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Published: 2023-02-21 16:05:48 ET
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EX-99.1 2 d459663dex991.htm EX-99.1 EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SBA Communications Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter 2022 Results;

Provides Full Year 2023 Outlook; and Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

Boca Raton, Florida, February 21, 2023 (BUSINESS NEWSWIRE) — SBA Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: SBAC) (“SBA” or the “Company”) today reported results for the quarter ended December 31, 2022.

Highlights of the fourth quarter include:

 

   

Net income of $102.6 million or $0.94 per share

 

   

AFFO per share increased 11.0% over the prior year period

 

   

Total revenue of $686.1 million, representing a 15.3% growth over the prior year period

 

   

Portfolio growth of 15.0% for the year, including 2,792 sites added during the quarter

 

   

Refinanced the 2018-1C Tower Securities making the next scheduled debt maturity October 2024

In addition, the Company announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.85 per share of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, an increase of approximately 20% over the dividend paid in the fourth quarter. The distribution is payable March 24, 2023 to the shareholders of record at the close of business on March 10, 2023.

“We had a very solid finish to 2022, producing record annual results on a number of metrics and positioning us well for 2023,” commented Jeffrey A. Stoops, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The US market remains active, with our largest US customers expected to all stay relatively busy with additional network deployment in 2023. We believe domestic activity will remain solid through 2023 and perhaps beyond, given the size and scope of our customers’ 5G deployment plans and our belief that much 5G work remains to be done on our assets. International results were strong as well in the fourth quarter, and gross leasing demand is expected to remain solid internationally. Last year was a remarkable year in terms of portfolio growth and balance sheet management. We grew our portfolio materially by 15%, providing us with additional growth assets in several markets. We were still able to end the year with our balance sheet in great shape, below the low end of our target net debt/Adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio as we used AFFO to reduce floating-rate debt in a materially higher interest rate environment. All of these favorable results allowed us to increase AFFO per share by double-digit percentages in the fourth quarter and for the full 2022 fiscal year over comparable prior periods. We are extremely confident and excited about our future, so much so that we have just approved an increase to our quarterly dividend of approximately 20%. While a substantial increase, this dividend on an annual basis represents only approximately 27% of our AFFO in our 2023 Outlook, leaving us substantial capital for additional investment in portfolio growth and stock repurchases and/or additional floating-rate leverage reduction while interest rates remain higher. We believe we offer our shareholders very favorable prospects for additional value creation.”

 

1


Operating Results

The table below details select financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and comparisons to the prior year period.

 

     Q4 2022      Q4 2021      $ Change      % Change     % Change
excluding
FX (1)
 
    

 

    

 

    

 

    

 

   

 

 
Consolidated    ($ in millions, except per share amounts)  

Site leasing revenue

   $ 609.6      $ 539.4      $ 70.2        13.0     12.6

Site development revenue

     76.5        55.9        20.6        36.9     36.9

Tower cash flow (1)

     485.9        434.1        51.8        11.9     11.5

Net income

     102.6        48.9        53.7        109.8     47.2

Earnings per share - diluted

     0.94        0.44        0.50        113.6     49.2

Adjusted EBITDA (1)

     460.7        409.1        51.6        12.6     12.2

AFFO (1)

     340.7        310.8        29.9        9.6     8.9

AFFO per share (1)

     3.12        2.81        0.31        11.0     10.3

 

(1)

See the reconciliations and other disclosures under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” later in this press release.

Total revenues in the fourth quarter of 2022 were $686.1 million compared to $595.3 million in the prior year period, an increase of 15.3%. Site leasing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022 of $609.6 million was comprised of domestic site leasing revenue of $452.9 million and international site leasing revenue of $156.7 million. Domestic cash site leasing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $443.0 million compared to $421.7 million in the prior year period, an increase of 5.1%. International cash site leasing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $157.5 million compared to $108.1 million in the prior year period, an increase of 45.7%, or 43.8% on a constant currency basis. Site development revenues in the fourth quarter of 2022 were $76.5 million compared to $55.9 million in the prior year period, an increase of 36.9%.

