Stock fact sheet · data as of
Crown Castle Inc. (CCI): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Real Estate · REIT - Specialty · United States · High Yield Income
Is CCI undervalued?
Crown Castle Inc. (CCI) closed at 80.00 on 16 Oct 2026, 24% above the GLS average fair value of 64.77. Only 3 of the 7 models that produced a number value the shares above the current price. The margin of safety is negative, so the stock fails the "below fair value" rule of the Sunday Scan; a premium of this size is common for companies whose growth the models are conservative about.
There is a wide gap between GLS Growth (7.27) and 10 Cap (114.52). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
The nightly engine files CCI under High Yield Income: a dividend yield above 4%.
Nine valuation models for CCI
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | - | - | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital; no value tonight |
| Graham Number | - | - | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share; no value tonight |
| Graham Growth | 96.30 | +20% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 38.69 | -52% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 7.27 | -91% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 114.52 | +43% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 106.50 | +33% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 62.54 | -22% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 27.59 | -66% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -73.25 | -192% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 88.00 | +10% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Crown Castle Inc. scores 7 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score, the nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency on the latest annual accounts - a strong reading that passes the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule with room to spare. A GLS Moat score of 3.0/10 is a weak reading: the ten-year history the score grades (revenue, EPS, book value, margins, cash flow, share count, ROIC) has not been steady, so the Moat part of the Wheel Score contributes little.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 1.6%, ROE -27.2%, ROA 1.4% - with debt at -18.08 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 6.9%.
The dividend yield is high at 5.31% (payout ratio 173%) - a payout above 100% of earnings, which is not covered by profits. A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual. Revenue comes mainly from Towers 68%, Fiber 32% (quarter Q4 FY2024).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 4/10 on the GLS smart-money scales; the last recorded Congressional buy was on 25 Sep 2026.
| Piotroski F-score | 7 / 9 | ROIC | 1.6% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 3.0 / 10 | ROE | -27.2% |
| Debt / equity | -18.08 | ROA | 1.4% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 6.9% | Payout ratio | 173% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 4 / 10 |
Wheel Score 63: Fair
A Wheel Score of 63 puts Crown Castle Inc. in the Fair band - below the 70 the Sunday Scan requires. Value 3/25, Health 16/20, Moat 5/15, Premium 20/20 and Stability 20/20; the weakest part is Value (3/25).
Implied volatility is 36% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. The option chain is deep: 72,616 contracts of open interest across all expiries, which means tight fills at most strikes.
Volume runs at 4.1M shares a day on a market cap of $35.0B, with a beta of 0.96; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 20 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 3 / 25 | -24% margin of safety | |
| Health | 16 / 20 | Piotroski 7/9 | |
| Moat | 5 / 15 | moat 3.0/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 36% | |
| Stability | 20 / 20 | 4.1M shares/day, $35.0B cap, beta 0.96 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
Crown Castle Inc. reports earnings on 21 Oct 2026 (after the close) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in REIT - Specialty
The 12 companies below are the closest to Crown Castle Inc. by market cap within the REIT - Specialty industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRM Iron Mountain Incorporated | 112.68 | 22.28 | -406% | 58Fair | $33.5B |
| SBAC SBA Communications Corporation | 180.71 | 190.61 | +5% | 77Good | $19.2B |
| DLR Digital Realty Trust, Inc. | 174.47 | 69.61 | -151% | 61Fair | $64.7B |
| LAMR Lamar Advertising Company | 148.07 | 94.42 | -57% | 51Fair | $15.0B |
| AMT American Tower Corporation | 181.36 | 115.96 | -56% | 60Fair | $84.5B |
| WY Weyerhaeuser Company | 18.90 | 14.36 | -32% | 55Fair | $13.6B |
| EQIX Equinix, Inc. | 996.26 | 287.49 | -247% | 58Fair | $98.3B |
| GLPI Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. | 39.08 | 48.20 | +19% | 69Good | $11.4B |
| RYN Rayonier Inc. REIT | 18.65 | 22.63 | +18% | 76Good | $5.5B |
| OUT Outfront Media Inc. | 29.95 | 21.40 | -40% | 55Fair | $5.3B |
| EPR EPR Properties | 55.15 | 59.80 | +8% | 64Fair | $4.2B |
| FRMI Fermi Inc. Common Stock | 3.40 | 0.2626 | -1193% | 25Weak | $2.2B |
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about CCI
Is CCI undervalued right now?
No: at 80.00 the stock trades 24% above the GLS average fair value of 64.77 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). The margin of safety is negative.
What is the Wheel Score of CCI and what does it mean?
CCI scores 63 out of 100 (Fair). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for CCI?
64.77 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 7 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Crown Castle Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 21 Oct 2026 (after the close), 5 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does CCI have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 566 listed contracts with 72,616 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 36% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.