A few of our holdings struggled in the third quarter. Gaming equipment specialist International Game Technology (IGT) slipped –3.46% due to a disappointing earnings report. Although revenues exceeded expectations by a solid margin, EPS of $0.30 fell short of the consensus $0.34 figure. The environment was more competitive than expected, leading to fewer of IGT’s games on the floor, as well as a corresponding decline in overall play. Still, the company is allocating capital smartly. It announced a $200 million share repurchase plan, which would retire roughly 4% of the shares outstanding. We continue to think that although gaming has been softer than expected in the ongoing recovery, eventually it will pick up.
From John Rogers (Trades, Portfolio)' Ariel Investments fourth quarter 2013 commentary.
