Cirrus Aircraft's Resilience After Major Stake Sale Piques Investor Curiosity

Core Viewpoint - Cirrus Aircraft Ltd. is gaining renewed investor interest following a significant stock price increase, prompting its major shareholder, Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC), to sell part of its stake, raising nearly HK$700 million [2][3]. Group 1: Stake Sale and Market Reaction - AVIC sold 17.5 million shares at HK$39.98 each, representing an 8% discount to the previous day's close, reducing its stake from 84.97% to 80.18% [3]. - Following the stake sale, Cirrus shares experienced a decline of up to 7.4% before stabilizing above HK$40, ultimately closing down 3% at HK$42.15 [4]. Group 2: Company Background and IPO Performance - Cirrus became a Chinese company in 2011 when AVIC acquired 70% from its founders, with products including the SR2X series and Vision Jet [5]. - The SR2X has been the world's top-selling single-engine piston aircraft for 23 consecutive years [6]. - Cirrus had a lukewarm IPO reception, with only 5.5 million of the 54.9 million shares offered sold to local investors, leading to a total raise of HK$1.39 billion [8]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Growth Potential - Cirrus' revenue has grown from $738 million in 2021 to over $1 billion in 2023, averaging 20.3% annual growth, while profits increased from $72.4 million to $91.1 million during the same period [13]. - In the last year, revenue climbed 12% year-on-year to $1.2 billion, with profits jumping 32.5% to $120 million, supported by the delivery of 731 jets [14]. - The company's backlog increased by 114 jets to 633 on order, indicating strong future demand [14]. Group 4: Market Position and Valuation - Cirrus currently trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 16 times, lower than the 19 times for Textron, suggesting potential for further valuation improvement if profit growth continues [16]. - The geopolitical concerns surrounding U.S. sanctions on AVIC appear to be easing, contributing to the stock's recent gains [15].