Delaware, USA-based American Tower Corporation (AMT) is one of the largest global real estate investment trusts (REITs) and is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate. The company is valued at $82.3 billion and primarily works in the leasing of space on communications sites to wireless service providers, radio and television broadcast companies, wireless data providers, government agencies, municipalities and tenants in a few other industries.
Shares of the company have lagged behind the broader market over the past year and in 2026. AMT stock has declined 19% over the past 52 weeks and has risen marginally on a YTD basis. In comparison, the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has returned 30.6% over the past year and risen 8.1% in 2026.
Narrowing the focus, AMT has also underperformed the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE), which rose 7.4% over the past 52 weeks and its 10.1% rise this year.
On Apr. 28, AMT stock rose 1.8% following the release of its better-than-expected Q1 2026 earnings. The company’s revenue amounted to $2.7 billion and exceeded Wall Street estimates. Moreover, its AFFO for the period came in at $2.84, also surpassing the Street’s forecasts. American Tower expects full-year funds from operations in the range of $10.90 to $11.07 per share.
For the current year ending in December, analysts expect AMT’s EPS to decrease marginally year over year to $10.67. Moreover, the company has surpassed analysts’ consensus estimates in each of the past four quarters.
Among the 24 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on 16 “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” and seven “Hold” ratings.
The configuration has grown more bullish over the past month.
On Apr. 30, RBC Capital analyst Jonathan Atkin maintained a “Hold” rating for AMT stock and kept a price target of $195.
AMT’s mean price target of $215.82 indicates a premium of 22.3% from the current market prices. Its Street-high target of $260 suggests a robust 47.3% upside potential from current price levels.
On the date of publication, Aritra Gangopadhyay did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.