Where Does Cogent Communications Stock Rank Among Competitors?
Cogent Communications’ stock significantly underperformed over the past year. How does it measure up against peers in the telecommunications sector as of early 2026, amidst rapidly evolving market dynamics? A closer look reveals negative profitability, declining revenue growth, and a deeply negative valuation, suggesting significant challenges and limited appeal compared to more stable and growing rivals. The broader telecom sector is currently undergoing transformation, facing challenges from slow economic growth, cybersecurity threats, and the need to integrate AI and adapt business models. Cogent primarily offers internet access and data transport services over its fiber optic network, serving businesses globally.
- CCOI’s -12.7% operating margin, lowest among peers, reflects high expenses and a pivot from traditional services, unlike CCI’s 34.4% from infrastructure leasing.
- CCOI’s -6.5% revenue growth lags peers due to shedding low-margin contracts, despite high-growth wavelength services offsetting traditional declines.
- CCOI’s 67.4% stock drop and -5.4 PE ratio highlight investor skepticism from revenue declines and a 98% dividend cut, despite growth plans.
Here’s how Cogent Communications stacks up across size, valuation, and profitability versus key peers.
| CCOI | LUMN | T | VZ | CMCSA | CCI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 1.1 | 7.9 | 171.5 | 169.7 | 103.8 | 37.0 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 1.0 | 12.7 | 124.5 | 137.5 | 124.2 | 6.4 |
| PE Ratio | -5.4 | -4.8 | 7.7 | 8.6 | 4.5 | -8.0 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | -6.5% | -4.6% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 28.0% |
| LTM Operating Margin | -12.7% | 1.3% | 19.5% | 23.0% | 18.1% | 34.4% |
| LTM FCF Margin | -18.9% | 9.7% | 16.0% | 15.0% | 13.4% | 28.7% |
| 12M Market Return | -67.4% | 42.7% | 12.8% | 10.2% | -22.1% | 2.3% |
For more details on Cogent Communications, read Buy or Sell CCOI Stock. Below we compare CCOI’s growth, margin, and valuation with peers across years
Revenue Growth Comparison
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| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCOI | -6.5% | 10.1% | 56.9% | 1.7% |
| 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 | 2.5% | 1.8% | 0.1% | 4.3% |
| CCI | 28.0% | -5.9% | -0.1% | 10.2% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCOI | -12.7% | -17.3% | -11.8% | 19.4% |
| 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 | 18.1% | 18.8% | 19.2% | 18.6% |
| CCI | 34.4% | 34.7% | 35.6% | 34.8% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCOI | -5.4 | -5.0 | 2.9 | 692.8 |
| LUMN | -4.8 | -139.5 | -0.5 | -1.2 |
| T | 7.7 | 16.3 | 11.4 | -14.1 |
| VZ | 8.6 | 9.8 | 14.5 | 7.5 |
| CMCSA | 4.5 | 7.2 | 10.1 | 36.0 |
| CCI | -8.0 | -9.9 | 26.2 | 29.8 |
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