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SBA Communications Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 3 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 raised, 5 lowered, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and AFFO per share: Net income attributable to SBA was $198.8 million, or $1.87 per share, against $2.09 diluted EPS a year earlier. AFFO per share was $3.05 against $3.17. Source
  • Domestic site leasing revenue fell: Domestic site leasing revenue was $452.5 million, down 3.7% from $469.8 million. Domestic segment operating profit fell 4.8% to $381.0 million. Source
  • International revenue up 30.5%: International site leasing revenue was $211.4 million against $162.0 million. International segment operating profit rose 31.9% to $148.8 million. Source
  • Leverage at 6.4x: Net debt to annualized Adjusted EBITDA was 6.4x, against 6.6x last quarter and within the 6.0x to 7.0x target range. Secured leverage was 4.9x, against 5.0x. Source
  • Site leasing revenue range raised: Full year site leasing revenue range is $2,651.0 to $2,676.0 million, raised by $2.0 million at the midpoint from the April range. Source
  • AFFO and AFFO per share raised: AFFO range is $1,270.0 to $1,318.0 million and AFFO per share range is $11.95 to $12.40, both raised at the midpoint. Source
  • Tower cash flow and EBITDA lowered: Tower Cash Flow range is $2,091.0 to $2,111.0 million and Adjusted EBITDA range is $1,920.0 to $1,940.0 million; each lowered $1.0 million at the midpoint. Source

“We had another solid quarter, with financial and operating results in line with our expectations,”

Brendan Cavanagh, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Site leasing revenue Sourcefull year 2026$2,651.0 to $2,676.0 millionRaised from $2,649.0 to $2,674.0 million
Site development revenue Sourcefull year 2026$190.0 to $210.0 millionKept
Total revenues Sourcefull year 2026$2,841.0 to $2,886.0 millionRaised from $2,839.0 to $2,884.0 million
Tower Cash Flow Sourcefull year 2026$2,091.0 to $2,111.0 millionLowered from $2,092.0 to $2,112.0 million
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$1,920.0 to $1,940.0 millionLowered from $1,921.0 to $1,941.0 million
Net cash interest expense Sourcefull year 2026$490.0 to $498.0 millionLowered from $492.0 to $500.0 million
Non-discretionary cash capital expenditures Sourcefull year 2026$65.0 to $75.0 millionLowered from $67.0 to $77.0 million
AFFO Sourcefull year 2026$1,270.0 to $1,318.0 millionRaised from $1,269.0 to $1,317.0 million
AFFO per share Sourcefull year 2026$11.95 to $12.40Raised from $11.93 to $12.38
Discretionary cash capital expenditures Sourcefull year 2026$455.0 to $475.0 millionRaised from $430.0 to $450.0 million
Domestic site leasing revenue Sourcefull year 2026$1,813 to $1,827 millionRaised from $1,804 to $1,818 million
International site leasing revenue Sourcefull year 2026$838 to $849 millionLowered from $845 to $856 million
Brazilian Reais exchange rate assumption Sourcelast two quarters of 20265.10 Brazilian Reais to 1.0 U.S. Dollar

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full year site leasing revenue and total revenues ranges raised by $2.0 million at the midpoint. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full year AFFO and AFFO per share ranges raised; AFFO per share midpoint up $0.02. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full year discretionary cash capital expenditure range raised by $25.0 million at the midpoint. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full year Tower Cash Flow and Adjusted EBITDA ranges each lowered by $1.0 million at the midpoint. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full year net cash interest expense range lowered by $2.0 million at the midpoint. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full year non-discretionary cash capital expenditure range lowered by $2.0 million at the midpoint. Source
  • New: Company issued its inaugural investment grade senior notes and entered a new unsecured revolving credit facility after quarter end. Source
  • New: S&P upgraded the Company's rating to BBB, as stated in the highlights. Source
  • Ended: The prior secured revolving credit facility was replaced by a new unsecured facility of $2.5 billion. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income and AFFO per share: Net income attributable to SBA was $198.8 million, or $1.87 per share, against $2.09 diluted EPS a year earlier. AFFO per share was $3.05 against $3.17. Source
  • Site leasing revenue rose 5.1%: Site leasing revenue was $663.9 million, up 5.1% reported and 3.0% excluding FX, from $631.8 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 1.8%: Adjusted EBITDA was $483.8 million, up 1.8% reported and 0.0% excluding FX. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 68.0% against 68.1%. Source
  • Site development revenue declined: Site development revenue was $51.4 million against $67.2 million, down 23.5%. Segment operating profit margin was 18.4% against 20.3%. Source

Segments and regions

  • Domestic site leasing revenue fell: Domestic site leasing revenue was $452.5 million, down 3.7% from $469.8 million. Domestic segment operating profit fell 4.8% to $381.0 million. Source
  • International revenue up 30.5%: International site leasing revenue was $211.4 million against $162.0 million. International segment operating profit rose 31.9% to $148.8 million. Source
  • Currency added to international growth: Excluding FX, international site leasing revenue rose 22.4%. Currency effects added 8.2 points to international cash site leasing revenue growth. Source
  • Site leasing share of profit: Site leasing contributed 98.2% of total operating profit in the second quarter of 2026, against 97.4% a year earlier. Source

