Crown Castle (CCI) Q2 2025 Earnings Call July 23, 2025 05:30 PM ET Speaker0Day, and welcome to Crown Castle's Second Quarter twenty twenty five Earnings Conference Call. All participants will be in listen only mode. After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Chris Hinson, Vice President of Corporate Finance and Treasurer.Please go ahead.Speaker1Thank you, Ishiya, and good afternoon, ever ...

Core Viewpoint - SBA Communications (SBAC) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook on its earnings estimates, which significantly influence stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system emphasizes the importance of changing earnings estimates, which are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [4][6]. - Institutional investors often rely on earnings estimates to determine a company's fair value, leading to significant stock price movements based on these estimates [4]. Business Improvement Indicators - The upgrade in SBA Communications' rating reflects an improvement in the company's underlying business, suggesting that investors may respond positively by driving the stock price higher [5][10]. - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for SBA Communications has increased by 1%, with expected earnings of $12.74 per share for the fiscal year ending December 2025, unchanged from the previous year [8]. Zacks Rank System Overview - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with a strong historical performance, particularly for Zacks Rank 1 stocks, which have averaged a +25% annual return since 1988 [7][9]. - The upgrade of SBA Communications to a Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, indicating a strong potential for market-beating returns in the near term [10].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a strong start to 2025 with a 26% organic revenue growth, driven by nearly 8% constant currency growth [5][6] - Adjusted EBITDA reached $253 million with a margin of 57.5%, up 1320 basis points year over year [6][18] - ALFCF was $150 million, representing a 248% increase year over year, attributed to improved profitability and rephasing of interest payments [6][18] - Total CapEx was $44 million, down 17.8% year over year, reflecting a narrowed focus on capital allocation [7][19] - The consolidated net leverage ratio decreased to 3.4x from 3.7x at the end of 2024 [8][26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Nigeria, revenue increased by 19% year on year, driven by FX resets, power indexation, and tenancy growth [21] - The Sub-Saharan Africa segment saw an 8.1% revenue decrease, while adjusted EBITDA increased by 2.9% year on year [22] - The Latin America segment experienced a 0.5% revenue decrease, but adjusted EBITDA increased by 5% [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Nigerian FX market stabilized with the naira averaging $15.27 to the dollar in Q1 2025, down from $16.29 in Q4 2024 [20] - Inflation in Nigeria remained stable at 24.2% as of March 2025 [20] - The company noted a strong macroeconomic environment in Nigeria and Brazil, supporting growth opportunities [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on improving profitability and cash flow generation while strengthening its balance sheet [8][10] - A strategic priority includes asset disposals, with the recent agreement to sell IHS Rwanda for $274.5 million, reflecting a transaction multiple of 8.3 times adjusted EBITDA [9][10] - The company aims to maximize returns for stakeholders and is exploring additional value-creative disposal opportunities [10][46] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the outlook for 2025, supported by improving macroeconomic conditions in key markets [10][40] - The company is monitoring global macroeconomic uncertainties that could impact operations [40][41] - Management reiterated that the first quarter performance was in line with expectations, with a positive outlook for the remainder of the year [34][35] Other Important Information - The company has approximately $4 billion in external debt and lease liabilities, with $629 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2025 [25][26] - The withholding tax rate in Nigeria decreased from 10% to 2%, benefiting ALFCF cash conversion [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Was Q1 performance in line with expectations? - Management confirmed that Q1 performance was in line with expectations, with a strong start to the year [34][35] Question: What risks are anticipated for the remainder of 2025? - Management noted that while the macro environment is improving, global uncertainties remain a concern [40][41] Question: Can you provide details on the asset sale program? - Management stated that while initial goals have been met, they will continue to explore additional disposals to unlock shareholder value [46][47] Question: What is the expected cash from the Rwanda sale? - The Rwanda sale is expected to generate $274.5 million in cash, with no debt attached to the asset [69][70] Question: What is the outlook for EBITDA growth in Nigeria? - Management indicated that FX resets will continue to impact EBITDA, but the focus will shift to organic growth drivers [64][66]