A rather up-and-down stock lately, satellite technology specialist EchoStar (SATS +1.20%) had a good trading session on Friday. Its shares rose by more than 1%, edging past the bellwether S&P 500 index, largely on an analyst's rather generous price target raise.
A bull weighs in with a new take
The person behind the raise was Deutsche Bank (prognosticator Bryan Kraft. Well before market open that day, Kraft elected to boost his fair value assessment on EchoStar to $131 per share, up quite some distance from his previous level of $97.
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According to reports, the analyst cited the one top catalyst for EchoStar's recent stock price rises -- its sale of wireless spectrum to Elon Musk's SpaceX -- as a reason to buy the stock. He's particularly encouraged by the coming IPO of the space company, as EchoStar received significant equity in the Musk venture as part of the deal. Meanwhile, the company has more spectrum it could sell.
Other positive factors that should bolster EchoStar, in Kraft's estimation, include anticipated legal settlements with business partners.
NASDAQ: SATS
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Baked in
That SpaceX stake has been drawing investors to EchoStar, as the Musk company is sure to be a hot item when it goes public. Personally, I believe that the potential for these developments is already priced into EchoStar stock, as are the eventual resolutions to the company's legal disputes. I wouldn't necessarily be a buyer of its stock now.
