SBA Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: SBAC) ("SBA" or the
"Company") today reported results for the quarter ended December
31, 2023.
Highlights of the fourth quarter include:
- Net income of $109.5 million or $1.01 per share
- AFFO per share of $3.37, representing an 8.0% growth over
the prior year period
- Issued a new senior secured Term Loan B and increased and
extended the maturity of the senior secured revolving credit
facility subsequent to quarter end
In addition, the Company announced today that its Board of
Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.98 per share
of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, an increase of approximately
15% over the dividend paid in the fourth quarter. The distribution
is payable March 28, 2024 to the shareholders of record at the
close of business on March 14, 2024.
“We had a strong finish to 2023, exceeding our outlook for Site
Leasing Revenue, Tower Cash Flow, Adjusted EBITDA and AFFO,”
commented Brendan Cavanagh, President and Chief Executive Officer.
“While domestic carrier activity was at a low level by historical
standards during 2023, a significant percentage of our sites still
require 5G related upgrades, and with the growing success of
products such as Fixed Wireless Access, the demand for improved
speeds, lower latency and greater network capacity continues to
advance. This dynamic bodes well for solid organic leasing growth
on our U.S. assets for years to come. Internationally, we continued
to experience strong demand for our towers across many of our
markets and have become a trusted partner to our international
carrier customers. 2023 was a year marked by higher interest rates
than we have seen throughout much of our history. As a result, we
directed a significant portion of our allocable capital into
reducing some of our highest cost debt, and we ended the year with
a net debt to Adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio of 6.3x, the lowest
level in decades. Notwithstanding the higher cost of borrowing and
the slower pace of organic leasing activity, we still produced
fourth quarter AFFO/share growth of 8.0% over the fourth quarter of
2022. Our business remains steady, and we continue to produce
significant free cash flow. As a result, today we announced an
increase in our quarterly dividend of 15%. While a sizeable
increase, this dividend on an annual basis represents less than 30%
of our AFFO in our 2024 Outlook, meaning that we still have
significant capital available for potential portfolio growth and
stock repurchases. The strength and quality of our core business
gives me great confidence about our prospects to create increased
value for our shareholders for years into the future.”
Operating Results
The table below details select financial results for the three
months ended December 31, 2023 and comparisons to the prior year
period.
% Change
excluding
Q4 2023
Q4 2022
$ Change
% Change
FX (1)
Consolidated
($ in millions, except per
share amounts)
Site leasing revenue
$
636.1
$
609.6
$
26.5
4.3
%
3.7%
Site development revenue
39.0
76.5
(37.5
)
(49.1
%)
(49.1%)
Tower cash flow (1)
512.2
485.9
26.3
5.4
%
4.7%
Net income
109.5
102.6
6.9
6.7
%
(14.4%)
Earnings per share - diluted
1.01
0.94
0.06
6.7
%
(14.8%)
Adjusted EBITDA (1)
480.7
460.7
20.0
4.3
%
3.6%
AFFO (1)
365.7
340.7
25.0
7.3
%
6.4%
AFFO per share (1)
3.37
3.12
0.25
8.0
%
7.1%
(1)
See the reconciliations and other
disclosures under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” later in this press
release.
Total revenues in the fourth quarter of 2023 were $675.1 million
compared to $686.1 million in the prior year period, a decrease of
1.6%. Site leasing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023 of $636.1
million was comprised of domestic site leasing revenue of $466.6
million and international site leasing revenue of $169.5 million.
Domestic cash site leasing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023
was $460.9 million compared to $443.0 million in the prior year
period, an increase of 4.0%. International cash site leasing
revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $171.4 million compared
to $157.5 million in the prior year period, an increase of 8.8%, or
6.2% on a constant currency basis. Site development revenues in the
fourth quarter of 2023 were $39.0 million compared to $76.5 million
in the prior year period, a decrease of 49.1%.
Site leasing operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2023 was
$516.8 million, an increase of 4.5% over the prior year period.
Site leasing contributed 97.4% of the Company’s total operating
profit in the fourth quarter of 2023. Domestic site leasing segment
operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $399.0 million,
an increase of 3.2% over the prior year period. International site
leasing segment operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2023 was
$117.8 million, an increase of 9.3% from the prior year period.
Tower Cash Flow in the fourth quarter of 2023 of $512.2 million
was comprised of Domestic Tower Cash Flow of $392.0 million and
International Tower Cash Flow of $120.2 million. Domestic Tower
Cash Flow in the fourth quarter of 2023 increased 4.1% over the
prior year period and International Tower Cash Flow increased 10.0%
over the prior year period, or 6.9% on a constant currency basis.
Tower Cash Flow Margin was 81.0% in the fourth quarter of 2023, as
compared to 80.9% for the prior year period.
Net income in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $109.5 million, or
$1.01 per share, and included a $28.3 million gain, net of taxes,
on the currency-related remeasurement of intercompany loans with
foreign subsidiaries which are denominated in a currency other than
the subsidiaries’ functional currencies. Net income in the fourth
quarter of 2022 was $102.6 million, or $0.94 per share, and
included an $8.6 million gain, net of taxes, on the
currency-related remeasurement of intercompany loans with foreign
subsidiaries which are denominated in a currency other than the
subsidiaries’ functional currencies.
Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $480.7
million, a 4.3% increase over the prior year period. Adjusted
EBITDA Margin in the fourth quarter of 2023 was 71.6% compared to
68.1% in the prior year period.
