How is SF as a company?

I know no one want's to hear this question again, but how are they doing as a company? They put in additions the park's can't support (buying Seaworld which sits deserted, etc.) Businesswise, are they sound?
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CP! Still the coaster capital of the world in 2002!
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Ha! I didn't know we upgraded their status to "Company."

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Jes
Webmaster, Jes's Roller Coasters
"Thank You Jeff Putz" "My Fellow Americans, Lets Roll!"

They are no way close to sound. First of all, they have a huge debt. Their philosophy is to add new rides to boost income but it always ends them about where they started or maybe a tiny bit ahead. I guess some of you could consider that sound, but I consider being in debt constantly a little troublesome.

Not sure at all, but it may be a bit short-sighted to look at their current finances as indicative of their long-term goals.  Sure, SeaWorld OH may seem like a poor investment right now, but I think SF is looking more toward an attempt to monopolize the amusement industry.  Taking a bite (however small) out of CF and Paramount plays perfectly into what I believe to be a more long-range goal....don't want to say TOO much, I might get a "visit" during the middle of the night...j/k.
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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Welcome to CoasterBuzz.com aka RipOnSixFlags.com.  I find it interesting to note that even with the tragedy of Sept. 11th affecting park attendance and revenue Six Flags was still able to make a modst increase in revenue over LY(last year for you non-finanacial enthusiasts) was still encouraging--of course not what they were hoping, but what can you expect when the nation's biggest terror event in history happens.  As far as their debt, many companies have debt, debt does not automatically make a company bad.  It needs to be paid off obviously, and it is getting done.  And as far as all the coasters they built last year, it was for the 40th Anniversary of the Six Flags chain.  You should be happy they decided to celebrate the occasion with 18 new, and some first-of-a-kind coasters, and countless other rides and attractions.  Instead you criticize them for building too many rides.  Imagine that, enthusiasts complaining about too many rides, perhaps its because Cedar Fair didn't build them?  And I just read that analysts are saying Six Flags, Inc. is a stock to buy for 2002, so I'd say the people that actually know what they are talking about in the financial world think Six Flags is doing alright.

*** This post was edited by SFGRAMBoy20 on 1/6/2002. ***

All companies have debt, even Cedar Fair...just not to the extent that Six Flags does. Cedar Fair's stock is a better invetment than Six Flags' in my opinion...CF's stock (FUN) was even up quite a bit in the midst of the terrorists attacks.

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I like how CF people only read what they want to read.  Companies do not get "Buy" ratings from performing poorly, nor having the forecast to perform poorly.  But I'm glad in "your" opinion you think what you do.  I would definately take your opinion over a financial analyst.

*** This post was edited by SFGRAMBoy20 on 1/6/2002. ***

Ha ha SFGRAMBoy20....

Companies routinely go into debt in the short run if they can be okay in the long run.. it's not a big deal, you all act like SF is just doing everything at random with no plans in place.  SF is fine.

I'm hardly a Six Flags fan nor an I a financial genius. However I think the emphasis everyone on this board put on their finances is unfounded. The goal is clearly long term and in that sense I'm sure they're fine.

Check back in 5, 10 or 20 years and I think you'll see a very strong company doing very well. I wholeheartedly believe the old saying "You have to spend money to make money" and SF seems to follow that philosophy.

Ad to that the recent aquisitions and upgrades to those parks in the past few years and it does look like they're a mindless spending machine - but again, I believe the goals are long term. Sink a ton of money initially, sit on it making smart moves in the meanwhile and reap the rewards down the line. I imagine this is exactly how it'll all play out for them.