Site leasing operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $494.6 million, an increase of 11.8% over the prior year period. Site leasing contributed 96.3% of the Company’s total operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2022. Domestic site leasing segment operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $386.8 million, an increase of 5.1% over the prior year period. International site leasing segment operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $107.8 million, an increase of 44.8% from the prior year period.

Tower Cash Flow in the fourth quarter of 2022 of $485.9 million was comprised of Domestic Tower Cash Flow of $376.6 million and International Tower Cash Flow of $109.3 million. Domestic Tower Cash Flow in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased 5.1% over the prior year period and International Tower Cash Flow increased 44.3% over the prior year period, or increased 42.0% on a constant currency basis. Tower Cash Flow Margin was 80.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022, as compared to 81.9% for the prior year period.

Net income in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $102.6 million, or $0.94 per share, and included a $8.6 million gain, net of taxes, on the currency-related remeasurement of U.S. dollar denominated intercompany loans with foreign subsidiaries. Net income in the fourth quarter of 2021 was $48.9 million, or $0.44 per share, and included a $15.9 million loss, net of taxes, on the currency-related remeasurement of U.S. dollar denominated intercompany loans with foreign subsidiaries.

Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $460.7 million, a 12.6% increase over the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA Margin in the fourth quarter of 2022 was 68.1% compared to 69.8% in the prior year period.

Net Cash Interest Expense in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $97.0 million compared to $81.8 million in the prior year period, an increase of 18.6%.

 

2


AFFO in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $340.7 million, a 9.6% increase over the prior year period. AFFO per share in the fourth quarter of 2022 was $3.12, an 11.0% increase over the prior year period.

Investing Activities

During the fourth quarter of 2022, SBA acquired 2,642 communication sites for total cash consideration of $736.7 million, including 2,632 sites from Grupo TorreSur in Brazil for approximately $725.0 million in cash. SBA also built 162 towers during the fourth quarter of 2022. As of December 31, 2022, SBA owned or operated 39,311 communication sites, 17,416 of which are located in the United States and its territories and 21,895 of which are located internationally. In addition, the Company spent $15.9 million to purchase land and easements and to extend lease terms. Total cash capital expenditures for the fourth quarter of 2022 were $823.5 million, consisting of $13.8 million of non-discretionary cash capital expenditures (tower maintenance and general corporate) and $809.7 million of discretionary cash capital expenditures (new tower builds, tower augmentations, acquisitions, and purchasing land and easements).

Subsequent to the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company purchased or is under contract to purchase 31 communication sites for an aggregate consideration of $23.2 million in cash. The Company anticipates that these acquisitions will be consummated by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

Financing Activities and Liquidity

SBA ended the fourth quarter of 2022 with $13.0 billion of total debt, $10.0 billion of total secured debt, $187.0 million of cash and cash equivalents, short-term restricted cash, and short-term investments, and $12.8 billion of Net Debt. SBA’s Net Debt and Net Secured Debt to Annualized Adjusted EBITDA Leverage Ratios were 6.9x and 5.3x, respectively.

During the fourth quarter, the Company, through an existing trust, issued $850.0 million of Secured Tower Revenue Securities Series 2022-1C, which have an anticipated repayment date of January 11, 2028 and a final maturity date of November 9, 2052 (“the 2022-1C Tower Securities”). The fixed interest rate on the 2022-1C Tower Securities is 6.599% per annum, payable monthly. Net proceeds from this offering were used to repay the entire aggregate principal amount of the 2018-1C Tower Securities ($640.0 million), repay amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility, and for general corporate purposes.

As of the date of this press release, the Company had $585.0 million outstanding under its $1.5 billion Revolving Credit Facility.

The Company did not repurchase any shares of its Class A common stock during the fourth quarter of 2022. As of the date of this filing, the Company has $504.7 million of authorization remaining under its approved repurchase plan.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company declared and paid a cash dividend of $76.7 million.

Outlook

The Company is providing its initial full year 2023 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.

