Genting Berhad (XKLX:3182, Financial) was one of the largest detractors for the year, declining 53%. Malaysia macro/FX was a big headwind, and the company’s development of its sizable oil and gas assets is likely to be delayed given the weakness in energy prices. The company’s Singapore duopoly casino, publicly listed Genting Singapore, is led by CEO Hee Teck Tan and was down after reporting four quarters of unusually poor hold (2.0%–2.5%) in its gaming business, as well as some equity investment write-downs. Since opening the casino, the cumulative win rate at Genting Singapore has been close to the theoretical average of 2.85%, and we believe win rates should normalize over time. In the quarter we added Genting Singapore in addition to our Genting Berhad position. The stock’s deep discount was largely due to a slowdown in Chinese VIP visitors as a result of the Chinese anti-corruption campaign. Genting’s core mass market business has been steady and more than justifies our appraisal. The duopoly position in the stable Singapore jurisdiction represents a significant sustainable competitive advantage. The simple P/E multiple misses the sizable cash and investment portfolio on the balance sheet and minimal maintenance capex requirement (capex is much lower than depreciation). The company engaged in a value-accretive share buyback in recent months.
From Longleaf Partners' International Fund commentary on the fourth quarter 2015.
