AT&T Inc. had a monster third quarter with profits up 42% to $3.1 billion partly due to its acquisition of BellSouth Corp. Now, the San Antonio-based telecom reportedly is looking for another acquisition, one further afield from telecom.

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday followed reports last week that AT&T is looking to make a bid for either satellite television providers DirectTV Group Inc. or EchoStar Communications Corp. The Journal reports that it is talking with Washington lawyers to see how long a deal would get approval from the federal government. One important factor that AT&T is probably considering is the likely change in the deal climate after the November 2008 presidential elections: from a pro-deal Republican government under George Bush to a Democratic one. A Democratic government would most likely scrutinize or even squash a possible deal.

On the other hand, with AT&T showing stronger third-quarter earnings and more money in the bank, this might be the right time for AT&T to take a risk and make a play for a satellite provider. — Gerald Magpily

See Los Angeles Business Journal article
See Wall Street Journals article (subscription may be required)
See BusinessWeek article
See Dealscape Oct. 18 entry: AT&T covets DirecTV?
See Dealscape Oct. 16 entry: AT&T may have EchoStar in its future?
See related story about BellSouth deal from TheDeal.com