 

3


The Company’s full year 2023 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 2023 on acquiring revenue producing assets not yet identified or under contract, the impact of which is not reflected in the 2023 guidance. The Outlook also does not contemplate any additional repurchases of the Company’s stock or new debt financings during 2023, although the Company may ultimately spend capital to repurchase additional stock or issue new debt during the remainder of the year.

The Company’s Outlook assumes an average foreign currency exchange rate of 5.20 Brazilian Reais to 1.0 U.S. Dollar, 1.33 Canadian Dollars to 1.0 U.S. Dollar, 2,330 Tanzanian shillings to 1.0 U.S. Dollar, and 18.20 South African Rand to 1.0 U.S. Dollar for the full year 2023. When compared to 2022 actual foreign currency exchange rates, these 2023 foreign currency rate assumptions negatively impacted the 2023 full year Outlook by approximately $11.0 million for leasing revenue, $7.7 million for Tower Cash Flow, $6.7 million for Adjusted EBITDA, and $6.0 million for AFFO.

 

(in millions, except per share amounts)    Full Year 2023  

Site leasing revenue (1)

   $ 2,469.0        to      $ 2,489.0  

Site development revenue

   $ 205.0        to      $ 225.0  

Total revenues

   $ 2,674.0        to      $ 2,714.0  

Tower Cash Flow (2)

   $ 1,971.0        to      $ 1,991.0  

Adjusted EBITDA (2)

   $ 1,845.0        to      $ 1,865.0  

Net cash interest expense (3)

   $ 377.0        to      $ 382.0  

Non-discretionary cash capital expenditures (4)

   $ 53.0        to      $ 63.0  

AFFO (2)

   $ 1,366.0        to      $ 1,406.0  

AFFO per share (2) (5)

   $ 12.46        to      $ 12.83  

Discretionary cash capital expenditures (6)

   $ 283.0        to      $ 303.0  

 

(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 109.6 million. Outlook does not include the impact of any potential future repurchases of the Company’s stock during 2023.

(6)

Consists of new tower builds, tower augmentations, communication site acquisitions and ground lease purchases. Does not include 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 Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 5:00 PM (EST) to discuss the quarterly results. The call may be accessed as follows:

 

When:    Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 5:00 PM (EST)
Dial-in Number:    (877) 692-8955
Access Code:    5549447
Conference Name:    SBA Fourth quarter 2022 results
Replay Available:    February 21, 2023 at 11:00 PM to March 7, 2023 at 12:00 AM (TZ: Eastern)
Replay Number:    (866) 207-1041 – Access Code: 5924322
Internet Access:    www.sbasite.com

 

4


Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and our earnings call include forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations or beliefs regarding (i) customer activity and demand for the Company’s wireless communications infrastructure in 2023 and beyond, both domestically and internationally, (ii) the impact of customer 5G deployment plans and level of 5G deployment that remains to be done on the Company’s towers, (iii) the Company’s outlook for financial and operational performance in 2023, the assumptions it made and the drivers contributing to its full year guidance, (iv) the timing of closing for currently pending acquisitions, (vi) the Company’s tower portfolio growth for 2023 and positioning for, and terms of, future growth, (vii) foreign exchange rates and their impact on the Company’s financial and operational guidance and the Company’s 2023 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 2023; 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 2023 outlook assumes

 

5


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 first choice provider and leading owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure in North, Central, and South America, South Africa, the Philippines, and Tanzania. By “Building Better Wireless,” SBA generates revenue from two primary businesses – site leasing and site development services. The primary focus of the Company is the leasing of antenna space on its multi-tenant communication sites to a variety of wireless service providers under long-term lease contracts. For more information please visit: www.sbasite.com.

