American Tower Targets 5% Dividend Hike, Boosting Annual Payouts to $3.4 Billion
American Tower forecasts a 5% dividend increase in 2026, lifting annual cash payments to nearly $3.4 billion on its $1.70 per share quarterly distribution. The REIT reduced its leverage to 4.9x by Q3 and generated $984 million in free cash flow after capital expenditures, underpinning the planned payout hike.
1. Notable Intraday Decline
American Tower shares ended the most recent session down 1.42% from the prior day’s close, underperforming the broader market’s modest pullback. The drop marked the largest single-session percentage decline for the stock in over two weeks, driven by sectorwide profit-taking following recent strength in infrastructure-related names. Trading volume was roughly in line with the 30-day average, suggesting the move was more sentiment-driven than the result of any large institutional liquidation.
2. Scheduled Q4 and Full Year 2025 Results and Conference Call
The company has set the release of its fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results for 7:00 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, followed by a live-audio conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern that same day. Investors can pre-register online to receive dial-in information, and a webcast replay will be available immediately after the call on American Tower’s investor relations website. Management is expected to provide updates on leasing momentum across its global portfolio of over 149,000 communications sites, as well as progress on its interconnected U.S. data center facilities.
3. Dividend Profile and Balance Sheet Strength
American Tower currently distributes $1.70 per share quarterly, equating to roughly $3.2 billion in annual payouts, the second-highest total among REITs. In the third quarter, the firm generated $984 million in free cash flow after capital expenditures, more than covering its dividend obligations. Having reduced its net leverage to 4.9 times EBITDA—within its targeted 3.0 to 5.0 range—the company is positioned to resume mid-single-digit dividend growth. Management has signaled a plan to increase the payout by approximately 5% this year, which would raise annual dividend outlays to near $3.4 billion.