Category Archives: Oceania

For many people, commercial aviation is an industry where size matters. Indeed, you dont have to be at an airport for very long to see that the (admittedly increasingly rare) sight of an Airbus A380 or Boeing 747 turns more heads than most aircraft. But what about the largest airports in the world? Heres a rundown of the biggest one on each continent.

The Saudi Arabian city of Dammam is the home of Asias largest airport. Known as King Fahd International (DMM), this facility is, in fact, the largest airport in the world by surface area. It measures 776 square kilometers (300 square miles), although its actual terminal building is comparatively small at just 36.75 square kilometers (14.19 square miles).

A reported 10 million passengers pass through Dammam every year. This means that, despite its impressive size, King Fahd International actually only ranks third in Saudi Arabia in terms of passenger numbers (behind Jeddah and Riyadh). Its busiest route serves Dubai. This key UAE destination sees around 70 flights a week from Dammam.

The airports two runways are suitably large, each clocking in at 4,000 meters long. It opened in 1991 as a US airbase during the Gulf War. However, since November 1999, it has played a commercial role, and now sits proudly atop the largest airport rankings for both Asia and the world as a whole. Dammams old Dhahran Airport is now a Saudi airbase.

According to AeroTime, the second-largest airport in the world by surface area, and the largest in North America, is Denver International (DEN) in the US state of Colorado. It measures 135.7 square kilometers (52.4 square miles), making it around six times smaller than the colossal King Fahd International despite being the worlds second-largest airport.

Part of the reason for Denvers size is its larger-than-average runways. The lengthiest of these is 4,877 meters long, and is necessary owing to the airports higher altitude. Being located around 1.6 km (1 mile) above sea level, the lower air density requires greater true airspeed for aircraft to safely take off due to the decreased power output in such conditions.

Denver International Airport opened in February 1995. In doing so, it replaced the citys old Stapleton International. Today, it is a key hub for ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier and Star Alliance founding member United. It is also a focus city for Southwest Airlines.

Stay informed:Sign up for ourdailyandweeklyaviation news digests.

Cairo International Airport (CAI) in Egypt is Africas largest airport, with a surface area of 36.3 square km (14 square miles). According to AeroTime, this makes it the ninth-largest airport by surface area in the world as a whole. Cairo is Africas second-busiest airport by passenger traffic, behind South Africas Johannesburg O. R. Tambo International (JNB).

Cairo International is located in the suburb of Heliopolis, approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) northeast of the Egyptian capital itself. As well as being the base of the countrys flag carrier and Star Alliance member EgyptAir, Cairo is also a hub for Nile Air. This carrier, which is the countrys largest privately-owned airline, primarily serves Saudi Arabian destinations.

Oceania is home to several key international airports that serve an array of destinations worldwide. These include Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand. However, its largest is, in fact, a regional airport that serves Alice Springs in Australias Northern Territory. It measures 35.5 square kilometers (13.7 square miles) in area.

The only scheduled flights at Alice Springs (ASP) are domestic services to other destinations within Australia. The airlines that operate these include Airnorth, Alliance Airlines, Qantas, QantasLink, Virgin Australia, and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.

The airports website markets its large surface area as one of its key selling points. It offers development opportunities on-site ranging from airport and aviation-related activities to camel grazing, horticulture, commercial activities, and light industrial opportunities. Various airlines have also stored aircraft there during the coronavirus pandemic.

When it comes to European airports, you might have thought that Amsterdam Schiphol would be the largest. After all, the famous Polderbaan is situated a considerable distance from its terminal. However, Click Travel Tips reports that Frances Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) takes the top spot, measuring 32.4 square kilometers (12.5 square miles).

The airport opened in March 1974, and will celebrate its 50th anniversary later in the decade. It serves as a hub for French flag carrier Air France, as well as the airlines cargo division. Air France Hop, easyJet, FedEx, and Vueling are also among the airlines to have a significant presence. The facility boasts four runways, one more than neighboring Orly Airports three.

While slightly more difficult to ascertain figures for South American airports, research suggests that the largest airport in this region by surface area is Argentinas Buenos Aires Ezeiza International (EZE). This airport is also known as Ministro Pistarini International, after Argentine general and politician Juan Pistarini. It began using his name in 1985.