“Our balance sheet got even stronger as we completed our first investment grade bond offering”

Brendan Cavanagh, President and Chief Executive Officer

Demand and carrier activity

  • Carrier activity steady: Management said carrier activity remained steady, with customers upgrading existing sites and adding colocations through new network expansion. Source
  • New leases and escalations in bridge: The 2026 site leasing bridge adds $52 to $58 million from new leases and amendments and $71 to $74 million from escalations. Source
  • Tower builds in quarter: The company built 109 towers in the quarter, of which 99 were international sites and 10 domestic. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Cost of site leasing increased: Cost of site leasing was $134.1 million against $118.6 million. Tower cash flow margin was 79.5% against 81.0%. Source
  • Non-cash compensation rose: Selling, general and administrative expenses were $77.5 million against $71.0 million. Non-cash compensation within them was $26.1 million against $20.8 million. Source
  • Impairment costs fell: Asset impairment and decommission costs were $22.6 million against $45.2 million in the prior year period. Source
  • Net cash interest expense rose: Net cash interest expense was $122.1 million against $111.5 million, up 9.5% reported and 9.8% excluding FX. Source
  • Currency remeasurement gain lower: Net income included an $8.0 million after-tax currency remeasurement gain, against $30.4 million a year earlier. Source

“In the second quarter, we saw increased new tower construction as we ramped up efforts in Central America building sites for Millicom and others.”

Brendan Cavanagh, President and Chief Executive Officer

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Leverage at 6.4x: Net debt to annualized Adjusted EBITDA was 6.4x, against 6.6x last quarter and within the 6.0x to 7.0x target range. Secured leverage was 4.9x, against 5.0x. Source
  • Debt mix at quarter end: Total debt was $12.8 billion, of which $9.8 billion was secured, at quarter end. Cash and short-term items totalled $0.4 billion. Source
  • Dividend paid in quarter: The company declared and paid a cash dividend of $132.7 million in the second quarter, against $135.2 million paid in the first quarter. Source
  • No repurchases; authorization remains: The cash flow statement shows no repurchase of common stock in the quarter, against $130.7 million a year earlier. Authorization remaining is $1.1 billion. Source
  • Operating cash flow higher: Net cash from operating activities was $407.2 million, against $368.1 million in the second quarter of 2025. Source

Full year 2026 guidance

  • Site leasing revenue range raised: Full year site leasing revenue range is $2,651.0 to $2,676.0 million, raised by $2.0 million at the midpoint from the April range. Source
  • AFFO and AFFO per share raised: AFFO range is $1,270.0 to $1,318.0 million and AFFO per share range is $11.95 to $12.40, both raised at the midpoint. Source
  • Tower cash flow and EBITDA lowered: Tower Cash Flow range is $2,091.0 to $2,111.0 million and Adjusted EBITDA range is $1,920.0 to $1,940.0 million; each lowered $1.0 million at the midpoint. Source
  • Domestic and international bridge split: Domestic site leasing revenue bridge is $1,813 to $1,827 million, raised; international bridge is $838 to $849 million, lowered. Source
  • Share count and FX assumptions: AFFO per share assumes 106.3 million diluted shares, excluding further buybacks. The Brazilian real assumption moved from 5.05 to 5.10 per dollar. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Quarterly capital spending: Total cash capital expenditures were $91.2 million: $15.8 million non-discretionary and $75.4 million discretionary, covering new builds, augmentations, acquisitions and land. Source
  • Non-organic revenue in 2026 bridge: The 2026 bridge includes $86 million of non-organic revenue from acquisitions and new infrastructure builds, of which $82 million is international. Source
  • Portfolio at quarter end: At June 30, 2026 the company owned or operated 46,390 sites: 17,362 domestic and 29,028 international. Source

Coming up, as management said on 3 August 2026

  • Network deployments as Auction 115 nears: Management said it is excited about future network deployments as Auction 115 approaches; no date was given. Source
  • Dividend payment date: The $1.25 per share quarterly dividend is payable September 17, 2026, to holders of record on August 20, 2026. Source
  • Pending site purchases expected to close: Subsequent to quarter end, the company bought or agreed to buy 58 sites for $28.8 million, expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
FFO per share Source$2.81
AFFO per share Source$3.05
Leverage (net debt to annualized Adjusted EBITDA) Source6.4x
Secured leverage Source4.9x
Acquisitions Source6 sites, $10.5 million
Dispositions Source83 sites

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: The 2026 site leasing bridge includes EchoStar churn of $56 million and regular churn of $57 to $64 million on a consolidated basis. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it expects to keep growing the dividend at the highest industry growth rate while investing in the portfolio. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it expects production from new tower construction to keep growing steadily through the year. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.