Sifting through countless of stocks in the Specialized REITs industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in American Tower Corporation or SBA Communications Corporation because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation

American Tower Corporation one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of over 148,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities. American Tower Corporation was incorporated in 1995 in Delaware and is based in Massachusetts, Boston.

SBA Communications Corporation is a leading independent owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure, including tower structures, rooftops and other structures that support antennas used for wireless communications. In our site leasing business, we lease space to wireless service providers and other customers on assets we own or operate, and manage rooftop and tower sites for property owners under various contractual arrangements. As of December 31, 2025, we owned 46,328 towers, a substantial portion of which were built by us or by other tower owners or operators who, like us, build towers to lease space to multiple wireless service providers. As of December 31, 2025, each of our towers had an average of 1.8 tenants. SBA Communications Corporation was established in 1989 and was incorporated in Florida.

Latest Specialized REITs and American Tower Corporation, SBA Communications Corporation Stock News

As of September 8, 2026, American Tower Corporation had a $81.9 billion market capitalization, compared to the Specialized REITs median of $7.5 million. American Tower Corporation’s stock is down 0.3% in 2026, down 0.6% in the previous five trading days and down 11.39% in the past year.

Currently, American Tower Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 24.2. American Tower Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $10.9 billion with a 31.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 4.7%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $6.984 per share for the current fiscal year. American Tower Corporation currently has a 4.1% dividend yield.

As of September 8, 2026, SBA Communications Corporation had a $20.0 billion market cap, putting it in the 86th percentile of all stocks. SBA Communications Corporation’s stock is down 3.8% in 2026, down 1.4% in the previous five trading days and down 4.58% in the past year.

Currently, SBA Communications Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 20.3. SBA Communications Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $2.9 billion with a 34.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 2.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $7.711 per share for the current fiscal year. SBA Communications Corporation currently has a 2.6% dividend yield.

How We Compare American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
American Tower Corporation	AMT	A
SBA Communications Corporation	SBAC	A

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

American Tower Corporation has a Growth Score of 100, which is Very Strong. SBA Communications Corporation has a Growth Score of 95, which is Very Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Growth Grade breakdown above, both American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation have a grade of A. For investors who focus solely on a company’s upward growth, further research should be conducted into both companies’ other financial metrics before deciding whether to invest.

American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
American Tower Corporation	AMT	D
SBA Communications Corporation	SBAC	D

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

American Tower Corporation has a Momentum Score of 30, which is Weak. SBA Communications Corporation has a Momentum Score of 34, which is Weak.

The Momentum Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither American Tower Corporation or SBA Communications Corporation has a strong enough Momentum Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if American Tower Corporation or SBA Communications Corporation is the better investment when it comes to momentum.

American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
American Tower Corporation	AMT	B
SBA Communications Corporation	SBAC	D

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

American Tower Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 67, which is Positive. SBA Communications Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 35, which is Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: American Tower Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, American Tower Corporation has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than SBA Communications Corporation. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, American Tower Corporation could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Growth and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, American Tower Corporation or SBA Communications Corporation Stock?

Overall, American Tower Corporation stock has a Growth Score of 100, Momentum Score of 30 and Estimate Revisions Score of 67.

SBA Communications Corporation stock has a Growth Score of 95, Momentum Score of 34 and Estimate Revisions Score of 35.

Comparing American Tower Corporation and SBA Communications Corporation’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.