Contacts

Mark DeRussy, CFA

Capital Markets

561-226-9531

Lynne Hopkins

Media Relations

561-226-9431

 

6


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited) (in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

     For the three months     For the year  
     ended December 31,     ended December 31,  
     2022     2021     2022     2021  

Revenues:

        

Site leasing

   $ 609,608     $ 539,396     $ 2,336,575     $ 2,104,087  

Site development

     76,486       55,866       296,879       204,747  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues

     686,094       595,262       2,633,454       2,308,834  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

        

Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation, accretion, and amortization shown below):

        

Cost of site leasing

     114,999       97,008       445,685       386,391  

Cost of site development

     57,155       42,921       222,965       159,093  

Selling, general, and administrative expenses (1)

     70,613       63,483       261,853       220,029  

Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses

     8,031       10,095       26,807       27,621  

Asset impairment and decommission costs

     17,596       14,484       43,160       33,044  

Depreciation, accretion, and amortization

     183,036       169,895       707,576       700,161  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     451,430       397,886       1,708,046       1,526,339  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income

     234,664       197,376       925,408       782,495  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other income (expense):

        

Interest income

     3,255       1,324       10,133       3,448  

Interest expense

     (100,256     (83,081     (353,784     (352,919

Non-cash interest expense

     (11,528     (11,651     (46,109     (47,085

Amortization of deferred financing fees

     (5,077     (4,899     (19,835     (19,589

Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

     (437     (25,829     (437     (39,502

Other income (expense), net

     8,207       (24,892     10,467       (74,284
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other expense net

     (105,836     (149,028     (399,565     (529,931
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

     128,828       48,348       525,843       252,564  

(Provision) benefit for income taxes

     (26,248     554       (66,044     (14,940
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

     102,580       48,902       459,799       237,624  

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

     701       —         1,630       —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation

   $ 103,281     $ 48,902     $ 461,429     $ 237,624  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income per common share attributable to SBA Communications Corporation:

        

Basic

   $ 0.96     $ 0.45     $ 4.27     $ 2.17  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

   $ 0.94     $ 0.44     $ 4.22     $ 2.14  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted-average number of common shares

        

Basic

     107,978       108,855       107,957       109,328  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

     109,298       110,727       109,386       111,177  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes non-cash compensation of $25,110 and $24,670 for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $97,419 and $81,919 for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

7


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except par values)

 

     December 31,     December 31,  
     2022     2021  
ASSETS    (unaudited)        

Current assets:

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 143,708   $ 367,278

Restricted cash

     41,959     65,561

Accounts receivable, net

     184,368     101,950

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts

     79,549     48,844

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     33,149     30,813
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

     482,733     614,446

Property and equipment, net

     2,713,727     2,575,487

Intangible assets, net

     2,776,472     2,803,247

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

     2,381,955     2,268,470

Acquired and other right-of-use assets, net

     1,507,781     964,405

Other assets

     722,373     575,644
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 10,585,041   $ 9,801,699
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS, AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

    

Current Liabilities:

    

Accounts payable

   $ 51,427   $ 34,066

Accrued expenses

     101,484     68,070

Current maturities of long-term debt

     24,000     24,000

Deferred revenue

     154,553     184,380

Accrued interest

     54,173     49,096

Current lease liabilities

     262,365     238,497

Other current liabilities

     48,762     18,222
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     696,764     616,331

Long-term liabilities:

    

Long-term debt, net

     12,844,162     12,278,694

Long-term lease liabilities

     2,040,628     1,981,353

Other long-term liabilities

     248,067     191,475
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total long-term liabilities

     15,132,857     14,451,522

Redeemable noncontrolling interests

     31,735     17,250

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, 107,997 shares and 108,956 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively

     1,080     1,089

Additional paid-in capital

     2,795,176     2,681,347

Accumulated deficit

     (7,482,061     (7,203,531

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net

     (590,510     (762,309
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total shareholders’ deficit

     (5,276,315     (5,283,404
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and shareholders’ deficit

   $ 10,585,041   $ 9,801,699
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

8


CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited) (in thousands)

 

     For the three months  
     ended December 31,  
     2022     2021  

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

    

Net income

   $ 102,580   $ 48,902

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

    

