Latest news with #KeithSmith
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Couple finally win battle over neighbours' huge untrimmed hedge that left them suffering 'five years without sunshine'
A couple who have been embroiled in a long-running battle over a huge hedge overlooking their garden say they've suffered 'five years of misery and five years without sunshine' as a result. Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 68, told MailOnline that the matter has been a 'thorn in their side' that has taken a massive toll on their mental health. The couple have lived in their detached house, in the Prestonfield area of Edinburgh, for more than four decades. However, they say things changed after their neighbours moved in and planted cypress trees that grew several metres high. Mr Smith said the trees created a 'green wall' that went all the way along a fence dividing their gardens, preventing sunlight from getting into both the Smiths's garden and through the windows of their home - in what he brands a 'huge intrusion' and not suitable for adjoining gardens. This prompted an official row with the owners of the cypress trees, David Hunter and Niena Hunter Mistry, that has rumbled on for five years and seen the gardens inspected several times by various officials. Police have also attended over disputes between the neighbours. Edinburgh City Council initially knocked back the Smiths's bid to have the trees chopped down, but the couple later successfully appealed to the Scottish Government, which said the cypresses had to be cut down to 8.5 feet. The Hunters asked for one tree to be kept as it is, but that has also been ordered to be cut back to 8.5ft - and the Smiths say they are looking forward to this happening later this year. According to Edinburgh City Council's website, a hedge must be over 6.6ft from ground level before being considered a 'high hedge' potentially having a negative effect on people living nearby. Mr Smith, previously an employee of the local authority for 38 years, has now said that while the couple are hopeful the matter is dealt with, it has been 'a thorn in their side' and has caused them considerable stress and inconvenience, with many 'false dawns' along the way. In a document to the government, the couple previously said: 'The cost to the public purse must be considerable in terms of government, council and police resources. 'We, the Smiths, have suffered hugely financially, emotionally and physically by this process and sincerely hope, this will now lead to resolution.' The Hunters were unavailable for comment.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Couple WIN bitter battle over neighbours' ‘untrimmed' hedge – after 5-year war ‘descended into chaos'
A COUPLE has won a bitter neighbour dispute over an untrimmed hedge after five years of furious feuding. Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 68, claimed their neighbours untrimmed cypress trees made their lives a misery. 2 The row of trees, belonging to David Hunter and Niena Hunter Mistry, sparked a five-year battle between the two couples in the quiet suburb of Prestonfield, Edinburgh. The neighbour war grew so bitter that it involved the Edinburgh City Council, the Scottish Government and even the police. The Smiths claim the trees cast a shadow across their garden, forcing the pensioners to live out their retirement in darkness. Demanding that the trees be chopped down, the Smiths turned to the local authority but were left frustrated when they were refused. The couple paid a massive £350 fee for a High Hedge Notice application which was denied after a visit from a city council officer. Appealing the decision, the Smiths won and managed to successfully have the trees trimmed back to 8.5ft in 2023. After the bush was trimmed the Smiths claim that gaps where tree once stood were suddenly replaced by gardening tools, including ladders, pipes and concrete. The pair went on to claim that the trim was inadequate and called for the council to come back, which they did and agreed that the remaining trees should be further cut back. Mr Hunter left a single tree standing untrimmed however which he claimed was not part of the "boundary hedge" and therefore not subject to the High Hedge Notice. The Smiths then insisted the remaining tree be cut back too with the dispute turning ugly again. My neighbours said they'd sue me if I touched the top of our overgrown joint hedge - so I got creative and they can't say a word The couple, who have lived in their home for 44 years, continued their brutal battle to have the foliage lopped back. Things got so bad that in June of last year the police were called to the quiet suburb where they issued "two men" with "recorded police warnings." Mr Smith previously claimed to Edinburgh Live that his neighbours behaviour had been "atrocious" and branded the couple's actions "absolutely appalling." The hedge owners refuse to chop down their bush flat out and claim they feel harassed and intimidated by the Smiths. The Smiths previously said: "We, the Smiths, have suffered hugely financially, emotionally and physically by this process and sincerely hope, this will now lead to resolution." An appeal launched by Mr Hunter in a bit to save his tree was rejected and the last remaining part of the hedge will now have to be cut back to 8.5ft. 2 Mr Hunter insisted that the remaining tree was not part of the hedge and begged that it be allowed to stand. He said in a document seen by the Mail Online: "The individual tree identified in the varied notice cannot reasonably be said to be part of the boundary hedge. "It appears as a separate individual tree and has never been trimmed. "We would be very grateful if you would take all our points and concerns into account and request that you quash the revised high hedge notice." Despite his pleas Mr Hunter was ordered to cut back the remaining piece of his hedge to 8.5ft in line with the previous High Hedge Notice. The Smiths were delighted after a Government official stated that the tree did in fact cast a shadow over a "significant" portion of their garden. The official also stated that the previous High Hedge Notice applied to the whole hedge, including the remaining tree. Despite the best efforts of Mr Hunter the government official ruled that the hedge damaged the Smith's enjoyment of their home. The government ruled that the remaining part of the hedge is now subject to the High Hedge Notice and should be trimmed to 8.5ft.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Boyd Gaming Corp (BYD) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth and Strategic Moves