According to Airport Technology, the airport has an area of 34.75 square km (13.42 square miles). Both Aerolneas Argentinas and local low-cost airline Flybondi have hubs there. It celebrated its 70th anniversary just two years ago, having opened in April 1949. The facility is located 21 meters (67 feet) above sea level, and 22 km (14 mi) from the city center.

How many of these mega airports have you been to? Do you have a particular favorite? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Originally posted here:

Mega Airports: The Biggest Airport For Every Continent - Simple Flying

The Solomon Islands team are optimistic ahead of their fourth consecutive FIFA Futsal World Cup.

After a training session consisting mostly of playing high intensity back-and-forth Solomon Islands head coach Vinicius Laite and captain Elliot Ragomo spoke to Football in Oceania in the mixed zone under the stands of the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas.

In the World Cup, all the best teams are here. We deserve to be here, whether were gonna progress to the final sixteen or not is a different story. We are proud and happy to be here, Laite says.

Ragomo focused on the importance of taking it one game at the time.

Weve been working on how to play every single team and hopefully we can execute it, one game at a time.

The Solomon Islands will play against Morocco, Portugal and Thailand.

We have to be focused and concentrate. We need to keep full concentration for the forty minutes of the game and we will see what we can do. Hopefully, whatever result comes, we will be happy, Ragomo says.

First up for the Kurukurus is Morocco on Monday, at 18.00 local time, in their opener.

Weve been watching some of their games and trying to study the opposition as best we can. Trying to neutralise their attacking power, but we know theyre only video sessions and we are preparing as much as we can on and off the court, says coach Laite.

Like Loading...

See more here:

Kurukuru captain Ragomo: "Hopefully, whatever result comes, we will be happy" - Football in Oceania

The Australian government has granted eight members of Afghanistan's female national taekwondo team protection visas.

The athletes had gone into hiding following last month's closure of Kabul airport, which had fallen under the control of Taliban soldiers.

Sporting bodies Oceania Taekwondo and Australian Taekwondo approachedthe Australian government to grant protection visas to the athletes the youngest of whom was 16 years old and they were approved on August 30.

The athletes are in Pakistan at the moment. They are being looked after by Pakistani and Australian authorities, according toOceania Taekwondo.

They will make their way to the Pakistani capital Islamabad before departing for Australia.

This is how four people guided a large group of at-risk female athletes and their dependents to Kabul airportand onto RAAF planes.

Oceania Taekwondo president John Kotsifas said he andAustralian Taekwondo chief executive Heather Garriock helped coordinate the evacuation of the athletes from Afghanistan.

He said the evacuation required a "careful and detailed strategy" because the athletes were "on their own" and"very young", while they also did not have any money.

"The only option for the athletes was to make their way to the Pakistan border, which was a very long and dangerous journey, particularly given that the Taliban were now in control of the country and Taliban soldiers were everywhere," Kotsifassaid in a statement.

"These eight women were very brave and despite the obvious dangers they faced if they were caught, they slowly made their way towards the border with great determination and amazing resilience.

"Heather Garriock kept in constant contact with the athletes by mobile 24-7, whilst I tried to negotiate with the Pakistan High Commission to ensure their passage through the border.

"There were constant hurdles and when they finally got to the border, they were not permitted to cross the border into Pakistan."

Kotsifas said the athletes were advised to "go into hiding for a few more days" until documentation needed to gain entry into Pakistan was organised.

Afghanistan's two Paralympic athletes thankAustralia for the role it played in helping them realise their dreams after anABC interview helped kick-start a rescue operation from Kabul airport.

"We finally managed to get the border crossing permits only to be told that the athletes needed to travel another 20 hours away to a different border in order to be permitted entry into Pakistan," he said.

"This would prove very dangerous to the athletes and their lives could be placed in jeopardy if they had to travel so far and to cross checkpoints that by now were being controlled by the Taliban."

The athletes faced furtherhurdles gaining entry into Pakistan before they were finally permitted to do so.

Last month the Australian governmentgranted humanitarian visas to 77 Afghan athletes, officials and their family members, who had flown out of Kabul to Australia before the airport closed.

Afghan Paralympic athlete Zakia Khudadadi was granted a protection visa, which saw her evacuated from Kabul airport to Tokyo so she could compete in the Paralympic Games.

