AT&T Inc. had a monster third quarter with profits up 42%
to $3.1 billion partly due to its
acquisition
of BellSouth Corp. Now, the San Antonio-based telecom reportedly is
looking for another acquisition, one further afield from telecom.
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday followed reports last week
that AT&T is looking to make a bid for either satellite television
providers DirectTV Group Inc. or EchoStar Communications Corp. The Journal
reports that it is talking with Washington lawyers to see how long a deal
would get approval from the federal government. One important factor that
AT&T is probably considering is the likely change in the deal climate
after the November 2008 presidential elections:
from a pro-deal Republican
government under George Bush to a Democratic one. A Democratic government
would most likely scrutinize or even squash a possible deal.
On the other hand, with AT&T showing stronger third-quarter
earnings and more money in the bank, this might be the right time for AT&T
to take a risk and make a play for a satellite provider. —
Gerald Magpily