American Tower Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Financial Results

American Tower Corporation (NYSE: AMT):

American Tower Corporation (NYSE: AMT) today reported financial results for the quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2022.

Tom Bartlett, American Tower’s Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We closed out 2022 with another quarter of strong performance, including double digit AFFO per Share and common stock dividend growth. Throughout the year, we saw compelling organic leasing trends, accelerated new site construction and achieved a record year of signed new business within our CoreSite business. We also prudently managed our investment grade balance sheet, successfully executed on the permanent financing plan for our CoreSite acquisition and maintained a disciplined approach to capital allocation.

In 2023, we expect to continue leveraging our global portfolio of communications infrastructure to benefit from ongoing carrier network investments, including record organic new business growth contributions in the U.S. and Canada. Longer-term, American Tower is positioned to serve as a key infrastructure provider and partner in an evolving 5G ecosystem, while delivering sustainable growth and attractive returns for our shareholders.”

CONSOLIDATED OPERATING RESULTS OVERVIEW

American Tower generated the following operating results for the quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2022 (all comparative information is presented against the quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2021).

Please refer to “Non-GAAP and Defined Financial Measures” below for definitions and other information regarding the Company’s use of non-GAAP measures. For financial information and reconciliations to GAAP measures, please refer to the “Unaudited Selected Consolidated Financial Information” below.

CAPITAL ALLOCATION OVERVIEW

Distributions – During the quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2022, the Company declared the following regular cash distributions to its common stockholders:

Stock Repurchase Program – The Company repurchased a total of 0.1 million shares of its common stock for approximately $19 million in 2022, all in the fourth quarter. As of December 31, 2022, there was approximately $2.0 billion remaining under the Company’s existing stock repurchase programs.

Capital Expenditures – During the fourth quarter of 2022, total capital expenditures were approximately $666 million, of which $67 million was for non-discretionary capital improvements and corporate capital expenditures. For the full year 2022, total capital expenditures were approximately $1.9 billion, of which $186 million was for non-discretionary capital improvements and corporate capital expenditures. For additional capital expenditure details, please refer to the supplemental disclosure package available on the Company’s website.

Acquisitions – During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company spent approximately $190 million to acquire 250 communications sites, primarily in Europe, and other communications infrastructure related assets. For the full year 2022, the Company spent approximately $549 million to acquire over 500 communications sites and other communications related infrastructure, globally, including U.S. data center related assets.

Other Events – In the third quarter of 2022, the Company’s largest customer in India, VIL, communicated that it would make partial payments of its contractual amounts owed to the Company and indicated that it would continue to make partial payments for the remainder of 2022. In late 2022, VIL had communicated its intent to resume payments in full under its contractual obligations beginning on January 1, 2023. However, in early 2023, VIL communicated that it would not be able to resume payments in full of its contractual obligations owed to the Company, and that it would instead continue to make partial payments.

The Company considered these recent developments and the uncertainty with respect to amounts owed under its tenant leases when conducting its annual impairment assessments for long-lived assets and goodwill in India and, as a result, the Company determined that certain fixed and intangible assets had been impaired during the year ended December 31, 2022. An impairment of $97.0 million was taken on the tower and network location intangible assets in India. The Company also impaired the tenant-related intangible assets for VIL, which resulted in an impairment of $411.6 million. For more information on impairments in India, please see the information that will be provided in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K. For information on incremental VIL reserves and associated impacts to AFFO, see Full Year Outlook 2023 of this press release below.

In October 2022, and as subsequently amended in February 2023, a subsidiary of the Company, ATC Telecom Infrastructure Private Limited (“ATC TIPL”) and VIL notified the stock exchange of India that both parties have board approvals in relation to an issuance of convertible debentures pursuant to which, in exchange for VIL’s payment of certain amounts towards accounts receivables, ATC TIPL shall pay equivalent amounts towards subscription to convertible debentures issued by VIL. The convertible debentures are to be repaid by VIL with interest and ATC TIPL has the option to convert the debentures into equity of VIL. The issuance of the debentures is subject to certain conditions precedent, which may not be met.

LEVERAGE AND FINANCING OVERVIEW

Leverage – For the quarter ended December 31, 2022, the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio was 5.4x net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents) to fourth quarter 2022 annualized Adjusted EBITDA.

Liquidity and Financing Activities – As of December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately $7.1 billion of total liquidity, consisting of approximately $2.0 billion in cash and cash equivalents plus the ability to borrow an aggregate of approximately $5.1 billion under its revolving credit facilities, net of any outstanding letters of credit.