Net Cash Interest Expense in the fourth quarter of 2023 was
$93.0 million compared to $97.0 million in the prior year period, a
decrease of 4.1%.
AFFO in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $365.7 million, a 7.3%
increase over the prior year period. AFFO per share in the fourth
quarter of 2023 was $3.37, an 8.0% increase over the prior year
period.
Investing Activities
During the fourth quarter of 2023, SBA acquired 23 communication
sites for total cash consideration of $21.3 million. SBA also built
138 towers during the fourth quarter of 2023. As of December 31,
2023, SBA owned or operated 39,618 communication sites, 17,487 of
which are located in the United States and its territories and
22,131 of which are located internationally. In addition, the
Company spent $17.4 million to purchase land and easements and to
extend lease terms. Total cash capital expenditures for the fourth
quarter of 2023 were $99.8 million, consisting of $14.9 million of
non-discretionary cash capital expenditures (tower maintenance and
general corporate) and $84.9 million of discretionary cash capital
expenditures (new tower builds, tower augmentations, acquisitions,
and purchasing land and easements).
Subsequent to the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company purchased
or is under contract to purchase 281 communication sites for an
aggregate consideration of $87.8 million in cash. The Company
anticipates that these acquisitions will be consummated by the end
of the third quarter of 2024.
Financing Activities and
Liquidity
SBA ended the fourth quarter of 2023 with $12.4 billion of total
debt, $9.4 billion of total secured debt, $247.7 million of cash
and cash equivalents, short-term restricted cash, and short-term
investments, and $12.1 billion of Net Debt. SBA’s Net Debt and Net
Secured Debt to Annualized Adjusted EBITDA Leverage Ratios were
6.3x and 4.8x, respectively.
On January 25, 2024, the Company, through its wholly owned
subsidiary, SBA Senior Finance II LLC, under its amended and
restated Senior Credit Agreement, issued a new $2.3 billion senior
secured Term Loan B (the “2024 Term Loan”) maturing January 25,
2031. The 2024 Term Loan accrues interest, at SBA Senior Finance
II’s election, at either the Base Rate plus 100 basis points or at
Term SOFR plus 200 basis points. The interest rate swap on a
portion of the 2018 Term Loan B will remain in effect until
expiration on March 31, 2025. Inclusive of the interest rate swap,
the current average blended rate on the new Term Loan B is 2.85%.
The 2024 Term Loan was issued at 99.75% of par value. The proceeds
from the 2024 Term Loan were used to retire the Company’s 2018 Term
Loan and to pay related fees and expenses.
The Company also amended its Revolving Credit Facility to (1)
increase the total commitments under the Facility from $1.5 billion
to $1.75 billion, (2) extend the maturity date of the Facility to
January 25, 2029, and (3) amend certain other terms and conditions
under the Senior Credit Agreement. Amounts borrowed under the
Revolving Credit Facility accrue interest, at SBA Senior Finance
II’s election, at either (1) the Eurodollar Rate or Term SOFR plus
a margin that ranges from 112.5 basis points to 150.0 basis points
or (2) the Base Rate plus a margin that ranges from 12.5 basis
points to 50.0 basis points, in each case based on the ratio of
Consolidated Net Debt to Annualized Borrower EBITDA, calculated in
accordance with the Senior Credit Agreement. In addition, SBA
Senior Finance II is required to pay a commitment fee of between
0.15% and 0.25% per annum on the amount of unused commitment.
On February 23, 2024 the Company, through its wholly owned
subsidiary, SBA Senior Finance II LLC, further increased the total
commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility from $1.75 billion
to $2.00 billion.
During the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company, through its
wholly owned subsidiary, SBA Senior Finance II, entered into a
forward-starting interest rate swap agreement which will swap $1.0
billion of notional value accruing interest at 1-month Term SOFR
for a fixed rate of 3.830%. The swap has an effective start date of
March 31, 2025 (coinciding with the expiration date of the current
0.050%, $1.95 billion notional value swap) and a maturity date of
April 11, 2028.
As of the date of this press release, the Company had $70.0
million outstanding under its $2.0 billion Revolving Credit
Facility.
As reported in the Company’s third quarter earnings release, in
October of 2023, the Company repurchased 0.1 million shares of its
Class A common stock for $12.7 million at an average price per
share of $198.84 under its $1.0 billion stock repurchase plan. No
additional repurchases were made during the fourth quarter. After
these repurchases, the Company had $404.7 million of authorization
remaining under the plan. Shares repurchased were retired.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company declared and paid a
cash dividend of $91.8 million.
Outlook
The Company is providing its initial full year 2024 Outlook for
anticipated results. The Outlook provided is based on a number of
assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable at the time of
this press release. Information regarding potential risks that
could cause the actual results to differ from these forward-looking
statements is set forth below and in the Company’s filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Company’s full year 2024 Outlook assumes the acquisitions of
only those communication sites under contract and anticipated to
close at the time of this press release. The Company may spend
additional capital in 2024 on acquiring revenue producing assets
not yet identified or under contract, the impact of which is not
reflected in the 2024 guidance. The Outlook also assumes the
refinancing of the $620.0 million 2014-2C Tower Securities (which
have an anticipated repayment date of October 8, 2024) on July 1,
2024, at a fixed rate of 6.000%. The Outlook also does not
contemplate any repurchases of the Company’s stock or new debt
financings during 2024 (other than the refinancing of the 2014-2C
Tower Securities), although the Company may ultimately spend
capital to repurchase stock or issue new debt during the remainder
of the year.
