Vs.

Who’s your best bet?

Analysts: Jason Lee

Garn Lertburapa

Chad Thompson

Gigi Yung

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Index

Topic Page

Investment Summary and Recommendations 2

Business and Segment Analysis 3

MGM Mirage Industry and Competition Analysis (SWOT) 4

Harrah’s Industry and Competition Analysis (SWOT) 6

Macroeconomic Analysis 7

Financial Analysis 9

MGM Mirage Technical Analysis 11

Harrah’s Technical Analysis 13

MGM Mirage Mergers and Acquisitions 13

MGM Mirage 1st Quarter 2005 Earnings 15

MGM Mirage Awards and Recognitions 15

Harrah’s Mergers and Acquisitions 16

Harrah’s 1st Quarter 2005 Earnings 17

Harrah’s Awards and Recognitions 17

Works Cited 18

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Investment Summary and Recommendations

MGM Mirage started on January 29, 1986. It is a gaming company that manages

other casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of the popular attractions that MGM Mirage

owns are Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Mirage, Treasure Island (TI), New

York-New York Hotel and Casino, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, and the Boardwalk

Hotel and Casino. The Company's other Nevada resorts are Primm Valley Resorts and

the golf resorts, Shadow Creek and Primm Valley Golf Club. Until July 2004, the

Company owned and operated MGM Grand Australia.

As you can see MGM Mirage is a well established company which does not only

rely on gambling as its main source of revenue. The company has reached to outside

resources such as hotel room, golf courses, night clubs, restaurants, and real estate to

increase its revenue.

Harrah’s casino started on November 2, 1989 and now owns 28 casinos in the US.

This casino-entertainment facilities operate primarily under the Harrah's, Rio, Showboat,

Horseshoe and Harveys brand names, and include 11 land-based casinos, 11 riverboat or

dockside casinos, four casinos on Indian reservations, a combination greyhound-racing

facility and casino, and a combination thoroughbred racetrack and casino. On July 1,

2004, the Company completed the acquisition of Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corp. In

connection with this acquisition, it also acquired the rights to the Horseshoe brand in the

United States, including rights to the World Series of Poker brand and tournament.

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As you can see both MGM Mirage and Harrah’s casino have two similar but

different approaches to survive in this competitive industry. Both companies have

succeeded in the industry and are creating new ways to market themselves.

The Recommendations for this company is pretty plain in its explanation. Our team

suggested that the stock is a seasonal stock. A seasonal stock is one that increases and

decreases during certain periods during the year. MGM Mirage and Harrah’s casino are

both buy before winter time because the stock will rise when it gets colder. Then sell just

before summer because the stock will decrease as it gets warmer. Historically, people

tend to travel more to Las Vegas during the winter time because it is warmer there.

During the summer people did not seem to travel to Las Vegas as much because it is a lot

hotter than normal.

Business and Segment Analysis

MGM Mirage is a gaming company that is taking this industry to new levels of

competition. With the acquisition of the Mandalay Resort Group, MGM casinos will be

able increase greatly in size. The company also has locations in Detroit, Michigan, the

MGM Grand Detroit, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and in Mississippi. The company plans

to open more casinos through out the US. Harrah’s casino has 28 locations from where

they operate and provide the best entertainment money can offer. After obtaining the

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right to the World Series Poker Tournament, it has brought the company a lot of

publicity. For both companies competition is very difficult and improvements are always

something to keep in mind. MGM Mirage and Harrah’s casino have similar strategies to

compete and survive within the industry but yet they differ in some areas. MGM Mirage

is looking to expand and grow to increase their revenues. Harrah’s casino looks more

towards the advertisement and entertainment side with their televised poker tournaments.

Moreover, the two companies have developed locations in the US but have not really

touch the international side of business. To go globally would probably be both

companies’ dreams to raise the bar in the casino industry.

