# SBA Communications (SBAC.US)

Canonical: https://gigainvestors.com/s/SBAC

Analysis as of: 2026-10-16T07:31:46.566Z. Financial observations: FY1998–FY2026.

Listing currency: USD. Reporting currency: USD.

## Verdict

Not a wonderful business

Quality tests for Buy: not passed (profit record: pass; earnings resilience is evidence only). Published buy qualification: no.

Share price: $183.72 per share; close as of 2026-10-15.

Estimated value: low $109.59 per share, central $124.35 per share, high $144.00 per share. Buy at or below the central value $124.35 per share. Valuation as of 2026-10-16T07:31:46.566Z; scenarios are not confidence intervals.

Expected annual return: 7.7% at the stated quote. About 7.7% a year at today's price (required return 10.0%). required return 10.0% a year (10% floor; US 10-year bond 5.1% + 4 points).

## Checklist

### understandable: pass

- 1 revenue decline in the last 10 years (informational)

- Financial history: 10 years

- Years with declining revenue: 1

- Years with a net loss: 0

- Operating margin variation: 0.26×

Chart: Operating margin; fiscal year observations.

- FY2017: 0.27×

- FY2018: 0.29×

- FY2019: 0.29×

- FY2020: 0.30×

- FY2021: 0.34×

- FY2022: 0.35×

- FY2023: 0.34×

- FY2024: 0.54×

- FY2025: 0.49×

- LTM to Jun 2026: 0.51×

### moat: fail

- ROIC median below threshold

- ROIC worst years below threshold (more than 1 bad year allowed)

- Recent gross margin fell 32.9pp below the typical margin (limit 4pp)

- ROIC, median of available years: 8.0%

- ROIC, second-lowest year: 5.1%

- Typical minus recent gross margin: 32.9 pp

- Typical gross margin (annual median): 74.5%

- Recent gross margin (lower of latest and 3-year median): 41.6%

- Years with nonpositive capital: 0

- Capital spending / revenue: 8.1%

- ROIC including acquisitions, ten-year median: 8.9%

Chart: ROIC excluding acquisitions; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: 5.1%

- FY2017: 6.1%

- FY2018: 7.8%

- FY2019: 5.1%

- FY2020: 6.0%

- FY2021: 8.3%

- FY2022: 8.3%

- FY2023: 9.2%

- FY2024: 13.6%

- FY2025: 11.6%

### economics: pass

- Owner earnings / net income, 5-yr: 1.61×

- Cash conversion uses consolidated totals: No

- Owner earnings, five-year total: $4.8B

- Net income, five-year total: $3.0B

- Return on incremental invested capital: >100%

- Working capital / revenue, annual change: 0.9 pp

- Working capital / revenue, change between three-year averages: 4.2 pp

- Working capital / revenue, final three-year average: 11.8%

Chart: Annual owner cash / profit; fiscal year observations.

- FY2021: 3.38×

- FY2022: 2.07×

- FY2023: 1.96×

- FY2024: 1.06×

- FY2025: 1.24×

### management: fail

- Historical market-dollar context (not the management verdict): 2016 to 2025 (9 years)

- potential debt-funded buybacks (informational)

- ROIC first 3 years vs last 3 years: 6.1% vs 11.6%

- Per-share earnings: 0.61 to 6.94 (three-year endpoint medians)

- material buybacks concentrated at lower earnings yields (Spearman rho below threshold)

- Management verdict uses per-share economic progress: Yes

- Ordinary dilution, 10-year annual growth: -1.7%

- Ordinary dilution, 5-year annual growth: -1.1%

- Market cap gain: $7.5B

- Cumulative retained earnings: -$3.6B

- Diluted shares, 10-year annual growth: -1.7%

- Diluted shares, 5-year annual growth: -1.1%

- $1 test, starting fiscal year: FY2016

- $1 test, ending fiscal year: FY2025

- Per-share value growth: 35.5%

- Per-share value change: $6.33

- Per-share value, starting three-year median: $0.61

- Per-share value, ending three-year median: $6.94

- Buybacks concentrated in cheaper years (correlation): -0.61

- Average buyback yield: 2.4%

- Buyback history: 10 years

- Debt-funded buybacks: Yes

- Acquisition spending: $6.1B

- Cumulative net income, 10 years: $3.4B

- ROIC, first three-year median: 6.1%

- ROIC, last three-year median: 11.6%

Chart: Earnings per share; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: $0.61

- FY2017: $0.86

- FY2018: $0.41

- FY2019: $1.28

- FY2020: $0.21

- FY2021: $2.14

- FY2022: $4.22

- FY2023: $4.61

- FY2024: $6.94

- FY2025: $9.80

### accounting: pass

- latest-year receivables to sales index (DSRI) exceeds 1.465

- Sloan accruals: -2.1%

- Receivables to sales index (DSRI): 2.22×

- Restructuring years, last five: 2

- Stock compensation / operating cash flow: 5.9%

- Earnings backed by cash: Yes

- Operating cash / earnings: 1.23×

- Accounting red flags: 1

Chart: Sloan accruals; fiscal year observations.

