Nextel Communications' bank debt could be on the cusp of cracking 90 in the near future, as both the bonds and bank debt continue to climb. One trader said a $5 million piece was traded at 89 1/2, but this could not be confirmed and he declined to name the participants. He attributed the bank debt's climb to the recent strong earnings announcement and the strength of the bonds. Over the week the bond price increased from 82 5/8 to 85 1/4 at press time, 20 points higher than in June.
A spokeswoman said this is not the first quarter the company has reported positive earnings. "The sales are strong, and importantly, we are going after the business market which delivers the most profitable customers," she explained, noting customers with Nextel spend over $20 more than the industry average. Furthermore, Nextel's churn rate is about 2% compared to an average of 3%. Cingular and Sprint PCS lost subscribers this quarter, but Nextel gained 480,000, she added. Nextel reported revenue gains of 26% compared to its third quarter last year and operating cash flow of $878 million, up 67% from last year. Nextel retired $1.5 billion of its outstanding debt and mandatorily redeemable preferred stock. None of the company's $4.5 billion in bank debt was retired.