The Company’s Outlook assumes an average foreign currency
exchange rate of 5.00 Brazilian Reais to 1.0 U.S. Dollar, 1.34
Canadian Dollars to 1.0 U.S. Dollar, 2,515 Tanzanian shillings to
1.0 U.S. Dollar, and 19.00 South African Rand to 1.0 U.S. Dollar
for the full year 2024. When compared to 2023 actual foreign
currency exchange rates, these 2024 foreign currency rate
assumptions negatively impacted the 2024 full year Outlook by
approximately $6.0 million for leasing revenue, $3.1 million for
Tower Cash Flow, $2.8 million for Adjusted EBITDA, and $2.6 million
for AFFO.
(in millions, except per share
amounts)
Full Year 2024
Site leasing revenue (1)
$
2,529.0
to
$
2,549.0
Site development revenue
$
140.0
to
$
160.0
Total revenues
$
2,669.0
to
$
2,709.0
Tower Cash Flow (2)
$
2,046.0
to
$
2,066.0
Adjusted EBITDA (2)
$
1,894.0
to
$
1,914.0
Net cash interest expense (3)
$
356.0
to
$
361.0
Non-discretionary cash capital
expenditures (4)
$
51.0
to
$
61.0
AFFO (2)
$
1,433.0
to
$
1,473.0
AFFO per share (2) (5)
$
13.15
to
$
13.51
Discretionary cash capital expenditures
(6)
$
320.0
to
$
340.0
(1)
The Company’s Outlook for site leasing
revenue includes revenue associated with pass through reimbursable
expenses.
(2)
See the reconciliation of this non-GAAP
financial measure presented below under “Non-GAAP Financial
Measures.”
(3)
Net cash interest expense is defined as
interest expense less interest income. Net cash interest expense
does not include amortization of deferred financing fees or
non-cash interest expense.
(4)
Consists of tower maintenance and general
corporate capital expenditures.
(5)
Outlook for AFFO per share is calculated
by dividing the Company’s outlook for AFFO by an assumed weighted
average number of diluted common shares of 109.0 million. Outlook
does not include the impact of any potential future repurchases of
the Company’s stock during 2024.
(6)
Consists of new tower builds, tower
augmentations, communication site acquisitions and ground lease
purchases. Does not include easements or payments to extend lease
terms and expenditures for acquisitions of revenue producing assets
not under contract at the date of this press release.
Conference Call Information
SBA Communications Corporation will host a conference call on
Monday, February 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM (EST) to discuss the quarterly
results. The call may be accessed as follows:
When:
Monday, February 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM
(EST)
Dial-in Number:
(877) 692-8955
Access Code:
1933372
Conference Name:
SBA Fourth quarter 2023 results
Replay Available:
February 26, 2024 at 11:00 PM to March 11,
2024 at 12:00 AM (TZ: Eastern)
Replay Number:
(866) 207-1041 – Access Code: 6159044
Internet Access:
www.sbasite.com
Information Concerning Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release and the Company’s earnings call include
forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the
Company’s expectations or beliefs regarding (i) execution of the
Company’s growth strategies and the impacts to its financial
performance, (ii) organic leasing growth in the U.S. and the
drivers of that growth, (iii) free cash flow and uses of available
capital in 2024, (iv) the Company’s outlook for financial and
operational performance in 2024, the assumptions it made and the
drivers contributing to its updated full year guidance, (v) the
timing of closing for currently pending acquisitions, (vi) the
Company’s tower portfolio growth and positioning for future growth,
and (vii) foreign exchange rates and their impact on the Company’s
financial and operational guidance and the Company’s 2024
Outlook.
The Company wishes to caution readers that these forward-looking
statements may be affected by the risks and uncertainties in the
Company’s business as well as other important factors may have
affected and could in the future affect the Company’s actual
results and could cause the Company’s actual results for subsequent
periods to differ materially from those expressed in any
forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of the Company. With
respect to the Company’s expectations regarding all of these
statements, including its financial and operational guidance, such
risk factors include, but are not limited to: (1) the impact of
recent macro-economic conditions, including increasing interest
rates, inflation and financial market volatility on (a) the ability
and willingness of wireless service providers to maintain or
increase their capital expenditures, (b) the Company’s business and
results of operations, and on foreign currency exchange rates and
(c) consumer demand for wireless services, (2) the economic climate
for the wireless communications industry in general and the
wireless communications infrastructure providers in particular in
the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Tanzania, and in other
international markets; (3) the Company’s ability to accurately
identify and manage any risks associated with its acquired sites,
to effectively integrate such sites into its business and to
achieve the anticipated financial results; (4) the Company’s
ability to secure and retain as many site leasing tenants as
planned at anticipated lease rates; (5) the Company’s ability to
manage expenses and cash capital expenditures at anticipated
levels; (6) the impact of continued consolidation among wireless
service providers in the U.S. and internationally, on the Company’s
leasing revenue and the ability of Dish to compete as a nationwide
carrier; (7) the Company’s ability to successfully manage the risks
associated with international operations, including risks
associated with foreign currency exchange rates; (8) the Company’s
ability to secure and deliver anticipated services business at
contemplated margins; (9) the Company’s ability to acquire land
underneath towers on terms that are accretive; (10) the Company’s
ability to obtain future financing at commercially reasonable rates
or at all; (11) the Company’s ability to achieve the new builds
targets included in its anticipated annual portfolio growth goals,
which will depend, among other things, on obtaining zoning and
regulatory approvals, availability of labor and supplies, and other
factors beyond the Company’s control that could affect the
Company’s ability to build additional towers in 2024; and (12) the
Company’s ability to meet its total portfolio growth, which will
depend, in addition to the new build risks, on the Company’s
ability to identify and acquire sites at prices and upon terms that
will provide accretive portfolio growth, competition from third
parties for such acquisitions and our ability to negotiate the
terms of, and acquire, these potential tower portfolios on terms
that meet our internal return criteria.