- FY2016: -8.9%

- FY2017: -9.8%

- FY2018: -11.2%

- FY2019: -8.6%

- FY2020: -12.0%

- FY2021: -9.7%

- FY2022: -8.1%

- FY2023: -10.2%

- FY2024: -5.1%

- FY2025: -2.1%

## Holders

- [David Hoeft](https://gigainvestors.com/DAC): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

- [Christopher Davis](https://gigainvestors.com/DAV): tracked 13F investor; follow the investor page for holding quarter and amounts.

## Price story

Down 53% since Dec 2021 · "SBA Communications (SBAC) Slid on Slower 5G Deployment" (finance.yahoo.com, Oct 2025) · sales +2%

Story as of 2026-10-16T09:59:32.955Z; price observation 2026-10-15.

Price needs cash profits to grow 5.9% a year for ten years

- 2025-04-28: SBA Communications raises annual FFO forecast on steady wireless carrier activity ([ca.finance.yahoo.com](https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/sba-communications-raises-annual-ffo-204604920.html))

- 2025-10-31: SBA Communications (SBAC) Slid on Slower 5G Deployment ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sba-communications-sbac-slid-slower-120500682.html))

- 2025-11-03: SBA Communications tops third-quarter estimates, raises 2025 revenue forecast ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sba-communications-tops-third-quarter-231249198.html))

- 2026-04-29: SBA Communications FFO of $3.03 beats by $0.05, revenue of $703.44M beats by $8.58M ([seekingalpha.com](https://seekingalpha.com/news/4582118-sba-communications-ffo-of-3_03-beats-by-0_05-revenue-of-703_44m-beats-by-8_58m?utm_source=feed_news_all&utm_medium=referral&feed_item_type=news))

- 2026-08-04: SBAC Q2 FFO Beat Estimates on International Leasing Strength ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/articles/sbac-q2-ffo-beat-estimates-181600812.html))

### Sales · FY2025–2026

sales +2%; source https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1034054/000103405426000002/sbac-20251231x10k.htm; observed 2026-02-27.

- FY2017: $1.7B 

- FY2018: $1.9B 

- FY2019: $2.0B 

- FY2020: $2.1B 

- FY2021: $2.3B 

- FY2022: $2.6B 

- FY2023: $2.7B 

- FY2024: $2.7B 

- FY2025: $2.8B 

- FY2026: $2.9B 

### Gross margin · FY2025

gross margin 41.6%; source https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1034054/000103405426000002/sbac-20251231x10k.htm; observed 2026-02-27.

- FY2016: 73.4% 

- FY2017: 73.5% 

- FY2018: 74.3% 

- FY2019: 74.8% 

- FY2020: 76.3% 

- FY2021: 75.2% 

- FY2022: 73.6% 

- FY2023: 76.6% 

- FY2024: 77.3% 

- FY2025: 41.6% 

## Owner memo

Memo as of 2026-10-16T08:06:05.509Z.

### How it makes money

Operates in property rentals; annual sales are USD 2.8 billion.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2025-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2025: revenue 2815139000; grossProfit 1171267000; margin = grossProfit / revenue.

### Why customers stay

Margins ranged from 41.6% to 77.3% during 2023–25; it earns 8% on its capital.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2023-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2023: grossProfit / revenue = 76.6%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2024-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2024: grossProfit / revenue = 77.3%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2025-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2025: grossProfit / revenue = 41.6%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-27); 10-year return on capital observations [[2016,0.05098619366248591],[2017,0.06120611606416929],[2018,0.07783977811077271],[2019,0.050612032591204774],[2020,0.060364515544803043],[2021,0.08298961210567742],[2022,0.08299452111035714],[2023,0.09221948671737182],[2024,0.13636571473737294],[2025,0.1160097384250395]]; median 0.08041469510822506. ROIC follows the displayed moat series; financial companies use return on tangible equity.

