Silba Stories

[SIP] SIPEF SA: Net Cash, Peak Margins, and a Single Commodity Dial

original story⁠ [https://open.substack.com/pub/silbadeepdives/p/sip-sipef-sa-net-cash-peak-margins?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web] SIPEF is a Belgian-listed plantation group that grows, harvests, and mills crude palm oil across roughly 85,000 hectares in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. SIPEF produced a record $125m in net profit last year. It holds net cash of $88m. It trades at 5x EV/EBIT. Here's the catch: 97% of gross profit comes from crude palm oil, and a $10/tonne price move swings after-tax earnings by $3.1m. The bull case isn't that palm stays high. It's that SIPEF has quietly built enough owned advantage, young estates, tight mills, EU-grade traceability, to survive when the commodity stops flattering everyone. We unpack whether that's real or a well-executed ride up the cycle. --- To find out more stories and professional-grade research, go to https://silba.ai

[6669] Wiwynn: The Heavy Metal Behind AI

original story [https://silbadeepdives.substack.com/p/6669-wiwynn-the-heavy-metal-behind] Wiwynn builds the physical backbone for Meta and Microsoft, doubling revenue in just nine months. Yet operating cash flow sits deeply in the red. This is the "ODM Direct" paradox: explosive growth meets single-digit margins. Is it a compounder, or just high-speed logistics for the giants? --- To find out more stories and professional-grade research, go to https://silba.ai

[EVS] Tier-1 Castle on a Shrinking Island

original story⁠ [https://silbadeepdives.substack.com/p/evs-tier-1-castle-on-a-shrinking] A Belgian startup solved tape's fundamental problem in 1994 and created an entire profession. Today, 5,000 LSM operators worldwide know EVS equipment by muscle memory. Every trained operator represents lock-in. Every workflow built around EVS constitutes a moat. But switching costs only matter until the equipment refresh cycle resets them. The company pushed through 6-9% price increases whilst order intake grew 23%. Mission-critical reliability when 100 million people watch isn't negotiable. Yet. --- To find out more stories and professional-grade research, go to https://silba.ai

[CDA] Compagnie des Alpes: When Altitude Becomes the Moat

original story [https://silbadeepdives.substack.com/p/cda-compagnie-des-alpes-when-altitude?r=51qpp3] While low-altitude ski hills melt away, Compagnie des Alpes has quietly assembled a portfolio of high-mountain monopolies and award-winning regional parks Ski lifts print 52% EBITDA margins in winter, parks take over in summer, and fixed costs work twice as hard. Behind the scenery sit 15-year average concessions decided by town councils, not markets. The story explores how climate, politics and seasonality collide in a business that feels safer than leisure, but never quite as certain as infrastructure. --- To find out more stories or professional-grade research, go to https://silba.ai