Brean Capital Believes Acquisition of DirecTV by AT&T is Highly Likely

In a report published Tuesday, Brean Capital analyst Todd Mitchell reiterated a Buy rating and $96.00 price target on

. In the report, Brean Capital noted, “We look for an offer for DirecTV from AT&T in excess of $100 per share. We believe an acquisition of DirecTV by AT&T (T, Not Rated) is not only highly likely, but makes a lot of sense for both parties, strategically and financially. If one can read anything into the spate of loosely sourced articles published yesterday, it is that they would seem to reveal a bid-ask spread for the deal of approximately $95-to-$105. While conventional wisdom holds that DirecTV needs AT&T more than the other way around, we think this is a misinterpretation, and that not only does DirecTV offer AT&T means to enhance the competitiveness of its service profile in a post-Comcast (CMCSA, $50.65, Buy)/Time Warner Cable (TWC, $138.14, Buy) merger world, we also believe the deal would enhance AT&T's financial profile by providing it with a means to accelerate top-line growth and generate sufficient FCF to maintain capital returns to shareholders. As a result, we would look for an offer for DirecTV from AT&T in excess of $100 per share and would by buyers of shares of DTV under $96 per share.” DirecTV closed on Monday at $87.16.