Crown Castle Inc. (CCI) Stock Analysis — Fair Value, Risk & Moat Rating
NYQ · Real Estate · REIT - Specialty
Is Crown Castle Inc. a safe investment right now?
Crown Castle Inc. is in the Real Estate sector — Altman Z-Score does not apply to this type of company. Our fair value estimate is $97.92 (Buy Zone).
Why the Altman Z-Score does not apply to Crown Castle Inc.
The Altman Z-Score is designed for manufacturing and non-financial companies. It uses ratios like Working Capital / Total Assets and Revenue / Total Assets that produce misleading results for Real Estate companies.
- Banks hold massive assets (loans) that inflate Total Assets, making WC/TA nearly zero — a false distress signal
- Utilities carry high regulated debt by design — the model misreads leverage as risk
- REITs use Funds From Operations (FFO), not Free Cash Flow — standard cash flow analysis doesn't apply
Altman Z-Score is designed for manufacturing companies and does not apply to banks, utilities, or REITs.
Note: A sector-specific financial health model for Real Estate companies is planned for a future update.
What is Crown Castle Inc. actually worth?
How we calculated this
| Input | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst Consensus Target | $97.92 | 20 Wall Street analysts |
| Analyst High / Low | $125.00 / $85.00 | Range of analyst price targets |
| Price / Book | -22.88x | Current market valuation vs book value |
Source: Earnings data from SEC EDGAR filings. Market data via Yahoo Finance.
Why standard moat analysis does not apply to Crown Castle Inc.
Our standard moat model uses ROIC stability, gross margin trends, and switching costs — metrics designed for product and service companies. Real Estate companies compete on fundamentally different dimensions.
- Banks — moat comes from deposit cost advantage, net interest margin stability, and fee income diversification
- Utilities — moat is a regulatory monopoly with guaranteed rate of return on invested capital
- REITs — moat comes from property portfolio quality, location, tenant mix, and cap rate advantages
Standard moat analysis (ROIC/gross margin/switching costs) does not reliably apply to Real Estate companies. Banks compete on net interest margin, utilities on regulated returns, and REITs on occupancy and cap rates.
Note: A sector-specific competitive analysis for Real Estate companies is planned for a future update.
Is Crown Castle Inc.'s dividend safe?
Can Crown Castle Inc. afford its dividend?
Payout ratio is 188.6%. FCF covers the dividend 0.6x. 13 consecutive years of payments.
Crown Castle Inc.'s key financial metrics
| Metric | Latest | 1Y Ago | 3Y Ago | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4.3B | $4.5B | $7.0B | Declining |
| Net Income | $0.4B | −$3.9B | $1.7B | Declining |
| Free Cash Flow | $2.9B | $2.8B | $1.6B | Rising |
| Gross Margin | 74.1% | 75.6% | 70.4% | Rising |
Recent events that affect our CCI analysis
CCI analyst consensus: 52% bullish (11 of 21 analysts)
3 Strong Buy, 8 Buy, 10 Hold, 0 Sell, 0 Strong Sell. Consensus target: $97.92 (13.8% upside). Compare with our independent Fair Value: $97.92.
CCI missed EPS estimates by 7.4%
Reported EPS: $0.34 vs estimate $0.37. Our Fair Value of $97.92 may face downward pressure if the trend continues.
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI paid $1.0630/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 188.6%.
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed annual report (10-K)
Annual filing with full-year financials. Our Altman Z-Score, Moat, and Fair Value models are derived from this data. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI beat EPS estimates by 8.8%
Reported EPS: $0.63 vs estimate $0.58. Earnings strength supports our Fair Value of $97.92 (13.8% above current price).
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI paid $1.0630/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 188.6%.
CCI filed quarterly report (10-Q)
Quarterly update with interim financials. May signal changes to earnings trajectory and balance sheet health. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI beat EPS estimates by 40.4%
Reported EPS: $0.74 vs estimate $0.53. Earnings strength supports our Fair Value of $97.92 (13.8% above current price).
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI paid $1.0630/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 188.6%.
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed quarterly report (10-Q)
Quarterly update with interim financials. May signal changes to earnings trajectory and balance sheet health. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI beat EPS estimates by 30.1%
Reported EPS: $0.67 vs estimate $0.51. Earnings strength supports our Fair Value of $97.92 (13.8% above current price).
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI paid $1.0630/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 188.6%.
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed quarterly report (10-Q)
Quarterly update with interim financials. May signal changes to earnings trajectory and balance sheet health. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI missed EPS estimates by 363.0%
Reported EPS: $-1.07 vs estimate $-0.23. Our Fair Value of $97.92 may face downward pressure if the trend continues.
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed annual report (10-K)
Annual filing with full-year financials. Our Altman Z-Score, Moat, and Fair Value models are derived from this data. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI paid $1.5650/share dividend
Dividend Safety Grade: C. Payout ratio: 188.6%.
CCI missed EPS estimates by 2721.3%
Reported EPS: $-10.97 vs estimate $0.42. Our Fair Value of $97.92 may face downward pressure if the trend continues.
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
CCI filed 8-K (material event)
8-K filings disclose material events — acquisitions, leadership changes, or guidance revisions that may affect valuation. View on SEC EDGAR →
Common questions about Crown Castle Inc.