Depreciation, accretion, and amortization

     183,036     169,895

(Gain) loss on remeasurement of U.S. denominated intercompany loans

     (11,794     23,703

Non-cash compensation expense

     25,769     25,227

Non-cash asset impairment and decommission costs

     17,605     13,855

Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

     437     24,046

Deferred income tax provision (benefit)

     17,369     (5,799

Other non-cash items reflected in the Statements of Operations

     20,674     17,832

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:

    

Accounts receivable and costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, net

     (47,456     (31,866

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     1,700     (2,654

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

     30,702     27,604

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

     6,971     (3,684

Accrued interest

     29,067     22,619

Long-term lease liabilities

     (33,379     (29,407

Other liabilities

     (54,647     (1,707
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     288,634     298,566
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

    

Acquisitions

     (757,371     (69,950

Capital expenditures

     (66,095     (43,287

Sale of investments, net

     20,103     (384

Other investing activities

     1,020     (31,817
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

     (802,343     (145,438
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

    

Net borrowings under Revolving Credit Facility

     310,000     350,000

Repayment of Senior Notes

     —         (1,113,409

Proceeds from issuance of Tower Securities, net of fees

     839,885     1,771,568

Repayment of Tower Securities

     (640,000     (575,000

Repurchase and retirement of common stock

     —         (298,235

Payment of dividends on common stock

     (76,664     (63,124

Proceeds from employee stock purchase/stock option plans

     4,558     13,536

Payments related to taxes on net settlement of stock options and restricted stock units

     (53     (62,879

Other financing activities

     (7,132     8,195
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

     430,594     30,652
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

     (7,476     (2,553

NET CHANGE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH

     (90,591     181,227

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH:

    

Beginning of period

     279,874     254,399
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 189,283   $ 435,626
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

9


Selected Capital Expenditure Detail

 

     For the three      For the year  
     months ended      ended  
     December 31, 2022      December 31, 2022  
    

 

    

 

 
     (in thousands)  

Construction and related costs

   $ 31,186      $ 103,461  

Augmentation and tower upgrades

     21,142        60,656  

Non-discretionary capital expenditures:

     

Tower maintenance

     11,593        41,568  

General corporate

     2,174        8,758  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total non-discretionary capital expenditures

     13,767        50,326  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total capital expenditures

   $ 66,095      $ 214,443  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Communication Site Portfolio Summary

 

     Domestic      International      Total  

Sites owned at September 30, 2022

     17,401        19,118        36,519  

Sites acquired during the fourth quarter

     10        2,632        2,642  

Sites built during the fourth quarter

     7        155        162  

Sites decommissioned/reclassified during the fourth quarter

     (2      (10      (12
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Sites owned at December 31, 2022

     17,416        21,895        39,311  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

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,  
    

 

   

 

   

 

 
     2022     2021     2022     2021     2022     2021  
    

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

 
     (in thousands)  

Segment revenue

   $ 452,928     $ 432,205     $ 156,680     $ 107,191     $ 76,486     $ 55,866  

Segment cost of revenues (excluding depreciation, accretion, and amort.)

     (66,151     (64,285     (48,848     (32,723     (57,155     (42,921
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Segment operating profit

   $ 386,777     $ 367,920     $ 107,832     $ 74,468     $ 19,331     $ 12,945  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Segment operating profit margin

     85.4     85.1     68.8     69.5     25.3     23.2
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

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.

 

10


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.

 

11


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              
     2022 year     Foreign     Growth excluding  
     over year     currency     foreign  
     growth rate     impact     currency impact  

Total site leasing revenue

     13.0     0.4     12.6

Total cash site leasing revenue

     13.3     0.4     12.9

Int’l cash site leasing revenue

     45.7     1.9     43.8

Total site leasing segment operating profit

     11.8     0.4     11.4

Int’l site leasing segment operating profit

     44.8     2.3     42.5

Total site leasing tower cash flow

     11.9     0.4     11.5

Int’l site leasing tower cash flow

     44.3     2.3     42.0

Net income

     109.8     62.6     47.2

Earnings per share - diluted

     113.6     64.4     49.2

Adjusted EBITDA

     12.6     0.4     12.2

AFFO

     9.6     0.7     8.9

AFFO per share

     11.0     0.7     10.3

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,  
     2022     2021     2022     2021     2022     2021  
    