During the full year ended December 31, 2022, in connection with the funding of the acquisition of CoreSite Realty Corporation (“CoreSite,” and the acquisition, the “CoreSite Acquisition”), the Company entered into agreements pursuant to which certain investment vehicles affiliated with Stonepeak Partners LP (such investment vehicles, collectively, “Stonepeak”) acquired a noncontrolling ownership interest in the Company’s U.S. data center business for total aggregate consideration of approximately $3.1 billion, through an investment in common equity and mandatorily convertible preferred equity.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company held a common equity interest of approximately 72% in its U.S. data center business, with Stonepeak holding approximately 28% of the outstanding common equity and 100% of the outstanding mandatorily convertible preferred equity. On a fully converted basis, which is expected to occur four years from the date of the initial closing in August 2022, and on the basis of the currently outstanding equity, the Company will hold a controlling ownership interest of approximately 64% in its U.S. data center business, with Stonepeak holding approximately 36%.

FULL YEAR 2023 OUTLOOK

The following full year 2023 estimates are based on a number of assumptions that management believes to be reasonable and reflect the Company’s expectations as of February 23, 2023. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates as a result of various factors, and the Company refers you to the cautionary language regarding “forward-looking” statements included in this press release when considering this information.

The Company’s outlook is based on the following average foreign currency exchange rates to 1.00 U.S. Dollar for February 23, 2023 through December 31, 2023: (a) 255 Argentinean Pesos; (b) 1.44 Australian Dollars; (c) 105.00 Bangladeshi Taka; (d) 5.20 Brazilian Reais; (e) 1.34 Canadian Dollars; (f) 865 Chilean Pesos; (g) 4,860 Colombian Pesos; (h) 0.93 Euros; (i) 12.80 Ghanaian Cedis; (j) 81.90 Indian Rupees; (k) 124 Kenyan Shillings; (l) 19.70 Mexican Pesos; (m) 1.56 New Zealand Dollars; (n) 485 Nigerian Naira; (o) 7,410 Paraguayan Guarani; (p) 3.85 Peruvian Soles; (q) 55.10 Philippine Pesos; (r) 4.35 Polish Zloty; (s) 17.05 South African Rand; (t) 3,720 Ugandan Shillings; and (u) 610 West African CFA Francs.

The Company’s outlook reflects estimated negative impacts of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations to property revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and AFFO attributable to AMT common stockholders of approximately $151 million, $64 million and $47 million, respectively, relative to the Company’s 2022 results. The impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on net income metrics is not provided, as the impact on all components of the net income measure cannot be calculated without unreasonable effort.

The Company’s 2023 outlook includes approximately $75 million of incremental reserves associated with VIL in India, with a corresponding negative impact to the financial measures below, including a $0.16 per share negative impact to AFFO attributable to AMT common stockholders per Share. Consolidated AFFO, AFFO attributable to AMT common stockholders and AFFO attributable to AMT common stockholders per Share growth rates are also negatively impacted by increases associated with financing costs, including the negative impact of approximately 8% on AFFO attributable to AMT common stockholders per Share growth, as a result of higher interest costs, together with the full year impact of various 2022 equity financing initiatives. The impacts of the incremental reserves and increases in financing costs on net income metrics are not provided, as the impacts on all components of the net income measure cannot be calculated without unreasonable effort.

Additional information pertaining to the impact of foreign currency and London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) fluctuations on the Company’s outlook has been provided in the supplemental disclosure package available on the Company’s website.

Conference Call Information

American Tower will host a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss its financial results for the quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2022 and its outlook for 2023. Supplemental materials for the call will be available on the Company’s website, www.americantower.com. The conference call dial-in numbers are as follows:

U.S./Canada dial-in: (877) 692-8955

International dial-in: (234) 720-6979

Passcode: 6358007

When available, a replay of the call can be accessed until 11:59 p.m. ET on March 9, 2023. The replay dial-in numbers are as follows:

U.S./Canada dial-in: (866) 207-1041

International dial-in: (402) 970-0847

Passcode: 5156614

American Tower will also sponsor a live simulcast and replay of the call on its website, www.americantower.com.

About American Tower

American Tower, one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of nearly 225,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities. For more information about American Tower, please visit the “Earnings Materials” and “Investor Presentations” sections of our investor relations website at www.americantower.com.