### Where the cash goes

Reinvests 81.1% of cash earnings; paid dividends in 10 of 10 years.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2016-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2016: growth capex 0; upkeep 139982000; cash acquisitions 276835000; owner earnings 574445000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 0.4819173289000688.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2017-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2017: growth capex 0; upkeep 148180000; cash acquisitions 441547000; owner earnings 598574000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 0.7376648501271355.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2018-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2018: growth capex 0; upkeep 149812000; cash acquisitions 451829000; owner earnings 569752000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 0.7930274926634746.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2019-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2019: growth capex 0; upkeep 154236000; cash acquisitions 773957000; owner earnings 689833000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 1.1219483556165042.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2020-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2020: growth capex 0; upkeep 128566000; cash acquisitions 271418000; owner earnings 617508000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 0.4395376254234763.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2021-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2021: growth capex 0; upkeep 133638000; cash acquisitions 1257704000; owner earnings 804147000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 1.5640224983740536.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2022-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2022: growth capex 0; upkeep 214443000; cash acquisitions 1176092000; owner earnings 954562000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 1.2320750249852812.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2023-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2023: growth capex 0; upkeep 236698000; cash acquisitions 129961000; owner earnings 981423000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 0.13242098463149937.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2024-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2024: growth capex 0; upkeep 228149000; cash acquisitions 299811000; owner earnings 790904000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 0.3790738193257336.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2025-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2025: growth capex 0; upkeep 224819000; cash acquisitions 1058828000; owner earnings 1305263000. Growth capex plus acquisitions / owner earnings = 0.8111989690966495.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-27); Dividend observations: [[2016,83387000],[2017,83387000],[2018,83387000],[2019,83387000],[2020,207689000],[2021,253580000],[2022,306766000],[2023,369960000],[2024,424191000],[2025,479012000]]. Zero only counted when supported by a complete cash-flow statement.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/api/fundamentals/SBAC.US.json#2025-12-31 (filed 2026-02-27); FY2025: cash repurchases 497805000 USD.

### Are managers owners

Insiders own 0.8% of the company.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-10-16); SBAC.US SharesStats.PercentInsiders = 0.765 percentage points; cache date 2026-10-16.

### What could break it

"If we are unable to protect our rights to the land under our towers" (SEC filing, Feb 2026)

- Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1034054/000103405426000002/sbac-20251231x10k.htm (filed 2026-02-27); If we are unable to protect our rights to the land under our towers

### What the price says

The price assumes cash profits grow 5.9% yearly over ten years; actual growth was 18.9%.

- Source: https://eodhd.com/financial-apis/stock-etfs-fundamental-data-feeds/ (filed 2026-02-27); Ten-year compound average after fade. Initial solved rate 0.07119521192851408. Price 183.72; FX 1; discount 0.1; same standard ten-year fade to terminal 0.03. FY2015 owner earnings/share 2.1570496267430395 → FY2025 12.138255233277226. Closing-price date 2026-10-15.

