Broker ups Cineworld forecasts after Hobbit and Skyfall wow fans
10:46 am by Jamie NimmoAn impressive line-up of movies hitting UK screens recently, including Skyfall and The Hobbit, helped fill cinema seats

An impressive line-up of movies hitting UK screens recently, including Skyfall and The Hobbit, helped fill cinema seats
Canaccord Genuity urged investors to tune into Cineworld (LON:CINE) ahead of the cinema operator’s update next Tuesday.
Wayne Brown, a tipster at Canaccord, believes the update will confirm his confidence that the group will meet, if not exceed, his full-year forecasts, thanks largely to an impressive line-up of movies hitting UK screens recently, including Skyfall and The Hobbit.
He also upgrades his earnings forecasts for 2013 in the wake of the acquisition of indie operator Picturehouse.
The analyst now believes earnings per share will come in at 22.6p, a 7% increase on his previous estimate.
“The acquisition of Picturehouse not only provides an additional brand by which it can target city based locations but it diversifies the group’s revenues away from blockbuster films providing a greater degree of revenue visibility,” he said.
“By keeping the management of Picturehouse within the group, it broadens the retail skill set within Cineworld which should prove useful as the group explores innovative ways by which to improve its wider retail offer as part of its enhanced customer service programme.”
Brown keeps his ‘buy’ rating and 350p target price against the current price of 263p, adding that the film slate looks strong next year with a wider range to drive margins