Is Lumen Technologies Stock Outperforming Its Rivals?
Lumen Technologies’ stock has significantly outperformed over the past year, gaining 61%, while many peers experienced declines. However, as of February 6, 2026, how does this smaller telecom player, currently in a profound transition, truly measure up against larger rivals? A closer look reveals negative revenue growth and slim operating margins, contrasting with strong free cash flow generation. Its negative PE ratio flags ongoing profitability challenges, with analyst estimates projecting a sales decline and EPS loss for 2026, suggesting its recent rally may not be solely tied to underlying fundamental strength. The company is prioritizing network investment and strategic repositioning towards enterprise-focused infrastructure and AI-driven services, aiming for a turnaround in revenue growth in 2026 and beyond.
- LUMN’s 1.3% operating margin, the lowest among peers, signals its legacy telecom struggles, while CHTR’s 24.3% signals strong broadband/mobile profitability.
- LUMN’s -4.6% revenue growth, the lowest among peers, stems from legacy declines and divestitures, as peers grow with wireless/broadband.
- LUMN’s 60.9% gain, outperforming peers, reflects AI-pivot optimism despite its -4.9 PE signaling current unprofitability amid transformation.
Here’s how Lumen Technologies stacks up across size, valuation, and profitability versus key peers.
| LUMN | T | VZ | CMCSA | CHTR | TMUS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 8.0 | 194.1 | 195.8 | 113.9 | 29.4 | 221.8 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 12.7 | 124.5 | 137.5 | 123.7 | 54.8 | 85.8 |
| PE Ratio | -4.9 | 8.7 | 9.9 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 18.7 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | -4.6% | 2.0% | 2.4% | -0.0% | -0.6% | 7.3% |
| LTM Operating Margin | 1.3% | 19.5% | 23.0% | 16.7% | 24.3% | 22.6% |
| LTM FCF Margin | 9.7% | 16.0% | 15.0% | 15.5% | 8.1% | 16.1% |
| 12M Market Return | 60.9% | 15.8% | 23.9% | 0.9% | -34.6% | -18.9% |
For more details on Lumen Technologies, read Buy or Sell LUMN Stock. Below we compare LUMN’s growth, margin, and valuation with peers across years
Revenue Growth Comparison
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| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUMN | -4.6% | – | -10.0% | -16.7% | -11.2% |
| T | 2.0% | – | -0.1% | 1.4% | -9.9% |
| VZ | 2.4% | – | 0.6% | -2.1% | 2.4% |
| CMCSA | -0.0% | -0.0% | 1.8% | 0.1% | |
| CHTR | -0.6% | -0.6% | 0.9% | 1.1% | |
| TMUS | 7.3% | – | 3.6% | -1.3% | -0.7% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUMN | 1.3% | – | 3.6% | 8.4% | 18.8% |
| T | 19.5% | – | 19.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| VZ | 23.0% | – | 21.3% | 21.4% | 22.3% |
| CMCSA | 16.7% | 16.7% | 18.8% | 19.2% | |
| CHTR | 24.3% | 24.3% | 24.0% | 22.9% | |
| TMUS | 22.6% | – | 22.1% | 18.1% | 10.2% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUMN | -4.9 | – | -139.5 | -0.5 | -1.2 |
| T | 8.7 | – | 16.3 | 11.4 | -14.1 |
| VZ | 9.9 | – | 9.8 | 14.5 | 7.5 |
| CMCSA | 5.7 | 5.5 | 9.0 | 11.7 | |
| CHTR | 5.9 | 5.7 | 9.6 | 12.7 | |
| TMUS | 18.7 | – | 20.9 | 31.5 | 77.4 |
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