The REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry counterparts are likely to face the impacts of macroeconomic uncertainty, policy shifts and resulting inflationary pressures, along with a sustained period of elevated interest rates. Moreover, shifting tenant preferences are widening market gaps, making it harder for non-prime properties to compete.Nevertheless, with the industry catering to a wide range of real estate categories, there are pockets of strength with solid demand across certain asset categories, bac ...

Site Leasing Business Performance - The site leasing business contributed 98.4% of total segment operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2024[162]. - Site leasing revenues represented 94% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024[180]. - The company expects core leasing revenue to increase over 2024 levels, driven by wireless carriers deploying unused spectrum and the full-year impact of towers acquired and built during 2024[170]. - Domestic site leasing revenues increased by $14.9 million to $1,861.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to organic growth and new leases[189]. - International site leasing revenues decreased by $5.0 million to $665.3 million, but increased by $32.5 million on a constant currency basis, with Brazil representing 15.0% of total site leasing revenue[190]. - Domestic site leasing operating profit increased by $14.3 million to $1,592.3 million, while international site leasing operating profit increased by $5.2 million to $471.5 million[192][193]. - Domestic site leasing operating income increased by $400.3 million to $1,249.9 million, driven by lower depreciation and impairment costs[202]. - International site leasing operating income increased by $113.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the prior year, with a constant currency increase of $126.9 million[203]. Financial Performance and Income - Net income rose by $251.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, reaching $748.7 million, a 105.5% increase compared to the prior year[212]. - Adjusted EBITDA increased by $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, totaling $1.89 billion, with a constant currency increase of $24.9 million[219]. - Cash provided by operating activities was $1.33 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, down from $1.54 billion in the prior year, primarily due to increased cash outflows related to working capital changes[223]. - Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at the end of the year totaled $1.4 billion, significantly up from $250.9 million at the beginning of the year[222]. - Provision for income taxes decreased by $27.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, with a constant currency increase of $85.3 million[211]. Expenses and Cost Management - Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased by $9.2 million to $258.8 million, driven by a decrease in non-cash compensation expense[195]. - Acquisition and new business initiatives related expenses increased by $4.3 million to $25.9 million, primarily due to higher third-party acquisition costs[196]. - Depreciation, accretion, and amortization expenses decreased by $446.8 million to $269.5 million, mainly due to changes in estimated useful lives of assets[200]. - Domestic site leasing asset impairment and decommission costs decreased by $88.9 million to $49.8 million, reflecting a decrease in impairment charges[198]. - International site leasing asset impairment and decommission costs increased by $28.9 million to $57.0 million, primarily due to increased impairment charges[199]. Capital Expenditures and Investments - The company plans to continue growing its asset portfolio through tower acquisitions and construction of new towers[174]. - In 2024, the company incurred net cash used in investing activities of $809.3 million, an increase of 73% compared to $468.2 million in 2023[224]. - The company entered into an agreement to purchase over 7,000 communication sites in Central America for approximately $975.0 million, with an estimated closing date of September 1, 2025[226]. - For 2025, the company expects non-discretionary cash capital expenditures of $53.0 million to $63.0 million and discretionary cash capital expenditures of $1,255.0 million to $1,275.0 million[228]. Debt and Financing - The company has a total debt obligation of $13,672,750,000 as of December 31, 2024[274]. - The company reported net repayments under the Revolving Credit Facility of $180.0 million in 2024, down from $540.0 million in 2023[229]. - The Senior Credit Agreement was amended to issue a new $2.3 billion Term Loan and extend the maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility to January 25, 2029[236]. - As of December 31, 2024, the company maintained a Revolving Credit Facility with a total commitment of $2.0 billion[237]. - The interest rate for the Revolving Credit Facility was 5.407% as of December 31, 2024, reflecting a reduction due to meeting sustainability-linked targets[243]. - The 2024 Term Loan has an initial principal amount of $2.3 billion, maturing on January 25, 2031, with a blended interest rate of 2.428%[246]. - The company incurred financing fees of approximately $19.4 million related to the 2024 Term Loan, which are being amortized[247]. Market and Economic Conditions - The company expects that higher interest rates will continue to impact growth rates and future operating results, particularly affecting capital expenditures by wireless service providers[272]. - A hypothetical 10% adverse movement in the Brazilian Real would have caused revenues and operating income to decline by approximately 1.3% and 1.0%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2024[278]. - High interest rates could adversely impact operational results and refinancing capabilities[285]. - The company anticipates challenges in the wireless communications industry that may affect growth and customer capital access[285]. Strategic Initiatives and Future Outlook - The company plans to grow its tower portfolio domestically and internationally through acquisitions, new builds, and organic lease-up[281]. - The company is focused on securing rights to land for its towers, which is expected to impact financial and operational results positively[285]. - The company aims to maintain target leverage levels while managing liquidity and dividend strategies[285]. - Expectations for debt service in 2025 indicate a need for careful management of outstanding debt over the next twelve months[285]. - There are ongoing efforts to secure site leasing tenants and achieve economies of scale with new tenants[285]. - The company faces competition in acquiring towers that meet investment criteria and are priced to benefit shareholders[285]. - The ability to build new towers is contingent on identifying suitable land and addressing regulatory and logistical challenges[285]. - The company is focused on maintaining its REIT status and utilizing available NOLs to reduce taxable income[285].

