Dish Network shares bolstered as results beat estimates

Investors had nothing to dish about Dish Network’s second-quarter performance, which beat Wall Street estimates on its top and bottom lines.

The results, released early Friday, sent the satellite-TV provider’s shares up 14.5 percent at the close, to $34.20.

Before the gain, Dish shares were down 38 percent for the year.

Although the company’s endgame remains a mystery to analysts, Chairman Charlie Ergen reaffirmed his interest in building out a 5G network — the next generation of mobile networks.

Dish still needs spectrum clearance by the FCC, which has delayed the 5G start until 2020.

Dish’s revenue of $3.46 billion was down 5 percent from last year, yet beat analysts’ consensus of $3.43 billion. Earnings per share of 83 cents towered over the 9 cents posted a year ago — a quarter hampered by litigation expenses. Wall Street was expecting 69 cents.

Dish ended the quarter with 13 million pay-TV subscribers, including those signed up with 3-year-old Sling TV, down 2.5 percent from last year.

The company warned that its carriage dispute with Spanish-language TV network Univision would likely lead to further subscription declines.

The dispute provoked a blackout on June 30. Univision responded that it was “concerned Dish’s decision to turn its back on Hispanic audiences — a growing community that already accounts for nearly 20 percent of Dish’s subscriber base — will exacerbate [its] losses.