Investing Activities
During the first quarter of 2021, SBA acquired 731 communication sites, including wireless tenant licenses on 697 utility transmission structures from the previously announced PG&E transaction, for total cash consideration of $975.5 million. SBA also built 62 towers during the first quarter of 2021. As of March 31, 2021, SBA owned or operated 33,711 communication sites, 17,259 of which are located in the United States and its territories, and 16,452 of which are located internationally. In addition, the Company spent $6.5 million to purchase land and easements and to extend lease terms. Total cash capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2021 were $1.1 billion, consisting of $8.2 million of non-discretionary cash capital expenditures (tower maintenance and general corporate) and $1.1 billion of discretionary cash capital expenditures (new tower builds, tower augmentations, acquisitions, and purchasing land and easements).
Subsequent to the first quarter of 2021, the Company has purchased or agreed to purchase 413 communication sites for an aggregate consideration of $110.2 million in cash. The Company anticipates that the majority of these acquisitions will be consummated by the end of the third quarter of 2021.
Financing Activities and Liquidity
SBA ended the first quarter of 2021 with $12.1 billion of total debt, $8.0 billion of total secured debt, $240.2 million of cash and cash equivalents, short-term restricted cash, and short-term investments, and $11.9 billion of Net Debt. SBA’s Net Debt and Net Secured Debt to Annualized Adjusted EBITDA Leverage Ratios were 7.6x and 5.0x, respectively.
On January 29, 2021, the Company issued $1.5 billion of unsecured senior notes due February 1, 2029 (the “2021 Senior Notes”). The 2021 Senior Notes accrue interest at a rate of 3.125% per annum. Interest on the 2021 Senior Notes is due semi-annually on February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning on August 1, 2021. Net proceeds from this offering were used to fully redeem all of the 4.000% Senior Notes (the “2017 Notes”) and to pay all premiums and costs associated with such redemption, repay the amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility, and for general corporate purposes.
As of the date of this press release, the Company had $530.0 million outstanding under the $1.25 billion Revolving Credit Facility.
During the first quarter of 2021, the Company repurchased 0.7 million shares of its Class A common stock for $168.9 million at an average price per share of $258.33 under its $1.0 billion stock repurchase plan. Shares repurchased were retired. As of the date of this filing, the Company has $475.1 million of authorization remaining under the plan.
In the first quarter of 2021, the Company declared and paid a cash dividend of $63.4 million.
Outlook
The Company is updating its full year 2021 Outlook for anticipated results. The Outlook provided is based on a number of assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable at the time of this press release. Information regarding potential risks that could cause the actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements is set forth below and in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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