Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (WOLF)

brianpivar (97.70) Submitted: 10/30/2009 2:52:42 AM : Start Price: $3.42 WOLF Score: +30.85

terrible fundamentals:
2008 eps: -.11
2009 eps: -.59
2010 eps: -.65
Its is actually losing more and more money year over year. It's not rocket science that eventually this stock is going to have to go down, considering its up 100% on the year.

UniMate (< 20) Submitted: 8/11/2008 12:22:24 PM : Start Price: $5.55 WOLF Score: -41.74

Short term I will go on this.

Best perform 1-week

joelochi (< 20) Submitted: 6/9/2008 5:09:35 PM : Start Price: $6.13 WOLF Score: -43.46

Summertime people!

likesmoney (< 20) Submitted: 5/31/2008 7:44:16 PM : Start Price: $6.94 WOLF Score: -45.67

My family recently returned from a trip to Niagara Falls. While up there, we heard of a terrific family themed indoor warterpark resort. While we didn’t stay there, we did make a visit and now are planning to make a trip back to stay there. After returning home, we discovered a lot of people who has stayed and are planning on returning. So naturally, I thought this could be a good investment opportunity.

Great Wolf Resorts believes that recent vacation trends favor drive-to family entertainment resorts featuring indoor waterparks, as the number of families choosing to take shorter, more frequent vacations they can drive to has increased in recent years. And based on the price of gas, it looks like these trends will continue. Great Wolf is positioned to be less-affected by changes in economic cycles, as drive-to destinations are generally less expensive and more convenient than destinations that require air travel.

Their primary internal growth strategies are to: maximize total resort revenue; minimize costs by leveraging their economies of scale; and build upon their existing brand awareness and loyalty in order to compete more effectively.
Their primary external growth strategies are to: capitalize on their first-mover advantage by being the first to develop and operate family entertainment resorts featuring indoor waterparks in selected target markets; focus on development and strategic growth opportunities by seeking to develop additional resorts and target selected licensing and joint venture opportunities; and continue to innovate by leveraging their in-house expertise, in conjunction with the knowledge and experience of selected third-party suppliers and designers.
These external growth strategies are based primarily on developing additional indoor waterpark resorts either alone or in conjunction with joint venture partners, or by licensing.

And their strategy appears to be working. Over the last three years revenue has grown by 136%. Last year they were up 28.8 % and they are off to the races this year beating first quarter projections. Over the last year there has been a lot of insider buying, and no sales of stock. The company has been traded publicly for three years now. They always had a good strategy, they just need to develop enough resorts to benefit from economies of scale. I think that they have reached that point and believe that their stock bottomed out in April and now it is positioned to take off.

In summary: they have a novel idea of indoor family themed waterpark, located in targeted markets capitalizing on location, the trend of shorter more frequent family vacations while providing a truly memorable one-stop family vacation. Think of having a local Disney Resort and you just explained Great Wolf.

TheRupturedDuck (98.32) Submitted: 4/16/2008 10:36:13 PM : Start Price: $6.43 WOLF Score: +45.02

From my short ideas/valuation screen

bitwrite (< 20) Submitted: 3/19/2008 3:12:51 AM : Start Price: $7.00 WOLF Score: -49.84

I feel that if this company continues to expand in key markets and can keep their expenses in check their revenue stream will grow.

abacusdude (91.87) Submitted: 2/8/2008 12:03:21 PM : Start Price: $8.35 WOLF Score: -54.93

good buying point

breaktrack (73.97) Submitted: 9/28/2007 10:18:10 PM : Start Price: $12.37 WOLF Score: +55.26

It will take awhile for the concept of this company to catch on. They will not show much profit for some time as they are putting everything they have in to capital expenditures. I think that people may find this an alternative to the long drive/flight to Florida for swimming in the winter. Look for Disney to buy them out!

chuckwagon44 (29.27) Submitted: 3/2/2007 11:49:44 AM : Start Price: $13.53 WOLF Score: -64.66

Company is improving REVPAR and gradually strengthening it's position. Each new location opened should add approximately $1.00 per share in value.

NetscribeServcs (< 20) Submitted: 1/24/2007 1:37:52 AM : Start Price: $14.20 WOLF Score: -63.95

Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company, involved in owning, operating and developing family resorts that provides a high quality vacation and entertainment, through its indoor waterparks, at affordable prices. Its resorts are branded under Great Wolf Lodge and Blue Harbor Resort names, with each one featuring a combination of restaurants, ice cream shop, confectionery, full-service spa, game arcade, gift shop and meeting space. Currently it owns nine resorts, which are spread all over US, with two resorts being under construction.

Only a few water parks are opening in 2007 and Great Wolf with a first mover advantage is expected to garner the increasing demand for family oriented leisure activities. The growing portfolio of hotels has made its business model justifiable, by enabling management to pursue high profile locations. The agreement with MagiQuest, a live-action adventure game at the resort, gives the company exclusive use of the popular family oriented high tech and high concept entertainment. This kind of value added amenity couldn’t be replicated by its competing waterparks.

The company has recently opened up a new resort at Manson, Ohio, which has a conference facility. The revenue flow from this conference facility will be seen in second half of 2007. Its forthcoming resorts, one in Grand Mound in Washington, which is likely to open in early 2008 and the other Grapevine at Texas, opening in late 2007, will provide the company with adequate opportunities to nurture.

Strategically moving, the company plans to add more food and beverage offerings in its new resorts to capture a larger share of revenue from them. Increasing brand awareness and having current pipeline of projects in high barrier markets is expected to a serve as a positive catalyst for this stock

STAINEDGLASSER (96.33) Submitted: 10/5/2006 1:08:21 PM : Start Price: $11.95 WOLF Score: -65.64

Its fall, in another month or so EVERYONE will be going to indoor water parks!

HiddenGems07 (< 20) Submitted: 8/25/2006 7:57:33 PM : Start Price: $12.00 WOLF Score: -69.51

They are the brand leader, have a proven model and they will continue to open new facilities