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American Tower Corporation (AMT) Stock

American Tower Corporation Stock Details, Movements and Public Alerts

American Tower Corporation (AMT): The $100 Billion Cell Tower Empire Powering the 5G Revolution

When Steven O. Vondran became CEO of American Tower in 2020, the company was already a cell tower giant with $8 billion in annual revenue. Four years later, Vondran has overseen the acceleration of 5G deployments worldwide, expanded the tower portfolio to 225,000+ sites, and positioned American Tower as the critical infrastructure backbone for carriers like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and hundreds of international operators. With mobile data traffic growing 25-30% annually and 5G coverage still below 50% globally, American Tower's business model—leasing vertical real estate to multiple tenants per tower—creates compounding cash flows that few REITs can match. Trading at a forward P/E of 26.74, the stock reflects premium quality but offers compelling upside as 5G densification drives organic growth through 2030.

52-Week Range

$232.28 - $168.28

-22.74% from high · +6.65% from low

Avg Daily Volume

2,952,775

Latest volume

Fundamentals

Valuation Metrics

P/E Ratio (TTM)

35.95

Above market average

Forward P/E

26.74

Earnings expected to grow

PEG Ratio

52.79

Potentially overvalued

Price to Book

24.50

EV/EBITDA

21.13

EPS (TTM)

$5.35

Price to Sales

8.78

Beta

0.87

Less volatile than market

How is AMT valued relative to its earnings and growth?
American Tower Corporation trades at a P/E ratio of 35.95, which is above the market average of approximately 20. This premium valuation suggests investors expect above-average growth or the company has competitive advantages justifying the higher multiple. Looking ahead, the forward P/E of 26.74 is lower than the current P/E, indicating analysts expect earnings to grow over the next year. The PEG ratio of 52.79 indicates a premium valuation even accounting for growth.
What is AMT's risk profile compared to the market?
With a beta of 0.87, American Tower Corporation is less volatile than the overall market. This means when the market moves up or down by 10%, this stock typically moves less than 10% in the same direction. Lower beta stocks are often preferred by conservative investors seeking stability. The price-to-book ratio of 24.50 shows investors value the company above its book value, which often reflects intangible assets or growth prospects.

Performance & Growth

Profit Margin

12.60%

Operating Margin

45.70%

EBITDA

$6.63B

Return on Equity

24.30%

Return on Assets

4.54%

Revenue Growth (YoY)

3.20%

Earnings Growth (YoY)

-59.50%

How profitable and efficient is AMT's business model?
American Tower Corporation achieves a profit margin of 12.60%, meaning it retains $12.60 from every $100 in revenue after all expenses. This represents a solid margin typical of well-run businesses, showing the company can effectively balance revenue generation with cost control. The operating margin of 45.70% reveals how efficiently the company runs its core business operations before interest and taxes. With ROE at 24.30% and ROA at 4.54%, the company generates strong returns on invested capital.
What are AMT's recent growth trends?
American Tower Corporation's revenue grew by 3.20% year-over-year, showing steady progress in growing the business. This positive trajectory indicates the company maintains competitive positioning in its markets. Earnings decreased by 59.50% year-over-year, reflecting the bottom-line impact of business performance. These growth metrics should be evaluated against REIT - SPECIALTY industry averages for proper context.

Dividend Information

Dividend Per Share

$6.64

Dividend Yield

3.44%

Ex-Dividend Date

Sep 30, 2025

Dividend Date

Oct 20, 2025

What dividend income can investors expect from AMT?
American Tower Corporation offers a dividend yield of 3.44%, paying $6.64 per share annually. This above-average yield of 2-4% provides meaningful income while still allowing the company to reinvest for growth. It compares favorably to the S&P 500 average and offers competitive returns versus bonds in the current rate environment. To receive the next dividend, shares must be purchased before the ex-dividend date of Sep 30, 2025.
How reliable is AMT's dividend for long-term investors?
The dividend sustainability can be assessed through the payout ratio - American Tower Corporation pays $6.64 per share in dividends against earnings of $5.35 per share, resulting in a payout ratio of 100.00%. This very high payout exceeding 90% raises sustainability concerns, as nearly all earnings go to dividends. Any earnings decline could force a dividend cut. The next dividend payment is scheduled for Oct 20, 2025.

