SGR ASX: Star Entertainment seals Queens Wharf casino deal with Chow Tai Fook and Far East, avoids administration
Operating margins are forecast to recover to ~12% over the same period, however this remains below pre-covid levels considering the additional tax burden from the New South Wales government. After a delayed earnings release and a turbulent regulatory environment, this entertainment behemoth remains a controversial choice for investors. 3 of those analysts submitted the estimates of revenue or online poker tournaments earnings used as inputs to our report. While we recognise that sales of the assets in the business could be worth significantly more, uncertainty in the near term outlook results in a change to our rating. Thanks for all your comments on superannuation today, in light of the Grattan Institute report arguing a government-backed annuity scheme would help more people draw down on their super — sharing a few more here. Here’s how the day’s trade unfolded, with insights from our business reporters, on the ABC News markets blog. Star is also awaiting the outcome of a court decision on fines for breaches of anti-money-laundering regulations that are expected to reach to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Shares are currently swapping hands at 25.5 cents per share, a far cry from the $4 per share range Star fetched pre-pandemic. Grattan’s modelling shows that Australians who draw down their super at the minimum rate when they retire will leave the equivalent of 65 per cent of their original super balance unspent by the age of 92. The report you reference is from the Grattan Institute, which highlights that many retirees are net savers, with their super balances growing for decades after they retire, for fear of outliving their savings.
The Queen’s Wharf joint venture development in Brisbane commands $2.6 billion of the spending with a 99-year lease and 25-year exclusivity period. Morningstar expects the extensive capital investment in Queensland to weigh on the near-term returns on invested capital. Further, we also believe the capital committed to facilities in Queensland might be disproportionate to the size of the addressable market. The company was forced to suspend its shares from trading on the ASX for weeks while it reviewed the report – which called its integrity to hold a casino license into question – and its implications for company financials.
Star investors who got excited on Monday by the left-field emergence of a mystery Macau buyer of the Singapore casino risk management’s shares would be wise to curb their enthusiasm. There is nothing about Xingchun Wang’s taking a 5.5 per cent stake that looks like a white knight rescue attempt. Morningstar lowers our Uncertainty Rating from Extreme to very high after the results of the second bell inquiry were passed down. The scrutiny into Star’s suitability to hold a online casino welcome bonus comparison licence ended in the best payid casino deposits plausible outcome that the company could have hoped for. Whilst they are currently deemed unsuitable to hold a Casino free spin offer crypto 2026 license, the enquiry ruled that the license need not be revoked entirely. Star’s core asset is The Star Sydney, which at one point was generating ~70% of the group’s earnings as the only casino in Sydney.
On Tuesday, a fresh notice showed his shareholding had increased from 5.5 per cent to 6.52 per cent. The following $200 million is subject to a shareholder vote and regulatory approvals. (It might even come in two lots of $100 million, the first after a shareholder vote and the latter after approvals). A proposed long-term funding deal with Salter Brothers last week could not be finalised. The first payment — about $100 million — will be made on Wednesday to allow the operator to stay afloat. Last month it offered Star a $250 million deal and the Australian casino group wouldn’t even meet with them. Company information displayed on The Australian Financial Review is sourced from Morningstar and ASX and is subject to their terms and conditions as set out in our Terms of Use.
It since has been selling neighbouring properties in Southbank, bought by Crown when James Packer was still running the outfit. US investment giant Blackstone bought Crown in 2022 for $8.9 billion with grand plans for TI building design a refurbishment and expansion, which appears to have come to nought. Investors were spooked by a financial performance that revealed an operation haemorrhaging cash with little prospect of an immediate improvement.
Star continues to face cost challenges that include the multimillion-dollar legal bills of its former board members who are now before the Federal Court facing civil action by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The transaction structure and specific terms “remain unclear” said Far East, which will receive an $18 million break fee from Star if the deal fails. The agreement, first reported in The Australian Financial Review, is still subject to approval from Star’s regulators and lenders, according to Far East. “It has only very recently turned its attention to dealing with challenges that should have been prioritised earlier,” NICC chief commissioner Philip Crawford said.
Peter Gartlan, co-CEO of Financial Counselling Australia, added that everyone needs access to telecommunications services and said consumers aren’t getting adequate protection. “We continue to hear from callers to our frontlines of egregious examples of telco mis-selling and harm due to poor sales practices and credit assessment requirements,” she said. Overall goods spending fell 0.6 per cent in January, after rising for three months in a row. The government will not acquire additional assets for the stockpile beyond those obtained through forfeiture proceedings. “Any global forecasts need to consider upside and downside scenarios, including the indirect impact of trade tensions on our largest trade partner China. The total value of credit card transactions rose by $21 million in January compared to the previous month.