Revenue Growth: Increased by 4% excluding tax pass-through amounts. EBITDAR: Increased by 4% to $358 million. Property Level Margins: Exceeded 40% consistently since 2021. Las Vegas Locals Segment: Revenue and EBITDAR growth with segment margins nearly 50%. Midwest and South Segment: Revenue and EBITDAR gains of more than 3%. Online Segment: Revenue and EBITDAR increased. Capital Expenditures: $124 million in Q2, with a full-year projection of $600 million to $650 million. Share Repurchases: $105 million in stock repurchased, increasing target to $150 million per quarter. Dividends: Paid $15 million in dividends during the second quarter. FanDuel Transaction: Expected proceeds of $1.755 billion, reducing leverage below two times. Interest Expense Savings: Estimated $85 million annually due to reduced debt balances. Shareholder Capital Return Program: Nearly $2.4 billion returned since 2021. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with SCHL. Release Date: July 24, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Boyd Gaming Corp (NYSE:BYD) announced a significant transaction to sell its 5% equity interest in FanDuel for $1.755 billion, which will be used to reduce debt and strengthen the balance sheet. The company reported a 4% increase in both revenues and EBITDAR for the second quarter, driven by broad-based growth across its operating segments. The Las Vegas locals segment experienced its first year-over-year revenue and EBITDAR growth in over two years, maintaining strong segment margins. Boyd Gaming Corp (NYSE:BYD) is actively investing in property enhancements and expansions, including the Sky River Casino and Cadence Crossing Casino, to drive long-term growth. The company plans to increase its share repurchase program from $100 million to $150 million per quarter, reflecting a commitment to returning capital to shareholders. Negative Points The Las Vegas Strip has seen softer demand trends, impacting out-of-town customer play, although local economic indicators remain strong. The company faced challenges in the Midwest and South segment due to flood-related closures and the shift of Easter into April, affecting operations. Boyd Gaming Corp (NYSE:BYD) is experiencing some softness in destination business, particularly impacting properties like the Orleans with significant room inventory. The promotional environment remains stable, but there is ongoing competitive pressure in certain markets, requiring disciplined marketing strategies. The company is cautious about the sustainability of recent improvements in unrated play and retail customer trends, indicating potential volatility in future quarters. Q & A Highlights Q: What is Boyd Gaming planning to do with the proceeds from the FanDuel transaction, and how does it affect growth opportunities? A: Keith Smith, President and CEO, stated that the FanDuel transaction is not a precursor to another transaction. The proceeds will initially be used to reduce debt, but the goal is to deploy the capital into attractive, higher-returning investments to support long-term growth. The transaction does not change Boyd's strategy of balanced capital allocation, which includes investing in business growth opportunities and returning capital to shareholders. Q: What is the optimal leverage level for Boyd Gaming following the FanDuel transaction? A: Josh Hirsberg, CFO, mentioned that before the transaction, Boyd aimed to maintain leverage around 2.5 times. Post-transaction, leverage will be lower, but the company will not necessarily aim to stay below 2.5 times. The focus will remain on disciplined capital allocation to achieve the best returns. Q: Can you provide insights into the promotional environment in Boyd's key markets? A: Keith Smith noted that the promotional environment has been stable in both Las Vegas and the Midwest and South markets. Properties that have been promotional remain so, while those that are disciplined continue to be disciplined. Boyd is not responding to any heightened promotional activities and maintains stable marketing reinvestment rates. Q: How is Boyd Gaming's online gaming strategy evolving after selling its stake in FanDuel? A: Keith Smith explained that Boyd's strategy remains focused on a regional online casino approach. The company acquired Pala Interactive to ensure a competitive product in markets where it operates. Boyd is not aiming for a national presence but will continue to improve its core product as more states legalize online gaming. Q: What are the impacts of recent tax legislation on Boyd Gaming's financials? A: Josh Hirsberg indicated that the most significant benefit will come from bonus depreciation. The company is still evaluating the full impact, but other changes, such as interest expense deductibility, are not expected to be material. Boyd is cautious about providing specific numbers until further analysis is completed. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD) Delivers Impressive Q2
Gaming and hospitality company Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD) beat Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q2 CY2025, with sales up 6.9% year on year to $1.03 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.87 per share was 12.2% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Boyd Gaming? Find out in our full research report. Boyd Gaming (BYD) Q2 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $1.03 billion vs analyst estimates of $980.9 million (6.9% year-on-year growth, 5.4% beat) Adjusted EPS: $1.87 vs analyst estimates of $1.67 (12.2% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $329.4 million vs analyst estimates of $315.5 million (31.9% margin, 4.4% beat) Operating Margin: 23.4%, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $6.8 billion Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming, said: "Our Company delivered a strong performance in the second quarter, with broad-based growth across our operating segments, including our Online and Managed segments. We achieved our strongest property-level revenue and Adjusted EBITDAR growth in more than three years, with property-level margins once again exceeding 40%. This growth was supported by continued strength in play from our core customers, as well as improvements in retail play. Looking ahead, the recently announced transaction to sell our equity stake in FanDuel