Hold off on these two until lockdowns ease

Article Excerpt

In April 2020, the old Madison Square Garden separated its entertainment group from its sports franchises. Shareholders received one share of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. as a tax-free distribution for each share they held. The remaining firm then became Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. The Dolan family, through its ownership of Class B shares, retains 70% voting power and control of both companies. We think the spinoff, which was in the works for the past two years, was a good idea as it will let both businesses focus on their separate strategies. That should help unlock investor value in the long run. Right now, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced most sports leagues and entertainment venues to temporarily shut down. While they should slowly reopen later this year as more states and countries relax their stay-at-home orders, it’s likely that ongoing social distancing rules will limit ticket sales for the first few months. Arena and theatre operators will also have to spend more to…