According to a report from Wall
Street firm Macquarie Capital, leading mobile carrier T-Mobile US is not
inclined to make a deal in the near future with cable or telecommunications
providers other than Dish Network.
In a research note studying the impact
of Charter Communications’ proposed $56.7 billion purchase of Time Warner
Cable, Macquarie analysts stated that various other potential suitors or partners
for T-Mobile are not likely to initiate a move. Those include French telecom
group Altice, which shared plans to the previous week to buy a controlling stake
in U.S. cable operator Suddenlink Communications for $9.1 billion. Comcast, which
was baffled by the regulatory opposition in its own bid for Time Warner Cable,
is also observed as a possible suitor for T-Mobile.
As per the observation of the
analysts, an outright purchase of a wireless network is possible for Comcast,
but likely too early at this point. Rather, the company may be looking to focus
on returning capital to shareholders in the near-term. At the same time,
however, it is likely that T-Mobile will remain independent for the following
year or that Dish could strike a deal for T-Mobile at about $40 per share if it
can convince T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom regarding the financing of the
deal.
Timotheus Hoettges, the CEO for
Deutsche Telekom announced the previous week that the company will consider any
partnership for T-Mobile that could enhance profitability at the carrier. He
said at the company’s annual shareholders meeting that T-Mobile, in which
Deutsche Telekom still holds a stake of 66 percent, is in much better shape
today than it was a couple of years ago when it had just begun its famous ‘uncarrier’
initiative.
Lately, T-Mobile executives have
been more verbal about their likelihood of collaborating with another company,
and not necessarily another wireless carrier. Dish CEO Charlie Ergen has also
been complimentary of T-Mobile and its management team.
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