Industry and Competitiveness Analysis

SWOT MGM Mirage

Strength:

♦ The Company's operations consist of 12 wholly owned casino resorts and 50%

investments in two other casino resorts

♦ MGM generates a majority of its net revenues and operating income from the

Las Vegas Strip resorts

♦ PLAYMGMMIRAGE.com, an online gaming Website

♦ The machines are outfitted to dispense and accept paper vouchers in addition

to coins, which reduces labor costs and boosts revenue as players are able to

gamble more rapidly without inserting money

Weakness:

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♦ First-quarter profit fell at MGM MIRAGE, in part due to lower casino

revenue as the company failed to win as much from gamblers at the tables

than expected

♦ Needs upgrade of existing Bellagio rooms that include adding marble

entryways, new bathrooms, Internet access and flat-screen televisions

♦ Located next to other casinos

Opportunities:

♦ Employees about 33,000 workers

♦ Internet gambling

♦ MGM MIRAGE and Mandalay Resort Group anticipates the merger will be

completed in the second quarter of 2005

Threats:

♦ Caesars Entertainment Inc, Harrah's Entertainment Inc, Mandalay Resort

Group, Stanley Leisure PLC Company, Boyd Gaming Corp, New York State

Lottery Company

♦ Shares of Harrah's, which is acquiring Caesars Entertainment Inc. to become

the world's largest casino operator, led the rally, rising 8.9 percent in midday

trading

♦ While the Iraq war and the Asian virus known as Severe Acute Respiratory

Syndrome have made some tourists reluctant to travel, company executives

today blamed the economy for business levels that haven't yet recovered or

remain fairly flat with activity before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

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SWOT HET Harrah’s Casino

Strength:

♦ Harrah's Operating Company, Inc., owns or manages 28 casinos in the United

States

♦ Its casino-entertainment facilities operate primarily under the Harrah's, Rio,

Showboat, Horseshoe and Harveys brand names, and include 11 land-based

casinos, 11 riverboat or dockside casinos, four casinos on Indian reservations,

a combination greyhound-racing facility and casino, and a combination

thoroughbred racetrack and casino

♦ They acquired the rights to the Horseshoe brand in the United States,

including rights to the World Series of Poker brand and tournament

Weakness:

♦ No online gambling

♦ Only 2 casinos in desert gambling city

♦ Since there is more competition Harrah’s Casino will have to developed new

marketing plans to stimulate the retail segment of our businesses

♦ More differentiation

Opportunities:

♦ Shares of Harrah's, the No. 2 casino operator which last week agreed to buy

its bigger rival Caesars Entertainment Inc. for $5 billion

♦ Employees about 46,600

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Threats:

♦ Caesars Entertainment Inc, MGM Mirage Inc, Mandalay Resort Group,

Stanley Leisure PLC Company, Boyd Gaming Corp, New York State Lottery

Company

♦ MGM Mirage purchasing Mandalay Resort Group

Macroeconomic Analysis

In the graph MGM Mirage follows a similar pattern as the industries. This means

that the company is cyclical to that of the industry. In addition, MGM Mirage is very

volatile because as the industry shows a decline, MGM show a greater decrease.

Second is the graph of Harrah’s casino which is similar to MGM Mirage. Again,

Harrah’s is cyclical to the industry and shows that it too is following the same pattern as

the industry. Moreover, the company is just as volatile because with every increase,

Harrah’s shows a greater increase.

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There are many economic factors that can affect the industry and company, such

as GDP, inertest rates, mortgage rates, inflation rates, unemployment rates, currency

rates, and energy rates. Many people think that just because interest rates go up it will

affect the casino and gambling industry. This is true that interest rates can affect the way

people spend their money but to a certain extent. When interest rates rise, society thinks

that the casino industry will go down because people will not be able to spend it on

leisure time. Then again, when interest rates increase it can also mean that society is

growing stronger and people are making more money, thus, will be able to spend more on

traveling to Las Vegas. Mortgage rates are similar to that of interest rates, when the rates

go up then people might not be able to spend it on other activities. Inflation rates and

unemployment rates can closely tie together because if you do not have money then

spending it would be impossible. Energy is an important and major factor that can affect

companies in the casino and gambling industry. Places like Las Vegas, are very hot,

thus, a lot of energy is required to keep the town at people’s satisfaction. Almost all

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casinos will have to use air conditioning to keep their customers happy and wanting to

return because of the service.

