worth of shares at about $5 per ADS in April and May 2025 [1] Group 3: Earnings Forecast and Valuation - The company maintains its adjusted EBITDA forecasts for 2025 and 2026, with the current stock price corresponding to 7 times the 2025 estimated EV/adjusted EBITDA [2] - A neutral rating is maintained with a target price of $8.50, reflecting an 8 times 2025 estimated EV/adjusted EBITDA, indicating a 1% downside from the current stock price [2] - For Melco International Development, the adjusted EBITDA forecasts for 2025 and 2026 remain unchanged, with an upgraded target price of 14% to HKD 5.80, reflecting a 20% discount to net asset value and a 7% upside from the current stock price [2]