Business/Finance
Time Warner Cable "represents the most compelling opportunity within our coverage universe," contends Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett, who’s bullish on the MSO’s forthcoming split from Time Warner and cable’s near historically low valuations. Moffett also believes cable will soon gain basic subs from the DTV transition, achieve ad growth leading to the presidential election and continue to ramp SMB initiatives. As for TWC’s impending spin, Moffett says it should be viewed positively, and not just because of the slated $10.27/share special dividend. "A post-spin TWC would likely warrant a control premium to reflect what would then be genuinely independent investor ownership…and the company has indicated its expectation to announce share repurchases and/or a regular dividend relatively quickly post-spin."