IFT - Infratil

[kura]

The warrants took a hit this morning, starting to look tempting @ 95 cents

[Toddy]

the positives from high oil prices for IFT

Petrol prices start to bite
24 May 2006
By TRACY WATKINS and MARTIN KAY

Record petrol prices are tipped to almost double the cost of keeping the average family car on the road to $103 a week.
More motorists are turning to public transport as petrol price rises start to bite, with bus and train operators reporting passenger numbers across the Wellington region up by at least 5 per cent.

The higher costs of running a car will put more pressure on public transport services: Wellington Regional Council figures show nine city routes – mostly from Karori, Khandallah and Island Bay – saw passenger numbers grow more than 10 per cent in the first three months of 2006.

Stagecoach executive chairman Ross Martin said the company was carrying 5 per cent more passengers than at the same time last year.

"Certainly, the buses have been very full in February, March and April. Obviously, the price of petrol's one of the issues . . . people are giving the bus a go, having a pleasant experience and sticking with it."

[Snow Leopard]

The old share seems a little out of favour at the moment. I am thinking top-up time, heads or warrants, either will do depending on the sell price .

[Toddy]

Common sense solution proposed by the Australian Department of Transport for Wellington Airport.

Could be a real goer, everyone would be a winner and it would allow Air/Quantas to go ahead with their plans.

Capital air route may get special treatment
25 May 2006
By ROELAND VAN DEN BERGH

Air New Zealand and Qantas could be forced to continue to compete on trans-Tasman flights out of Wellington even if a code-share agreement was approved, according to the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services.


Air New Zealand and Qantas have applied to authorities in both countries for permission to combine their trans-Tasman businesses in order to return the heavily loss-making route to profitability.

Opponents in Wellington fear the move will result in less competition, fewer services, and higher prices.

The code-share will give the airlines a near monopoly between Wellington and Australia. In Auckland and Christchurch the airlines compete against six other, mainly foreign carriers, across various routes.

Wellington is a separate market because the city's runway is too short to cater for the large planes used by foreign carriers. These carriers tack on a trip across the Tasman Sea to their Australian long haul services, the Department of Transport says in its submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

[Rif-Raf]

Good to see CFO buying in as a result of recent pullback.

[Toddy]

All of the right signals are coming out of the Auckland Public Transport 10 year plan too. Exciting times ahead.

What are the odds on IFT getting the right calls on:
1.AIR/Quantas code share for Wgtn Airport.
2.The purchase of the Mana Bus company.
3.Auckland Public Transport plan.

Time will tell.

[Toddy]

IFT has shown its hand on the price it considers good value to purchase shares back off the market for the benefit of shareholders.

$4 is the magic number

[Snow Leopard]

Previous share buyback transactions were at $3.65 last December and $3.70 at the beginning of March.
So far they have acquired approx 1.2m shares, or 0.5% of the available stock.

There seems to be a very considered approach to this buyback, buying only when the price is weak.
I was dubious when they announced this buyback but they have won me round.

[Snow Leopard]

Another 850,000 at $4 today.
They must be buying from some large holders, institutions, what Phaedrus would call the "smart money". It is certainly dinging the OBV.
Hum, I will think about this some more.

[Toddy]

Macquarie likes the bus business too.


Stagecoach, a U.K. bus and rail operator, jumped 3.7 percent to 111 pence. Macquarie has agreed to buy the company's London bus operation for 263.5 million pounds ($482 million) to expand in the U.K.