UPDATE 1-C.Suisse sees cable, satellite TV firms as safe haven

Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:14pm EDT
 
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 (Recasts; adds analyst comments)
 Oct 28 (Reuters) - The "utility-like" nature of
subscription services offered by companies in the cable and
satellite TV sector will help them prove resilient in a
weakening economy, making them a relatively safe haven for
investors, according to an analyst at Credit Suisse.
 But analyst S. Wang expects companies in the entertainment
sector to trade in line the broader market in the near term.
 Wang sees substantial upside potential for these companies
on a multiyear basis as the economic backdrop improves, but
does not view current low valuations as a catalyst for rise in
shares in the short term.
 Wang started coverage of the entertainment sector with a
"market weight" rating, but set a "overweight" rating on the
cable and satellite TV sector.
 Among companies in the cable and satellite TV sector,
Comcast (CMCSA.O) was rated "outperform," while Time Warner
Cable (TWC.N) got a "neutral" rating as the analyst believes
the latter faces greater technical risks and balance sheet
constraints.
 The analyst was cautious on companies in the Internet
sector, which was started with a "market weight" rating,
reflecting a risk of further earnings downgrades in the near
term.
 The following table lists the rating and price target
Credit Suisse assigned to companies in the three sectors:
Company               RIC       Rating   Price target (in $)
Amazon.com Inc      (AMZN.O)    Neutral      60.00 Comcast Corp
    (CMCSA.O)   Outperform   16.00 DISH Network Corp  
(DISH.O)    Neutral      18.00 EBay Inc            (EBAY.O)   
Neutral      19.00 Google Inc          (GOOG.O)    Outperform 
400.00 News Corp           NWSa.N    Neutral      11.00 Time
Warner Cable   (TWC.N)     Neutral      22.00 Time Warner Inc  
  (TWX.N)     Neutral      10.50 Viacom Inc          (VIAb.N)  
 Neutral      21.00 Verizon Comm.       (VZ.N)      Neutral    
 40.00 Walt Disney Co      (DIS.N)     Outperform   27.00 Yahoo
Inc           (YHOO.O)    Neutral      14.00
 (Reporting by Sandhya Menon in Bangalore; Editing by Pratish
Narayanan)


 
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