Windstream (WIN) Completes Buyout of MASS Communications

Windstream Holdings Inc. WIN completed the acquisition of MASS Communications for approximately $37.5 million in an all-cash transaction. The deal was initially announced toward the end of December 2017 in a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing.

MASS Communications will now operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Windstream under its newly launched enterprise business — Windstream Enterprise. MASS Communications CEO, Darren Mass is now the president-resale of the company’s enterprise and wholesale business unit.

Prior to being acquired, MASS Communications was a privately-held, New York-based competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC). The company provided telecommunications and connectivity management, consultation and development solutions for voice, data and networking technologies to mid-sized global enterprise customers.

The acquisition of MASS Communications will expand Windstream’s managed services customer base and make the market for medium-sized business more competitive.

Further, the buyout will boost Windstream’s expanding fiber-based network. MASS Communications’ current customers can now avail Windstream’s broader on-net portfolio of network access options, which are provided to support software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) and other managed services.

Our View

We believe Windstream is realigning its wireless network toward a software-centric model to meet increasing business demands. The company is transforming its product portfolio and network in an attempt to enhance customer experience.

Windstream is seeking diversification from legacy telecom services to more business, enterprise and wholesale opportunities. To meet this end, Windstream has made a significant financial investment to upgrade the company’s network and product portfolio, including significant advances in software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) capabilities and a new Cloud Core architecture. Additionally, the acquisitions of EarthLink and Broadview have also played a major role in boosting the company’s SD-WAN and cloud suite. We expect Windstream’s SD-WAN opportunities to drive its top line and subscriber statistics in 2018.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Currently, Windstream is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Computer and Technology sector include SITO Mobile, Ltd. SITO, United States Cellular USM and Harris Corporation HRS. While SITO Mobile carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), both Harris and United States Cellular sport a Zacks Rank #1.

The projected earnings growth rate (3-5 years) for SITO Mobile, United States Cellular and Harris is 25%, 1% and 6%, respectively.

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Harris Corporation (HRS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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