SBA Communications: An $11.7 Billion Firm with No Accounting Profits
SBA Communications (SBAC) owns and operates wireless communications towers. The company’s primary business is leasing antenna space to wireless service providers on towers and other structures. This activity accounts for nearly all the firm’s operating profit. In the US and Canada, tenant leases are for an initial term of 5-10 years with five, 5-year renewal periods at the option of the tenant. The tenant leases have specific tenant rent escalators, which average 3%-4% per year. Before building a new tower, SBA Communications typically has at least one signed tenant lease, so new development risk is generally minimized. Sprint (S), AT&T (T), T-Mobil (TMUS), and Verizon Wireless (VZ) each account for more than 10% of revenues individually. The number of towers … Read more