If you were watching this stock, Sirius looked like it might implode during the recession. The satellite radio giant was able to stay afloat and then grow due to its number one position for the installation of its devices in new cars. This stock traded down into the land of penny stocks, then recovered to $1 and has since climbed up to the $4 mark.
Sirius XM owes a lot to Mel Karmazin for his hand in keeping the company growing and refinancing the debt. Karmazin brought in John Malone with rescue financing, even if that came at a cost, and even if Malone made out like a bandit. Sirius XM effectively was able to refinance all the coming debt and prevented a second to worst case scenario from taking place.
The company is now in a post-Karmazin era and has so far also been able to retain Howard Stern to keep him and his listeners there. Other artists and personalities have been added over the years to continually bolster the talent lineup.
In the first quarter, the company added 431,000 net new subscribers, a 61% increase from the 267,000 net new subscribers in the same period of the previous year.
ALSO READ: Customer Service Hall of Shame
At the same time, the company increased its guidance on not just revenue but subscribers as well for the 2015 full year. If Sirius keeps up this earnings momentum, it could be a very bright year in this company’s turnaround.
Analysts weighed in on Sirius in the second quarter, ahead of its earnings:
- FBR reiterated a Buy rating.
- Macquarie has a Buy rating and a $4.50 price target.
- Piper Jaffray has an Overweight rating and raised its price target to $5.25 from $5.00.
So far, Sirius has outperformed the broad markets, with shares up over 11% year to date.
Shares of Sirius were up 0.5% to $3.91 Friday afternoon. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $4.46 and a 52-week trading range of $3.14 to $4.04.
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks