Earnings Preview: Time Warner Cable 4Q

<div id="subtitle">Time Warner Cable 4Q earnings could show whether video, Internet, phone growth is resuming</div><div><p>Time Warner Cable Inc., the nation's second largest cable TV operator, reports its fourth-quarter results before the market opens on Thursday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period:</p><p>OVERVIEW: Growth in Time Warner Cable's video, Internet and phone services slowed in the first three quarters of fiscal 2009 and the company cautioned in November that the fourth quarter began along the same trend. Thursday's earnings report will show whether business has improved.</p><p>Meanwhile, the company has been paying down debt and the fourth quarter should show an improved balance sheet. Time Warner Cable used borrowings to pay a special dividend of $10.86 billion to shareholders when it was spun off in March 2009 from Time Warner Inc.</p><p>Time Warner Cable, based in New York, serves more than 13 million cable TV customers.</p><p>BY THE NUMBERS: Analysts expect the cable operator to earn 88 cents per share in the quarter and post revenue of $4.53 billion, according to Thomson Reuters. In the fourth quarter of 2008, Time Warner Cable earned $1.05 per share on revenue of $4.4 billion.</p><p>ANALYST TAKE: Tuna Amobi, an analyst at Standard & Poor's, is looking for business to stabilize in the quarter. He's also closely watching growth in the cable operator's high-speed Internet and digital phone businesses, especially services sold to companies.</p><p>With Time Warner Cable reducing its debt levels, Amobi said the company could decide to start paying a regular dividend.</p><p>WHAT'S AHEAD: Time Warner Cable is forging ahead with its "TV Everywhere" initiative that lets cable subscribers watch cable TV shows online at no additional cost.</p><p>Cable channels participating in the program include Time Warner Inc.'s TBS, TNT and HBO; CBS Corp.'s CBS network; Syfy from General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal; BBC America, Cablevision Systems Corp.'s AMC, WE tv, IFC, Sundance, Discovery Communications LLC's Discovery and the Smithsonian Channel, a joint venture between CBS's Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution.</p><p>STOCK PERFORMANCE: Shares of Time Warner Cable went on a tear after the company did a one-for-three reverse stock split in March, rising from a low of $20.19 to end the year at $41.39. They closed Tuesday down 58 cents at $44.16.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=67845948&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>


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