Investors Worry Comcast Will Try to Acquire Viacom or TimeWarner

By Andrew Gauthier 

Reuters

Comcast Corp has been hoarding cash to better manage its balance sheet but investors worry that it could be building a war chest for a splashy acquisition similar to its failed 2004 bid for Walt Disney Co.

Investors value shares of Comcast at close to historical lows, as the top U.S. cable service provider’s conservative balance sheet strategy has rekindled speculation that it wants to be a major player in the media content market.

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Investors worry that Comcast might use growing cash reserves to go after names such as Viacom Inc, owner of MTV Networks and Paramount film studio, or Time Warner Inc, which owns CNN, HBO and Warner Bros despite little evidence of such a move, said analysts. Disney is no longer seen as a target. More…

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