With respect to its expectations regarding the ability to close
pending acquisitions, these factors also include satisfactorily
completing due diligence, the amount and quality of due diligence
that the Company is able to complete prior to closing of any
acquisition, the ability to receive required regulatory approval,
the ability and willingness of each party to fulfill their
respective closing conditions and their contractual obligations and
the availability of cash on hand or borrowing capacity under the
Revolving Credit Facility to fund the consideration, its ability to
accurately anticipate the future performance of the acquired towers
and any challenges or costs associated with the integration of such
towers. With respect to the repurchases under the Company’s stock
repurchase program, the amount of shares repurchased, if any, and
the timing of such repurchases will depend on, among other things,
the trading price of the Company’s common stock, which may be
positively or negatively impacted by the repurchase program, market
and business conditions, the availability of stock, the Company’s
financial performance or determinations following the date of this
announcement in order to use the Company’s funds for other
purposes. Furthermore, the Company’s forward-looking statements and
its 2024 outlook assumes that the Company continues to qualify for
treatment as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that
the Company’s business is currently operated in a manner that
complies with the REIT rules and that it will be able to continue
to comply with and conduct its business in accordance with such
rules. In addition, these forward-looking statements and the
information in this press release is qualified in its entirety by
cautionary statements and risk factor disclosures contained in the
Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the
Company’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
This press release contains non-GAAP financial measures.
Reconciliation of each of these non-GAAP financial measures and the
other Regulation G information is presented below under “Non-GAAP
Financial Measures.”
This press release will be available on our website at
www.sbasite.com.
About SBA Communications
Corporation
SBA Communications Corporation is a leading independent owner
and operator of wireless communications infrastructure including
towers, buildings, rooftops, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and
small cells. With a portfolio of more than 39,000 communications
sites throughout the Americas, Africa and in Asia, SBA is listed on
NASDAQ under the symbol SBAC. Our organization is part of the
S&P 500 and is one of the top Real Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) by market capitalization. For more information, please
visit: www.sbasite.com.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF
OPERATIONS
(unaudited) (in thousands,
except per share amounts)
For the three months
For the year
ended December 31,
ended December 31,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Revenues:
Site leasing
$
636,084
$
609,608
$
2,516,935
$
2,336,575
Site development
38,940
76,486
194,649
296,879
Total revenues
675,024
686,094
2,711,584
2,633,454
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues (exclusive of
depreciation, accretion,
and amortization shown below):
Cost of site leasing
119,277
114,999
472,687
445,685
Cost of site development
25,021
57,155
139,935
222,965
Selling, general, and administrative
expenses (1)
67,523
70,613
267,936
261,853
Acquisition and new business initiatives
related
adjustments and expenses
5,049
8,031
21,671
26,807
Asset impairment and decommission
costs
77,067
17,596
169,387
43,160
Depreciation, accretion, and
amortization
171,400
183,036
716,309
707,576
Total operating expenses
465,337
451,430
1,787,925
1,708,046
Operating income
209,687
234,664
923,659
925,408
Other income (expense):
Interest income
5,541
3,255
18,305
10,133
Interest expense
(98,537
)
(100,256
)
(400,373
)
(353,784
)
Non-cash interest expense
(6,213
)
(11,528
)
(35,868
)
(46,109
)
Amortization of deferred financing
fees
(5,144
)
(5,077
)
(20,273
)
(19,835
)
Loss from extinguishment of debt, net
—
(437
)
—
(437
)
Other income, net
33,090
8,207
63,053
10,467
Total other expense, net
(71,263
)
(105,836
)
(375,156
)
(399,565
)
Income before income taxes
138,424
128,828
548,503
525,843
Provision for income taxes
(28,896
)
(26,248
)
(51,088
)
(66,044
)
Net income
109,528
102,580
497,415
459,799
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling
interests
—
701
4,397
1,630
Net income attributable to SBA
Communications
Corporation
$
109,528
$
103,281
$
501,812
$
461,429
Net income per common share attributable
to SBA
Communications Corporation:
Basic
$
1.01
$
0.96
$
4.64
$
4.27
Diluted
$
1.01
$
0.94
$
4.61
$
4.22
Weighted-average number of common
shares
Basic
107,953
107,978
108,204
107,957
Diluted
108,581
109,298
108,907
109,386
(1)
Includes non-cash compensation of $21,341
and $25,110 for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022,
respectively, and $85,050 and $97,419 for the year ended December
31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE
SHEETS
(in thousands, except par
values)
December 31,
December 31,
2023
2022
ASSETS
(unaudited)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
208,547
$
143,708
Restricted cash
38,129
41,959
Accounts receivable, net
182,746
184,368
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of
billings on uncompleted contracts
16,252
79,549
Prepaid expenses and other current
assets
38,593
33,149
Total current assets
484,267
482,733
Property and equipment, net
2,711,719
2,713,727
Intangible assets, net
2,455,597
2,776,472
Operating lease right-of-use assets,
net
2,240,781
2,381,955
Acquired and other right-of-use assets,
net
1,473,601
1,507,781
Other assets
812,476
722,373
Total assets
$
10,178,441
$
10,585,041
LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING
INTERESTS,
AND SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable
$
42,202
$
51,427
Accrued expenses
92,622
101,484
Current maturities of long-term debt
643,145
24,000
Deferred revenue
235,668
154,553
Accrued interest
57,496
54,173
Current lease liabilities
273,464
262,365
Other current liabilities
18,662
48,762
Total current liabilities
1,363,259
696,764
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt, net
11,681,170
12,844,162
Long-term lease liabilities
1,865,686
2,040,628
Other long-term liabilities
404,161
248,067
Total long-term liabilities
13,951,017
15,132,857
Redeemable noncontrolling interests
35,047
31,735
Shareholders' deficit:
Preferred stock - par value $0.01, 30,000
shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding
—
—
Common stock - Class A, par value $0.01,
400,000 shares authorized, 108,050 shares and
107,997 shares issued and outstanding at
December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022,
respectively
1,080
1,080
Additional paid-in capital
2,894,060
2,795,176
Accumulated deficit
(7,450,824
)
(7,482,061
)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss,
net
(615,198
)
(590,510
)
Total shareholders' deficit
(5,170,882
)
(5,276,315
)
Total liabilities, redeemable
noncontrolling interests, and shareholders' deficit
$
10,178,441
$
10,585,041
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited) (in
thousands)
For the three months
ended December 31,
2023
2022
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income
$
109,528
$
102,580
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net
cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, accretion, and
amortization
171,400
183,036
Gain on remeasurement of U.S. denominated
intercompany loans
(42,470
)
(11,794
)
Non-cash compensation expense
22,089
25,769
Non-cash asset impairment and decommission
costs
73,878
17,605
Deferred and non-cash income tax
provision
21,121
17,369
Other non-cash items reflected in the
Statements of Operations
23,565
21,111
Changes in operating assets and
liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable and costs and
estimated earnings in excess of
billings on uncompleted contracts, net
(14,287
)
(47,456
)
Prepaid expenses and other assets
(11,997
)
1,700
Operating lease right-of-use assets,
net
29,804
30,702
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
(51,691
)
6,971
Accrued interest
27,391
29,067
Long-term lease liabilities
(34,884
)
(33,379
)
Other liabilities
109,164
(54,647
)
Net cash provided by operating
activities
432,611
288,634
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisitions
(37,110
)
(757,371
)
Capital expenditures
(62,722
)
(66,095
)
(Purchase) sale of investments, net
(532
)
20,103
Other investing activities
(6,006
)
1,020
Net cash used in investing activities
(106,370
)
(802,343
)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net (repayments) borrowings under
Revolving Credit Facility
(190,000
)
310,000
Proceeds from issuance of Tower
Securities, net of fees
—
839,885
Repayment of Tower Securities
—
(640,000
)
Repurchase and retirement of common
stock
(46,358
)
—
Payment of dividends on common stock
(91,759
)
(76,664
)
Proceeds from employee stock
purchase/stock option plans
23,138
4,558
Other financing activities
(6,575
)
(7,185
)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing
activities
(311,554
)
430,594
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash,
cash equivalents, and restricted cash
4,175
(7,476
)
NET CHANGE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND
RESTRICTED CASH
18,862
(90,591
)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED
CASH:
Beginning of period
232,084
279,874
End of period
$
250,946
$
189,283
Selected Capital Expenditure
Detail
For the three
For the year
months ended
ended
December 31, 2023
December 31, 2023
(in thousands)
Construction and related costs
$
27,643
$
98,128
Augmentation and tower upgrades
20,192
82,493
Non-discretionary capital
expenditures:
Tower maintenance
13,362
50,463
General corporate
1,525
5,614
Total non-discretionary capital
expenditures
14,887
56,077
Total capital expenditures
$
62,722
$
236,698
Communication Site Portfolio
Summary
Domestic
International
Total
Sites owned at September 30, 2023
17,469
22,077
39,546
Sites acquired during the fourth
quarter
19
4
23
Sites built during the fourth quarter
3
135
138
Sites decommissioned/reclassified/sold
during the fourth quarter
(4
)
(85
)
(89
)
Sites owned at December 31, 2023
17,487
22,131
39,618
Segment Operating Profit and Segment
Operating Profit Margin
Domestic site leasing and International site leasing are the two
segments within our site leasing business. Segment operating profit
is a key business metric and one of our two measures of segment
profitability. The calculation of Segment operating profit for each
of our segments is set forth below.
Domestic Site Leasing
Int'l Site Leasing
Site Development
For the three months
For the three months
For the three months
ended December 31,
ended December 31,
ended December 31,
2023
2022
2023
2022
2023
2022
(in thousands)
Segment revenue
$
466,595
$
452,928
$
169,489
$
156,680
$
38,940
$
76,486
Segment cost of revenues (excluding
depreciation, accretion, and amort.)
(67,621
)
(66,151
)
(51,656
)
(48,848
)
(25,021
)
(57,155
)
Segment operating profit
$
398,974
$
386,777
$
117,833
$
107,832
$
13,919
$
19,331
Segment operating profit margin
85.5
%
85.4
%
69.5
%
68.8
%
35.7
%
25.3
%
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The press release contains non-GAAP financial measures including
(i) Cash Site Leasing Revenue, Tower Cash Flow, and Tower Cash Flow
Margin; (ii) Adjusted EBITDA, Annualized Adjusted EBITDA, and
Adjusted EBITDA Margin; (iii) Funds from Operations (“FFO”),
Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO”), and AFFO per share; (iv)
Net Debt, Net Secured Debt, Leverage Ratio, and Secured Leverage
Ratio (collectively, our “Non-GAAP Debt Measures”); and (v) certain
financial metrics after eliminating the impact of changes in
foreign currency exchange rates (collectively, our “Constant
Currency Measures”).
