SBAC vs WAT Comparison

SBA Communications owns and operates almost 40,000 cell towers throughout North America, South America, and Africa. It leases space on its towers to wireless service providers, which install equipment on the towers to support their wireless networks. The company has a very concentrated customer base, with most revenue in each market being generated by just the top few mobile carriers. It owns more than 17,000 towers in the US, which accounted for about 70% of the company's total revenue in 2023. Internationally, SBA's greatest presence is in Brazil, where it operates roughly 10,000 towers. SBA operates as a real estate investment trust.

Water sells liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis tools. These analytical instruments provide essential information on various products, such as their molecular structures and physical properties, to help clients enhance the health and well-being of end users. As a percentage of sales in 2024, Waters generated 58% from biopharmaceutical customers, 31% from industrial clients, and 11% from academic/government institutions. In early 2026, Waters plans to merge with BD's life science and diagnostics business, which will substantially change those concentrations. Waters will wind up with more concentration in diagnostics (versus none now) and discovery-related life science tools.