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

 
     (in thousands)  

Site leasing revenue

   $ 452,928     $ 432,205     $ 156,680     $ 107,191     $ 609,608     $ 539,396  

Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

     (9,949     (10,525     816       895       (9,133     (9,630
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash site leasing revenue

     442,979       421,680       157,496       108,086       600,475       529,766  

Site leasing cost of revenues (excluding depreciation, accretion, and amortization)

     (66,151     (64,285     (48,848     (32,723     (114,999     (97,008

Non-cash straight-line ground lease expense

     (242     1,023       643       360       401       1,383  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Tower Cash Flow

   $ 376,586     $ 358,418     $ 109,291     $ 75,723     $ 485,877     $ 434,141  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Tower Cash Flow Margin

     85.0     85.0     69.4     70.1     80.9     81.9
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

12


Forecasted Tower Cash Flow for Full Year 2023

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 2023:

 

     Full Year 2023  
     (in millions)  

Site leasing revenue

   $  2,469.0        to      $  2,489.0  

Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

     (23.0      to        (18.0
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

Cash site leasing revenue

     2,446.0        to        2,471.0  

Site leasing cost of revenues (excluding depreciation, accretion, and amortization)

     (469.5      to        (479.5

Non-cash straight-line ground lease expense

     (5.5      to        (0.5
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

Tower Cash Flow

   $ 1,971.0        to      $ 1,991.0  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

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,  
     2022      2021  
    

 

    

 

 
     (in thousands)  

Net income

   $ 102,580      $ 48,902  

Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

     (9,133      (9,630

Non-cash straight-line ground lease expense

     401        1,383  

Non-cash compensation

     25,769        25,227  

Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

     437        25,829  

Other (income) expense, net

     (8,207      24,892  

Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses

     8,031        10,095  

Asset impairment and decommission costs

     17,596        14,484  

Interest income

     (3,255      (1,324

Total interest expense (1)

     116,861        99,631  

Depreciation, accretion, and amortization

     183,036        169,895  

Provision (benefit) for taxes (2)

     26,604        (331
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

   $ 460,720      $ 409,053  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Annualized Adjusted EBITDA (3)

   $  1,842,880      $  1,636,212  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(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, 2022 and 2021, these amounts included $356 and $223, 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,  
     2022     2021  
    

 

   

 

 
     (in thousands)  

Total revenues

   $  686,094     $  595,262  

Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

     (9,133     (9,630
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues minus non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

   $ 676,961     $ 585,632  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

   $ 460,720     $ 409,053  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

     68.1     69.8
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

13


Forecasted Adjusted EBITDA for Full Year 2023

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 2023:

 

     Full Year 2023  
     (in millions)  

Net income

   $ 545.5        to      $ 590.5  

Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

     (23.0      to        (18.0

Non-cash straight-line ground lease expense

     (5.5      to        (0.5

Non-cash compensation

     103.5        to        98.5  

Other income, net

     (19.0      to        (19.0

Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses

     16.5        to        11.5  

Asset impairment and decommission costs

     37.5        to        32.5  

Interest income

     (15.5      to        (10.5

Total interest expense (1)

     450.5        to        440.5  

Depreciation, accretion, and amortization

     719.0        to        709.0  

Provision for taxes (2)

     35.5        to        30.5  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

   $  1,845.0        to      $  1,865.0  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

(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.

 

14


Funds from Operations (“FFO”), Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO”), and AFFO per share

The table below sets forth the reconciliations of FFO and AFFO to their most comparable GAAP measurement.