We have included these non-GAAP financial measures because we
believe that they provide investors additional tools in
understanding our financial performance and condition.
Specifically, we believe that:
(1) Cash Site Leasing Revenue and Tower Cash Flow are useful
indicators of the performance of our site leasing operations;
(2) Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors or other interested
parties in evaluating our financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA is
the primary measure used by management (1) to evaluate the economic
productivity of our operations and (2) for purposes of making
decisions about allocating resources to, and assessing the
performance of, our operations. Management believes that Adjusted
EBITDA helps investors or other interested parties meaningfully
evaluate and compare the results of our operations (1) from period
to period and (2) to our competitors, by excluding the impact of
our capital structure (primarily interest charges from our
outstanding debt) and asset base (primarily depreciation,
amortization and accretion) from our financial results. Management
also believes Adjusted EBITDA is frequently used by investors or
other interested parties in the evaluation of REITs. In addition,
Adjusted EBITDA is similar to the measure of current financial
performance generally used in our debt covenant calculations.
Adjusted EBITDA should be considered only as a supplement to net
income computed in accordance with GAAP as a measure of our
performance;
(3) FFO, AFFO and AFFO per share, which are metrics used by our
public company peers in the communication site industry, provide
investors useful indicators of the financial performance of our
business and permit investors an additional tool to evaluate the
performance of our business against those of our two principal
competitors. FFO, AFFO, and AFFO per share are also used to address
questions we receive from analysts and investors who routinely
assess our operating performance on the basis of these performance
measures, which are considered industry standards. We believe that
FFO helps investors or other interested parties meaningfully
evaluate financial performance by excluding the impact of our asset
base (primarily depreciation, amortization and accretion and asset
impairment and decommission costs). We believe that AFFO and AFFO
per share help investors or other interested parties meaningfully
evaluate our financial performance as they include (1) the impact
of our capital structure (primarily interest expense on our
outstanding debt) and (2) sustaining capital expenditures and
exclude the impact of (1) our asset base (primarily depreciation,
amortization and accretion and asset impairment and decommission
costs) and (2) certain non-cash items, including straight-lined
revenues and expenses related to fixed escalations and rent free
periods and the non-cash portion of our reported tax provision.
GAAP requires rental revenues and expenses related to leases that
contain specified rental increases over the life of the lease to be
recognized evenly over the life of the lease. In accordance with
GAAP, if payment terms call for fixed escalations, or rent free
periods, the revenue or expense is recognized on a straight-lined
basis over the fixed, non-cancelable term of the contract. We only
use AFFO as a performance measure. AFFO should be considered only
as a supplement to net income computed in accordance with GAAP as a
measure of our performance and should not be considered as an
alternative to cash flows from operations or as residual cash flow
available for discretionary investment. We believe our definition
of FFO is consistent with how that term is defined by the National
Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) and that
our definition and use of AFFO and AFFO per share is consistent
with those reported by the other communication site companies;
(4) Our Non-GAAP Debt Measures provide investors a more complete
understanding of our net debt and leverage position as they include
the full principal amount of our debt which will be due at maturity
and, to the extent that such measures are calculated on Net Debt
are net of our cash and cash equivalents, short-term restricted
cash, and short-term investments; and
(5) Our Constant Currency Measures provide management and
investors the ability to evaluate the performance of the business
without the impact of foreign currency exchange rate
fluctuations.
In addition, Tower Cash Flow, Adjusted EBITDA, and our Non-GAAP
Debt Measures are components of the calculations used by our
lenders to determine compliance with certain covenants under our
Senior Credit Agreement and indentures relating to our 2020 Senior
Notes and 2021 Senior Notes. These non-GAAP financial measures are
not intended to be an alternative to any of the financial measures
provided in our results of operations or our balance sheet as
determined in accordance with GAAP.
Financial Metrics after Eliminating the
Impact of Changes In Foreign Currency Exchange Rates
We eliminate the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange
rates for each of the financial metrics listed in the table below
by dividing the current period’s financial results by the average
monthly exchange rates of the prior year period, and by eliminating
the impact of the remeasurement of our intercompany loans. The
table below provides the reconciliation of the reported growth rate
year-over-year of each of such measures to the growth rate after
eliminating the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange
rates to such measure.
Fourth quarter 2023 year over
year growth rate
Foreign currency
impact
Growth excluding foreign
currency impact
Total site leasing revenue
4.3%
0.6%
3.7%
Total cash site leasing revenue
5.3%
0.7%
4.6%
Int'l cash site leasing revenue
8.8%
2.6%
6.2%
Total site leasing segment operating
profit
4.5%
0.6%
3.9%
Int'l site leasing segment operating
profit
9.3%
2.9%
6.4%
Total site leasing tower cash flow
5.4%
0.7%
4.7%
Int'l site leasing tower cash flow
10.0%
3.1%
6.9%
Net income
6.7%
21.1%
(14.4%)
Earnings per share - diluted
6.7%
21.5%
(14.8%)
Adjusted EBITDA
4.3%
0.7%
3.6%
AFFO
7.3%
0.9%
6.4%
AFFO per share
8.0%
0.9%
7.1%
Cash Site Leasing Revenue, Tower Cash
Flow, and Tower Cash Flow Margin
The table below sets forth the reconciliation of Cash Site
Leasing Revenue and Tower Cash Flow to their most comparable GAAP
measurement and Tower Cash Flow Margin, which is calculated by
dividing Tower Cash Flow by Cash Site Leasing Revenue.