Company Size & Market

Market Cap

$90.1B

Revenue (TTM)

$10.26B

Revenue/Share (TTM)

$21.94

Shares Outstanding

468.25M

Book Value/Share

$7.93

Asset Type

Common Stock

What is AMT's market capitalization and position?
American Tower Corporation has a market capitalization of $90.1B, classifying it as a large-cap stock ($10B-$200B). Large-caps are typically industry leaders with established business models, offering a balance of stability and growth potential. They often provide dividend income and are core holdings in institutional portfolios. With 468.25M shares outstanding, the company's ownership is relatively concentrated. As a participant in the REIT - SPECIALTY industry, it competes with other firms in this sector.
How does AMT's price compare to its book value?
American Tower Corporation's book value per share is $7.93, while the current stock price is $179.47, resulting in a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 22.63. This high P/B ratio indicates significant intangible assets, strong brand value, or high growth expectations. Technology and consumer brand companies often trade at elevated P/B ratios due to intellectual property and competitive advantages not reflected on the balance sheet. As a common stock, this represents equity ownership with voting rights.

Analyst Ratings

Analyst Target Price

$249.21

38.86% upside potential

Analyst Recommendations

Strong Buy

6

Buy

11

Hold

5

Sell

0

Strong Sell

0

How reliable are analyst predictions for AMT?
22 analysts cover AMT with 77% recommending buy/strong buy ratings. Analyst predictions have mixed reliability - studies show consensus rarely beats market returns consistently. The strong bullish consensus may already be priced in. The consensus target of $249.21 implies 38.9% upside, but targets are often adjusted to follow price moves rather than predict them.
What is the Wall Street consensus on AMT?
Current analyst recommendations:6 Strong Buy, 11 Buy, 5 Hold, 00The bullish tilt suggests optimism about future prospects, though investors should conduct independent research.Remember that analyst opinions often lag price movements and can be influenced by investment banking relationships.

Fundamentals last updated: Oct 1, 2025, 06:38 AM

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American Tower Corporation (AMT) Stock Analysis 2025: Complete Investment Guide

The Infrastructure Backbone of Wireless Connectivity

American Tower doesn't build phones or sell data plans—it owns the physical infrastructure that makes wireless networks possible. Founded in 1995 and structured as a REIT since 2012, the company operates 225,000+ cell towers, rooftop sites, and distributed antenna systems (DAS) across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. When you stream Netflix on your phone or join a Zoom call from a café, there's a strong chance the signal passes through an American Tower structure. Steven Vondran, who served as CFO before becoming CEO in 2020, has doubled down on this mission-critical positioning.

The company's growth story revolves around 5G deployment, which requires significantly denser networks than 4G. Carriers need 3-5x more cell sites to deliver 5G's promised speeds and low latency, creating a multi-year leasing cycle that benefits tower owners. American Tower generates 95%+ of revenue from long-term contracts with built-in annual escalators (typically 2-4%), providing inflation protection and predictable cash flows. Vondran's strategy focuses on high-growth markets—India, Brazil, Mexico, and Sub-Saharan Africa—where mobile penetration is rising and tower infrastructure remains underdeveloped.

Business Model & Competitive Moat

American Tower's business model is elegantly simple: build or acquire towers, then lease space to multiple wireless carriers. The magic lies in the economics: once a tower is constructed, adding additional tenants (called "colocation") generates 70-80% incremental EBITDA margins because the infrastructure cost is already sunk. A typical tower might host Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile simultaneously, each paying $20,000-$50,000 annually depending on location and equipment. This multi-tenancy model creates operating leverage that compounds over time.

The competitive moat is formidable: zoning restrictions make new tower construction difficult and time-consuming (often 18-24 months for permits), existing towers hold locational advantages that can't be replicated, and switching costs for carriers are prohibitive (moving equipment between towers disrupts service and costs millions). American Tower also benefits from scale advantages—225,000 sites provide negotiating leverage with carriers and lower per-unit operating costs. Vondran's focus on operational efficiency has driven EBITDA margins to 60%+, among the highest in the REIT sector.

Financial Performance

American Tower delivered $11.1 billion in revenue in 2024, with Adjusted EBITDA exceeding $6.8 billion. The company's financial profile reflects the recurring nature of tower leases: high margins, strong cash generation, and predictable growth driven by both organic tenant additions and tower acquisitions.

  • Revenue Growth: 7-9% annually, split between organic growth (4-5%) and acquisitions/new builds (3-4%)
  • EBITDA Margins: 60%+, reflecting high incremental margins on tenant additions and operational efficiency
  • Funds From Operations (FFO): $10+ per share in 2024, growing 10-12% annually
  • Dividend Growth: 20%+ annual increases since becoming a REIT in 2012, supported by rising FFO
  • Leverage: Net debt-to-EBITDA around 5.0x, within REIT comfort zone for infrastructure assets

Growth Catalysts

  • 5G Densification: 5G networks require 3-5x more cell sites than 4G, creating a decade-long leasing cycle as carriers fill coverage gaps.
  • Emerging Market Expansion: India (45,000 towers), Brazil, Mexico, and Africa offer outsized growth as mobile subscriptions rise 10%+ annually.
  • Edge Computing Infrastructure: American Tower is piloting edge data centers at tower sites, enabling low-latency applications like autonomous vehicles.
  • Fiber Backhaul Integration: Expanding fiber networks connecting towers to core networks creates additional revenue streams and strengthens customer relationships.
  • Carrier Consolidation: Mergers (like T-Mobile/Sprint) force winners to densify networks to serve combined subscriber bases, boosting tower demand.