Read the original here:

Australian government grants protection visas to Afghan female athletes following dramatic evacuation - ABC News

The radio network backed by talent manager and industry veteran Glenn Wheatley is looking for a buyer for its two Queensland stations, a deal which could mark an end of an era for a company name with a 41-year history.

Industry sources familiar with the plans, who spoke anonymously because talks are confidential, said Mr Wheatley and Oceania Partners are preparing to commence a formal process to sell the two radio stations 91.9 Sea FM and 92.7 Mix FM on the Sunshine Coast.

Talent manager Glenn Wheatley appears to be selling out of radio.Credit:Justin McManus

Talks are currently in the early stages, the sources said, and there is no guarantee a deal will succeed. Mr Wheatley owns about 5 per cent of EON Broadcasting, while the rest is owned by Southern African firm, Oceania Capital Partners.

Mr Wheatley is widely known as the talent manager for popular Australian musicians such as John Farnham and Delta Goodrem, but in radio circles is also considered a pioneer of the FM bandwidth.

EON, which was started by Mr Wheatley, was the first commercial FM station to air in Australia when it launched in Melbourne in 1980. Today, that station is known as Triple M Melbourne. Mr Wheatley, who briefly served prison time for tax offences in 2007, returned to radio in 2013 when he bought the two Sunshine Coast stations for $17.75 million with Oceania Capital Partners. The deal occurred after the merger of Southern Cross and Austereo and reignited Mr Wheatleys original radio station name, EON.

The two networks are the top performing radio stations on the Sunshine Coast. Mr Wheatley, Oceania Capital Partners and EON Broadcasting CEO John Williams then expanded the company with the acquisition of Sydney station 2CH for $5.6 million in 2017.

But as COVID-19 hit and most radio networks suffered large falls in advertising revenue, Mr Wheatley and Oceania Capital Partners decided to sell 2CH to Pacific Star Networks SEN. Pacific Star Network, which is run by Melbourne sports broadcaster Craig Hutchison, acquired the station for $11.2 million and EON Broadcasting shareholders were awarded 10 million shares each at $0.225 per share.

It could be difficult to find a buyer for the two stations, given current media laws do not allow a person to control more than one commercial TV broadcasting licence or two commercial radio broadcasting licences in the same licence area. That rules out Southern Cross Austereo and Grant Broadcasters, which operate in that market. However, other broadcasters such as ACE and Bill Caralis Broadcasting Operations Group who owns 4GY could potentially pick up the station. The other alternative is a regional television broadcaster.

Mr Wheatley, who is based in Melbourne, was also one of the suitors who emerged to buy national newswire service, Australian Associated Press. Mr Wheatley was approached for comment.

Read more:

Glenn Wheatley prepares to sell Queensland radio stations - Sydney Morning Herald

Vaurasi appointed to the FIFA Football Tribunal as a member in the Dispute Resolution Chamber

Laurel Vaurasi has been appointed to the FIFA Football Tribunal as a member in the Dispute Resolution Chamber.

Vaurasi says it really is an honour and a privilege to be appointed to the FIFA Football Tribunal.

She says she is thankful to the Fiji FA and its President Rajesh Patel in nominating her.

Vaurasi adds that hopefully this FIFA appointment will encourage other women to take up more leadership roles in football and not just limit their involvement to the field.

Vaurasi is the first female President of the Fiji Law Society, a position she held for four years starting in 2016.

Fiji FA President Rajesh Patel says Vaurasis appointment in the worlds governing body of football was a great accomplishment of not just Fiji FA, but Fiji as a whole.

Patel has congratulated Vaurasi for such an esteemed appointment.

Fiji FAs nomination for Vaurasi was unanimously endorsed by the 11 Oceania member countries.

See original here:

Vaurasi appointed to the FIFA Football Tribunal as a member in the Dispute Resolution Chamber - Fijivillage

The accelerated cruise industry restart is now reaching about half of the worlds 410-ship cruise fleet. As more than 200 vessels sail across several regions of the globe in September, 61 cruise lines are set to be in service this month.

Here are the brands in service in September, according to the latest edition of theCruise Ships in Service Report by Cruise Industry News:

Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International resumed guest operations last December with a series of sailings from Singapore. The brand later relaunched service in the United States in July with short cruises from Miami.

