are staying home <\/a>and per-player spending figures are down, leaving Macau’s rebound aspirations vulnerable to volatility in mass market spending trends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cWhile mass visitation and GGR trends have been improving, there isn\u2019t enough mass volume at this point to really matter,\u201d said Stifel analyst Steven Wieczynski in a note. \u201cNobody knows when the VIP\/premium mass trends will reverse course. But until that happens, we expect the market to remain depressed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHe agrees with the Bernstein assessment that Golden Week is likely to be calm while noting that it could take another two to four months before Macau GGR markedly turns for the better.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s still anybody\u2019s guess as to what the next few months of GGR will look like. While the casinos are operational and visitation is improving, we believe play levels will remain depressed for the foreseeable future,\u201d <\/span><\/strong>the Stifel analyst said.<\/span><\/p>\nGetting Better, But Room to Improve <\/span><\/h2>\nThe bottom line for Macau’s still-depressed gaming industry is that October should be less bad than the prior six months. Bernstein is forecasting a year-over-year GGR decline of 70 percent, which is dreadful, but significantly less than the drops in the second and third quarters.<\/span><\/p>\nFor investors looking for action on the region’s recovery, Wieczynski recommends Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS), the largest Macau operator, and one that’s more levered to mass market than VIP trends.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWe believe LVS\u2019 unrivaled scale and investments for the future position its Macau business to remain a leader in the world\u2019s premiere gaming market for the foreseeable future,\u201d said the analyst. \u201cAdditionally, the company\u2019s impeccable balance sheet not only adds a level of safety and security to the story but also favorably positions the company to successfully pursue any global integrated resort development opportunities of size that come along in the future, in our view.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This could finally be the month Macau visitation numbers and gross gaming revenue (GGR) markedly turn for the better, according to industry analysts. But the world’s largest casino center still faces challenges. On Thursday, the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau said September GGR slumped 90 percent on a year-over-year basis, extending a string of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":150928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69069,62],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Macau Travel Numbers Improving this Month, Say Analysts - Casino.org<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n