Risks & Challenges

  • Carrier Bankruptcies: If major tenants like Dish Network fail, American Tower could face vacancy and reduced pricing power.
  • Regulatory Changes: New zoning laws or government-mandated infrastructure sharing could limit pricing flexibility or force tower access at below-market rates.
  • Currency Exposure: 40% of revenue comes from international markets, creating FX headwinds when the dollar strengthens.
  • Rising Interest Rates: Higher rates increase borrowing costs for acquisitions and compress REIT valuations due to dividend yield comparisons.
  • Technology Disruption: Satellite-based internet (Starlink) or mesh networks could theoretically reduce long-term tower demand, though this risk appears distant.

Competitive Landscape

American Tower competes with Crown Castle (CCI) and SBA Communications (SBAC) in the U.S., plus regional players like IHS Towers (Africa) and Indus Towers (India). Crown Castle focuses on U.S. fiber and small cells, while SBA emphasizes domestic towers. American Tower's international diversification—40% of revenue from outside the U.S.—differentiates it from domestically focused peers and provides exposure to faster-growing emerging markets.

Steven Vondran's strategic advantage lies in scale and geographic breadth: with 225,000 towers globally, American Tower can offer carriers multinational solutions that smaller competitors cannot. The company's balance sheet strength (investment-grade credit rating) enables large acquisitions, like the $9.4 billion purchase of Telxius Towers in 2021, which added 31,000 sites in Europe and Latin America. While Crown Castle may offer higher yields (4%+), American Tower's superior growth profile (10-12% FFO growth vs. 6-8% for peers) justifies a premium valuation.

Who Is This Stock Suitable For?

Perfect For

  • Income investors seeking 3.4% yield with 20%+ annual dividend growth potential
  • Growth-oriented REIT investors wanting exposure to 5G infrastructure buildout
  • Long-term investors (7+ years) betting on secular mobile data consumption trends
  • Diversification seekers wanting international exposure (40% revenue outside U.S.)
  • Inflation hedge investors (contracts have built-in 2-4% annual escalators)

Less Suitable For

  • Value investors uncomfortable with 26x forward P/E (premium to REIT average of 18-20x)
  • High-yield chasers seeking 5%+ current yields (AMT prioritizes growth over yield)
  • Short-term traders (stock tends to move with interest rate expectations, creating volatility)
  • Currency-risk-averse investors (40% international revenue creates FX exposure)

Investment Thesis

American Tower offers a rare combination: REIT income characteristics paired with growth stock potential. The 5G deployment cycle is still in early innings—global 5G coverage sits below 50%, and carriers must densify networks to deliver promised performance. This creates a decade-long runway for organic tenant additions, which flow to the bottom line at 70%+ incremental margins. Steven Vondran's disciplined capital allocation—balancing dividends, tower acquisitions, and debt reduction—positions American Tower to compound shareholder value through multiple economic cycles.

The valuation reflects quality: a forward P/E of 26.74 is premium to the REIT sector average (18-20x), but justified by superior growth (10-12% FFO growth vs. 4-6% for typical REITs) and fortress-like competitive positioning. International exposure adds growth upside—emerging markets like India and Brazil are deploying 4G and 5G simultaneously—but also introduces currency volatility. For investors with 5+ year horizons, American Tower represents a compounding machine levered to an unstoppable secular trend: the world's insatiable demand for mobile data. The 3.44% dividend yield provides income while investors wait for the 5G story to fully play out.

Conclusion

Conclusion

American Tower earns a BUY rating for growth-focused income investors with 5+ year horizons. The combination of 3.4% yield, 20%+ dividend growth, and exposure to 5G infrastructure creates a compelling risk-reward profile. Existing shareholders should hold through volatility, viewing dips as accumulation opportunities. New investors can initiate positions gradually, dollar-cost averaging to manage valuation risk. The stock is less suitable for value purists or high-yield seekers, but ideal for those wanting quality REIT exposure with secular growth tailwinds.
Bull Case
$290 (30% upside) – 5G densification accelerates, emerging markets exceed expectations, edge computing revenue materializes
Base Case
$245 (10% upside) – Steady 7-9% revenue growth, 10-12% FFO growth, valuation holds at 25-27x forward earnings
Bear Case
$185 (17% downside) – Interest rates spike, carrier bankruptcies emerge, international FX headwinds intensify

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