My Favorite “Irreplaceable Asset” Stock to Own
What if I offered you a gift that would pay you $1,500 a year for the rest of your life? Would you accept my gift?
Of course you would.
Yet many investors miss out on “gifts” from the stock market. You see, a $50,000 stock portfolio with an average yield of 3% would produce $1,500 a year just in dividends.
To supercharge this dividend gift, I look for dividend-paying stocks that have a combination growth and income.#-ad_banner-#
And today, there’s no better place to find dividend-paying stocks with strong growth prospects than in the infrastructure sector.
Companies dedicated to infrastructure tend to deliver stable and predictable returns through dividends and capital gains in the long run. Infrastructure encompasses essential, irreplaceable assets and services the global society needs to function properly. Imagine living without properly-functioning bridges, ports, airports, roads, water supply, sewers, electrical grids and many other important assets.
Unimaginable, right?
And among all those segments, one of my favorite areas of interest is airports. Airports can be a very profitable business because they are essentially the toll roads of global travel. Beyond air transportation, airports have become a center point of commerce, offering a variety of restaurants and businesses. Once travelers check their bags, they often wait hours before boarding a plane. This means plenty of time for eating, drinking and shopping. And because airports receive a portion of each dollar spent there, their malls can be one of the most profitable in the world. These malls often collect parking fees, departure charges and a slew of other fees.
[See also, “The Best Stock to Profit from Obama’s $50 Billion Infrastructure Investment“]
With this in mind, I recently came across an attractive stock — Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (NYSE: PAC). The company was constituted as part of the process of opening the Mexican airport system to the private investment. Though it only yields about 1.3%, the stock has steadily risen 80% in the past five years.
Making this investment idea even more attractive is the fact that President Barack Obama recently announced his plans to invest $50 billion to upgrade the country’s aging infrastructure. An investment this size would mean huge growth opportunities for companies that operate in the sector.
One look at the chart and you can see why this stock could be a great addition to a defensive portfolio…
What makes Grupo Aeroportuario appealing is that it doesn’t face any competition in its region, where it operates 12 airports.
One of the key diversifiers for the company has been the fact that even its largest airport accounts for only about one-third of its total traffic. This is important because it minimizes its dependence on any individual airport.
Grupo Aeroportuario took advantage of the economic downturn by becoming more efficient and reducing its cost structure. In addition, the company focused on higher-margin services that are not regulated by the Mexican government — services such as parking and retail leases, which are extremely profitable. Revenue from these unregulated commercial sources has grown from 17% in 2004 to more than 21% today. Most impressively, about 30% of this revenue is turned into free cash flow.
In 2012, Grupo Aeroportuario reported strong traffic growth of 9.7% and is projected to maintain 9-10% growth in 2013. Its aeronautical revenue is expected to increase 6-7% this year, while commercial sales are projected to reach 10.5-13.5% growth. Total revenue is expected to rise 7-8.5% this year. EBITDA margins are expected to range from 66.5-67.5%, an increase of 12-14% from 2012.
The company’s long-term contracts, high profit margins and low competition make this a stock worth owning.
Risks to Consider: Rising fuel costs could impair financial results as customers experience route cancellations, fewer passengers and more financial receivable losses. Several low-cost airlines went bankrupt during the last fuel-price spike and global recession.
Additionally, unpredictable foreign exchange changes affect nearly 30% of commercial revenue and this is a pretty big risk, as all of the international passenger charges could negatively affect operating performance. The Mexican government also has the ability to confiscate airport concessions, providing political instability.
Action to Take –> This is a stock investors could buy now and hold forever. It’s a great investment for investors who are looking to build a defensive portfolio. Buy Grupo Aeroportuario up to $65 a share.
The company has delivered an annualized return of 10% during the past five years and could hit $75 a share within the next 12 months, all while paying a 1.3% dividend along the way. Considering its yield and growth prospects, investors could receive an annual “gift” of up to $750 for every 100 shares held.