Non-GAAP and Defined Financial Measures

In addition to the results prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) provided throughout this press release, the Company has presented the following Non-GAAP and Defined Financial Measures: Gross Margin, Operating Profit, Operating Profit Margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Nareit Funds From Operations (FFO) attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders, Consolidated Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO), AFFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders, Consolidated AFFO per Share, AFFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders per Share, Free Cash Flow, Net Debt and Net Leverage Ratio. In addition, the Company presents: Tenant Billings, Tenant Billings Growth, Organic Tenant Billings Growth and New Site Tenant Billings Growth.

These measures are not intended to replace financial performance measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Rather, they are presented as additional information because management believes they are useful indicators of the current financial performance of the Company's core businesses and are commonly used across its industry peer group. As outlined in detail below, the Company believes that these measures can assist in comparing company performance on a consistent basis irrespective of depreciation and amortization or capital structure, while also providing valuable incremental insight into the underlying operating trends of its business.

Depreciation and amortization can vary significantly among companies depending on accounting methods, particularly where acquisitions or non-operating factors, including historical cost basis, are involved. The Company's Non-GAAP and Defined Financial Measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Revenue Components

In addition to reporting total revenue, the Company believes that providing transparency around the components of its revenue provides investors with insight into the indicators of the underlying demand for, and operating performance of, its real estate portfolio. Accordingly, the Company has provided disclosure of the following revenue components: (i) Tenant Billings, (ii) New Site Tenant Billings; (iii) Organic Tenant Billings; (iv) International pass-through revenue; (v) Straight-line revenue; (vi) Pre-paid amortization revenue; (vii) Foreign currency exchange impact; and (viii) Other revenue.

Tenant Billings: The majority of the Company’s revenue is generated from non-cancellable, long-term tenant leases. Revenue from Tenant Billings reflects several key aspects of the Company’s real estate business: (i) “colocations/amendments” reflects new tenant leases for space on existing sites and amendments to existing leases to add additional tenant equipment; (ii) “escalations” reflects contractual increases in billing rates, which are typically tied to fixed percentages or a variable percentage based on a consumer price index; (iii) “cancellations” reflects the impact of tenant lease terminations or non-renewals or, in limited circumstances, when the lease rates on existing leases are reduced; and (iv) “new sites” reflects the impact of new property construction and acquisitions.

New Site Tenant Billings: Day-one Tenant Billings associated with sites that have been built or acquired since the beginning of the prior-year period. Incremental colocations/amendments, escalations or cancellations that occur on these sites after the date of their addition to our portfolio are not included in New Site Tenant Billings. The Company believes providing New Site Tenant Billings enhances an investor’s ability to analyze the Company’s existing real estate portfolio growth as well as its development program growth, as the Company’s construction and acquisition activities can drive variability in growth rates from period to period.

Organic Tenant Billings: Tenant Billings on sites that the Company has owned since the beginning of the prior-year period, as well as Tenant Billings activity on new sites that occurred after the date of their addition to the Company’s portfolio.

International pass-through revenue: A portion of the Company’s pass-through revenue is based on power and fuel expense reimbursements and therefore subject to fluctuations in fuel prices. As a result, revenue growth rates may fluctuate depending on the market price for fuel in any given period, which is not representative of the Company’s real estate business and its economic exposure to power and fuel costs. Furthermore, this expense reimbursement mitigates the economic impact associated with fluctuations in operating expenses, such as power and fuel costs and land rents in certain of the Company’s markets. As a result, the Company believes that it is appropriate to provide insight into the impact of pass-through revenue on certain revenue growth rates.

Straight-line revenue: Under GAAP, the Company recognizes revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the contract for certain of its tenant leases. Due to the Company’s significant base of non-cancellable, long-term tenant leases, this can result in significant fluctuations in growth rates upon tenant lease signings and renewals (typically increases), when amounts billed or received upfront upon these events are initially deferred. These signings and renewals are only a portion of the Company’s underlying business growth and can distort the underlying performance of our Tenant Billings Growth. As a result, the Company believes that it is appropriate to provide insight into the impact of straight-line revenue on certain growth rates in revenue and select other measures.

Pre-paid amortization revenue: The Company recovers a portion of the costs it incurs for the redevelopment and development of its properties from its tenants. These upfront payments are then amortized over the initial term of the corresponding tenant lease. Given this amortization is not necessarily directly representative of underlying leasing activity on its real estate portfolio (i.e. does not have a renewal option or escalation as our tenant leases do), the Company believes that it is appropriate to provide insight into the impact of pre-paid amortization revenue on certain revenue growth rates to provide transparency into the underlying performance of our real estate business.

