Crown Castle (CCI) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $43.17B
• Dividend Yield: 5.93%
• Average Volume (3M): 3.35M
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 33.8
• Beta (1Y): 0.23
• Revenue Growth: -17.95%
• EPS Growth: -398.78%
• Country: US
• Employees: 3,900
• Sector: Real Estate
• Sector Strength: 49
• Industry: REIT - Specialty
• EPS (TTM): 0.67
• Shares Outstanding: 435,470,060
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 3,055,045
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 3,350,356
• PEG Ratio: N/A
• Price to Book (P/B): N/A
• Price to Sales (P/S): N/A
• P/FCF Ratio: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.72
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 13.69
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 18.78
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: -59.13
• 1Y Price Target: $118.45
• Price Target Upside: 22.03% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 13

• Rating: 50 Neutral
• Price Target: $101.00 ▲(4.05% Upside)

Crown Castle's overall stock score reflects significant financial challenges, including declining revenues and high leverage. However, improved guidance and operational efficiencies provide a positive outlook. The high dividend yield adds some appeal, but technical indicators suggest caution.

Positive Factors

Corporate Strategy

CCI's pending sale of its fiber/small-cell business will position it as the only pure-play in the U.S. tower market, and analyst believes the risk/reward is favorable with room for the multiple to re-rate higher.

Financial Performance

CCI reported results ahead of BofA and Street estimates.

Shareholder Value

The anticipated $3B of share repurchases post-close is expected to provide support and enhance value for CCI's shares.

Negative Factors

Financial Leverage

Leverage will increase to 6-6.5x post-deal, which is less appealing in the current high-rate backdrop.

Growth Challenges

CCI expects 40-50bps of annual Sprint churn from 2026-2034, which will weigh on growth relative to AMT/SBAC.

Crown Castle Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Crown Castle owns, operates and leases more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 80,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. market. This nationwide portfolio of communications infrastructure connects cities and communities to essential data, technology and wireless service - bringing information, ideas and innovations to the people and businesses that need them. For more information on Crown Castle, please visit www.crowncastle.com.

How the Company Makes Money

Crown Castle generates revenue primarily through long-term leases of its tower infrastructure to wireless carriers, which pay monthly rental fees for the right to install their equipment on the towers. These leases typically have multi-year terms and include escalators that increase the rental fees over time, providing a steady and predictable revenue stream. Additionally, CCI earns revenue from fiber leasing and small cell solutions, which cater to the growing demand for high-capacity data networks, especially in urban areas. The company also benefits from strategic partnerships with major telecom operators and municipal governments, which facilitate the expansion of its network infrastructure. Factors contributing to its earnings include the increasing demand for mobile data, the rollout of 5G technology, and the expansion of its fiber optic network to support enhanced connectivity needs.

Crown Castle Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Crown Castle is experiencing financial distress with declining revenues, negative profitability margins, and high leverage. The balance sheet shows significant financial risk due to negative equity and high debt levels. Despite these challenges, positive operating cash flow provides some relief, though substantial improvements are needed.

Income Statement

Crown Castle's income statement reflects a challenging financial period. The TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) revenue shows a significant decline compared to the previous year. Gross profit margin is relatively high; however, EBIT and EBITDA margins are negative due to substantial losses, indicating operational inefficiencies. Additionally, the net profit margin is deeply negative, reflecting considerable financial strain.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet highlights high financial leverage with a negative stockholders' equity, resulting in a negative debt-to-equity ratio. This suggests potential solvency issues. The company's assets are primarily financed by debt, posing significant risk. The equity ratio is negative, further underscoring financial instability.

