Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What do you think about CHC Helicopters Group? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

CHC Helicopters Group, $22.67, symbol CHL.A on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 12.6 million; Market cap: $288.3 million; www.chc.ca), provides helicopter transportation services to clients in a broad range of industries, including infrastructure, utilities, oil and gas, mining, forestry, construction and emergency medical services. The company also provides military support in Afghanistan. CHC has a fleet of 94 light-duty and 28 medium- to heavy-duty helicopters that operate from 35 bases across Canada and two in Afghanistan. CHC also repairs and maintains helicopters in Canada and the U.S., and operates two flight schools in Canada. The company has nearly 1,000 active customers. However, its two largest customers accounted for 53.5% of its revenue in 2010. Ornge, which transports patients to hospitals in Ontario, supplied 19.5% of CHC’s revenue. The U.S. military, which uses CHC’s helicopters for supply and transport in Afghanistan, accounted for 34%. That concentration of business in just two customers is a significant risk factor. The company converted from an income trust on December…