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SBA Communications (NAS:SBAC) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
SBA Communications Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
SBA Communications Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
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The historical data trend for SBA Communications's Forward PE Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
SBA Communications Forward PE Ratio Chart
SBA Communications Annual Data
Trend
2015-12
2016-12
2017-12
2018-12
2019-12
2020-12
2021-12
2022-12
2023-12
2024-12
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
123.46
69.44
92.59
92.59
95.24
87.72
84.03
52.63
38.17
22.46
21.89
SBA Communications Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-06
2023-09
2023-12
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
123.46
60.24
188.68
72.46
69.44
116.28
96.15
85.47
92.59
116.28
169.49
100.00
92.59
153.85
188.68
90.91
95.24
131.58
121.95
90.91
87.72
100.00
99.01
75.19
84.03
71.94
80.00
46.73
52.63
50.25
45.45
29.67
38.17
43.86
25.71
22.22
22.46
25.41
27.44
21.50
21.89
21.58
SBAC vs WY, LAMR, GLPI: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the REIT - Specialty subindustry, SBA Communications's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
SBA Communications Forward PE Ratio vs REITs Industry
For the REITs industry and Real Estate sector, SBA Communications's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where SBA Communications's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
SBA Communications (SBAC) has a Forward PE Ratio of 24.38 as of Jul. 14, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on SBA Communications and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, SBA Communications ranks #321 out of 461 companies in the REITs industry, placing it in the top 69.6%.
Is SBA Communications' Forward PE Ratio too high?
SBA Communications' current Forward PE Ratio is 24.38. The REITs industry median Forward PE Ratio is 16.30. SBA Communications' value of 24.38 is 49.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, SBA Communications ranks #321 out of 461 companies in the REITs industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, SBA Communications has a GF Score™ of 85/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does SBA Communications' Forward PE Ratio compare to WY and LAMR?
According to the REITs industry distribution chart, SBA Communications ranks #321 out of 461 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places SBA Communications in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 16.30. SBA Communications' value of 24.38 is 49.6% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a REITs company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among REITs companies is 16.30, based on 461 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. SBA Communications's current Forward PE Ratio of 24.38 is 49.6% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on SBA Communications and its competitors. For the REITs industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 16.30 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. SBA Communications's current Forward PE Ratio is 24.38. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is SBA Communications stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, SBA Communications (SBAC) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $233.31, compared to a current price of $187.10 — trading 19.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 24.38 and 49.6% above the REITs industry median of 16.30. SBA Communications' overall GF Score™ is 85/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For SBA Communications (SBAC), the current Forward PE Ratio is 24.38 as of Jul. 14, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is SBA Communications (SBAC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, SBA Communications stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $187.10 is trading 19.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $233.31.
GuruFocus considers SBA Communications to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for SBAC:
Forward PE Ratio: 24.38
GF Value™: $233.31 vs. price of $187.10 (19.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 49.6% above the REITs median (#321 of 461)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SBAC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
SBA Communications owns a portfolio of about 46,000 wireless towers throughout North America, South America, and Africa. It leases space on its towers to wireless service providers, who install equipment to support their wireless networks. The company has a very concentrated customer base, with most revenue in each market generated by the top three or four mobile carriers. It owns more than 17,000 towers in the US, which account for about 70% of leasing revenue. Internationally, SBA's largest markets are Brazil and Guatemala, where it owns roughly 12,000 and 5,000 towers, respectively. SBA operates as a real estate investment trust.
85GF Score
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