Now Royal Caribbean is sailing in several regions, with 14 vessels back in service.

Earlier this month, the brand returned to New Jersey, with the Oasis of the Seas launching service from Bayonne.

Region: Singapore, Bahamas, Europe, Alaska and Caribbean

Ships currently in service: - Quantum of the Seas- Adventure of the Seas- Freedom of the Seas - Anthem of the Seas - Jewel of the Seas - Serenade of the Seas- Odyssey of the Seas- Allure of the Seas - Ovation of the Seas- Symphony of the Seas - Independence of the Seas - Harmony of the Seas - Mariner of the Seas- Oasis of the Seas

Carnival Cruise Line

After a 16-month operational pause, Carnival Cruise Line resumed service in July with a series of cruises from Galveston and Miami.

Currently the brand has eight vessels back in service including the new Mardi Gras, which departed on its inaugural cruise on July 31.

After returning to the West Coast in late August Carnival is now planning to activate three additional ships before the end of September.

Region: North America Bahamas, Caribbean and West Coast

Ships currently in service:- Carnival Vista- Carnival Horizon - Carnival Breeze - Carnival Miracle - Mardi Gras - Carnival Magic- Carnival Sunrise - Carnival Panorama- Carnival Pride (from Sept. 12)- Carnival Dream (from Sept. 19)- Carnival Glory (from Sept. 19)

MSC Cruises

After pioneering the European restart in August 2020, MSC Cruises now has 10 ships back in service. One of the latest additions to the active fleet is the new MSC Seashore, which started its maiden season in August.

During August, the company also expanded its service resumption to new destinations, with the MSC Bellissima welcoming passengers in the Red Sea and the MSC Meraviglia in the Bahamas.

September will see two additional vessels entering service, the MSC Divina and the MSC Preziosa.

Region: Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Red Sea, Bahamas and Caribbean

Ships currently in service: - MSC Grandiosa - MSC Seaside - MSC Virtuosa - MSC Orchestra- MSC Splendida - MSC Magnifica - MSC Seaview - MSC Bellissima - MSC Seashore- MSC Meraviglia - MSC Divina (from Sept. 16)- MSC Preziosa (from Sept. 23)

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line resumed service in July with a series of Greek Island cruises on the Norwegian Jade. The brand later welcomed guests back in Alaska and the Caribbean, with the Norwegian Encore and the Norwegian Gem, respectively.

In September, the Norwegian Epic resumed service in the Western Mediterranean. Two more ships are set to welcome passengers in September,, including the Norwegian Breakaway, which will relaunch service from New York City.

Region: Europe, Alaska, Caribbean and Bermuda

Ships currently in service:- Norwegian Jade - Norwegian Encore - Norwegian Gem - Norwegian Epic - Norwegian Getaway (from Sept. 13)- Norwegian Breakaway (from Sept. 26)

Celebrity Cruises

After first welcoming guests back in June, Celebrity Cruises quickly added ships to the active lineup.

Currently the premium brand has seven vessels in service in regions such as the Caribbean, Alaska and the United Kingdom.

An eighth ship is set to resume service in September, offering short cruises from Miami. Previously based in St. Maarten, the Celebrity Summit will now sail in Florida, with four- and five-night cruises to the Western Caribbean.

Region: Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos and Alaska

Ships currently in service:- Celebrity Apex - Celebrity Edge- Celebrity Silhouette- Celebrity Flora - Celebrity Millennium - Celebrity Xpedition- Celebrity Equinox - Celebrity Summit (from Sept. 16)

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is returning to the West Coast this month.

After 18 months without guests, the Grand Princess is welcoming passengers back in Los Angeles on Sept. 25 for a Mexican Riviera cruise.

With three ships already in service, the Carnival Corporation-owned brand first resumed guest operations in July, offering itineraries to Alaska and the United Kingdom.

Region: Alaska, United Kingdom, West Coast and Mexican Riviera

Ships currently in service:- Majestic Princess - Regal Princess- Sky Princess- Grand Princess (from Sept. 25)

Disney Cruise Line

With two ships in service, Disney Cruise Line is presently sailing in the United Kingdom and in North America.

Region: United Kingdom and North America

Ships currently in service:- Disney Magic - Disney Dream- Disney Fantasy (from Sept. 11)

Regent Seven Seas

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is returning to revenue service on Sept. 11, with the new Seven Seas Splendor.

