TUI, Aspermont, Delivery Hero: Meet this tech pioneer live at IIF

TUI hopes for travel fever

TUI is the quintessential wanderlust stock. No wonder the Company needed government aid during the height of the pandemic - TUI simply pulled the plug at the time. Fortunately, things are looking better again today. Business has picked up in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year - sales tripled. TUI is optimistic about 2022 and wants to achieve as many summer bookings as before the pandemic. In the winter months, which is now, TUI expects occupancy to be between 60% and 80%.

The general inflation is also hitting the travel industry. At TUI, it is assumed that prices have already risen by around 15% this winter. In the long term, this could be very positive for TUI and promise an attractive margin in times that are reasonably normal again. Currently, however, TUI is not yet entirely out of the woods. The Company has repaid part of the state aid, but the business remains uncertain. Even if Corona is on the home straight, residual risks remain. The same therefore applies to the TUI share.

Aspermont: Digitization progresses, Asia as a new target market

When German vacationers are suddenly worried about their vacations instead of looking forward to them, TUI's management is likely to be trembling. However, this has no consequences for the management of Aspermont, rather the opposite. Aspermont is a media company that specializes in the commodity markets. Its portfolio includes several magazines, some with a tradition of more than a century, such as Mining Magazine. In addition, there are many newsletters about industrial raw materials, precious metals, agricultural products, etc. In fact, every Company that buys raw materials worldwide and is affected by the development of world market prices has probably been in contact with Aspermont at some time. For some years now, Aspermont has been aiming to turn these many contacts into steadily increasing income streams. The figures for the past few years also show a steady upward trend. In addition, there are new business ideas - from virtual meetings to trading venues.

At the end of January, Aspermont published its results for the first quarter of the current fiscal year. All key data showed a positive development, including total revenues up 10% to AUD 4.2 million, XaaS revenues up 18% to AUD 2.0 million, and normalized operating profit up 160% to AUD 0.6 million. While the numbers may seem small, investors must keep in mind that Aspermont has long been digitally positioned and can scale its business accordingly. So the potential appears large. "The COVID pandemic is still affecting some areas, but this has been taken into account. Once things normalize and live events return, we expect strong new growth. Encouragingly, we have also entered into a corporate partnership with SooChow Securities to expand and develop our business and investor community in ASEAN member states," said Managing Director Alex Kent. The share has consolidated in recent weeks and appears attractive over the long term. Investors can get a first-hand look at Aspermont by attending the online International Investment Forum (IIF) on February 17 and listening live to Alex Kent and other decision-makers from growth and value companies.

Delivery Hero: This bite is more sour than sweet

Representatives of Delivery Hero will not be present at the IIF. That is a pity. The question about the delivery service's perspective after the pandemic would undoubtedly have provided exciting answers. After years of the pandemic, many Delivery Hero customers are likely to be "order weary" by now and happy to go outside to dine locally. With relaxations on the horizon, that should soon be possible again. Spring also invites people to linger in outdoor restaurants. At the same time, however, the pandemic has changed many behavior patterns. The quick swipe to delicious Asian food or pizza will probably still be easy for many of us even after the pandemic - for example, during our lunch break or in the evening in front of the TV. But for Delivery Hero, a company spoiled by growth, the post-pandemic era is uncharted territory. Investors should be cautious.

Yesterday's pioneers are today's sedentary farmers - at least, that has often been the case in history. But there are also characters for whom the motto "progress at any price" applies. Delivery Hero and Aspermont are likely to be representatives of this genre. The former Company has to accept the new situation, while the latter faces opportunities that are too great not to develop further. TUI is likely to continue in a more traditional manner, but the same applies here: If you don't move with the times, you will go with time. TUI is likely to do everything it can to prevent this.