Sprint (S) PT Raised to $8 at FBR Capital; Turnaround on Track

FBR Capital analyst David Dixon reiterated an Outperform rating and raised its price target on Sprint (NYSE: S) to $8.00 (from $7.00), saying the business turnaround is on track.

Dixon commented, "Our non-consensus thesis is playing out, as Sprint's turnaround story is on track with preliminary F2Q16 financial results coming in ahead of Street expectations. Rather than chasing after poorer-quality subscribers in a race to the bottom, Sprint is executing an aggressive multifaceted network strategy pivot to retain and attract higher-value subscribers and drive positive free cash flow. Combined with the recently announced (1) spectrum-backed lease notes of up to $3.5B at lower borrowing rates to fund the repayment of upcoming debt maturities, (2) quarterly MLS sales, and (3) lower YOY capex expectations that can be sustained, Sprint's liquidity and financial footing have greatly improved, in our view. There are more positive catalysts ahead; approval of high-power devices on 2.5 GHz spectrum is anticipated by year-end, with devices expected in 1Q17. This should increase 2.5 GHz spectrum utility significantly, increasing the network coverage area by 40% for these devices, driving a major improvement in user experience. Our recent industry checks also indicate that Sprint is now shipping commoditized indoor tri-band voice and data CPE at scale to improve indoor coverage at low incremental cost. We reiterate our Outperform rating and raise our price target to $8 from $7."

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Sprint click here. For more ratings news on Sprint click here.

Shares of Sprint closed at $6.86 yesterday.

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