Foreign currency exchange impact: The majority of the Company’s international revenue and operating expenses are denominated in each country’s local currency. As a result, foreign currency fluctuations may distort the underlying performance of our real estate business from period to period, depending on the movement of foreign currency exchange rates versus the U.S. Dollar. The Company believes it is appropriate to quantify the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on its reported growth to provide transparency into the underlying performance of its real estate business.

Other revenue: Other revenue represents revenue not captured by the above listed items and can include items such as customer settlements, fiber solutions revenue and data centers revenue.

Non-GAAP and Defined Financial Measure Definitions

Tenant Billings Growth: The increase or decrease resulting from a comparison of Tenant Billings for a current period with Tenant Billings for the corresponding prior-year period, in each case adjusted for foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. The Company believes this measure provides valuable insight into the growth in recurring Tenant Billings and underlying demand for its real estate portfolio.

Organic Tenant Billings Growth: The portion of Tenant Billings Growth attributable to Organic Tenant Billings. The Company believes that organic growth is a useful measure of its ability to add tenancy and incremental revenue to its assets for the reported period, which enables investors and analysts to gain additional insight into the relative attractiveness, and therefore the value, of the Company’s property assets.

New Site Tenant Billings Growth: The portion of Tenant Billings Growth attributable to New Site Tenant Billings. The Company believes this measure provides valuable insight into the growth attributable to Tenant Billings from recently acquired or constructed properties.

Gross Margin: Revenues less operating expenses, excluding depreciation, amortization and accretion, selling, general, administrative and development expense and other operating expenses. Prior to the first quarter of 2021, stock-based compensation expense recorded in costs of operations was also excluded. The Company believes this measure provides valuable insight into the site-level profitability of its assets.

Operating Profit: Gross Margin less selling, general, administrative and development expense, excluding stock-based compensation expense and corporate expenses. The Company believes this measure provides valuable insight into the site-level profitability of its assets while also taking into account the overhead expenses required to manage each of its operating segments.

Operating Profit Margin: The percentage that results from dividing Operating Profit by revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA: Net income before income (loss) from equity method investments, income tax benefit (provision), other income (expense), gain (loss) on retirement of long-term obligations, interest expense, interest income, other operating income (expense), depreciation, amortization and accretion and stock-based compensation expense. The Company believes this measure provides valuable insight into the profitability of its operations while at the same time taking into account the central overhead expenses required to manage its global operations. In addition, it is a widely used performance measure across the telecommunications real estate sector.

Adjusted EBITDA Margin: The percentage that results from dividing Adjusted EBITDA by total revenue.

Nareit Funds From Operations (FFO), as defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit), attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders: Net income before gains or losses from the sale or disposal of real estate, real estate related impairment charges, real estate related depreciation, amortization and accretion and dividends to noncontrolling interests, and including adjustments for (i) unconsolidated affiliates and (ii) noncontrolling interests. The Company believes this measure provides valuable insight into the operating performance of its property assets by excluding the charges described above, particularly depreciation expenses, given the high initial, up-front capital intensity of the Company’s operating model. In addition, it is a widely used performance measure across the telecommunications real estate sector.

Consolidated Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO): Nareit FFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders before (i) straight-line revenue and expense, (ii) stock-based compensation expense, (iii) the deferred portion of income tax and other income tax adjustments, (iv) non-real estate related depreciation, amortization and accretion, (v) amortization of deferred financing costs, debt discounts and premiums and long-term deferred interest charges, (vi) other income (expense), (vii) gain (loss) on retirement of long-term obligations, (viii) other operating income (expense), and adjustments for (ix) unconsolidated affiliates and (x) noncontrolling interests, less cash payments related to capital improvements and cash payments related to corporate capital expenditures. The Company believes this measure provides valuable insight into the operating performance of its property assets by further adjusting the Nareit FFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders metric to exclude the factors outlined above, which if unadjusted, may cause material fluctuations in Nareit FFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders growth from period to period that would not be representative of the underlying performance of the Company’s property assets in those periods. In addition, it is a widely used performance measure across the telecommunications real estate sector.

Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO) attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders: Consolidated AFFO, excluding the impact of noncontrolling interests on both Nareit FFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders and the other line items included in the calculation of Consolidated AFFO. The Company believes that providing this additional metric enhances transparency, given the minority interests in its European business.

Consolidated AFFO per Share: Consolidated AFFO divided by the diluted weighted average common shares outstanding.

AFFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders per Share: AFFO attributable to American Tower Corporation common stockholders divided by the diluted weighted average common shares outstanding.

