Net Cash Interest Expense was $89.0 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $95.3 million in the third quarter of 2019, a decrease of 6.6%.
AFFO for the quarter was $270.1 million, a 9.2% increase over the prior year period. AFFO per share for the third quarter of 2020 was $2.38, a 10.7% increase over the prior year period, and 15.3% on a constant currency basis.
Investing Activities
During the third quarter of 2020, SBA acquired 44 communication sites and one data center for total cash consideration of $73.5 million. SBA also built 75 towers during the third quarter of 2020. As of September 30, 2020, SBA owned or operated 32,724 communication sites, 16,495 of which are located in the United States and its territories, and 16,229 of which are located internationally. In addition, the Company spent $7.2 million to purchase land and easements and to extend lease terms. Total cash capital expenditures for the third quarter of 2020 were $109.3 million, consisting of $8.0 million of non-discretionary cash capital expenditures (tower maintenance and general corporate) and $101.3 million of discretionary cash capital expenditures (new tower builds, tower augmentations, acquisitions, and purchasing land and easements).
Subsequent to the third quarter of 2020, the Company acquired 54 communication sites for an aggregate consideration of $14.6 million in cash. In addition, the Company has agreed to purchase and anticipates closing on 132 additional communication sites for an aggregate amount of $85.0 million. The Company anticipates that the majority of these acquisitions will be consummated by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
Financing Activities and Liquidity
SBA ended the third quarter of 2020 with $10.8 billion of total debt, $7.5 billion of total secured debt, $338.3 million of cash and cash equivalents, short-term restricted cash, and short-term investments, and $10.5 billion of Net Debt. SBA’s Net Debt and Net Secured Debt to Annualized Adjusted EBITDA Leverage Ratios were 7.0x and 4.8x, respectively.
On July 14, 2020, the Company, through a trust, issued $750.0 million of 1.884% Secured Tower Revenue Securities Series 2020-1C which have an anticipated repayment date of January 9, 2026 and a final maturity date of July 11, 2050 and $600.0 million of 2.328% Secured Tower Revenue Securities Series 2020-2C which have an anticipated repayment date of January 11, 2028 and a final maturity date of July 9, 2052 (collectively the “2020 Tower Securities”). The aggregate $1.35 billion of 2020 Tower Securities have a blended interest rate of 2.081% and a weighted average life through the anticipated repayment date of 6.4 years. Net proceeds from this offering were used to repay the entire aggregate principal amount of the 2015-1C Tower Securities ($500.0 million) and the 2016-1C Tower Securities ($700.0 million). The remaining net proceeds were used for general corporate purposes.
On August 4, 2020, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, SBA Senior Finance II LLC, terminated its existing $1.95 billion cash flow hedge on a portion of its 2018 Term Loan in exchange for a payment of $176.2 million. On the same date, the Company entered into an interest rate swap with $1.95 billion of notional value accruing interest at one month LIBOR plus 175 basis points for a fixed rate of 1.87% per annum through the maturity date of the 2018 Term Loan. The combination of these transactions will result in an annualized cash interest savings of $37.2 million.
As of the date of this press release, the Company had no amount outstanding under the $1.25 billion Revolving Credit Facility.
During the third quarter of 2020, the Company repurchased 0.6 million shares of its Class A common stock for $175.6 million at an average price per share of $302.63 under its $1.0 billion stock repurchase plan. Subsequent to September 30, 2020, the Company repurchased 0.4 million shares of its Class A common stock for $124.4 million, at an average price per share of $299.54. Shares repurchased were retired.
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