Financial Analysis

HET MGG Industry Sector S&P 500 P/E Ratio 22.95 31.74 26.7 28.21 22.06Quick Ratio 0.88 0.69 1.38 0.87 1.21Current Ratio 1.04 0.89 1.68 1.42 1.71Beta 0.41 0.71 0.69 1.01 1Operating Margin 17.39 22.4 27.2 13.62 21.97Net Profit Margin (To Date) 7.43 8.09 15.38 8.21 14.03Net Profit Margin (5 yrs) 5.76 6.33 7.13 7.3 11.44Return on Assets 4.47 3.17 6.14 6.04 7.63Return on Investments 4.95 3.43 6.91 8.45 11.4Return on Equity 17.08 13.14 26.3 13.37 20Asset Turnover 0.6 0.39 0.5 1.11 0.96Total Debt to Equity (MRQ) 2.53 1.97 2.1 0.91 0.76Gross Margin 44.43 44.57 50.42 42.86 46.19

The chart above presents a comparison of our two companies with the industry,

sector, and S&P 500. The information above show how these companies compare with

the current industry and if the company is well off or declining. Starting from the P/E

ratio, a high P/E means high projected earnings in the future. However, the P/E ratio

actually doesn't tell us a whole lot by itself. This ratio however is usually used to

compare the company with industry, and from the looks of it, Harrah’s is under the

industry, and sector while MGM is well above the industry, sector, and S&P. Another

important ratio that is used for comparative companies is the current ratio. After dividing

current assets and current liabilities, you check if a ratio is high because the higher of the

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ratio, the more liquid the company is. The current ratios from both companies show that

they cannot turn assets in cash as fast as the industry, sector, or S&P.

Another item that is used to compare companies is the beta. Beta is a measure of

a security's or portfolio's volatility. MGM and Harrah’s betas are both below the S&P

which shows that both of these companies are less volatile. Total debt to equity ratio is

ratio that also can calculate volatility in a way. The debt to equity ratio is liabilities

divided by shareholders’ equity. The higher of the ratio, the more volatile the stock is

because the company’s debt has increased which would result in volatility and a higher

beta. Both MGM and HET have debt to equity ratios that are higher than the S&P. This

draws a concern because when this is number is high; debt is high so both companies are

having debt management problems. A possible reason why there debt is high is that the

current ratios are both low. When the companies cannot convert their assets in to cash

fast, then it is hard for both companies to pay off the debt.

A useful indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total asset is the

return on assets. Calculated by dividing a company's annual earnings by its total assets,

this tells you what earnings were generated from invested capital. So far the companies

are both under the industry, sector, and S&P. The companies need to find a way to

increase their net income to increase their earnings. The return of investment is both low

compared to the industry, sector, and S&P. There is a profit coming form both

companies, however it could use some improvement. Finally return on equity is an

instrument that can be useful in making a decision. This shows how profitable a

company can be and from the look of it, both companies are profitable but not as

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profitable as the S&P. Increasing the net income will significantly help increase the

ROA, ROI, and ROE, which would make a stock more valuable.

Technical Analysis

MGM Mirage (MGG) – Bollinger Bands

MGM Mirage (MGG) – Historical Prices

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MGM Technical Analysis

The graphs above show the Bollinger Bands and the Historical prices of MGM.