SBA Communications Corporation (SBAC) reported fourth-quarter 2024 adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share of $3.47, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.36. The figure also reflects a rise of 3% from the prior-year quarter.See the Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news.SBAC results reflect an improvement in site-leasing and site-development revenues during the quarter. The company announced an increase in dividends and issued its 2025 outlook.Quarterly total revenues incr ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The fourth quarter results were in-line to slightly ahead of estimates despite adverse foreign exchange rates [7] - Domestic organic revenue growth was 5.1% on a gross basis and 2.2% on a net basis, including 2.9% churn [25] - The company ended the year with a net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio of 6.1 times, the lowest in its history [15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Domestic new carrier activity continued to increase, with a higher percentage coming from new lease colocations compared to amendments to existing leases [8] - International organic recurring cash leasing revenue growth was 1.7% net, with Brazil showing 8.7% gross organic growth on a constant currency basis [26] - The US-based services business had its best quarter of the year, with an outlook for a year-over-year increase in 2025 [10][11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - International churn remains elevated due to customer consolidations, particularly in Brazil, which is heavily indexed in the company's operations [12][27] - The company anticipates continued network investment in international markets to close the gap in 5G coverage compared to the US [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to stabilize results, grow the core business, and improve asset quality through both organic and inorganic growth [16] - A significant agreement to purchase approximately 7,000 towers from Millicom positions the company as a leading tower operator in Central America [17] - The company plans to build up to 800 new towers in 2025, the largest number in over 20 years, primarily in Central America [18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about future opportunities, citing ongoing mobile network consumption growth and limited new spectrum availability [22] - The company expects to see growth in leasing business throughout 2025, driven by increased carrier activity [10][21] - Management acknowledged the challenges posed by macroeconomic factors, including interest rates and foreign exchange impacts [13] Other Important Information - The company declared a cash dividend of $1.11 per share for the first quarter of 2025, representing a 13% increase over the previous quarter [35] - The company has a strong balance sheet and liquidity position, with a fully undrawn $2 billion revolving credit facility [34] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more color on the increase in the backlog? - Management indicated that the backlog increase is broad across various carriers, with more business coming from new leases rather than amendments [40][41] Question: How should we think about your ability to grow domestic leasing relative to CapEx budgets? - Management noted that minor shifts in CapEx budgets can significantly impact the company, and they expect increased activity in wireless networks [49][50] Question: What is the outlook for customer-specific activity across the three nationals and DISH? - Management stated that all major carriers are increasing activity levels, but DISH's contribution is currently limited [61][62] Question: What is the expected level of international churn in 2025? - Management anticipates that international churn will remain at similar levels to 2024, particularly due to challenges in Brazil [140] Question: How does the Millicom transaction affect leverage? - The Millicom deal is expected to add about 0.2 turns of leverage, which is manageable given the company's current financial position [92] Question: Will there be more spectrum auctions in the coming years? - Management expressed hope for more spectrum auctions but noted that immediate discussions focus on optimizing current assets [150][151]

For the quarter ended December 2024, SBA Communications (SBAC) reported revenue of $693.7 million, up 2.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $3.47, compared to $1.01 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.78% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $681.59 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $3.37, the EPS surprise was +2.97%.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to dete ...

