Will Intelsat 29e success boost share price?
January 14, 2016
By Chris Forrester
On January 27th a giant Ariane-5 rocket is scheduled to loft Intelsat’s latest high-tech satellite, I-29 Epic into orbit.
Brian Sing, Intelsat’s Senior Programme Manager of its Space Systems division, writing in a blog, says that all the recent test for pre-flight activity have gone well and I-29e’s fuel tanks will be filled over the next few days ahead of the launch from French Guiana.
Once fully laden with fuel the satellite will weigh 6500 kgs. The highly-sophisticated satellite, one of the very largest commercial craft ever launched, will go to 310 deg East (50 deg West) and add to Intelsat’s coverage over South America, North America, Europe and the North Atlantic ocean.
In other words it is a key additional asset for Intelsat’s expansion programme, and will help generate extra revenue once it is on station and put to work (probably around the end of February).
However, so far this good news has done little for Intelsat’s share price which suffered another major fall on Jan 13, tumbling 9.58 percent to $3.02. Indeed, at one point the share price was just $2.70 although there were also welcome rallies to – at one point $3.34. Intelsat’s common share price has now fallen from $6.50 in mid-November to today’s $3.02. Its market capitalisation is some $324 million.
January 13th also saw a banker’s report from equity analysts at Goldman Sachs which downgraded Intelsat to a “SELL” rating.