American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Wall Street sentiment is positive: American Tower has an average analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 20 analysts, with 15 buy ratings and a consensus 1-year price target of $216.95.
• Recent earnings topped expectations: The company reported $2.84 EPS versus the $1.60 consensus estimate and revenue of $2.74 billion, both above forecasts. Quarterly revenue also rose 6.8% year over year.
• Dividend and insider activity stand out: American Tower declared a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, or $7.16 annually, for a 4.1% yield. Separately, EVP Ruth T. Dowling sold 556 shares in a pre-arranged transaction.

Shares of American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fifteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $216.95.

Several brokerages have commented on AMT. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of American Tower from $205.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of American Tower from $245.00 to $240.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of American Tower from $209.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Citizens Jmp reissued a "market outperform" rating and issued a $260.00 target price on shares of American Tower in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of American Tower from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $195.00 to $205.00 in a report on Friday.

Insider Transactions at American Tower

In related news, EVP Ruth T. Dowling sold 556 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.48, for a total value of $99,234.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 29,877 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,446.96. This trade represents a 1.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Tower

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in American Tower by 113.0% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,966 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $727,000 after purchasing an additional 2,104 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in American Tower by 34.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,442 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $319,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. United Bank lifted its stake in American Tower by 12.7% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 6,488 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,434,000 after acquiring an additional 733 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in American Tower by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 218,511 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $48,295,000 after acquiring an additional 4,778 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC lifted its stake in American Tower by 52.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 34,248 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $7,570,000 after acquiring an additional 11,751 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.69% of the company's stock.

American Tower Stock Performance

Shares of AMT stock opened at $175.41 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.43. The company has a market capitalization of $81.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.90. The company's 50 day moving average price is $181.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $179.83. American Tower has a 52 week low of $165.08 and a 52 week high of $234.33.

American Tower (NYSE:AMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.60 by $1.24. The firm had revenue of $2.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.66 billion. American Tower had a net margin of 26.81% and a return on equity of 27.79%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.75 EPS. American Tower has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.900-11.07 EPS. On average, analysts expect that American Tower will post 10.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Tower Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. American Tower's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 115.67%.

About American Tower

American Tower NYSE: AMT is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, operates and develops wireless and broadcast communications infrastructure. The company's core business is leasing space on communications sites — including towers, rooftops and other structures — to wireless carriers, broadcasters, government agencies and enterprise customers. Its business model centers on long-term site leases and contracts that provide recurring revenue tied to the footprint and density of wireless networks.

Beyond traditional tower assets, American Tower offers a range of infrastructure and network services to support mobile, broadband and broadcast connectivity.

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