Shares of Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN), the largest operator of ski resorts, increased principally on news that Vail had entered into an agreement to acquire Whistler Blackcomb, a major Canadian ski resort operator. After this transaction closes, Vail will own several of the leading ski resorts in North America, including, of course, Vail, Beaver Creek, Park City, and now Whistler. The acquisition affords Vail not only greater scale to leverage its corporate infrastructure, but also the chance to expand its successful Epic Pass season ticket offering (which allows ticket holders to ski at all of the company’s resorts) to a larger group of skiers.
From Baron Funds' Barron Asset Fund third-quarter 2016 commentary.
