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Lumen Technologies (LUMN) AI Stock Analysis

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LUMN

Lumen Technologies

(NASDAQ:LUMN)

Select Model
Rating:50Neutral
Price Target:$5.00â–²(2.46% Upside)
Action:reiterated
Date:10/16/26

The score is held back primarily by weak financial quality (declining revenue, ongoing losses, and very high leverage/negative equity) and bearish technical trend signals. These are partially offset by solid near-term cash generation and a more constructive earnings-call outlook highlighting accelerating strategic mix shift and adoption in newer services.

Positive Factors
Strategic Revenue Mix ShiftStrategic revenue growth and a rising share of the portfolio indicate progress toward higher-growth connectivity and platform services. This mix shift can improve customer relevance, support cross-selling of digital offerings, and create a more durable foundation for future revenue quality.
Negative Factors
High Leverage and Negative EquityVery high debt and negative shareholders’ equity materially reduce financial flexibility. The capital structure can constrain investment choices, increase sensitivity to refinancing conditions, and leave less room to absorb operating setbacks while Lumen funds its network and strategic transition.

Lumen Technologies (LUMN) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-60%-40%-20%0%20%LUMN-53.70%SPY+11.79%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
Market Cap
$5.03B
Dividend Yield
―
Average Volume (3M)
13.91M
Price to Earnings (P/E)
-4.8
Beta (1Y)
1.86
Revenue Growth
-7.74%
EPS Growth
13.54%
Country
US
Employees
24,000
Sector
Communication Services
Sector Strength
60
Industry
Telecommunications Services

Lumen Technologies Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Lumen Technologies, Inc. functions as an infrastructure-driven technology and telecommunications provider, offering a diverse array of integrated solutions to both commercial clients and residential customers throughout the United States and internat...

How the Company Makes Money

Lumen makes money primarily by selling recurring telecommunications and network services under contracts and subscriptions, plus usage-based charges on certain connectivity products and one-time fees for installation and professional services. Key re...

Lumen Technologies Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 03, 2026(Q2-2026)|% Change Since:-27.27%|Next Earnings Date:Nov 03, 2026
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call conveyed a positive strategic narrative: management presented clear evidence of a transformation toward digital, platform-based services with strong adoption signals (NaaS, 100/400G waves, strategic revenue up 14% YoY and now 53% of business). Cash flow remains positive and the company is executing on modernization, asset monetization (PCF) and operational simplification. Near-term financials showed modest revenue and EBITDA declines and notable special items, and digital revenue is still small, but management framed these as expected transition effects and emphasized pathway to higher-margin growth (including Alkira upside and 80% adjusted-EBITDA-margin intent for incremental digital services). Given the scope and pace of strategic wins and adoption metrics outweighing the near-term financial headwinds, the overall tone is constructive.

Positive Updates

Alkira Acquisition and Integration
Closed Alkira in early July; Alkira integrated into Lumen Connect to provide a cloud-native multi-cloud / AI connectivity capability. Nearly 4,000 employees trained on Alkira; management targeting most of Lumen Connect–Alkira technical integration within 18 months and earlier digital experiences for existing customers (starting with DIA). Alkira seen as upside to prior Investor Day digital targets.

Negative Updates

Overall Revenue Decline
Total business revenue declined 1.8% year-over-year to $2.44 billion in Q2; North America total business revenue down 1.6% YoY and North American enterprise (ex-wholesale) down only 0.2% YoY, indicating continued near-term top-line pressure.

Company Guidance

Management reiterated that Q2 results were in line with expectations and reaffirmed its full‑year framework while promising updated 2027 guidance to quantify Alkira upside; key Q2 metrics: total business revenue $2.44B (down 1.8% YoY; North America down 1.6%; North American enterprise down 0.2%), strategic revenue +14% YoY and now 53% of total (vs 51% in Q1 and 45% a year ago), digital revenue $39M, PCF revenue ~$91M (including ~$36M California milestone) tied to $13B of PCF deals, adjusted EBITDA (ex specials) $802M (vs ~$877M LY) with $204M of special items, CapEx (ex specials) ~$780M (including ~$300M for PCF), PCF cash received ~$476M, free cash flow (ex specials) $327M; strong operational metrics included NaaS customers >3,000 with new adoption +22% QoQ, >20% of first‑time adopters new to Lumen, active ports +34% QoQ and active services +29% QoQ, 100/400G wave revenue +~11% YoY and wave sales +~35% YoY, while M&S savings are on track to deliver ~$700M exiting this year and ~$1B next year and management noted normal Q3 seasonality (~$100M EBITDA decline vs Q2).

