The Motley Fool crew is no ship of fools. We're putting Mom first, and so should you. Check out all of the Fool's Mother's Day articles.
I consider myself the unofficial "Vice" Fool, as I cover the gaming industry, among others. It's my distinct honor, then, to talk about a few of those stocks that Mom may or may not approve of. Mind you, I'm not talking about businesses with dirty management or companies that could never make money; I'm talking about cash-generating businesses that appeal to adults in search of a little fun.
Let's sort through a few of the "sin" businesses and -- in honor of Mother's Day -- see if your Mom or mine would approve of such investments.
Sex
Companies such as Playboy Enterprises (NYSE:PLA) and strip club operator VCG Holdings (AMEX:PTT) come across as potential candidates. VCG owns and operates a range of strip clubs around the country under a few key brands -- such as the upscale Penthouse brand and the more pedestrian P.T.'s brand -- including a handful of clubs in both the St. Louis and Denver markets. The stock has been on a tear, just about quadrupling over the past year or so. The problem is that my Mom would definitely say, "No."
Tobacco
The obvious name that comes to mind is Altria Group (NYSE:MO), which is a leading global manufacturer of cigarettes and other tobacco products, which include the Marlboro brand. However, cigarettes are a little too much "sin" for my tastes (and my Mom's).
Booze
Now we're talking. Motley Fool Inside Value pick Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) dominates the U.S. domestic beer market with roughly 50% market share. The company's scale and unrivaled U.S. distribution system represent significant long-term competitive advantages and make the company an ideal partner for premium imported beers. Meanwhile, the company's international business -- including investments in Mexico and China -- continues to boost growth. The company also does nothing but make money and buy back shares.
Another option is Motley Fool Income Investor pick Diageo (NYSE:DEO), which is the world's largest supplier of premium liquors. The company owns 17 of the top 100 brands of premium spirits. The company's brands include Smirnoff vodka, Bailey's Irish Cream, Jose Cuervo tequila, and Guiness beer. For more on Diageo, check out fellow Fool Will Frankenhoff's recent article Diageo: Drinking in the Profits.
Gambling
The casino business is one of the hottest around. While the Las Vegas Strip continues to grow in popularity, gambling's Mecca has a new rival in China's Macau, located near Hong Kong. Last year, Macau surpassed the Las Vegas Strip as the world's largest gaming market, with $6.8 billion in gaming revenues, compared to $6.7 billion in gaming revenues for the Strip. Meanwhile, gaming capacity will nearly triple to over 60,000 gaming positions by the end of 2008. As a result, visitation is expected to nearly double to about 42 million visitors by 2010.
Melco PBL (NASDAQ:MPEL) officially opens its six-star Crown Macau this week. Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) opens the massive Venetian Macao late this summer, which will cater to the mass-market gambler. Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) will complete an expansion of the Wynn Macau in the third quarter, while Las Vegas Strip giant MGM Mirage (NYSE:MGM) opens its jointly owned MGM Grand Macau later this year.
While my mother doesn't gamble, she does read the Chinese newspapers, and as such, she's constantly reading about the new casinos in Macau. As you can imagine, it didn't take much to get her excited about a few of these companies.
So my Mom might approve of some "sin" stocks, but there are investments out there that are more up Mom's alley. For more stock ideas, check out the rest of our Mother's Day series.
More sin stock Foolishness:
- Diageo: Drinking in the Profits
- The Ultimate Rule Maker: MGM Mirage
- Gaming Roundup: LVS, MGM Disappoint
- Gaming Roundup: Macau Continues to Roll
Anheuser-Busch is a Motley Fool Inside Value recommendation. Diageo is a Motley Fool Income Investor recommendation. Playboy is a Rule Breakers recommendation. Try any one of our investing services free for 30 days.
Fool contributor Jeff Hwang owns shares of Anheuser-Busch and Melco PBL. The Fool has a disclosure policy.
