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Sirius Satellite Launches, Stock Falls

Sirius Satellite Radio has had a takeoff and a crash of sorts. The company's stock price hit the skids as Wall Street debated the future earnings potential for the satellite radio company, which is set to start its service within the next few months.

Salomon Smith

Barney analyst John Coates cut its rating from "outperform" to "neutral," citing worries about Sirius' technology and ability to attract customers. At the same time, Dain Rauscher Wessels analyst Jonathan Lawrence upped the stock to "strong buy" from "buy." Merrill Lynch analyst Marc Nabi split the difference, holding Sirius at "accumulate."

The uncertainty and debate shaved more than 15% off its value. On the upside, Sirius has picked up $150 million in capital from Lehman Brothers, which will keep Sirius running through the end of the fourth quarter.

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