the tiny trade at $0.048 at the close is meaningless, as the bulk of the trading was at $0.045. It looks like someone was trying to "paint the tape" to make it look better, for what reason, I have no idea.
volume, charts, number of message board postings, all irrelevant. What matters is... will the current CEO be able to get Suncorp to pay up enough so that AMA can earn a fair margin on its business, a business that is very important to Suncorp, so that AMA can refinance its liabilities on terms that allow it to have enough free cash flow left over to reinvest in the business.
Having the free cash flow to reinvest to make the business more efficient is a good thing for Suncorp. If by installing scanning/calibration equipment in key hub-spots AMA will no longer need to ship cars to dealerships for scanning/calibrations that saves money and time, and while some of that saving should accrue to higher earnings for AMA, some of those savings flow through to Suncorp and reduce their pressure to raise premiums further and risk losing market share.
Boyd Group CEO has talked a lot about how incredibly important price increases from their insurance partners have been to their ability to make progress. Even though their margins remain lower than pre-Covid, Boyd is nonetheless still gushing free cash flow, while AMA is barely breathing, all thanks to the toxic partnership with Suncorp thus far.
If AMA doesn't get a massive boost in pricing fromm Suncorp on the July 1, 2024 reset, then I expect another regime change at AMA, and lawsuits, as enough is enough. AMA shareholders cannot be expected to fund Suncorp's unduly good combined ratio forever.
AMA Price at posting:
4.8¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