Domestic Site Leasing
Int'l Site Leasing
Total Site Leasing
For the three months
For the three months
For the three months
ended December 31,
ended December 31,
ended December 31,
2023
2022
2023
2022
2023
2022
(in thousands)
Site leasing revenue
$
466,595
$
452,928
$
169,489
$
156,680
$
636,084
$
609,608
Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue
(5,720
)
(9,949
)
1,892
816
(3,828
)
(9,133
)
Cash site leasing revenue
460,875
442,979
171,381
157,496
632,256
600,475
Site leasing cost of revenues (excluding
depreciation, accretion, and amortization)
(67,621
)
(66,151
)
(51,656
)
(48,848
)
(119,277
)
(114,999
)
Non-cash straight-line ground lease
expense
(1,272
)
(242
)
451
643
(821
)
401
Tower Cash Flow
$
391,982
$
376,586
$
120,176
$
109,291
$
512,158
$
485,877
Tower Cash Flow Margin
85.1
%
85.0
%
70.1
%
69.4
%
81.0
%
80.9
%
Forecasted Tower Cash Flow for Full Year
2024
The table below sets forth the reconciliation of forecasted
Tower Cash Flow set forth in the Outlook section to its most
comparable GAAP measurement for the full year 2024:
Full Year 2024
(in millions)
Site leasing revenue
$
2,529.0
to
$
2,549.0
Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue
(5.0
)
to
—
Cash site leasing revenue
2,524.0
to
2,549.0
Site leasing cost of revenues
(excluding
depreciation, accretion, and
amortization)
(468.5
)
to
(478.5
)
Non-cash straight-line ground lease
expense
(9.5
)
to
(4.5
)
Tower Cash Flow
$
2,046.0
to
$
2,066.0
Adjusted EBITDA, Annualized Adjusted
EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin
The table below sets forth the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA
to its most comparable GAAP measurement.
For the three months
ended December 31,
2023
2022
(in thousands)
Net income
$
109,528
$
102,580
Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue
(3,828
)
(9,133
)
Non-cash straight-line ground lease
expense
(821
)
401
Non-cash compensation
22,089
25,769
Loss from extinguishment of debt, net
—
437
Other income, net
(33,090
)
(8,207
)
Acquisition and new business initiatives
related adjustments and expenses
5,049
8,031
Asset impairment and decommission
costs
77,067
17,596
Interest income
(5,541
)
(3,255
)
Total interest expense (1)
109,894
116,861
Depreciation, accretion, and
amortization
171,400
183,036
Provision for taxes (2)
28,914
26,604
Adjusted EBITDA
$
480,661
$
460,720
Annualized Adjusted EBITDA (3)
$
1,922,644
$
1,842,880
(1)
Total interest expense includes interest expense, non-cash
interest expense, and amortization of deferred financing fees.
(2)
For the three months ended December 31,
2023 and 2022, these amounts included an immaterial amount and $0.4
million, respectively, of franchise and gross receipts taxes
reflected in the Statements of Operations in selling, general and
administrative expenses.
(3)
Annualized Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA for
the most recent quarter multiplied by four.
The calculation of Adjusted EBITDA Margin is as follows:
For the three months
ended December 31,
2023
2022
(in thousands)
Total revenues
$
675,024
$
686,094
Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue
(3,828
)
(9,133
)
Total revenues minus non-cash
straight-line leasing revenue
$
671,196
$
676,961
Adjusted EBITDA
$
480,661
$
460,720
Adjusted EBITDA Margin
71.6
%
68.1
%
Forecasted Adjusted EBITDA for Full Year
2024
The table below sets forth the reconciliation of the forecasted
Adjusted EBITDA set forth in the Outlook section to its most
comparable GAAP measurement for the full year 2024:
Full Year 2024
(in millions)
Net income
$
520.0
to
$
565.0
Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue
(5.0
)
to
—
Non-cash straight-line ground lease
expense
(9.5
)
to
(4.5
)
Non-cash compensation
73.5
to
68.5
Loss from extinguishment of debt, net
4.5
to
4.5
Other expense, net
35.5
to
35.5
Acquisition and new business initiatives
related adjustments and
expenses
27.0
to
22.0
Asset impairment and decommission
costs
123.0
to
118.0
Interest income
(31.5
)
to
(26.5
)
Total interest expense (1)
442.5
to
432.5
Depreciation, accretion, and
amortization
675.0
to
665.0
Provision for taxes (2)
39.0
to
34.0
Adjusted EBITDA
$
1,894.0
to
$
1,914.0
(1)
Total interest expense includes interest
expense, non-cash interest expense, and amortization of deferred
financing fees.
(2)
Includes projections for franchise taxes
and gross receipts taxes, which will be reflected in the Statement
of Operations in Selling, general, and administrative expenses.
Funds from Operations (“FFO”), Adjusted
Funds from Operations (“AFFO”), and AFFO per share
The tables below set forth the reconciliations of FFO, AFFO, and
AFFO per share to their most comparable GAAP measurement.
