Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Could I request that you take a look at Groupe Aeroplan Inc.? Thank you very much.

Article Excerpt

Groupe Aeroplan Inc., $12.71, symbol AER on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 182.9 million; Market cap: $2.3 billion; www.groupeaeroplan.com), is the largest loyalty marketing company in Canada. Aeroplan has over four million active members. The company mainly makes its money by selling loyalty-marketing services to more than 70 partners, including credit- and charge-card companies, airlines and a variety of other businesses. Together, these partners operate more than 150 brands. Aeroplan gets the majority of its revenue from its credit- and charge-card company partners. The company’s members can redeem their Aeroplan Miles for air travel to more than 850 destinations worldwide, or a variety of other products and services. In 2010, Aeroplan’s revenue rose 42.9%, to $2.1 billion from $1.4 billion in 2009. The gain mainly came from Carlson Marketing, which Aeroplan bought in December 2009. Carlson helps its clients build brand loyalty by designing special events, such as launches for new products and customer conferences. Aeroplan paid $286.9 million for Carlson. If you exclude one-time costs,…