Bollinger bands are a good indicator on when to buy and sell a stock. When a stock price

crosses the security lines when the security line is at a low point, the stock price tends to

rise and in this case, MGM Mirage stock is on the rise because the stock price crosses the

security line at a low point at around December 2004. Near the end of the March the

stock price is peaking at a point and the price will gradually drop due to the fact that the

gambling industry is a seasonal industry and it peaked at December. As you can see in

the historical price, the stock price is starting to level off and it is getting ready to drop. A

recommendation for this stock is to buy the beginning of August, and sell at around

January.

Harrah’s Entertainment (HET) – Bollinger Bands

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Harrah’s Technical Analysis

Harrah’s is in a similar boat with MGM Mirage because of the seasonal industry.

There is an interesting trend with Harrah’s Bollinger Bands. From the seeing the bands,

the stock price is consistently staying between the two security lines. This shows that the

stock has been consistent with the current market outlook. However, similar to MGM

Mirage, the gambling industry is seasonally so by January, the stock price will gradually

go down so I recommend doing the same as you did with MGM Mirage, buy at end of

August and sell at January.

MGM Company News

Mergers & Acquisitions:

In recent months MGM Mirage has agreed to acquire Mandalay Resort Group for

an estimated $7.9 billion, including equity value of approximately $4.8 billion, $600

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million of convertible debentures and the assumption of approximately $2.5 billion in

outstanding Mandalay debt. This acquisition was approved by the stockholders of

Mandalay in December of last year, and still has to be approved by many gaming

commission offices in the states that the new company will have casinos. The merger

remains subject to customary closing conditions and successful completion of the

approval process in Illinois and Michigan. MGM Mirage anticipates the merger will be

completed in the second quarter of 2005. Each of these offices is expected to approve the

merger without hesitations.

The combination will bring together two leading gaming resort operators to form

a highly diversified hospitality company with an estimated 70,000 employees, appealing

to a broad spectrum of the leisure and business travel and event markets. Following the

acquisition, MGM MIRAGE will own and operate 28 properties throughout Nevada,

Mississippi, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey. The combined company will have an

asset portfolio that includes Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Mirage, Treasure

Island, Monte Carlo, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York New York, and Circus

Circus, which are all huge resort-casino complexes on the Las Vegas strip. These

properties cater to a broad customer base, ranging from value-oriented to ultra high-end

and chic, and each provides a unique customer experience.

Following completion of the transaction, MGM MIRAGE will also own the fifth

largest convention center in the U.S., providing the opportunity to further develop Las

Vegas as a significant convention alternative for consumers.

The company, still to be called MGM Mirage, will own approximately 85% of the

Las Vegas strip, forcing other companies located in Las Vegas and through out the

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United States and the world to become much more competitive and even perhaps go

through some major transformations to catch up with the increasing elegance and success

of the properties owned by MGM Mirage.

First Quarter 2005 earnings:

MGM Mirage reported its First Quarter 2005 earnings on April, 19th 2005. Some

of the highlights include; Generated net revenues of $1.2 billion, up 13% from 2004,

operating income of $293 million was up 15% over 2004; The addition of the Spa Tower

at Bellagio propelled that resort to an all-time record quarterly profit, The company

invested $105 million of capital in the Company's resorts, Reduced debt by $124 million,

and finally they announced a 2-for-1 stock split, subject to stockholder approval at the

Company's annual meeting of stockholders on May 3, 2005.

Awards and Recognition:

In January of this year, MGM was named by Forbes magazine as one of the “Best

Managed Companies in America”. They were named along with 25 other companies and

placed first among all companies in the hotels, restaurants and leisure category. Also, in

March of this year Fortune Magazine has named MGM Mirage one of "America's Most

Admired Companies" for the fourth year in a row, in its annual survey of companies with

large U.S. operations. They was rated the "Most Admired" casino resort company in the

Hotels/Casinos/Resorts category. Overall, they ranked second in the

Hotels/Casinos/Resorts category after Marriott International. MGM Mirage’s chairman

and CEO had this to say about the award, "We are very pleased to be recognized by

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Fortune Magazine for the fourth time as our industry's top hotel casino resort company.