## Monthly share-price history (USD per share)

- 2016-10: $113.28 per share

- 2016-11: $98.96 per share

- 2016-12: $103.26 per share

- 2017-01: $105.26 per share

- 2017-02: $115.77 per share

- 2017-03: $120.37 per share

- 2017-04: $126.49 per share

- 2017-05: $138.18 per share

- 2017-06: $134.90 per share

- 2017-07: $137.55 per share

- 2017-08: $153.55 per share

- 2017-09: $144.05 per share

- 2017-10: $157.18 per share

- 2017-11: $169.75 per share

- 2017-12: $163.36 per share

- 2018-01: $174.50 per share

- 2018-02: $157.27 per share

- 2018-03: $170.92 per share

- 2018-04: $160.23 per share

- 2018-05: $158.07 per share

- 2018-06: $165.12 per share

- 2018-07: $158.25 per share

- 2018-08: $155.23 per share

- 2018-09: $160.63 per share

- 2018-10: $162.17 per share

- 2018-11: $170.81 per share

- 2018-12: $161.89 per share

- 2019-01: $182.53 per share

- 2019-02: $180.56 per share

- 2019-03: $199.66 per share

- 2019-04: $203.73 per share

- 2019-05: $216.41 per share

- 2019-06: $224.84 per share

- 2019-07: $245.41 per share

- 2019-08: $262.43 per share

- 2019-09: $241.15 per share

- 2019-10: $240.65 per share

- 2019-11: $236.47 per share

- 2019-12: $240.99 per share

- 2020-01: $249.56 per share

- 2020-02: $265.09 per share

- 2020-03: $269.97 per share

- 2020-04: $289.92 per share

- 2020-05: $314.13 per share

- 2020-06: $297.92 per share

- 2020-07: $311.54 per share

- 2020-08: $306.07 per share

- 2020-09: $318.48 per share

- 2020-10: $290.37 per share

- 2020-11: $287.18 per share

- 2020-12: $282.13 per share

- 2021-01: $268.67 per share

- 2021-02: $255.13 per share

- 2021-03: $277.55 per share

- 2021-04: $299.72 per share

- 2021-05: $298.12 per share

- 2021-06: $318.70 per share

- 2021-07: $340.99 per share

- 2021-08: $358.97 per share

- 2021-09: $330.57 per share

- 2021-10: $345.33 per share

- 2021-11: $343.80 per share

- 2021-12: $389.02 per share

- 2022-01: $325.44 per share

- 2022-02: $303.39 per share

- 2022-03: $344.10 per share

- 2022-04: $347.11 per share

- 2022-05: $336.61 per share

- 2022-06: $320.05 per share

- 2022-07: $335.79 per share

- 2022-08: $325.25 per share

- 2022-09: $284.65 per share

- 2022-10: $269.90 per share

- 2022-11: $299.30 per share

- 2022-12: $280.31 per share

- 2023-01: $297.53 per share

- 2023-02: $259.35 per share

- 2023-03: $261.07 per share

- 2023-04: $260.89 per share

- 2023-05: $221.78 per share

- 2023-06: $231.76 per share

- 2023-07: $218.95 per share

- 2023-08: $224.53 per share

- 2023-09: $200.17 per share

- 2023-10: $208.63 per share

- 2023-11: $246.96 per share

- 2023-12: $253.69 per share

- 2024-01: $223.86 per share

- 2024-02: $209.23 per share

- 2024-03: $216.70 per share

- 2024-04: $186.12 per share

- 2024-05: $196.68 per share

- 2024-06: $196.30 per share

- 2024-07: $219.54 per share

- 2024-08: $226.66 per share

- 2024-09: $240.70 per share

- 2024-10: $229.47 per share

- 2024-11: $226.25 per share

- 2024-12: $203.80 per share

- 2025-01: $197.56 per share

- 2025-02: $217.90 per share

- 2025-03: $220.01 per share

- 2025-04: $243.40 per share

- 2025-05: $231.89 per share

- 2025-06: $234.84 per share

- 2025-07: $224.72 per share

- 2025-08: $204.85 per share

- 2025-09: $193.35 per share

- 2025-10: $191.48 per share

- 2025-11: $194.27 per share

- 2025-12: $193.43 per share

- 2026-01: $184.11 per share

- 2026-02: $201.16 per share

- 2026-03: $172.11 per share

- 2026-04: $221.20 per share

- 2026-05: $203.16 per share

- 2026-06: $176.46 per share

- 2026-07: $180.98 per share

- 2026-08: $189.66 per share

- 2026-09: $160.12 per share

- 2026-10: $183.72 per share

## Annual estimated value (USD per share)

- FY2016: low $34.72 per share, central $39.38 per share, high $45.59 per share

- FY2017: low $40.29 per share, central $45.81 per share, high $53.15 per share

- FY2018: low $54.36 per share, central $61.73 per share, high $71.54 per share

- FY2019: low $66.33 per share, central $75.40 per share, high $87.46 per share

- FY2020: low $71.06 per share, central $80.54 per share, high $93.15 per share

- FY2021: low $80.62 per share, central $91.34 per share, high $105.60 per share

- FY2022: low $90.95 per share, central $103.37 per share, high $119.91 per share

- FY2023: low $96.21 per share, central $109.28 per share, high $126.68 per share

- FY2024: low $98.00 per share, central $111.01 per share, high $128.34 per share

- FY2025: low $107.13 per share, central $121.41 per share, high $140.41 per share

Historical values use today's bond yield for every fiscal year

Historical values use today's FX rate into trading currency for every fiscal year

Historical values use current restated fundamentals and current commodity classification; they are not point-in-time estimates

Prior published observations retained from 2026-10-15T06:37:31.705Z where newer inputs omit a numeric field or fiscal period.

## Sources

[Original 10-K filing](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1034054/000103405426000002/sbac-20251231x10k.htm); period 2025-12-31, filed 2026-02-27.

Estimates depend on assumptions and are not guarantees or investment advice. Underlying data remains subject to its source licenses; public reading does not grant bulk redistribution rights.