TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research Analyst, Obex Capital Research

Aaron Gabin

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research Analyst

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research

Obex Capital Research

“Obex” is Latin for Barriers to Entry. Obex Capital Management’s investment philosophy is driven by an intense focus on which business model’s Barriers to Entry are able to withstand the ever increasing competitive disruption in the TMT and Consumer Sectors.

Equity Bottom-Up

Negative Intel, Mixed on Comcast, Positive Amazon, Positive Netflix, Positive Roblox.<div class="content-highlight">Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.  </div>

Negative Intel, Mixed on Comcast, Positive Amazon, Positive Netflix, Positive Roblox.Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.  

TMT Weekly: 3 Things That Stood Out the Week of 6/25/2021

We’ve been bullish on Disney since early last year when its stock fell below $100 on pandemic concerns, as the market was underestimating the power of the DTC business. That underestimation no longer exists and Disney’s upside to its current valuation is becoming harder to justify as we near $200/share. Disney’s quarter was good enough to keep the bull case intact: booming DTC business and soon to fully re-open Parks business driving a rebound in earnings growth. When we invest on the long side, we want to be able to generate a &gt;30% one year return, so what do we have to believe on Disney from here for 2021?<div class="content-highlight">Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.</div>

We’ve been bullish on Disney since early last year when its stock fell below $100 on pandemic concerns, as the market was underestimating the power of the DTC business. That underestimation no longer exists and Disney’s upside to its current valuation is becoming harder to justify as we near $200/share. Disney’s quarter was good enough to keep the bull case intact: booming DTC business and soon to fully re-open Parks business driving a rebound in earnings growth. When we invest on the long side, we want to be able to generate a &gt;30% one year return, so what do we have to believe on Disney from here for 2021?Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.

Disney 1Q21: Is Streaming Enough to Support $200?

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Corrigenda: There is an error in this Insight. Please note the correction.
Correction: The first line under Results in the Detail section should read "Revenues of $6.64B (+22% YoY), a touch ahead of consensus $6.6B."
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We have been longtime fans of Netflix the product and Netflix’s management team can rightfully be described as visionary. They had the vision to have the public markets fund an experiment in business models that appears now set to breakeven on FCF in 2021. We have said for the past two quarters that Netflix is a good relative short given Deceleration in Subscriber Growth, Rising Churn, and Rising FCF burn. The key blow to our thesis is that FCF was given the all clear by management last night, while the CFO said churn was a record low.
The key question going forward…if Netflix can now generate tangible FCF into the future and this model is sustainable, don’t we then have to value Netflix on FCF? You don’t short stocks over arguments about what multiple to put on terminal values, and we aren’t advocating outright shorting Netflix, which has proven to be the #2 alltime widowmaker of short sellers (after Tesla), but we think Netflix resumes its role as the favored funding short once the dust clears from this quarter’s FCF announcement and investors focus back on the decelerating sub growth.
<div class="content-highlight">
Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.
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Corrigenda: There is an error in this Insight. Please note the correction.
Correction: The first line under Results in the Detail section should read "Revenues of $6.64B (+22% YoY), a touch ahead of consensus $6.6B."


We have been longtime fans of Netflix the product and Netflix’s management team can rightfully be described as visionary. They had the vision to have the public markets fund an experiment in business models that appears now set to breakeven on FCF in 2021. We have said for the past two quarters that Netflix is a good relative short given Deceleration in Subscriber Growth, Rising Churn, and Rising FCF burn. The key blow to our thesis is that FCF was given the all clear by management last night, while the CFO said churn was a record low.
The key question going forward…if Netflix can now generate tangible FCF into the future and this model is sustainable, don’t we then have to value Netflix on FCF? You don’t short stocks over arguments about what multiple to put on terminal values, and we aren’t advocating outright shorting Netflix, which has proven to be the #2 alltime widowmaker of short sellers (after Tesla), but we think Netflix resumes its role as the favored funding short once the dust clears from this quarter’s FCF announcement and investors focus back on the decelerating sub growth.

Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.


Netflix 4Q20: It’s a Free Cash Flow Machine!

Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

Joe Biden winning the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election is looking more likely by the day, but "more" is the operative word, because as the saying goes, "it ain't over 'till it's over."But Biden is leading "bigly," to use a Trumpism. The kind of bigly that goes beyond polling error, a bigly bigger than anyone has seen since Lincoln, as Trump might say. Or something like that.As another saying goes, "the devil is in the details," and things could change… if a lot goes wrong for Biden, at the same time that a lot goes very right for Trump, and all within the next few days.Nothing is certain, but the writing is on the wall at this point – legibly enough, at least, to go into greater detail regarding what a Biden-Harris administration might mean for investing.This Insight analyses the state of the election, making the case that Trump is too far behind with too little time, but also considering a few "what-if" wildcards in critical swing states.It sets the stage for Insights into more specific implications, the first of which (imminent) is how a Biden win would advance ESG investing and sustainable finance, beyond obvious policy issues.

Joe Biden winning the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election is looking more likely by the day, but "more" is the operative word, because as the saying goes, "it ain't over 'till it's over."But Biden is leading "bigly," to use a Trumpism. The kind of bigly that goes beyond polling error, a bigly bigger than anyone has seen since Lincoln, as Trump might say. Or something like that.As another saying goes, "the devil is in the details," and things could change… if a lot goes wrong for Biden, at the same time that a lot goes very right for Trump, and all within the next few days.Nothing is certain, but the writing is on the wall at this point – legibly enough, at least, to go into greater detail regarding what a Biden-Harris administration might mean for investing.This Insight analyses the state of the election, making the case that Trump is too far behind with too little time, but also considering a few "what-if" wildcards in critical swing states.It sets the stage for Insights into more specific implications, the first of which (imminent) is how a Biden win would advance ESG investing and sustainable finance, beyond obvious policy issues.

U.S. Elections: A Biden Win Is Looking More Likely

We have been longtime fans of Netflix the product and Netflix’s management team can rightfully be described as visionary. They had the vision to have the public markets fund an experiment in business models that may eventually breakeven on FCF at some point in the future. We have said for the past two quarters that Netflix is a good relative short given Deceleration in Subscriber Growth, Rising Churn, and Rising FCF burn. As we detail below, the stock tends to not work when subscriber growth decelerates. Admittedly, the rising FCF burn hasn’t played out….yet. Once production opens up post virus, we expect Netflix to resume its cash burning ways.<div class="content-highlight">Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.</div>

We have been longtime fans of Netflix the product and Netflix’s management team can rightfully be described as visionary. They had the vision to have the public markets fund an experiment in business models that may eventually breakeven on FCF at some point in the future. We have said for the past two quarters that Netflix is a good relative short given Deceleration in Subscriber Growth, Rising Churn, and Rising FCF burn. As we detail below, the stock tends to not work when subscriber growth decelerates. Admittedly, the rising FCF burn hasn’t played out….yet. Once production opens up post virus, we expect Netflix to resume its cash burning ways.Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.

United States

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. broadcasts various channels of audio from its satellites. The Company provides its services throughout the continental United States for a monthly subscription fee. Sirius delivers various streams of commercial-free music in every genre, as well as streams of  news, sports, weather, talk, comedy, and public radio.

News Corporation operates in the publishing industry. The Company provides publications consisting of newspapers, magazines, books and promotional inserts.

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. produces live concerts and sells tickets to those events over the Internet. The Company also offers ticketing services for leading arenas, stadiums, professional sports franchises and leagues, college sports teams, performing arts venues, museums and theaters.

The Walt Disney Company is an entertainment company that conducts operations in media networks, studio entertainment, theme parks and resorts, consumer products, and interactive media. The Company produces motion pictures, television programs, and musical recordings, as well as books and magazines.

Omnicom Group Inc. provides advertising, marketing and corporate communications services. The Company's agencies, which operate in major markets around the world, provide a comprehensive range of services including traditional media advertising; customer relationship management ("CRM"); public relations; and specialty communications.

Liberty Media Corp-Liberty Braves operates as a media company. The Company offers media, communications, and entertainment businesses. Liberty Media Corp-Liberty Braves conducts business in the United States.

Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. is a professional sports company that owns and operates sports franchises.

Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS US)

The New York Times Company operates media businesses.  The Company publishes daily newspapers and operates Internet websites.  The newspapers and websites distribute news and entertainment.

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. is an organization of advertising agencies and marketing service companies.  The Company operates globally in the sectors of advertising, independent media buying, direct marketing, healthcare communications, interactive consulting services, marketing research, promotions, experiential marketing, public relations, and sports marketing.

Liberty Global plc owns interests in broadband, distribution, and content companies operating outside the continental United States, principally in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

REA Group Limited provides online property listings, web development and internet related technology services to the real estate industry along with providing advertising services to Australian companies.  The Company also offers online real estate search services to the Australian public.

Publicis Groupe SA offers advertising services.  The Company develops advertising campaigns and sells advertising on billboards and urban furniture, in newspapers and magazines, on radio, and in movie theaters.  Publicis offers direct marketing, customer relationship marketing, sales promotion, public relations and human resources services, and operates retail drugstores.

Informa PLC provides business information on a worldwide basis.  The Company provides information in the finance and insurance, maritime transport and trade, law and tax, telecom and media, commodities and energy, and biomedical and pharmaceutical global markets.  Informa provides its information through newspapers, magazines, electronic media, books, and journals.

Pearson plc provides education products and services to institutions, governments and individual learners in over 80 countries. The Company's major revenue markets are North America, 'Core' including the UK, Italy and Australia and 'Growth' including Brazil, China and South Africa. It also owns the Financial Times, 50% of the Economist and 47% of Penguin Random House.

TOHO CO., LTD. produces and distributes motion pictures for cinema, television, and video.  The Company also sells character merchandise based on their media productions, distributes foreign films, operates musical theaters, and produces musical shows. In addition, Toho manages movie theaters in urban areas.

DENTSU INC. mainly provides comprehensive advertising services.  The Company also provides marketing and event planning & promotion services.  Dentsu has associated companies in the US, Europe, and Asia.

TOKYO BROADCASTING SYSTEM HOLDINGS, INC. is a media company that broadcasts television and radio programs nationally.  The Company offers a variety of TV programs & film production, visual & music software production, and cable television programming.  Tokyo Broadcasting System provides digital satellite broadcasting services and also operates real estate business.

Compagnie du Cambodge is an investment holding company that invests in companies active in agriculture, industry, real estate and finance.  The Company owns and operates plantations in Malaysia and forests in Cameroon.

JC Decaux SA offers advertising services.  The Company sells advertising on street furniture such as bus shelters, free standing panels, columns, and automatic toilets, billboards, and posters on buses, trains, and subways, and at railroad stations and airports.

CTS Eventim AG & Co. KGaA produces, sells, brokers and distributes entry tickets for concerts, theater productions, artistic, sporting and similar events. The Company operates an online booking system that allows event promoters to sell their tickets over a variety of distribution channels. CTS also sells tickets directly over the Internet and a call center and offers system support services.

Comcast Corporation provides media and television broadcasting services. The Company offers video streaming, television programming, high-speed internet, cable television, and communication services. Comcast serves customers worldwide.

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Comcast Corp Class A (CMCSA US)

TMT Weekly: 3 Things That Stood Out the Week of 6/25/2021

We think Intel's restructuring is a means of burying its coming market share loss driven margin declines, while Comcast rumors are nonsensical....

Aaron Gabin

Disney 1Q21: Is Streaming Enough to Support $200?

We move to the sidelines on Disney after being long for the past year. We think the stock has fully valued a streaming business that has a little...

Aaron Gabin

Netflix 4Q20: It’s a Free Cash Flow Machine!

Netflix posted an inline quarter, but the stock is up 14% on commentary about sustainability of FCF going forward. We don't advocate shorting NFLX...

Aaron Gabin

U.S. Elections: A Biden Win Is Looking More Likely

A Biden election win and presidency is looking more likely by the day. This Insight explains why, and what could change in the next week to alter...

Kyle Rudden

Netflix 3Q20: Still Chill?

We reiterate our view that Netflix will have a hard time making subscriber #s for the next few quarters due to the massive pull-in from 1H20. When...

Aaron Gabin

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