will further strengthen the Company's financial position as we continue to invest in our properties, pursue growth opportunities, return capital to shareholders and maintain a strong balance sheet – a strategy that continues to drive long-term shareholder value." Company Overview Run by the Boyd family, Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD) is a diversified operator of gaming entertainment properties across the United States, offering casino games, hotel accommodations, and dining. Revenue Growth A company's long-term sales performance is one signal of its overall quality. Any business can experience short-term success, but top-performing ones enjoy sustained growth for years. Over the last five years, Boyd Gaming grew its sales at a tepid 9.6% compounded annual growth rate. This was below our standard for the consumer discretionary sector and is a poor baseline for our analysis. We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within consumer discretionary, a stretched historical view may miss a company riding a successful new product or trend. Boyd Gaming's recent performance shows its demand has slowed as its annualized revenue growth of 4.6% over the last two years was below its five-year trend. Note that COVID hurt Boyd Gaming's business in 2020 and part of 2021, and it bounced back in a big way thereafter. We can better understand the company's revenue dynamics by analyzing its most important segments, Gaming and Non-Gaming, which are 64.9% and 16.7% of revenue. Over the last two years, Boyd Gaming's Gaming revenue (casino games) was flat while its Non-Gaming revenue (hotel, food, beverage) averaged 10.2% year-on-year growth. This quarter, Boyd Gaming reported year-on-year revenue growth of 6.9%, and its $1.03 billion of revenue exceeded Wall Street's estimates by 5.4%. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to decline by 4.3% over the next 12 months, a deceleration versus the last two years. This projection is underwhelming and indicates its products and services will face some demand challenges. Today's young investors likely haven't read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next. Operating Margin Boyd Gaming's operating margin has risen over the last 12 months and averaged 22.3% over the last two years. On top of that, its profitability was elite for a consumer discretionary business thanks to its efficient cost structure and economies of scale. This quarter, Boyd Gaming generated an operating margin profit margin of 23.4%, in line with the same quarter last year. This indicates the company's overall cost structure has been relatively stable. Earnings Per Share We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) for the same reason as long-term revenue growth. Compared to revenue, however, EPS highlights whether a company's growth is profitable. Boyd Gaming's full-year EPS flipped from negative to positive over the last five years. This is encouraging and shows it's at a critical moment in its life. In Q2, Boyd Gaming reported EPS at $1.87, up from $1.58 in the same quarter last year. This print easily cleared analysts' estimates, and shareholders should be content with the results. Over the next 12 months, Wall Street expects Boyd Gaming's full-year EPS of $6.97 to shrink by 4.6%. Key Takeaways from Boyd Gaming's Q2 Results We enjoyed seeing Boyd Gaming beat analysts' revenue expectations this quarter. We were also happy its EPS outperformed Wall Street's estimates. On the other hand, its Gaming revenue missed. Overall, we think this was a solid quarter with some key areas of upside. The stock traded up 1.6% to $83.85 immediately after reporting. Boyd Gaming put up rock-solid earnings, but one quarter doesn't necessarily make the stock a buy. Let's see if this is a good investment. When making that decision, it's important to consider its valuation, business qualities, as well as what has happened in the latest quarter. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Couple celebrate victory after five-year row with neighbours over giant cypress tree that went to top of government and saw police called in
A couple have won a bitter row with their neighbours over a hedge they claimed were making their lives a misery. Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 68, were left frustrated by a row of cypress trees belonging to David Hunter and Niena Hunter Mistry in the Edinburgh suburb of Prestonfield. The five-year feud, which began as a mild disagreement, grew increasingly to involve Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government and even the police, who were called to the home multiple times. The Smiths turned to the City of Edinburgh Council in a bid to have them chopped down, but were left stunned when the council rejected. However, they later successfully appealed to the government and the trees had to be cut to 8.5ft. One tree remained, which the Smiths, who have resided in their detached home for 44 years, insisted towered over their garden and left it in darkness. Mr Hunter went to the Scottish Government in a bid to save his tree, but that has been rejected and it will have to be lopped to 8.5ft. In his appeal letter, Mr Hunter insisted the tree was not part of the hedge and begged for it to be kept. He said: 'The individual tree identified in the varied notice cannot reasonably be said to be part of the boundary hedge. 'It appears as a separate individual tree and has never been trimmed. 'We would be very grateful if you would take all our points and concerns into account and request that you quash the revised high hedge notice.' In a document to the government, the Smiths said: 'The cost to the public purse must be considerable in terms of government, council and police resources. 'We, the Smiths, have suffered hugely financially, emotionally and physically by this process and sincerely hope, this will now lead to resolution.' Mrs Smith had earlier said she was constantly 'anxious, stressed and scared' to enter her garden and claimed the conflict had impacted on her marriage. Government reporter Amanda Chisholm said: 'During one period of sunshine, I observed that the disputed tree casts shadow over a significant proportion of the neighbouring property's rear garden. 'In any case, the varied high hedge notice applies to the hedge as a whole, which has already been found to adversely affect this property's reasonable enjoyment. 'In my view the part of the hedge that has not been reduced in height continues to do so.'