Core Viewpoint - SBA Communications reported quarterly funds from operations (FFO) of $3.47 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.37 per share, and showing an increase from $3.37 per share a year ago [1][2] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $693.7 million for the quarter ended December 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.78%, compared to $675.02 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Over the last four quarters, SBA Communications has exceeded consensus FFO estimates two times and topped revenue estimates once [2] Stock Performance - SBA Communications shares have increased approximately 4.5% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 2.2% [3] - The stock's immediate price movement will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call [3] Future Outlook - The current consensus FFO estimate for the upcoming quarter is $3.22 on revenues of $661.87 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $12.91 on revenues of $2.72 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for SBA Communications is mixed, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry, to which SBA Communications belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 44% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges ahead [8]

This Supplemental Financial Data package provides key financial and operational data as well as reconciliations of those non-GAAP financial measures that SBA Communications Corporation ("SBA" or "We") use in evaluating the performance of our business. These non-GAAP financial measures include (1) Cash Site Leasing Revenue, (2) Core Recurring Cash Leasing Revenue, (3) Tower Cash Flow and Tower Cash Flow Margin, (4) Adjusted EBITDA, Annualized Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, (5) Return on Investe ...

Financial Performance - Net income for Q4 2024 was $178.8 million, or $1.61 per share, representing a 63.3% increase compared to Q4 2023[4] - The company achieved an industry-leading AFFO per share of $3.47, up 3.0% from $3.37 in the prior year[4] - Operating income for Q4 2024 was $382,339 thousand, significantly higher than $209,687 thousand in Q4 2023, indicating an increase of approximately 82.2%[38] - Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation for the year 2024 was $749,536 thousand, compared to $501,812 thousand in 2023, marking an increase of approximately 49.3%[38] - Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was $178.79 million, up from $109.53 million in 2023, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 62.9%[44] - The company reported a net income per common share of $1.61 for Q4 2024, up from $1.01 in Q4 2023[38] Revenue and Growth - Site leasing revenue for Q4 2024 was $646.3 million, a 1.6% increase from $636.1 million in Q4 2023[6] - Total revenues for the year 2024 were $2,679,634 thousand, a decrease from $2,711,584 thousand in 2023, representing a decline of about 1.18%[38] - Total Site Leasing Revenue for 2024 is projected to be between $2,530 million and $2,555 million, with domestic revenue expected to be between $1,857 million and $1,871 million, and international revenue between $673 million and $684 million[26] - Forecasted site leasing revenue for the full year 2025 is projected to be between $2,530.0 million and $2,555.0 million[57] - Forecasted Tower Cash Flow for the full year 2025 is expected to range from $2,040.0 million to $2,065.0 million[57] Expenses and Capital Expenditures - Total operating expenses for the year 2024 were $1,243,871 thousand, down from $1,787,925 thousand in 2023, reflecting a decrease of approximately 30.5%[38] - The company plans to spend between $1,255.0 million and $1,275.0 million on discretionary cash capital expenditures in 2025[21] - Total capital expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2024, amounted to $228.15 million, compared to $228.15 million in 2023, indicating stable investment levels[45] Debt and Financial Ratios - The net debt to Adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio was 6.1x, the lowest in company history, with no remaining debt maturities in 2025[3] - Long-term debt increased to $12.40 billion in 2024 from $11.68 billion in 2023, reflecting a rise of 6.1%[41] - Total debt amounts to $13,672,750,000[70] - Net debt stands at $12,021,722,000 after accounting for cash and equivalents[70] - The leverage ratio is calculated at 6.1x based on annualized adjusted EBITDA of $1,957,000,000[70] Dividends - The company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.11 per share, an increase of approximately 13% over the previous quarter[2] - The company expects its quarterly dividend to represent approximately 35% of AFFO in the 2025 outlook[29] Acquisitions and Future Outlook - The company expects to close the Millicom acquisition by September 1, 2025, pending regulatory approvals[19] - The Millicom acquisition is pending, with expected benefits including increased revenue and tower cash flows[29] - Foreign currency exchange rate assumptions negatively impacted the 2025 outlook by approximately $25.1 million for leasing revenue[20] - The company anticipates continued growth in the U.S. driven by market demands and investments from customers[29] Cash and Assets - Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at the end of the period reached $1.40 billion, a significant increase from $250.95 million at the end of 2023[44] - Total assets increased to $11.42 billion in 2024 from $10.18 billion in 2023, representing a growth of 12.2%[41] Site Leasing and International Revenue - International cash site leasing revenue grew by 1.4% year-over-year, with a significant foreign currency impact of (11.3%) and a growth rate of 12.7% excluding foreign currency impact[55] - Total cash site leasing revenue for Q4 2024 was $646.1 million, an increase from $632.3 million in Q4 2023[56] - Total site leasing revenue increased by 1.6% year-over-year, with a foreign currency impact of (3.0%) and a growth rate of 4.6% excluding foreign currency impact[55]

