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LAMR vs. SBAC: Lamar Advertising vs. SBA Communications Stock Comparison

How do Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC) both belong to the Specialized REITs industry, though LAMR is classified under Other Specialized REITs while SBAC falls under Telecom Tower REITs.

Both Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC) are REITs — read their payout ratios and P/E alongside FFO (funds from operations) rather than at face value.

Company profile comparison for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
Profile ItemLAMRSBAC
NameLamar Advertising Company Class ASBA Communications Corporation
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorReal EstateReal Estate
GICS Industry GroupEquity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
GICS IndustrySpecialized REITsSpecialized REITs
GICS Sub-IndustryOther Specialized REITsTelecom Tower REITs
Market Capitalization15.85 billion USD19.78 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNasdaq
Listing DateAugust 2, 1996June 16, 1999
Security TypeREITREIT

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

LAMR
SBAC
GSPC
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
Total Return (1Y)32.55%-0.77%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)26.14%-2.37%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)10.98%-9.88%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

LAMR
SBAC
GSPC
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)20.20%36.62%
Beta (5Y)1.210.96
Max Drawdown (5Y)-30.09%-55.90%
Avg. Volume (3M)560.81K1.01M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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LAMR and SBAC are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.40-0.14
Sortino Ratio (1Y)2.17-0.24

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Lamar Advertising (LAMR) earns 56.42% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; SBA Communications (SBAC) has no ROE this period.

LAMR

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

56.42%

LAMR
56.42%
Max
22.74%
Q3
10.54%
Median
6.38%
Q1
1.69%
Min
-10.86%

SBAC

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

--

Max
22.74%
Q3
10.54%
Median
6.38%
Q1
1.69%
Min
-10.86%
SBAC
--
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC): SBAC does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; LAMR is benchmarked against the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Neither Lamar Advertising (LAMR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor SBA Communications (SBAC) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) is well served by net margin: heavy depreciation makes net income a poor profitability proxy in their businesses, where FFO-based measures are the standard read.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and SBA Communications (SBAC) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
ROE (TTM)56.42%--
ROA (TTM)6.57%8.17%
Net Margin (TTM)----
Operating Margin (TTM)----
Gross Margin (TTM)----

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Lamar Advertising (LAMR) at 2.68% and SBA Communications (SBAC) at 5.06% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

EPS growth isn't a meaningful figure for either Lamar Advertising (LAMR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or SBA Communications (SBAC) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under our convention.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
Revenue Growth (YoY)2.68%5.06%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)3.70%2.25%
EPS Growth (YoY)----
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)----

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Lamar Advertising (LAMR) at 0.59 and SBA Communications (SBAC) at 0.19 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

LAMR

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

0.59

Max
4.19
Q3
2.11
Median
1.31
Q1
0.62
LAMR
0.59
Min
0.06

SBAC

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

0.19

Max
4.19
Q3
2.11
Median
1.31
Q1
0.62
SBAC
0.19
Min
0.06
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC): A comparison of their current ratio against the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Lamar Advertising (LAMR) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 4.82 against its industry range, while SBA Communications (SBAC) reports no figure this period.

LAMR

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

4.82

LAMR
4.82
Max
2.72
Q3
1.59
Median
0.99
Q1
0.72
Min
0.20

SBAC

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

--

Max
2.72
Q3
1.59
Median
0.99
Q1
0.72
Min
0.20
SBAC
--
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC): SBAC does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; LAMR is benchmarked against the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.590.19
Debt / Equity (MRQ)4.82--
Net Debt / EBITDA4.568.14

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Lamar Advertising (LAMR) at 4.07% pays a yield in its industry’s typical range, while SBA Communications (SBAC) at 2.52% falls in the bottom quartile of its peers.

LAMR

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

4.07%

Max
8.62%
Q3
5.95%
Median
4.34%
LAMR
4.07%
Q1
3.26%
Min
0.00%

SBAC

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

2.52%

Max
8.62%
Q3
5.95%
Median
4.34%
Q1
3.26%
SBAC
2.52%
Min
0.00%
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

An earnings-based payout ratio fits neither Lamar Advertising (LAMR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor SBA Communications (SBAC) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): their distributions are mandated and conventionally measured against FFO, so the accounting-earnings ratio overstates both.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
Dividend Yield (TTM)4.07%2.52%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)----

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

P/E ratio is not a meaningful valuation yardstick for either Lamar Advertising (LAMR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or SBA Communications (SBAC) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): depreciation suppresses reported earnings in their businesses, and price-to-FFO is the conventional yardstick instead.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Lamar Advertising (LAMR) at 6.70 and SBA Communications (SBAC) at 6.94 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

LAMR

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

6.70

Max
14.47
Q3
8.02
LAMR
6.70
Median
5.98
Q1
3.27
Min
0.43

SBAC

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

6.94

Max
14.47
Q3
8.02
SBAC
6.94
Median
5.98
Q1
3.27
Min
0.43
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

SBA Communications (SBAC) reports a negative P/B ratio of -4.09, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Lamar Advertising (LAMR) reports 15.58, ranking against industry peers normally.

LAMR

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

15.58

LAMR
15.58
Max
4.06
Q3
2.53
Median
1.64
Q1
1.06
Min
0.21

SBAC

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group

-4.09

Max
4.06
Q3
2.53
Median
1.64
Q1
1.06
Min
0.21
SBAC
-4.09
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Lamar Advertising (LAMR) vs. SBA Communications (SBAC): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Lamar Advertising (LAMR) and SBA Communications (SBAC)
MetricLAMRSBAC
P/E Ratio (TTM)----
P/S Ratio (TTM)6.706.94
P/B Ratio (MRQ)15.58-4.09
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)----