Controversy and disagreement can be a good thing for the opportunistic investor, as DirecTV
Not surprisingly, I've seen more than a few different takes on the earnings posted by this satellite TV provider. Personally, I think it was a decent quarter.
Total revenue rose about 8%, and the company reversed operating and net losses from a year ago into profits this quarter. Moreover, EBITDA was up nicely, and the company produced free cash flow for the quarter.
Those are secondary metrics to many analysts, investors, and commentators at this point -- the real interest is in subscriber numbers and churn rate. Though gross subscriber additions were down 19%, the company posted a lower churn rate for the period.
Even there, though, there is controversy and sniping. Skeptics will argue that lower subscriber numbers suggest more successful competition from cable companies, including Time Warner
There's also debate about the longer-term picture here. Some feel that DIRECTV is vulnerable to losing marketing partners like BellSouth
Were the stock still in the low-to-mid teens, I might have a vested interest in jumping into the middle of the fray. At today's prices, though, I have little interest in either the "love it" or "hate it" camps. The stock is not overpriced, but it's not compellingly cheap, either.
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Fool contributor Stephen Simpson has no financial interest in any stocks mentioned (that means he's neither long nor short the shares). Time Warner is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick . The Fool's disclosure policy keeps its eye on the sky.