This ranking reflects the quality of our top-notch management team and our employees'

commitment to excellence."

Harrah’s Company News

Mergers and Acquisitions:

On July 15th, 2004 Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. signed a definitive agreement to

acquire Caesars Entertainment, Inc in a cash and stock transaction that was the largest in

gaming-industry history. Under terms of the agreement, Caesars shareholders will receive

an aggregate of $1.8 billion in cash and 66.3 million shares of Harrah's Entertainment

common stock. Caesars operated 28 casinos with about 2 million square feet of gaming

space and approximately 26,000 hotel rooms. Harrah's operates 28 casinos with about 1.7

million square feet of gaming space and approximately 15,650 hotel rooms. Put together

the new company has 56 properties with 41,650 hotel rooms in 13 countries. The

company will consist of the following well known properties; Caesars Las Vegas,

Showboat Atlantic City, Harrah’s Las Vegas, The Rio Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas and

the Horseshoes Casino brands. The merger is still pending, but stockholders of both

companies approved the merger on March 11th of this year. Harrah’s CEO, Gary

Loveman, said this regarding the approval of the merger, "We are gratified to receive the

approvals of Harrah's and Caesars stockholders, and committed to rewarding their votes

of confidence by delivering on the potential of this merger, we are making steady

progress toward completion of this transaction. We believe we will be able to secure all

remaining regulatory approvals in the near future and close in the second quarter.”

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On September 27th, 2004 Harrah’s and signed a definitive agreement to sell

Harrah's East Chicago, Harrah's Tunica, Atlantic City Hilton and Bally's Tunica to an

affiliate of Colony Capital, LLC. The agreement calls for the Colony unit to pay a

combined total of about $1.24 billion for the four properties. The sale price represents

approximately 8.5 times the trailing 12-month Earnings Before Interest, Taxes,

Depreciation and Amortization of the four properties.

First Quarter 2005 earnings

On April 20th, 2005 Harrah’s reported their first quarter earnings to the SEC.

Some of the highlights include the following; First-quarter Adjusted EPS from

Continuing Operations was 87 cents per share, an increase of 26.1 percent from the year-

ago quarter, First-quarter income from operations rose 32.0 percent to $232.8 million

from $176.3 million in the year-earlier quarter and First-quarter net income was $103.8

million, up 27.1 percent from $81.7 million in the 2004 first quarter.

Awards and Recongnition

Also in the first quarter, Harrah’s CEO, Gary Loveman was named "Best CEO" in

the gaming and lodging industry by Institutional Investor magazine for the second

straight year. Selections were based on the votes of analysts and investment portfolio

managers. The board of directors for Harrah’s was also recognized in the first quarter

after a survey of the top-performing boards in gaming, conducted by HVS International, a

human resources firm, ranked Harrah's Entertainment's board of directors second out of

41 publicly traded companies.

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Works Cited

Harrah's Entertainment, Harrah's Entertainment Company News. 18 Apr 2005. Online. 21 Apr

2005.

<www.harrahs.com>.

MGM Mirage, MGM Mirage Press Releases. 18 Apr 2005. Online. 21 Apr 2005.

<www.MGMmirage.com>.

Reuters, “Harrah's, Caesars Stockholders Approve Merger.” Reuters Online. 11 Mar 2005. 21

Apr 2005. <www.reuters.com>.

Reuters, “MGM Mirage agrees to Purchase Mandalay Resort Group.” Reuters Online. 25 Jul

2004. 21 Apr 2005. <www.reuters.com>.

Yahoo!, MGM Mirage Basic Charts. 08 Apr 2005. Online. 08 Apr 2005.

<finance.yahoo.com>.

Yahoo!, Harrah's Entertainment Basic Charts. 08 Apr 2005. Online. 08 Apr 2005.

<finance.yahoo.com>.