What is Crown Castle Inc. stock price today?
Crown Castle Inc. (CCI) stock price is $86.01 as of the latest market close, traded on the NYSE exchange.
What does Crown Castle Inc. do?
Crown Castle Inc. owns, operates and leases approximately 40,000 cell towers and approximately 90,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. market.
What is Crown Castle Inc. market cap?
Crown Castle Inc. has a market capitalization of $37.53B, classifying it as a large-cap stock in the Real Estate sector.
What sector and industry is CCI in?
Crown Castle Inc. operates in the Real Estate sector, specifically within the REIT - Specialty industry. It trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol CCI.
Is CCI stock overvalued or undervalued?
Based on our valuation model, Crown Castle Inc. trades 12.2% below our fair value estimate — potentially undervalued.
- FairValueLabs Fair Value: $97.92
- Current Price: $86.01
- Valuation Zone: Buy Zone
What is CCI stock forecast and analyst target price?
Based on 20 Wall Street analysts, the consensus price target for Crown Castle Inc. is $97.92, implying upside of 13.8% from the current price.
- Analyst High Target: $125.00
- Analyst Low Target: $85.00
Note: Analyst targets are shown for reference and are not used in our valuation model.
Is Crown Castle Inc. revenue and earnings growing?
Here are the analyst consensus growth estimates for Crown Castle Inc.:
- Revenue growth (current year est.): -4.7%
- EPS growth (current year est.): -3.9%
- Revenue growth (next year est.): 1.8%
- EPS growth (next year est.): 21.1%
What are Crown Castle Inc.'s key financial metrics?
| Metric | Latest | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4.3B | Declining |
| Net Income | $0.4B | Declining |
| Free Cash Flow | $2.9B | Rising |
| Gross Margin | 74.1% | Rising |
What is CCI's P/E ratio?
The price-to-earnings ratio measures how much investors pay per dollar of earnings:
- Trailing P/E (last 12 months): 34.1x
- Forward P/E (next 12 months est.): 29.3x
How volatile is CCI stock?
Crown Castle Inc. has a beta of 0.96, meaning it is roughly in line with overall market volatility. A beta above 1.0 indicates higher price swings relative to the S&P 500, while below 1.0 suggests more stability.
How much cash and debt does Crown Castle Inc. have?
Crown Castle Inc.'s balance sheet shows:
- Total Cash: $99.0M
- Total Debt: $29.57B
- Net Cash Position: $-29.47B
A positive net cash position means the company holds more cash than debt, reducing financial risk.
What is Crown Castle Inc.'s free cash flow?
Crown Castle Inc. generated $1.37B in trailing twelve-month free cash flow (from $3.06B in operating cash flow). Free cash flow represents the cash available for dividends, buybacks, and debt reduction after all capital expenditures.
Does Crown Castle Inc. pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes, Crown Castle Inc. pays a regular dividend. Here are the key metrics:
- Dividend Yield: 5.6%
- Payout Ratio: 188.6%
- Consecutive Years Paid: 13
- 5-Year Dividend Growth: -27.9%
- FairValueLabs Safety Grade: C
Is Crown Castle Inc. financially healthy?
The Altman Z-Score — the standard bankruptcy prediction model — is not applicable to Real Estate companies like Crown Castle Inc.. The formula uses ratios designed for manufacturing firms that produce misleading results for banks, utilities, and REITs.
Does Crown Castle Inc. have a competitive moat?
Our standard moat model (based on ROIC, gross margins, and switching costs) does not apply to Real Estate companies. These firms compete on fundamentally different dimensions such as regulatory advantages, deposit cost structures, or property portfolios.
How do I buy CCI stock?
CCI shares can be purchased through any brokerage account that provides access to the NYSE. Common steps:
- Open an account with a broker (e.g., Fidelity, Schwab, Interactive Brokers)
- Search for ticker symbol CCI
- Place a market or limit order for your desired number of shares
This is not investment advice. Always do your own research before buying any stock.
Is CCI a value stock or speculative?
FairValueLabs classifies Crown Castle Inc. as Value Investment. It exhibits consistent profitability, reasonable valuation, and financial stability — characteristics of a traditional value investment.
Who is the CEO of Crown Castle Inc.?
The current CEO of Crown Castle Inc. is Mr. Christian H. Hillabrant.
What is CCI's earnings per share (EPS)?
Earnings per share measures the company's profit allocated to each outstanding share:
- Trailing EPS (last 12 months): $2.52
- Forward EPS (next 12 months est.): $2.93
- Analyst consensus EPS (this year): $2.42
- Analyst consensus EPS (next year): $2.93
Other Real Estate companies analyzed by FairValueLabs
FairValueLabs Disclaimer
All valuations, scores, ratings, and classifications on this page are produced by the FairValueLabs internal valuation system. They do not represent actual market value, guaranteed outcomes, or professional investment advice. These are analytical estimates for educational and research purposes only.
This is not financial advice. All data is sourced from SEC EDGAR public filings. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Last updated: Apr 22, 2026. Data sources: SEC EDGAR (financial statements), Yahoo Finance (market data, analyst consensus). Data may not reflect the most recent quarter.
CCI analysis methodology: How we calculate fair value, Z-Scores, and moat ratings