Got a Quarter? Buy one share of Sirius XM Radio Inc.

The future of satellite radio can be bought for only 25 Cents per share, Sirius XM Radio Inc.  (NASDAQ:SIRI) shares are now down 92% YTD.

Has everyone lost their faith in satellite radio, how about Howard Stern?

Sirius, which completed a merger with XM Satellite Radio in July, is facing a serious cash squeeze.

It has more than $1 billion in debt coming due next year, and it doesn't have the money, at least not yet.

Chief Executive Officer Mel Karmazin has tried to reassure investors that the company will find the necessary funding, but the questions keep coming. "Am I going to lend the company the money? I hope not," he joked last month. "I hope we don't get to that."

Having Howard Stern is expensive, Sirius pays an estimated $80 million yearly to Howard and his team. Goldman Sachs (GS) predicts Sirius will lose $564 million next year as revenues climb 12%, to $2.7 billion.   Tack on the $60 million annually to broadcast Major League Baseball games and the talent bill really gets expensive.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. expects its cash needs to ease next year, when Sirius forecasts it will be able to generate $300 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

But the bigger issue is faith in the company, at 25 cents a share, Sirius shares trade like a Penny stock. 

Despite its shrinking $913 million market cap, you just have to ask, how can Sirius survive?

However, if you believe in satellite radio and think this stock can make a comeback, now is the time to buy.  To pick up 100 shares today will run you $25, that's just about the same cost as an old school broker will charge you to execute the trade.

So is 25 Cents too cheap for Sirius shares?  Not according to the Powers-that-be.

Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Wienkes repeated his Sell rating on Sirius (SIRI) last month, while cutting his price target to 25 cents from 50 cents and trimming estimates.  Mark Wienkes contends that 2008 subscriber forecasts will be cut or missed.

But lets face it, what can you buy for a quarter these days, not much? 

A few Laffy Taffy's and other cheap 5 cent candies in the bargain bin.  In some places those horrible SMARTIES candies cost 25 cents a piece, the same price as Sirius shares?

So which one has more value, the SMARTIES or SIRI?

Discliamer: No positions in SIRI.