Lumen Technologies Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Cash flow is the main strength (strong operating cash flow and positive free cash flow), but it is outweighed by declining revenue, ongoing losses, and a stressed balance sheet with very high debt and negative equity, raising refinancing and durability risk.

Income Statement

28Negative

Balance Sheet

12Very Negative

Cash Flow

62Positive
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue11.83B12.40B13.11B14.56B17.48B19.69B
Gross Profit5.66B5.76B6.41B7.41B9.61B11.20B
EBITDA2.24B1.32B4.10B-6.09B3.58B8.16B
Net Income-1.02B-1.74B-55.00M-10.30B-1.55B2.03B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets30.78B34.34B33.50B34.02B45.61B57.99B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments1.88B1.00B1.89B2.23B1.25B354.00M
Total Debt13.49B17.71B19.12B21.30B22.00B31.17B
Total Liabilities32.27B35.46B33.03B33.60B35.24B46.15B
Stockholders Equity-1.49B-1.12B464.00M417.00M10.37B11.84B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow837.00M371.00M1.10B-940.00M1.72B3.60B
Operating Cash Flow5.37B4.74B4.33B2.16B4.74B6.50B
Investing Cash Flow493.00M-4.30B-2.83B-1.20B5.48B-2.71B
Financing Cash Flow-5.55B-1.32B-1.85B-18.00M-9.31B-3.81B

Lumen Technologies Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNegative
Last Price4.88

Price Trends

50DMA5.73Negative
100DMA6.32Negative
200DMA7.26Negative

Market Momentum

MACD-0.31Negative
RSI43.78Neutral
STOCH90.19Negative

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For LUMN, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 4.88 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 4.92, below the 50-day MA of 5.73, and below the 200-day MA of 7.26, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.31 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 43.78 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 90.19 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for LUMN.

Lumen Technologies Risk Analysis

Lumen Technologies disclosed 41 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Lumen Technologies reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Latest Risks Added

1 New Risk
1.We may be unable to successfully identify, complete, integrate and realize the benefits of acquisitions or manage the associated risks, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.Q2, 2026

Lumen Technologies Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)

Financial Indicators

LUMN against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
VZVZ67Neutral$185.39B11.4115.73%6.29%1.38%-16.44%
CHTRCHTR63Neutral$19.64B2.8630.43%―-1.50%4.45%
CMCSACMCSA63Neutral$82.45B7.3512.32%5.68%-0.25%-47.58%
TT63Neutral$144.23B11.5711.95%5.18%3.51%-39.83%
Sector *60Neutral$48.67B4.58-11.27%4.14%2.83%-41.78%
LUMNLUMN50Neutral$5.03B-4.77-52.11%―-7.74%13.54%
CCOICCOI44Neutral$345.19M-3.79140.52%1.19%-4.54%79.01%

* Communication Services Sector Average

Performance Comparison

-75%-50%-25%0%25%LUMNTCHTRCCOICMCSAVZDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
LUMN and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
LUMNLumen Technologies Inc.4.88-6.95-58.75%
TAt&t Inc21.41-2.00-8.56%
CHTRCharter Communications111.49-110.71-49.82%
CCOICogent Communications6.74-33.81-83.38%
CMCSAComcast Corp23.22-0.77-3.21%
VZVerizon Communications44.737.7220.87%

Lumen Technologies Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyDelistings and Listing Changes

Lumen Technologies Moves Stock Listing to Nasdaq Exchange

Positive
Sep 25, 2026

On Sept. 25, 2026, Lumen Technologies said its board and that of its subsidiary Qwest Corporation had approved a voluntary transfer of the listings for Lumen’s common stock and Qwest’s 6.500% notes due 2051 and 6.750% notes due 2052 from...

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions

Lumen Reports Q2 Results Highlighting Digital Services Pivot

Neutral
Aug 4, 2026

On August 4, 2026, Lumen Technologies appointed John Hinshaw as an independent director to fill a board vacancy, with his term running until the 2027 annual meeting and roles on the nominating and corporate governance and risk and security committees...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Oct 16, 2026