Crown Castle

CCI

Market cap $39B

Most recently, the company posted fourth quarter funds from operations (FFO) of $1.01, which beat by five cents.

Crown Castle remains attractive post-2026 disposition, with normalized revenue growth near 4–5% and improving dividend coverage. CCI trades at appealing AFFO multiples, with The REIT Forum's estimate for 2027 AFFO per share at $4.95–$5.19 and a dividend yield near 5%. EchoStar's $3.5B unpaid rent, if recovered, could provide significant upside for debt reduction or share buybacks, though no value is currently modeled.

HOUSTON, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE: CCI) ("Crown Castle") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.0625 per common share. The quarterly dividend is payable on March 31, 2026, to common stockholders of record at the close of business on March 13, 2026. Future dividends are subject to the approval of Crown Castle's Board of Directors.

American Tower stands out as the superior tower REIT, offering better value and fundamentals than Crown Castle post-carrier consolidation. AMT's AFFO/share growth resumes in 2026 as Sprint churn ends, with projections for 30% growth to $13.82 by 2030. With three major carriers remaining, AMT's organic billings growth is expected to exceed 5% annually, supporting high margins and steady returns.

It's been a fantastic 2026 for most dividend stocks so far this year, but most dividend-payers took a break last week.

U.S. equity markets advanced this week as investors parsed a deluge of headlines, including a major Supreme Court tariff ruling, escalating Middle East tensions, soft economic data, and hawkish Fed-speak. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to restrict the President's authority to impose broader tariffs under the IEEPA framework, a widely expected move that was quickly countered by the White House. Investors also shrugged off renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which sent oil prices to seven-month highs. The S&P 500 advanced 1.1% - its best weekly gains since early January.

While Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) stock surged 34.9% over the past year and the S&P 500 gained 12.2%, the infrastructure REITs powering AI's physical backbone have been left behind.

REIT Replay: Office REIT Stocks Plummet In Recent Week Amid Growing AI Fears

The London Company Mid Cap portfolio returned 3.2% (3.0% net) during the quarter vs. a 0.2% increase in the Russell Midcap Index. Dollar Tree, Inc. was a top performer after completing the divestiture of the Family Dollar business, removing a long-standing drag on growth. AerCap Holdings shares performed well all year after reporting solid quarterly results as the company owns the largest portfolio of aircraft.

Crown Castle is upgraded to Buy as valuation and yield become more attractive amid restructuring and debt reduction efforts. CCI's cost-saving initiatives, including a 20% workforce reduction and $7 billion in debt repayment, while trying to offset the DISH-related headwinds. AFFO is expected to recover to a normalized $2.1 billion per year post-2026, supporting a 5.25% dividend yield despite near-term churn from contract terminations.