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The Satellite News Financial Ticker

By Staff Writer | August 16, 2004

      Week of Aug. 6 – 12, 2004
      Percentage Change
      Symbol
      Aug. 12 Price
      One Week
      One Month
      Three Month
      Year to Date
      Operators
      APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS
      1.49
      (3.9)
      (13.4)
      (14.9)
      (37.4)
      ASIASAT TELECOM SAT
      17.70
      (0.8)
      7.3
      6.6
      (6.7)
      BRITISH SKY BROADCASTING BSY
      34.09
      (7.5)
      (25.4)
      (26.0)
      (33.1)
      ECHOSTAR COMM -CL A DISH
      30.42
      8.8
      3.9
      1.4
      (10.5)
      THE DIRECTV GROUP DTV
      15.93
      (2.4)
      (7.7)
      (7.4)
      (3.7)
      LORAL SPACE & COMM LOR
      0.07
      (12.5)
      (56.3)
      (78.1)
      (77.8)
      NEWS CORP NWS
      31.79
      (3.1)
      (9.1)
      (10.9)
      (11.9)
      NEW SKIES SATELLITES NSK
      7.70
      (0.1)
      (0.1)
      7.2
      7.5
      PANAMSAT SPOT
      23.45
      0.6
      0.7
      1.8
      8.8
      PASIFIK SATELIT NUSANTARA PSNRY
      0.22
      340.0
      PEGASUS COMMUNICATIONS PGTV
      21.50
      15.1
      (11.1)
      23.6
      (23.4)
      SES GLOBAL SESF.LU
      6.75
      (3.6)
      (6.0)
      (2.9)
      (15.6)
      SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO SIRI
      2.05
      (11.6)
      (26.5)
      (34.9)
      (35.1)
      XM SATELLITE RADIO XMSR
      25.29
      3.1
      (3.4)
      8.1
      (3.8)
      Operators’ Average
      100.00
      (1.3)
      (10.5)
      (9.0)
      6.9
      Manufacturers
      ANDREW ANDW
      9.78
      (1.2)
      (45.7)
      (43.8)
      (15.6)
      BALL BLL
      71.93
      (2.1)
      1.2
      13.8
      20.7
      BOEING BA
      49.37
      (3.2)
      (1.3)
      14.3
      17.2
      COM DEV INTL *CDV
      2.86
      (11.2)
      (15.1)
      25.4
      (0.7)
      EMS TECHNOLOGIES ELMG
      13.85
      (7.7)
      (21.3)
      (26.5)
      (32.6)
      GARMIN GRMN
      36.19
      (4.2)
      1.0
      23.3
      (33.6)
      GILAT SAT NETWORKS GILTF
      4.02
      (6.5)
      (16.9)
      (29.3)
      (17.8)
      GLOBECOM GCOM
      5.75
      4.7
      (1.2)
      (8.0)
      21.1
      HARRIS HRS
      43.80
      (9.0)
      (10.1)
      0.9
      15.4
      HONEYWELL HON
      34.71
      (5.3)
      (4.1)
      4.1
      3.8
      KVH KVHI
      7.09
      (8.5)
      (24.5)
      (48.6)
      (74.3)
      LOCKHEED MARTIN LMT
      52.27
      (3.3)
      (3.2)
      10.0
      1.7
      LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES LU
      2.70
      (11.8)
      (22.0)
      (19.2)
      (4.9)
      MOTOROLA MOT
      14.14
      (8.8)
      (19.2)
      (24.4)
      1.0
      ORBITAL SCIENCES ORB
      10.04
      (10.0)
      (23.6)
      (19.0)
      (16.5)
      QUALCOMM QCOM
      69.07
      (3.1)
      (2.1)
      6.7
      28.1
      RAYTHEON RTN
      33.72
      (1.8)
      (3.2)
      5.8
      12.3
      ROCKWELL COLLINS COL
      32.90
      (5.0)
      (1.3)
      9.0
      9.6
      SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA SFA
      25.83
      (8.7)
      (17.9)
      (18.0)
      (5.4)
      SKY FRAMES SKYU
      0.10
      100.0
      TITAN TTN
      11.69
      (2.8)
      (1.4)
      (38.6)
      (46.4)
      TRIMBLE NAVIGATION TRMB
      25.74
      (1.6)
      4.2
      (1.2)
      3.7
      VIASAT VSAT
      19.06
      (10.3)
      (14.4)
      (13.9)
      (0.4)
      Manufacturers’ Average
      100.00
      (5.3)
      (6.2)
      (7.7)
      (4.9)
      Nasdaq Composite Index
      Nasdaq comp
      1,752.49
      (5.5)
      (10.0)
      (9.3)
      (12.5)
      SP 500 sp50
      1,063.24
      (3.2)
      (4.5)
      (2.9)
      (4.4)
      SN Stock Price Average
      100.00
      (3.8)
      (7.8)
      (8.2)
      (0.4)

      Wall Street Analysis

      Industry stocks largely fell along with the rest of the stock market last week. The Satellite News stock index for the period between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12 showed that Englewood, Colo.-based EchoStar Communications [DISH] was one of the few bright spots. EchoStar’s good second quarter 2004 results announced last week buoyed its outlook.

      One industry player with a stock price that slipped more than expected was New York City-based Sirius Satellite Radio [SIRI]. Sirius slid 11.6 percent last week, and it’s down 34.9 percent for the past three months. Short-selling from professional investors who are unloading the stock with the intent of buying it back later at a cheaper price likely is driving part of this trend. There also has been little news to compel investors to buy Sirius lately. The company needed more than an additional week in July to hit its end-of-June goal of 50,000 total subscribers.

      Sirius CEO David Frear told me last week that he’s not aware of any reason his company’s stock would have fallen, other than the general market retreat. Radio industry stocks overall fell more than the market average, Wall Street observers said. Rival XM Satellite Radio [XMSR] was a notable exception, because it rose a modest 2 percent.

      “The market as a whole is just not doing well these days,” Frear said. Interest rates ticked up last week and trading has been light, as traditionally occurs in late summer, he explained. Once school is back in session and retail sales begin their seasonal rise this fall, the situation may change.

      Sirius appears to be gearing up for fall with new product rollouts. Last Thursday, it announced the introduction of a palm-sized plug & play unit that can be used at home or in a car. To add marketing buzz, the company opted to unveil it on the Home Shopping Network Aug. 14.

      Another catalyst for Sirius could be airing of all the NFL regular season and playoff games starting this fall. If Sirius signs up at least 2,200 subscribers per team during each of the next seven years, the company will be able to cover the $220 million price it must pay the NFL for broadcasting the games on its national service. Sirius is only required to pay $5 million of that backloaded contract this year.

      Clearly, the term “dog days” of summer also can apply to the stock market.

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