Free Cash Flow: Cash provided by operating activities less total cash capital expenditures, including payments on finance leases and perpetual land easements. The Company believes that Free Cash Flow is useful to investors as the basis for comparing our performance and coverage ratios with other companies in its industry, although this measure of Free Cash Flow may not be directly comparable to similar measures used by other companies.

Net Debt: Total long-term debt, including current portion and finance lease liabilities, less cash and cash equivalents.

Net Leverage Ratio: Net Debt divided by the quarter’s annualized Adjusted EBITDA (the quarter’s Adjusted EBITDA multiplied by four). The Company believes that including this calculation is important for investors and analysts given it is a critical component underlying its credit agency ratings.

Cautionary Language Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” concerning our goals, beliefs, expectations, strategies, objectives, plans, future operating results and underlying assumptions and other statements that are not necessarily based on historical facts. Examples of these statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our full year 2023 outlook and other targets, foreign currency exchange rates, our expectations regarding the potential impacts of the Adjusted Gross Revenue court ruling in India, including impacts on our customers’ payments, and factors that could affect such expectations, the creditworthiness and financial strength of our customers, including the expected impacts of payment shortfalls by VIL on our business and our operating results, our expectations regarding potential additional impairments in India and factors that could affect our expectations and our expectations regarding the leasing demand for communications real estate. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: (1) a significant decrease in leasing demand for our communications infrastructure would materially and adversely affect our business and operating results, and we cannot control that demand; (2) a substantial portion of our current and projected future revenue is derived from a small number of customers, and we are sensitive to adverse changes in the creditworthiness and financial strength of our customers; (3) if our customers consolidate their operations, exit their businesses or share site infrastructure to a significant degree, our growth, revenue and ability to generate positive cash flows could be materially and adversely affected; (4) increasing competition within our industry may materially and adversely affect our revenue; (5) our expansion initiatives involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including those related to integrating acquired or leased assets, that could adversely affect our operating results, disrupt our operations or expose us to additional risk; (6) new technologies or changes, or lack thereof, in our or a customer’s business model could make our communications infrastructure leasing business less desirable and result in decreasing revenues and operating results; (7) competition for assets could adversely affect our ability to achieve our return on investment criteria; (8) our leverage and debt service obligations, including during a rising interest rates environment, may materially and adversely affect our ability to raise additional financing to fund capital expenditures, future growth and expansion initiatives and to satisfy our distribution requirements; (9) rising inflation may adversely affect us by increasing costs beyond what we can recover through price increases; (10) restrictive covenants in the agreements related to our securitization transactions, our credit facilities and our debt securities could materially and adversely affect our business by limiting flexibility, and we may be prohibited from paying dividends on our common stock, which may jeopardize our qualification for taxation as a REIT; (11) we may be adversely affected by changes in LIBOR reporting practices, the method in which LIBOR is determined or the use of alternative reference rates; (12) our business, and that of our customers, is subject to laws, regulations and administrative and judicial decisions, and changes thereto, that could restrict our ability to operate our business as we currently do or impact our competitive landscape; (13) our foreign operations are subject to economic, political and other risks that could materially and adversely affect our revenues or financial position, including risks associated with fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; (14) we may be adversely affected by regulations related to climate change; (15) if we fail to remain qualified for taxation as a REIT, we will be subject to tax at corporate income tax rates, which may substantially reduce funds otherwise available, and even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may face tax liabilities that impact earnings and available cash flow; (16) complying with REIT requirements may limit our flexibility or cause us to forego otherwise attractive opportunities; (17) we could have liability under environmental and occupational safety and health laws; (18) our towers, fiber networks, data centers or computer systems may be affected by natural disasters (including as a result of climate change) and other unforeseen events for which our insurance may not provide adequate coverage or result in increased insurance premiums; (19) if we, or third parties on which we rely, experience technology failures, including cybersecurity incidents or the loss of personally identifiable information, we may incur substantial costs and suffer other negative consequences, which may include reputational damage; (20) our costs could increase and our revenues could decrease due to perceived health risks from radio emissions, especially if these perceived risks are substantiated; (21) if we are unable to protect our rights to the land under our towers and buildings in which our data centers are located, it could adversely affect our business and operating results; and (22) if we are unable or choose not to exercise our rights to purchase towers that are subject to lease and sublease agreements at the end of the applicable period, our cash flows derived from those towers will be eliminated. For additional information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements, we refer you to the information that will be provided in Item 1A of the Company’s upcoming 2022 Form 10-K, under the caption “Risk Factors.” We undertake no obligation to update the information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances.