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The Satellite News Financial Ticker

By Staff Writer | March 1, 2004

       

      Week of Feb. 20 – 26, 2004
      Percentage Change

      Symbol
      Feb. 26 Price
      One Week
      One Month
      Three Month
      Year to Date
      Operators
      APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS
      2.35
      (7.5)
      (14.2)
      (8.9)
      (1.3)
      ASIASAT TELECOM SAT
      19.13
      (9.8)
      (4.8)
      14.6
      0.8
      BRITISH SKY BROADCASTING BSY
      54.25
      (3.7)
      (2.3)
      15.3
      6.5
      ECHOSTAR COMM -CL A DISH
      36.99
      (4.3)
      (0.9)
      7.7
      8.8
      HUGHES ELEC (GM -CL H) GMH
      16.96
      (3.3)
      (3.4)
      3.7
      2.5
      LORAL SPACE & COMM LOR
      0.64
      (17.9)
      (46.7)
      113.3
      103.2
      NEWS CORP NWS
      37.41
      (3.2)
      (3.1)
      9.4
      3.6
      NEW SKIES SATELLITES NSK
      6.80
      0.4
      (4.2)
      2.6
      (5.0)
      PANAMSAT SPOT
      22.89
      (3.0)
      5.9
      4.0
      6.2
      PASIFIK SATELIT NUSANTARA PSNRY
      0.24
      17.5
      113.6
      34.3
      370.0
      PEGASUS COMMUNICATIONS PGTV
      30.80
      13.0
      (30.0)
      55.7
      9.7
      SES GLOBAL SESF.LU
      7.55
      (3.8)
      (6.8)
      (4.2)
      (5.6)
      SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO SIRI
      2.99
      1.4
      (4.7)
      54.2
      (5.3)
      XM SATELLITE RADIO XMSR
      24.55
      8.3
      (5.6)
      4.8
      (6.6)
      Operators’ Average
      100.00
      (1.1)
      (0.5)
      21.9
      34.8
      Manufacturers
      ANDREW ANDW
      17.34
      (1.4)
      1.5
      50.3
      49.6
      BALL BLL
      64.11
      (0.1)
      9.0
      14.9
      7.6
      BOEING BA
      42.52
      (4.6)
      1.6
      11.1
      0.9
      COM DEV INTL *CDV
      2.68
      (7.9)
      (16.0)
      (17.3)
      (6.9)
      EMS TECHNOLOGIES ELMG
      23.17
      (1.5)
      (4.8)
      8.8
      12.8
      GARMIN GRMN
      45.97
      (2.4)
      (16.2)
      (17.4)
      (15.6)
      GILAT SAT NETWORKS GILTF
      7.10
      (5.8)
      (3.8)
      43.4
      45.2
      GLOBECOM GCOM
      5.30
      (13.3)
      (13.8)
      (10.0)
      11.6
      HARRIS HRS
      47.85
      (2.5)
      0.4
      24.1
      26.1
      HONEYWELL HON
      35.01
      (2.1)
      (1.7)
      17.9
      4.7
      KVH KVHI
      16.44
      (9.4)
      (19.9)
      (50.2)
      (40.4)
      LOCKHEED MARTIN LMT
      46.55
      (4.5)
      (8.3)
      1.5
      (9.4)
      LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES LU
      4.22
      0.5
      2.7
      38.4
      48.6
      MOTOROLA MOT
      18.07
      6.0
      7.8
      34.3
      29.1
      NERA NERAY
      2.35
      8.3
      13.3
      ORBITAL SCIENCES ORB
      12.73
      (5.6)
      (2.9)
      35.4
      5.9
      QUALCOMM QCOM
      63.73
      7.9
      11.9
      39.8
      18.2
      RAYTHEON RTN
      30.29
      (4.7)
      (5.3)
      9.2
      0.8
      ROCKWELL COLLINS COL
      31.40
      (4.3)
      (2.0)
      15.4
      4.6
      SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA SFA
      32.26
      (4.1)
      (9.9)
      14.1
      18.2
      SKY FRAMES SKYU
      0.10
      100.0
      9,900.0
      TITAN TTN
      21.05
      0.5
      (3.4)
      (0.8)
      (3.5)
      TRIMBLE NAVIGATION TRMB
      33.57
      (5.3)
      (16.5)
      10.9
      (9.9)
      VIASAT VSAT
      26.85
      (3.2)
      12.7
      26.3
      40.3
      Manufacturers’ Average
      100.00
      1.3
      409.3
      12.9
      10.5
      Nasdaq Composite Index
      Nasdaq comp
      2,032.58
      (2.1)
      (4.3)
      4.6
      1.5
      SP 500 sp50
      1,144.91
      (0.6)
      0.3
      8.6
      3.0
      SN Stock Price Average
      100.00
      0.4
      258.3
      16.2
      19.4

       

      Wall Street Analysis

      By Paul Dykewicz, PBI Media

      Feisty EchoStar Communications [DISH] of Littleton, Colo., never seems reluctant to engage in legal proceedings. The company is entering the courtroom again on two fronts to resolve a pair of long-contested issues from the past.

      In one case, EchoStar is fighting the major U.S. television networks: ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox [FOX]. No one should accuse EchoStar of only picking on the little guys. The company backs away from nobody! In this legal tug-of-war, the company is accused of having infringed on the broadcasters’ copyrights by providing distant network signals to customers who could not receive their local channels.

      The law only allows EchoStar to provide a distant network signal if a customer lives in a location where the signal of the nearest local network affiliate cannot be received with an off-air antenna, explained Bob Peck, the satellite analyst at Bear Stearns. A U.S. district court in Florida ruled in favor of the broadcasters in June 2003, and EchoStar’s appeal was scheduled to be taken up at press time Friday. In Peck’s view, less than 10 percent of EchoStar’s subscribers are exposed to the distant network issue. He did not expect the ruling to have more than a minimal impact on EchoStar’s churn and average revenue per user (ARPU).

      In another legal matter, EchoStar may receive a permanent injunction that would allow it to continue broadcasting Viacom channels. Viacom had sought to withdraw broadcast rights for its CBS-owned stations. EchoStar contended 1.6 million of its subscribers would be denied popular CBS programming due to the dispute, and the permanent injunction would allow EchoStar to continue carrying the Viacom channels while antitrust claims against the broadcasting company are pursued.

      Litigation is nothing new for EchoStar. With the company’s growth continuing unabated, Peck rates EchoStar to “outperform” the market. I agree.

      Paul Dykewicz is senior editor and senior analyst of Satellite News. He can be reached at 301/354-1769 or at [email protected].