Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett downgraded DirecTV’s stock to “market perform” from “outperform,” and he said he was shifting his preference to Dish Network, reports Multichannel News. Mr. Moffet cited the impact of the subprime mortgage crisis on the housing market and AT&T’s switch to Dish when selling bundled services in Bell South’s old territory. He said sales of HD service is also likely to slow in the second quarter after the end of football season.
–Hillary Atkin