Crown Castle Announces Agreement To Sell Fiber Segment to EQT and Zayo, Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results, and Provides Outlook for Full Year 2025

Core Insights - Crown Castle has successfully concluded a strategic review, agreeing to sell its small cells and fiber solutions businesses for $8.5 billion, positioning itself as the only pure-play, publicly traded U.S. tower company [1][3][5] - The company anticipates a reduction in its annualized dividend to approximately $4.25 per share starting in Q2 2025 and plans to implement a share repurchase program of about $3.0 billion following the transaction [1][7][8] - Crown Castle expects to maintain an investment-grade credit rating while using proceeds from the sale to repay existing debt and fund share repurchases [3][8] Financial Performance - For the full year 2024, site rental revenues decreased by 3% to $6.358 billion compared to $6.532 billion in 2023 [2][12] - The net loss for 2024 was $3.903 billion, a significant decline from a net income of $1.502 billion in 2023, primarily due to a $5.0 billion goodwill impairment charge related to the Fiber business [2][16] - Adjusted EBITDA for 2024 was $4.161 billion, down from $4.415 billion in 2023, reflecting lower site rental revenues and increased advisory fees [2][16] Strategic Focus - The sale of the Fiber segment is seen as a strategic move to enhance shareholder value and focus on the core tower business, which is expected to benefit from increasing demand for wireless data [5][6][9] - Crown Castle's tower portfolio consists of approximately 40,000 towers across key U.S. locations, which the company believes is well-positioned for future growth in mobile data demand [6][9] - The company plans to streamline processes and enhance customer service to maximize profitability and operational excellence [6][9] Outlook - For 2025, Crown Castle expects organic growth of 4.5% in tower revenues, excluding the impact of Sprint cancellations, with anticipated increases in lease and amendment applications as customers expand their 5G networks [1][17] - The full year 2025 outlook for site rental revenues is projected to be between $3.987 billion and $4.032 billion, with a focus on maintaining cash flow stability and financial flexibility [15][17] - The company anticipates a goodwill impairment loss of approximately $800 million in Q1 2025 and a total loss of between $700 million and $900 million for the full year 2025 due to the Fiber segment being classified as a discontinued operation [11][12]