Skip navigation
MOST POPULAR RELATED TAGS
  • TOPICS
  • SECTORS
  • COMPANIES

MAD MONEY FEATURES

Podcasts PODCASTS
Watch the Lightning Round whenever and wherever you want.




Widget OFFICIAL MAD MONEY WIDGET
Grab this all-in-one application and get recaps of the show sent right to your desktop or blog.




Soundboard CRAMERS SOUNDBOARD
Admit it: You've always wanted to hit the "They
know nothing!" button. Here’s your chance.




Mad Money PhotosCHECK OUT OUR PHOTOS
Check out Cramer on set, back to school, behind the scenes and more.




ShopSHOP FOR MAD MERCHANDISE
Buy Cramer books, bobbleheads and other Mad Money merchandise.




Ringtones RING TONES
Pick up the phone! It's Cramer! New Mad Money sounds for your cell phone.




Mobile AlertTEXT MESSAGE ALERT
Mad Money's mobile. Get show highlights sent to your phone.







Text Size

Now that Verizon Wireless has acquired Alltel, who’s next to get snatched up?

That’s the question Wall Street’s asking, hoping to cash in on another big deal, but Cramer said Thursday there might be a better opportunity.

Before the buyout goes through, the Justice Department will most likely force Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications [VZ  Loading...      ()   ] and Vodafone [VOD  Loading...      ()   ], to divest some of its business that overlaps with Alltel [AT  Loading...      ()   ]. The usual suspects – Qwest [Q  Loading...      ()   ], Sprint Nextel [S  Loading...      ()   ], AT&T [T  Loading...      ()   ] – for any number of reasons, just aren’t in position to take advantage of the opportunity. So that leaves an opening for a smaller company like Windstream [WIN  Loading...      ()   ] to step up.

Windstream was formed back in 2006 when Alltel, with the goal of becoming a pure wireless play, merged its wireline business with Valor Communications. The new company serves as a “rural local exchange carrier,” bringing regular phone service to some of the most rustic parts of the U.S. These RLEC’s are slow-growth, high-yield stocks – think Embarq[EQ  Loading...      ()   ], Iowa Telecommunications [IWA  Loading...      ()   ], Citizens Communications [CZN  Loading...      ()   ] or Consolidated Communications [CNSL  Loading...      ()   ] – but the leftovers from VW-Alltel deal give Windstream the chance to be much more.

When you add some healthy wireless business to the company’s portfolio, Cramer said, WIN becomes a growth stock. Windstream might even then become the very regional telco Wall Street’s searching so hard for right now – the next Alltel.

If Windstream doesn’t make the moves Cramer expects, there’s always the dividend yield – 7.6% – for a steady stream of income.

Questions for Cramer?

Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website?

© 2009 CNBC, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Tools:
PrintEmailAdd This share icon
Next Post
  • digg share
ADD COMMENTS
Remaining characters


Current DateTime: 05:29:33 23 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29778428

Current DateTime: 10:08:23 23 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779196

Current DateTime: 06:27:51 23 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779199

Current DateTime: 01:08:15 23 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 29779198
  Data is a real-time snapshot  *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis

© 2009 CNBC, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
A Division of NBC Universal
Thomson ReutersThomson Reuters