Crown Castle Inc. Set to Report Earnings Amid Leadership Change

Crown Castle Inc. (CCI), boasting a market cap of $45.2 billion, operates more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 90,000 route miles of fiber across major U.S. markets. The company will announce its fiscal first-quarter earnings for 2025 after the market closes on Wednesday, April 16.

Analyst Expectations for Earnings Report

Leading up to the earnings call, analysts project that CCI will report funds from operations (FFO) of $0.96 per share, reflecting a 44.2% decrease from the $1.72 per share reported in the same quarter last year. On a brighter note, CCI has consistently exceeded Wall Street’s FFO estimates for the past four quarters. In the latest reported quarter, the company posted an FFO of $1.80 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate by 3.5%, bolstered by a 4.5% organic growth in tower activity.

Future Projections and Market Performance

For fiscal 2025, analysts forecast an FFO of $3.90 per share for CCI, down 44.1% from last year’s $6.98 per share. However, expectations for fiscal 2026 suggest a rebound, with FFO anticipated to rise 20.3% year-over-year, reaching $4.69 per share.

Over the past year, CCI shares have increased by 4.8%. This increase outpaces the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) gain of 3.6%, although it lags behind the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLRE) 6.2% return during the same period.

Leadership Transition Raises Concerns

On March 24, CCI shares fell more than 3% following the unexpected termination of former CEO Moskowitz, with CFO Schlanger appointed as interim CEO immediately. This abrupt change raises concerns among shareholders regarding the company’s operational efficiency and commitment to enhancing shareholder value.

Analysts Maintain Moderate Buy Rating

Despite recent developments, analysts maintain a moderately bullish outlook on CCI, reflected in a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating. Among the 19 analysts covering the stock, seven recommend a “Strong Buy,” while the remaining 12 suggest a “Hold” rating.

The average price target among analysts for CCI stands at $109.33, indicating a potential upside of 2.1% from current price levels.

On the date of publication, Aditya Sarawgi did not hold (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information, please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

More news from Barchart

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.