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www.coasterimage.com

Six Flags is a company? Interesting...
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I may have the inside info... but why be known to everyone.. Downplay it and call me, "The Outsider!" ;)

Debt doesn't make a company a bad one, really.  Look at the US.  We have trillions of dollars in debt, and you can even watch it rise at this site:  http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
Does that make the US a bad country?  Not at all.  We're the largest economic power in the world.  California alone is the fourth- or fifth-largest economic power in the world.  Six Flags has been around for over 40 years, and they (according to their website) already serve 80% of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the US.
Without Six Flags, we would have very few prototypes to ride on.  Who can honestly say that they hated riding Deja Vu, X, Batman: The Ride, Superman: The Escape, or any other of the Six Flags prototypes?  Only the non-enthusiasts.  They even took the Flying Dutchmans after Paramount didn't want them.  They're the entrepreneurs of the industry, and without them, we'd probably be about ten years behind where we are today.

*** This post was edited by Coastration on 1/6/2002. ***

What's up with the jokes about SF being a company? Yeah, really funny...

Very true... but when someone faints in a car, our government investigates.. and if someone faints at a six flags park..well.. it was your own fault..
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I may have the inside info... but why be known to everyone.. Downplay it and call me, "The Outsider!" ;)

"outsider", while I see your point comparing government investigations, comparing fainting in a car and fainting at a park are not good to compare considering if you faint in a car and are the driver, the outcome is usually much worse.

Debt is reality in this world. Alot of big name corporations aquire debt with the intent of paying it off down the line. SF is not different. I know all of us enthusiasts would be complaining if SF put their foot down and said, "Thats it, until we are completely out of the red, we will not install new rides"!

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""An hour wait for a 2 minute thrill. Yes, we need our heads examined""

Six Flags is fine. Debt is a part of doing business, especially when you grow a company that quickly through acquisition. As long as the overall cash flow is positive, they'll be fine.

Of course, Wall Street isn't running to them with open arms. I'm not analyst, but I assume it's because of their debt load. They're trading in the mid-teens now. Everyone took a hit after 9/11, but for whatever reason Six Flags and Disney haven't made the recovery, and even rebound, that Cedar Fair and Vivendi Universal have made.

I suppose the going theory is that if the economy gets worse, people won't go to theme parks, which spells trouble for a company with a huge debt load. I think that the opposite would be true for Six Flags because they have a good emphasis on regional attractions, where people will go if they can't travel.

Of course, if their reputation continues to crumble in certain markets like Cleveland, that's not going to help their cause.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

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SFGRAMBoy20 said:
Welcome to CoasterBuzz.com aka RipOnSixFlags.com.  I find it interesting to note that even with the tragedy of Sept. 11th affecting park attendance and revenue Six Flags was still able to make a modst increase in revenue over LY(last year for you non-finanacial enthusiasts) was still encouraging--of course not what they were hoping, but what can you expect when the nation's biggest terror event in history happens.  As far as their debt, many companies have debt, debt does not automatically make a company bad.  It needs to be paid off obviously, and it is getting done.  And as far as all the coasters they built last year, it was for the 40th Anniversary of the Six Flags chain. 
*** This post was edited by SFGRAMBoy20 on 1/6/2002. ***

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For a chain that added 18 coasters and took over several parks this year it is not very impressive that they showed a 'modest' increase in revenue.  Now, if it was a modest increase in net income, I would be very impressed, but as you seem to be a financial expert I doubt you would make that mistake.

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Ohio - Coaster capital of the world

Did they really "take over" several parks *this* year, or merely convert some that were already their's to begin with? The only *new* acquisition for *this* year that I can think of is the absorption of Sea World Ohio into SFWoA.
jeremy
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A Nigerian Muslim sharia court sentences a pregnant woman found guilty of adultery to be stoned to death, but only after she has finished weaning her baby.
This is known in some parts of the Muslim world as compassionate conservatism

I thought they bought La ronde(hope I spelled it right) last year also. I think they bought enchanted village also, they spent nearly $50 million for both park's.  I just looked them up both where bought in dec 2000, I guess they don't count since they where in 2000 and the seaworld buy was in 2001.
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Army Rangers lead the way

*** This post was edited by supermandl on 1/8/2002. ***