With a market cap of $45.2 billion, Crown Castle Inc. (CCI) owns, operates and leases more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 90,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. market. The company is set to announce its fiscal first-quarter earnings for 2025 after the market closes on Wednesday, Apr. 16.

Ahead of the event, analysts are expecting CCI to report funds from operations (FFO) of $0.96 per share, down 44.2% from $1.72 per share reported in the year-ago quarter. On a positive note, the company has surpassed Wall Street's FFO estimates in each of the past four quarters. In the most recent quarter, it reported an FFO of $1.80 per share, which exceeded the consensus estimate by 3.5%, thanks to a consistent level of activity with organic growth of 4.5% in towers.

For fiscal 2025, analysts expect CCI to report an FFO of $3.90 per share, down 44.1% from $6.98 per share in fiscal 2024. Meanwhile, its FFO is expected to rebound 20.3% year-over-year to $4.69 in fiscal 2026.

Over the past year, CCI shares have surged 4.8%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 3.6% gain and lagging behind the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLRE) 6.2% return over the same time frame.

CCI shares closed down more than 3% on Mar. 24 after unexpectedly terminating CEO Moskowitz and appointing CFO Schlanger as interim CEO effective immediately. The sudden termination sends a negative message to shareholders as they question operational efficiency and the company’s dedication towards increasing shareholder value.

Nevertheless, analysts' consensus rating on CCI stock is moderately bullish, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among the 19 analysts in coverage, seven analysts give it a “Strong Buy,” and the remaining 12 analysts advocate a “Hold” rating.

The average analyst price target for CCI is $109.33, indicating a modest potential upside of 2.1% from the current price levels.