The 2020-built ship is set to sail from Southampton, initially offering British Island and Western Europe itineraries.

Region: British Islands and Western Europe

Ships currently in service:- Seven Seas Splendor (from Sept. 11)

Azamara

In August, after an 18-month pause, the Azamara Quest became the first ship to resume service for Azamara. Based in Piraeus, the vessel is currently offering a series of destination-intensive itineraries in Greece.

Region: Europe Greece

Ships currently in service: - Azamara Quest

Holland America Line

Holland America Line welcomed guests back in July with a series of cruises in Alaska. In August, a second vessel entered service in Europe, offering Eastern Mediterranean itineraries.

The brand is now planning its return to the West Coast, with the Zuiderdam. Starting on Sept. 18, the vessel is set to operate a series of California Coast and Mexican Riviera voyages from San Diego.

Region: Alaska, Mediterranean, West Coast and Mexican Riviera

Ships currently in service: - Nieuw Amsterdam - Eurodam- Zuiderdam (from Sept. 18)

Oceania Cruises

The Marina became the first cruise ship to resume service for Oceania Cruises. On Aug. 28, the vessel welcomed guests back in Copenhagen, kicking off a short season in Northern Europe.

Region: Europe Scandinavia and Baltic

Ships currently in service: - Marina

Vantage Cruise Line

Vantages first oceangoing cruise ship debuted in August. The new 140-guest Ocean Explorer launched service in the United Kingdom, with a series of British Islands voyages.

Region: Europe British Islands

Ships currently in service: - Ocean Explorer

TUI Cruises

TUI Cruises has most of its seven-ship fleet in action. Currently, six vessels of the Germany-based brand are sailing, offering cruises in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Region: Europe Greece, Mediterranean and Germany

Ships currently in service: - Mein Schiff 1- Mein Schiff 2- Mein Schiff 3- Mein Schiff 4- Mein Schiff 5 - Mein Schiff 6

Other Brands Operating:

The rest is here:

61 Cruise Brands Are Expected to Sail in September. Here's the Full List - Cruise Industry News

The League of Legends: Wild Rift Southeast Asia (SEA) Championship 2021 will happen from Sept. 14 to Oct. 3. 20 teams from SEA and one team from Oceania will be competing for a share of the $200,000 prize pool and two spots to the first-ever Wild Rift World Championship 2021.

The championship will happen across three stages, the play-ins (Sept. 14 to 19), groups (Sept. 23 to 26), and the playoffs Sept. 30 to Oct. 3). Twelve teams will qualify for the play-ins and will compete in a double-elimination bracket with the top three advancing to the group stage.

In the group stage, the qualified teams from the play-ins will meet nine winners from the regional competitions. They will be split into two groups of six teams each. After a single-round robin format, the top four from each group will make it to the playoffs. The playoffs will have a double-elimination bracket as the eight teams face off to crown a champion.

Here are all the teams that have qualified for the Wild Rift SEA Championship 2021.

Read the rest here:

All teams qualified for the Wild Rift SEA Championship 2021 - Dot Esports

MIAMI For the first time in 524 days, passengers walked up the gangway to board an Oceania Cruises ship.

The cruise line, which has been on pause since the start of the global pandemic, resumed operations on Aug. 29 with the Marina, its first cruise ship to sail from the port of Copenhagen since 2019. From Copenhagen, Marina will sail to ports in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland prior to concluding in Stockholm.

Speaking on the day of departure, Bob Binder, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises, said: Today is one of those days we will all remember for a lifetime as we reunite with our shipboard families and our guests to start exploring the world once again.

After its inaugural voyage, the Marina will spend the remainder of the summer and autumn cruising Western Europe, the Mediterranean and the Greek Isles prior to setting sail for Miami where it will arrive on Dec. 1.

Read more here:

Oceania Cruises resumes operations with the Marina - Travelweek

The simplest way to invest in stocks is to buy exchange traded funds. But investors can boost returns by picking market-beating companies to own shares in. To wit, the Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA) share price is 50% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 10% (not including dividends) in the same period. That's a solid performance by our standards! It is also impressive that the stock is up 38% over three years, adding to the sense that it is a real winner.

