Aimia holders overreact

Article Excerpt

AIMIA INC. $3.06 (Toronto symbol AIM; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (514-897-6800; www.aimia.com; Shares o/s: 152.3 million; Market cap: $484.3 million; Dividend yield: 26.1%) is down 66% since Air Canada said it would launch its own loyalty program in 2020. This will replace its current program with Aimia. Air Canada, along other Star Alliance partners (United Airlines, Lufthansa and so on), is Aimia’s largest redemption partner at roughly 47%. However, even after 2020, Aeroplan members can still redeem their miles for Air Canada flights, although not Star Alliance partner flights. At the same time, Air Canada represents only about 11% of Aimia’s billings (Aeroplan miles earned through Air Canada flights). The loss of Air Canada is a major negative. But the effect on Aimia’s revenue and earnings appears to be less than the share price drop. Aimia is a hold, but only for highly aggressive investors. investors…