Core Insights - SBA Communications (SBAC) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $3.36 per share, reflecting a decline of 0.3% year-over-year, while revenues are forecasted to be $681.71 million, indicating a 1% increase compared to the previous year [1] - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised 0.2% higher in the last 30 days, showing analysts' reevaluation of their initial estimates [1][2] Revenue Estimates - Analysts predict 'Revenues- Site Development' will reach $39.65 million, a year-over-year increase of 1.8% [4] - 'Revenues- International Site Leasing' is expected to be $171.77 million, reflecting a 1.4% increase from the prior-year quarter [4] - 'Revenues- Domestic Site Leasing' is projected to be $467.47 million, indicating a 0.2% year-over-year change [4] - The consensus estimate for 'Revenues- Site Leasing' stands at $639.24 million, suggesting a 0.5% increase year-over-year [5] Key Metrics - Analysts expect 'Depreciation, accretion and amortization' to be $65.78 million, compared to $171.40 million reported in the same quarter last year [6] - The number of 'Sites owned - International' is projected to reach 22,377, up from 22,131 year-over-year [5] - 'Sites owned - Domestic' is expected to be 17,470, slightly down from 17,487 year-over-year [5] Stock Performance - SBA Communications shares have increased by 0.9% in the past month, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has risen by 4.7% [6] - The company holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating it is expected to closely follow overall market performance in the near term [6]

Core Viewpoint - SBA Communications Corporation (SBAC) is expected to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 results on February 24, with anticipated revenue growth but a potential decline in adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share year over year [1][6]. Financial Performance - In the last reported quarter, SBAC achieved an AFFO per share of $3.32, meeting the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with slight improvements in domestic cash site-leasing revenues due to increased carrier activity, although site development revenues negatively impacted results [2][3]. - Over the past four quarters, SBAC's AFFO per share exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice, met once, and missed once, with an average beat of 0.38% [3]. Revenue Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter site-leasing revenues is $639.2 million, a slight increase from $636.1 million in the previous year, while site-development revenues are projected to rise to $39.7 million from $38.9 million [5]. - Total quarterly revenues are estimated at $681.7 million, reflecting a 1% year-over-year increase [6]. Full-Year Expectations - For full-year 2024, SBAC anticipates AFFO per share between $13.20 and $13.45, site-leasing revenues between $2,520 million and $2,530 million, site-development revenues between $140 million and $150 million, and adjusted EBITDA between $1,890 million and $1,900 million [7]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2024 AFFO per share is $13.24, indicating a 0.46% increase year over year, while total revenues are projected at $2.67 billion, suggesting a decline of 1.62% year over year [8]. Market Dynamics - The demand for SBA Communications' wireless infrastructure is driven by increasing smartphone adoption, greater broadband demand, and global 5G service plans, which may positively influence fourth-quarter performance [3][4]. - The company's stable site-leasing business model and portfolio expansion efforts are seen as positive factors, although ongoing consolidation in the wireless industry and high interest expenses may pose challenges [4].