Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth accelerated in Q2 to 1.9% on a consolidated acquisition adjusted basis, marking the seventeenth consecutive quarter of acquisition adjusted revenue growth [4][10] - EBITDA increased by 2% on an acquisition adjusted basis, with a slight improvement in margins compared to Q2 of the previous year [4] - Adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) totaled $225.3 million in Q2, an increase of 5.5% from $213.5 million in the previous year [12] - Diluted AFFO per share increased by 6.7% to $2.22 per share compared to $2.08 per share in the previous year [12] - The company revised its full year AFFO per share guidance to a range of $8.1 to $8.2, a reduction of $0.55 from the prior range [6][17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Billboard operations experienced low single-digit top line growth, while the airport and logos division significantly outpaced the broader portfolio, growing revenue by 11.76% and 6.1% respectively [11] - Local and regional sales accounted for approximately 79% of billboard revenue in Q2, continuing to grow for the seventeenth consecutive quarter [12] - Programmatic advertising increased by around 10% [7] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Categories of strength included services (up 8.2%), financial (up 11%), building and construction (up 16.3%), and insurance (up 22%) [20] - Weaker categories included education (down 3.8%), beverages (down 16%), and telecom (down 17%) [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on acquisitions, having spent $87 million on 20 acquisitions through Q2, with a total year-to-date cash acquisition amount of approximately $110 million [7] - The company completed a milestone UPREIT transaction, which is expected to be a tool for future acquisitions [8][39] - The management expressed optimism about the potential for increased M&A activity due to the favorable UPREIT structure [39][41] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The current operating environment is described as solid but not spectacular, with increased activity in national RFPs and local proposals [5] - Management is cautious about October due to potential headwinds from political advertising [5][30] - The company expects back half growth to be better than the first half but not as strong as earlier expectations [6] Other Important Information - The company ended Q2 with approximately $3.4 billion in total consolidated debt and a weighted average interest rate of 4.7% [14] - Total leverage was 2.95 times net debt to EBITDA, among the lowest levels ever for the company [15] - The company paid a cash dividend of $1.55 per share in both the first and second quarters, with a recommendation to declare the same for the third quarter [18][19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you quantify the updated guidance for top line growth and visibility into the back half? - Management indicated that Q3 political headwind is about 100 basis points and about 200 basis points in Q4, with a significant amount of political revenue from the previous year to replace [28][31] Question: Clarification on the reduction in AFFO guidance? - Management clarified that the reduction is due to both slower operational performance and the exit from the Vancouver contract [34][36] Question: Will the UPREIT structure accelerate M&A activity? - Management believes it will be a significant factor in increasing M&A activity, as it provides a tax-efficient option for sellers [39][41] Question: Why are airport and transit results holding up better? - Management noted that airports are experiencing strong growth due to a rebound in air travel, while transit operations have a different recovery profile [46][48] Question: Timeline for integrating acquired assets? - Integration timelines vary; expense synergies happen quickly for fill-in acquisitions, while revenue synergies take longer due to existing contracts [50][51]