For the three months
ended December 31,
2023
2022
(in thousands)
($ per share)
(in thousands)
($ per share)
Net income
$
109,528
$
1.01
$
102,580
$
0.94
Real estate related depreciation,
amortization, and accretion
169,665
1.56
181,962
1.66
Asset impairment and decommission
costs
77,067
0.71
17,596
0.16
FFO
$
356,260
$
3.28
$
302,138
$
2.76
Adjustments to FFO:
Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue
(3,828
)
(0.04
)
(9,133
)
(0.08
)
Non-cash straight-line ground lease
expense
(821
)
(0.01
)
401
—
Non-cash compensation
22,089
0.20
25,769
0.24
Adjustment for non-cash portion of tax
provision
21,816
0.20
17,368
0.16
Non-real estate related depreciation,
amortization, and accretion
1,735
0.02
1,074
0.01
Amortization of deferred financing costs
and
debt discounts and non-cash interest
expense
11,357
0.10
16,605
0.15
Loss from extinguishment of debt, net
—
—
437
—
Other income, net
(33,090
)
(0.29
)
(8,207
)
(0.06
)
Acquisition and new business initiatives
related adjustments
and expenses
5,049
0.05
8,031
0.07
Non-discretionary cash capital
expenditures
(14,887
)
(0.14
)
(13,767
)
(0.13
)
AFFO
$
365,680
$
3.37
$
340,716
$
3.12
Adjustments for joint venture partner
interest
(1,248
)
(0.01
)
(790
)
(0.01
)
AFFO attributable to SBA
Communications
Corporation
$
364,432
$
3.36
$
339,926
$
3.11
Diluted weighted average number of common
shares
108,581
109,298
Forecasted AFFO for the Full Year
2024
The tables below set forth the reconciliations of the forecasted
AFFO and AFFO per share set forth in the Outlook section to their
most comparable GAAP measurements for the full year 2024:
(in millions, except per share
amounts)
Full Year 2024
(in millions)
($ per share)
Net income
$
520.0
to
$
565.0
$
4.77
to
$
5.18
Real estate related depreciation,
amortization,
and accretion
663.5
to
658.5
6.09
to
6.04
Asset impairment and decommission
costs
123.0
to
118.0
1.13
to
1.08
FFO
$
1,306.5
to
$
1,341.5
$
11.99
to
$
12.30
Adjustments to FFO:
Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue
(5.0
)
to
—
(0.05
)
to
—
Non-cash straight-line ground lease
expense
(9.5
)
to
(4.5
)
(0.09
)
to
(0.04
)
Non-cash compensation
73.5
to
68.5
0.67
to
0.63
Non-real estate related depreciation,
amortization, and accretion
11.5
to
6.5
0.11
to
0.06
Amortization of deferred financing costs
and
debt discounts and non-cash interest
expense
50.0
to
50.0
0.46
to
0.46
Loss from extinguishment of debt, net
4.5
to
4.5
0.04
to
0.04
Other expense, net
35.5
to
35.5
0.33
to
0.33
Acquisition and new business initiatives
related
adjustments and expenses
27.0
to
22.0
0.25
to
0.20
Non-discretionary cash capital
expenditures
(61.0
)
to
(51.0
)
(0.56
)
to
(0.47
)
AFFO
$
1,433.0
to
$
1,473.0
$
13.15
to
$
13.51
Adjustments for joint venture partner
interest
(6.5
)
to
(6.5
)
(0.06
)
to
(0.06
)
AFFO attributable to SBA
Communications
Corporation
$
1,426.5
to
$
1,466.5
$
13.09
to
$
13.45
Diluted weighted average number of common
shares (1)
109.0
to
109.0
(1)
Our assumption for weighted average number
of common shares does not contemplate any additional repurchases of
the Company’s stock during 2024.
Net Debt, Net Secured Debt, Leverage
Ratio, and Secured Leverage Ratio
Net Debt is calculated using the notional principal amount of
outstanding debt. Under GAAP policies, the notional principal
amount of the Company's outstanding debt is not necessarily
reflected on the face of the Company's financial statements.
The Net Debt and Leverage calculations are as follows:
December 31,
2023
(in thousands)
2014-2C Tower Securities
$
620,000
2019-1C Tower Securities
1,165,000
2020-1C Tower Securities
750,000
2020-2C Tower Securities
600,000
2021-1C Tower Securities
1,165,000
2021-2C Tower Securities
895,000
2021-3C Tower Securities
895,000
2022-1C Tower Securities
850,000
Revolving Credit Facility
180,000
2018 Term Loan
2,268,000
Total secured debt
9,388,000
2020 Senior Notes
1,500,000
2021 Senior Notes
1,500,000
Total unsecured debt
3,000,000
Total debt
$
12,388,000
Leverage
Ratio
Total debt
$
12,388,000
Less: Cash and cash equivalents,
short-term restricted cash and short-term investments
(247,722
)
Net debt
$
12,140,278
Divided by: Annualized Adjusted EBITDA
$
1,922,644
Leverage Ratio
6.3x
Secured Leverage
Ratio
Total secured debt
$
9,388,000
Less: Cash and cash equivalents,
short-term restricted cash and short-term investments
(247,722
)
Net Secured Debt
$
9,140,278
Divided by: Annualized Adjusted EBITDA
$
1,922,644
Secured Leverage Ratio
4.8x
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240226771493/en/
Mark DeRussy, CFA Capital Markets 561-226-9531
Lynne Hopkins Media Relations 561-226-9431
Grafico Azioni SBA Communications (NASDAQ:SBAC)
Storico
Da Dic 2024 a Gen 2025
Grafico Azioni SBA Communications (NASDAQ:SBAC)
Storico
Da Gen 2024 a Gen 2025