DirecTV is Up 60% This Year and Still Going Strong
DirecTV generated about $1 billion of free cash flow before interest and taxes this year, doubling last year’s output, and analysts expect earnings per share to jump 21% next year, to $1.31.
In the 2006 third quarter, DirecTV’s customer churn rate was a higher-than-expected 1.8%, and the company added fewer new subscribers than expected. But it was able to boost its percentage of higher-quality customers while containing subscriber-acquisition costs. Also, satellite-TV players continue to win “eyeballs,” despite intensifying competition from cable. DirecTV has 15.68 million subscribers, up from 14.9 million last spring.
Barron’s noted the stock is up more than 60% this year — and argues investors still might not sell, despite the run-up in price. I’ve kept my entire position intact, thinking we’ve got more upside.