SATS EchoStar CORP

Nasdaq Communications Services, NEC NV CIK: 0001415404
AI RATING
SELL
78% Confidence

Investment Thesis

EchoStar faces severe financial distress despite positive free cash flow, with substantial net losses (-$146.9M), negative profitability margins (-4.0%), and extreme leverage (4.36x debt-to-equity) straining the balance sheet. Stagnant revenue growth combined with critical liquidity deterioration (0.30x current ratio) and plummeting EPS metrics indicate structural operational challenges that outweigh the company's positive operating cash generation.

Strengths

  • + Positive free cash flow generation of $104.8M provides some debt service capability
  • + Operating income of $392.8M with 10.7% operating margin shows core business can generate operational profits
  • + Large asset base of $41.4B reflects substantial infrastructure and market position in communications services

Risks

  • ! Critical net loss of -$146.9M with -4.0% net margin indicating unprofitability at bottom line
  • ! Extreme leverage with 4.36x debt-to-equity ratio and $24.6B long-term debt creating solvency concerns
  • ! Liquidity crisis with 0.30x current ratio far below safe levels, indicating potential covenant breaches
  • ! Stagnant revenue growth of 0.0% YoY with no organic expansion to support debt burden
  • ! Negative returns (ROE -2.6%, ROA -0.4%) demonstrate poor capital efficiency and value destruction

Key Metrics to Watch

Financial Metrics

Revenue
3.7B
Net Income
-146.9M
EPS (Diluted)
$-0.51
Free Cash Flow
104.8M
Total Assets
41.4B
Cash
1.3B

Profitability Ratios

Gross Margin N/A
Operating Margin 10.7%
Net Margin -4.0%
ROE -2.6%
ROA -0.4%
FCF Margin 2.9%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current Ratio
0.30x
Quick Ratio
0.27x
Debt/Equity
4.36x
Debt/Assets
86.3%
Interest Coverage
4.35x
Long-term Debt
24.6B
Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI based on publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. It does not include stock price data and should not be considered financial advice. All fundamental data is sourced from SEC public domain filings. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
Data Source: SEC EDGAR | Analysis Date: 2026-05-12T08:17:37.059862 | Data as of: 2026-03-31 | Powered by Claude AI