Cell Towers At All-Time Highs Around Sprint/Softbank

Many investors keep looking at the gains in Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) and in Clearwire, but the cellular tower outfits really seem to be winning here. If Softbank, via Sprint, is really going to be increasing its spending efforts in LTE, then the cell tower outfits will likely get that much more business.

American Tower Corporation (NYSE: AMT) hit a 52-week high of $75.68 on the day. That actually appears to be an all-time high. Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE: CCI) is up 3.6% at $67.00 amd the high today of $67.21 compares to its prior high of $67.61. That is effectively an all-time high as well. Even the number-three player of SBA Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: SBAC) is up 1.5% at $66.23 and it hit a 52-week high of $66.71 on the day. That looks like an all-time high as well.

The cell towers effectively do not care which cellular provider or providers are bringing the business. All that matters is that there is stronger business from companies that can pay their bills. And as long as the smartphone users keep using more and more data then they win.

Neither Sprint nor Clearwire are anywhere at all close to their all-time highs. The tower operators are at all-time highs. It seems more than fair to ask who is the real winner of a better capitalized Sprint. All-time highs in share prices generally speak for themselves.

JON C. OGG