The Checkup

Last July, Joshua Duitz, portfolio manager at Alpine Global Infrastructure (AIFRX), recommended three companies to endure an uncertain economic environment. We recently spoke with Duitz to learn how his recommendations fared.

CCR (Brazil: CCRO3), Brazil’s largest toll-road operator, reported a 5.1 percent increase in consolidated traffic during the first quarter. Although sales only rose 1 percent from a year ago to $1.2 billion, the company was able to grow earnings 55 percent to $163.4 million due to a reduction in operating expenses. Shares of CCR are up 41.2 percent since recommendation.

Mexican firm Empresas ICA (NYSE: ICA) builds and operates road concessions, such as bridges and highways. The firm’s firstquarter revenue grew 31.1 percent from the prior-year period to $928 million, while profit jumped 160.6 percent to $64 million. In May, Empresas signed a seven-year, $2.9 billion agreement to upgrade and maintain highways in the Mexican state of Sonora.

Although its share price has dropped 35 percent since recommendation, Duitz still believes in the firm’s ability to grow its free cash flow, as evidenced by the fact that—at 2.3 percent of assets— Empresas currently is the largest holding in the fund’s portfolio.

Koninklijke Vopak (Netherlands: VPK) provides bulk liquid storage for the oil and chemicals industries. In 2011, the company’s operating cash flow increased 5.5 percent from the previous year to EUR406 million. Duitz expects Vopak to generate stable earnings growth of 10 percent annually over the next few years. Shares of Vopak have climbed 37.7 percent since recommendation.

 

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