Cash Flow

Cash flow analysis indicates relatively stable operating cash flow, though free cash flow has decreased. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is strong, given the net losses. However, the decline in free cash flow growth rate raises concerns about future liquidity. Despite the challenges, the company maintains positive operating cash flow, which is a critical strength amidst financial adversity.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	5.42B	6.57B	6.98B	6.99B	6.34B	5.84B
Gross Profit	3.95B	4.72B	5.00B	4.92B	4.35B	3.87B
EBITDA	-1.25B	-1.24B	4.10B	4.07B	3.46B	3.35B
Net Income	-4.64B	-3.90B	1.50B	1.68B	1.10B	1.06B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	31.64B	32.74B	38.53B	38.92B	39.04B	38.77B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	94.00M	119.00M	105.00M	156.00M	292.00M	232.00M
Total Debt	29.57B	29.61B	28.81B	27.96B	27.01B	25.42B
Total Liabilities	33.02B	32.87B	32.15B	31.47B	30.78B	29.31B
Stockholders Equity	-1.38B	-133.00M	6.38B	7.45B	8.26B	9.46B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	2.40B	1.72B	1.70B	1.57B	1.50B	1.43B
Operating Cash Flow	3.05B	2.94B	3.13B	2.88B	2.73B	3.06B
Investing Cash Flow	-1.09B	-1.22B	-1.52B	-1.35B	-1.33B	-1.74B
Financing Cash Flow	-2.01B	-1.71B	-1.65B	-1.67B	-1.31B	-1.27B

Crown Castle Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 97.07
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Positive

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CCI, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 97.07 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 101.78, below the 50-day MA of 103.76, and below the 200-day MA of 97.66, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -1.69 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 34.31 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 11.04 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for CCI.

Crown Castle Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
AMT	68 Neutral	$95.45B	72.78	66.09%	3.38%	-9.52%	-48.20%
Sector *	63 Neutral	$6.95B	13.72	-0.50%	6.99%	4.08%	-25.24%
SBAC	62 Neutral	$22.00B	24.82	-14.67%	2.16%	1.82%	71.39%
UNIT	55 Neutral	$1.39B	25.37	-3.72%	2.82%	1.95%	353.63%
CCI	50 Neutral	$43.17B	33.81	-234.10%	5.93%	-17.95%	-398.78%

Crown Castle Corporate Events

Crown Castle Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend Announcement

On August 6, 2025, Crown Castle announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.0625 per common share, payable on September 30, 2025, to stockholders of record as of September 15, 2025. This announcement reflects Crown Castle’s ongoing commitment to providing returns to its shareholders through regular dividends, reinforcing its stable financial position in the communications infrastructure industry.

Crown Castle Appoints New CEO Christian H. Hillabrant

Crown Castle announced the appointment of Christian H. Hillabrant as President and CEO, effective September 15, 2025, succeeding Daniel K. Schlanger, who will transition to Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer. Hillabrant brings over three decades of experience in digital infrastructure and telecommunications, previously serving as CEO of Vantage Towers AG. His leadership is expected to drive Crown Castle’s strategy as a pure-play U.S. tower company, focusing on operational excellence and value creation. This transition marks a significant step in Crown Castle’s strategic direction, with implications for its market positioning and stakeholder value.

Crown Castle Releases 2024 Sustainability Report

On July 30, 2025, Crown Castle Inc. released its 2024 Sustainability Report and updated its sustainability website, emphasizing its commitment to creating long-term stakeholder value by maximizing existing assets and minimizing environmental impact. The report highlights significant achievements, including a Total Recordable Incident Rate five times lower than the US average, progress towards carbon neutrality with 93% of electricity sourced from renewable contracts, and governance enhancements such as stockholder rights and voting reforms.

Crown Castle Reports Strong Q2 2025 Results

On July 23, 2025, Crown Castle Inc. reported its second-quarter results for 2025, showing strong operational performance and increased leasing activity, which led to an improved full-year outlook. The company highlighted a 4.7% organic growth in site rental revenues, excluding Sprint cancellations, and a $10 million reduction in overhead costs. Crown Castle is progressing with the sale of its small cells and fiber solutions businesses, expected to close in the first half of 2026, aiming to maximize shareholder value and improve financial flexibility.