 

     For the three months  
     ended December 31,  
(in thousands, except per share amounts)    2022      2021  

Net income

   $  102,580      $ 48,902  

Real estate related depreciation, amortization, and accretion

     181,962        168,870  

Asset impairment and decommission costs

     17,596        14,484  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

FFO

   $ 302,138      $  232,256  

Adjustments to FFO:

     

Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

     (9,133      (9,630

Non-cash straight-line ground lease expense

     401        1,383  

Non-cash compensation

     25,769        25,227  

Adjustment for non-cash portion of tax benefit

     17,368        (5,799

Non-real estate related depreciation, amortization, and accretion

     1,074        1,025  

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discounts and non-cash interest expense

     16,605        16,550  

Loss from extinguishment of debt, net

     437        25,829  

Other (income) expense, net

     (8,207      24,892  

Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses

     8,031        10,095  

Non-discretionary cash capital expenditures

     (13,767      (11,050
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

AFFO

   $ 340,716      $ 310,778  

Adjustments for joint venture partner interest

     (790      —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

AFFO attributable to SBA Communications Corporation

   $ 339,926      $ 310,778  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Weighted average number of common shares (1)

     109,298        110,727  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

AFFO per share

   $ 3.12      $ 2.81  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

AFFO per share attributable to SBA Communications Corporation

   $ 3.11      $ 2.81  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

For purposes of the AFFO per share calculation, the basic weighted average number of common shares has been adjusted to include the dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock units.

 

15


Forecasted AFFO for the Full Year 2023

The table below sets forth the reconciliation of the forecasted AFFO and AFFO per share set forth in the Outlook section to its most comparable GAAP measurement for the full year 2023:

 

(in millions, except per share amounts)    Full Year 2023  

Net income

   $ 545.5        to      $ 590.5  

Real estate related depreciation, amortization, and accretion

     709.0        to        704.0  

Asset impairment and decommission costs

     37.5        to        32.5  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

FFO

   $  1,292.0        to      $  1,327.0  

Adjustments to FFO:

        

Non-cash straight-line leasing revenue

     (23.0      to        (18.0

Non-cash straight-line ground lease expense

     (5.5      to        (0.5

Non-cash compensation

     103.5        to        98.5  

Adjustment for non-cash portion of tax provision

     2.0        to        2.0  

Non-real estate related depreciation, amortization, and accretion

     10.0        to        5.0  

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discounts and non-cash interest expense

     52.5        to        52.5  

Other income, net

     (19.0      to        (19.0

Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses

     16.5        to        11.5  

Non-discretionary cash capital expenditures

     (63.0      to        (53.0
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

AFFO

   $ 1,366.0        to      $ 1,406.0  

Adjustments for joint venture partner interest

     (6.0      to        (6.0
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

AFFO attributable to SBA Communications Corporation

   $ 1,360.0        to      $ 1,400.0  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

Weighted average number of common shares (1)

     109.6        to        109.6  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

AFFO per share

   $ 12.46        to      $ 12.83  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

AFFO per share attributable to SBA Communications Corporation

   $ 12.41        to      $ 12.77  
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

(1)

Our assumption for weighted average number of common shares does not contemplate any additional repurchases of the Company’s stock during 2023.

 

16


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,
2022
 
     (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

     720,000  

2018 Term Loan

     2,292,000  
  

 

 

 

Total secured debt

     9,952,000  

2020 Senior Notes

     1,500,000  

2021 Senior Notes

     1,500,000  
  

 

 

 

Total unsecured debt

     3,000,000  
  

 

 

 

Total debt

   $  12,952,000  
  

 

 

 

Leverage Ratio

  

Total debt

   $ 12,952,000  

Less: Cash and cash equivalents, short-term restricted cash and short-term investments

     (186,998
  

 

 

 

Net debt

   $ 12,765,002  
  

 

 

 

Divided by: Annualized Adjusted EBITDA

   $ 1,842,880  
  

 

 

 

Leverage Ratio

     6.9
  

 

 

 

Secured Leverage Ratio

  

Total secured debt

   $ 9,952,000  

Less: Cash and cash equivalents, short-term restricted cash and short-term investments

     (186,998
  

 

 

 

Net Secured Debt

   $ 9,765,002  
  

 

 

 

Divided by: Annualized Adjusted EBITDA

   $ 1,842,880  
  

 

 

 

Secured Leverage Ratio

     5.3
  

 

 

 

 

17