Crown Castle International Corp vs Illumina, Inc. — how do they compare? Crown Castle International Corp trades at $80.29 (market cap $34.50B), while Illumina, Inc. trades at $190 (market cap $28.93B). The key difference: Crown Castle International Corp is the larger of the two by market cap, and Crown Castle International Corp pays a 5.38% dividend while Illumina, Inc. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CCI | ILMN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $34.50B | $28.93B |
Sector | Real Estate | Health |
52-Week High | $113.91 | $194.33 |
52-Week Low | $74.92 | $91.00 |
Enterprise Value | $64.33B | $30.32B |
Dividend Yield | 5.38% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Crown Castle (CCI) trades at $79.84, up 0.23% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported mixed Q1 2026 earnings, missing EPS estimates, but maintains strong profitability with a 73.82% gross margin. Recent news highlights its pure-play U.S. tower focus and upcoming Q2 2026 earnings call on July 22, 2026.
CCI presents a turnaround opportunity with analyst consensus targeting $97.33, implying 22% upside, but faces risks from high debt levels and volatile earnings. The stock's negative equity and bearish technicals warrant caution despite attractive dividend yield and cost reduction initiatives.
Illumina (ILMN) trades at $190.05, showing strong momentum with a 43.7% gain year-to-date and recent earnings beats. The stock is technically bullish, trading near resistance at $191 with solid fundamentals including 19.42% net margins and robust cash flow. Recent leadership appointments and product launches like StrataMap Spatial Solution highlight ongoing innovation in genomics sequencing.
Outlook remains positive driven by sequencing demand and margin expansion, but risks include competitive pressure from Roche's new sequencer and China market weakness. Analyst consensus is bullish with 51% buy ratings, though the current price exceeds the $174.44 target, suggesting near-term valuation concerns.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Crown Castle International owns and leases roughly 40,000 cell towers in the United States. It also owns more than 85,000 route miles of fiber. It leases space on its towers to wireless service providers, which install equipment on the towers to support their wireless networks. The company's fiber is primarily leased by wireless service providers to set up small-cell network infrastructure and by enterprises for their internal connection needs. Crown Castle's towers and fiber are predominantly located in the largest U.S. cities. The company has a very concentrated customer base, with more than 70% of its revenue coming from the big three U.S. mobile carriers. Crown Castle operates as a real estate investment trust.
Read more on CCI →Illumina provides tools and services to analyze genetic material with life science and clinical lab applications. The company generates over 90% of its revenue from sequencing instruments, consumables, and services. Illumina's high-throughput technology enables whole genome sequencing in humans and other large organisms. Its lower throughput tools enable applications that require smaller data outputs, such as viral and cancer tumor screening. Illumina also sells microarrays (less than 10% of sales) that enable lower-cost, focused genetic screening with primarily consumer and agricultural applications.
Read more on ILMN →