Ameristar: A Better Bet

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Analysts are upping their bet on Ameristar Casino(ASCA Quote).

Janney Capital Markets analyst Brian McGill upgraded the casino operator to buy from neutral, citing lower capital spending and probable market share gain from its Black Hawk casino property in Colorado.

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Ameristar also does not have any future capital projects, which means free cash flow will probably be strong in 2010 and 2011. McGill expects this extra cash will be used to pay down debt.

"We think Ameristar's focus on cash-flow generation, rather than new markets or property expansions, makes it one of the safest names to own among the casino operators," he wrote in a note.

McGill also raised his price target on the stock to $20 from $18.

Last week the company the company posted a third-quarter profit gain as it benefitted from cost cuts and a lower tax rate.

This is in stark contrast to other casino rivals, like Wynn Resorts(WYNN Quote) and Boyd Gaming(BYD Quote), which saw double-digit profit declines, and MGM Mirage(MGM Quote) and Las Vegas Sands(LVS Quote), which also reported losses in their most recent quarter.

-- Reported by Jeanine Poggi in New York

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