After a strong gain in the past week, it's worth seeing if longer term returns have been driven by improving fundamentals.

See our latest analysis for Oceania Healthcare

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Oceania Healthcare went from making a loss to reporting a profit, in the last year.

We think the growth looks very prospective, so we're not surprised the market liked it too. Inflection points like this can be a great time to take a closer look at a company.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Oceania Healthcare's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Oceania Healthcare the TSR over the last 1 year was 53%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

We're pleased to report that Oceania Healthcare rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 53% over the last year. That includes the value of the dividend. So this year's TSR was actually better than the three-year TSR (annualized) of 15%. These improved returns may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Oceania Healthcare (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on NZ exchanges.

If youre looking to trade a wide range of investments, open an account with the lowest-cost* platform trusted by professionals, Interactive Brokers. Their clients from over 200 countries and territories trade stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds worldwide from a single integrated account. Promoted

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. *Interactive Brokers Rated Lowest Cost Broker by StockBrokers.com Annual Online Review 2020

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

View original post here:

Earnings growth outpaced the respectable 53% return delivered to Oceania Healthcare (NZSE:OCA) shareholders over the last year - Simply Wall St

Despite being surrounded by many able competitors, Spotify (SPOT) - Get Spotify Technology SA Reportremains dominant in the global audio streaming space. The company has been delivering positive subscriber net adds each quarter. But how can the company maintain the growth pace for years to come?

The secret probably lies in the company's underexplored markets. Emerging countries are the key to gaining even more subscribers, maybe even faster. MavenFlix discusses how below.

Figure 1: Spotify platform being played on tablets.

Unsplash

(Read more from MavenFlix:Spotify Stock: 3 Reasons To Buy Right Now)

Currently present in 178 countries, Spotify already has a diverse number of customers. However, there are still several markets to be explored.

Consider the company's penetration in Latin America: 33 million subscribers out of a total population of 600 million, for a ratio of 7.5%. Applying this same ratio to other global regions like Africa, Asia and Oceania, it is not a stretch to assume that the company could produce 460 million new subscribers.

With an eye on the growth opportunity, Spotify has increasingly invested in new markets and protected those in which it is already dominant.

Figure 2: Spotify subscribers.

Spotify

It makes sense that Spotifys growth efforts should focus on emerging countries despite understanding that the ARPU (per-unit revenue) opportunity would not be as great as it is in developed nations. Between 2019 and 2027, these markets are expected to represent more than 70% of all global growth in the music streaming space.

Spotify has taken note. In the first quarter of 2020, Latin America and the rest of the world (Asia, Africa and Oceania) accounted for 73% of all new subscribers in the period, an increase of 130% compared to the same quarter last year.

Figure 3: Percentage of emerging market' Spotify users.

Spotify

However, conversion from free users to subscribers has been slower in these markets. People tend to test the product longer before buying the service, even at lower prices than in developed markets. But more aggressive user and subscriber CAGR (annualized growth) should help to make up for some of the soft conversion metrics.

Figure 4: Spotify monthly active users.

Business of Apps

Even though audio streaming companies dont usually differentiate much on product features (the top three players offer the same 70 million song titles, for example), Spotify still seems to have an advantage in the space.

The company has more subscribers than all its competitors and it is present in more countries than most. In addition, the company does not need to compete so much on price, which could be a weakness, but on other types of audio content that it makes available (podcasts, for example) and user experience.

Figure 5: Paying users.

Business of Apps

For the reasons above, we remain bullish on Spotify stock and confident in the future of the company. Spotify has been aligned with industry trends and aims to expand its customer base in the face of the many opportunities presented by emerging markets.

If the assumptions are confirmed, SPOT share price could appreciate in the long term, especially off current levels that are 35% below all-time highs.

(Read more from the MavenFlix:Netflix Stock: Should You Buy It In September?)

Its never too early (or late) to start growing your investment portfolio. Join the Real Money community for just $7.50/month and unlock expert advice from our team of 30+ investing pros.

(Disclaimers: this is not investment advice. The author may be long one or more stocks mentioned in this report. Also, the article may contain affiliate links. These partnerships do not influence editorial content. Thanks for supporting MavenFlix)

See more here:

Why Global Expansion is Key for Spotifys Success - TheStreet