Lumen Technologies, Inc. is a networking company that provides integrated products and services to business and mass customers in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments: Business and Mass Markets. The company offers services such as dark fiber and conduit, edge cloud, IP, VoIP, managed security, SD-WAN, unified communications and collaboration, optical services, Ethernet and VPN data networks, and legacy services including TDM voice and private line, SONET-based Ethernet, legacy data hosting, and conferencing. It also provides managed and professional services, sells communications equipment, and offers broadband, voice, and other services to residential and small business customers, as well as federal broadband and state support programs. Its products and services are marketed under the Lumen, CenturyLink, Black Lotus Labs, and Quantum Fiber brands. Formerly known as CenturyLink, Inc., it changed its name to Lumen Technologies, Inc. in September 2020. The company was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana.
Lumen Technologies announced that its Board of Directors has approved a voluntary transfer of its stock exchange listing from the New York Stock Exchange to The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. The move covers Lumen's common stock as well as the 6.500% Notes due 2051 and 6.750% Notes due 2052 issued by its wholly owned subsidiary, Qwest Corporation. Lumen and Qwest Corporation have filed applications to list the securities on Nasdaq and plan to file a Form 25 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to effect the NYSE delisting. Subject to customary conditions, the securities are expected to be delisted from the NYSE at the close of markets on Oct. 5, 2026, and to begin trading on Nasdaq at the opening on Oct. 6, 2026, with the common stock continuing under the ticker symbol LUMN and the Qwest notes under CTGG and CTHH. CEO Kate Johnson said the transition aligns the listing with Lumen's strategic priorities as it transforms into an enterprise networking company for AI, and the company said the transfer is not expected to affect its operations, financial condition, or reporting obligations, with shareholders required to take no action.
LUMN · · Neutral Lumen is voluntarily moving its NYSE listing to Nasdaq, a purely administrative exchange transfer with no stated operational or financial impact.
Lumen Launches Intelligent Internet for Enterprise Bandwidth Flexibility
Lumen Technologies has launched Lumen Intelligent Internet, a service that lets enterprises adjust bandwidth to match demand rather than provisioning fixed peak capacity. The offering is available to enterprise customers at more than 10 million U.S. business locations, with bandwidth scalable to 100 Gbps, according to Lumen. Customers can provision and modify connectivity digitally through Lumen Connect or APIs, and the service introduces term-based pricing for more predictable monthly costs. It also bundles enterprise network controls and security services, including DDoS Essentials and Lumen Defender. Lumen cited IDC research showing 37% of enterprises saw bandwidth requirements rise more than 50% year over year, while 29% reported difficulty aligning networks with AI workloads.
LUMN · Technology · Positive Lumen launched Lumen Intelligent Internet, a new enterprise bandwidth-flexibility service with digital provisioning, term-based pricing, and bundled security.
Cogent Communications reported second-quarter revenue of $235.6 million, down 4.3% year over year and 1.7% below analyst expectations, though it beat earnings per share estimates. The stock has fallen 15.2% since the report and now trades at $10.91. Among the five telecommunication services stocks tracked, Array posted the strongest results with revenue up 89.5% to $54.07 million, while Iridium was the weakest with a significant EPS miss despite revenue of $225.2 million. Lumen Technologies reported revenue of $2.81 billion, down 9.3% year over year but beating estimates by 2.4%, and Viasat reported revenue of $1.16 billion, down 1.2% and missing estimates by 4.4%. As a group, revenues were in line with consensus, but average share prices are down 3.8% since the latest earnings results.
Lumen Technologies Appoints John Hinshaw to Board of Directors
Lumen Technologies has appointed John M. Hinshaw to its Board of Directors. Hinshaw brings experience leading global operations and transformation initiatives at HSBC, with prior executive roles at Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Boeing, and Verizon Wireless. The appointment aligns with Lumen's restructuring priorities, as the company reported a net loss of US$201 million for Q2 2026 on US$2,805 million of sales. Hinshaw's background in technology transformation and risk management is expected to support Lumen's AI-driven networking and Network as a Service plans while managing legacy declines and debt.
Lumen CEO buys 100,000 shares as company deepens AWS partnership
Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson purchased 100,000 shares of her own company's stock at a weighted average price of $6.13 on August 6, one day after the company expanded a cloud modernization partnership with Amdocs to bring its enterprise service orchestration platform to Amazon Web Services. The Amdocs deal aims to automate the migration of Lumen's order management platform to AWS, compressing a process that previously took months into days, and builds on prior migrations to Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Lumen's new business segment, focused on AI-driven infrastructure demand, grew revenue 14% year over year to $1.3 billion in the second quarter and now represents the majority of total business revenue for the first time. However, the company's legacy operations saw revenue fall 15% to $1.2 billion in the same period, and Lumen posted a net loss of $1.0 billion over the trailing twelve months while carrying more than $13 billion in long-term debt.
Amdocs to Modernize Lumen's Enterprise Service Orchestration on AWS
Amdocs announced the next phase of its cloud modernization collaboration with Lumen Technologies, extending the partnership to Amazon Web Services. Building on previous migrations to Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, Amdocs will use its agentic operating system aOS and AI-driven capabilities to transform Lumen's enterprise service orchestration and order management platform on AWS. The modernization aims to create a resilient multi-cloud environment, reduce manual effort, and accelerate time-to-market for new services. Lumen's CIO Chad Naeger said the move builds a more agile, AI-ready foundation, while Amdocs' Group President Anthony Goonetilleke highlighted the confidence earned through prior successful initiatives.
LUMN · Technology · Positive Lumen's enterprise service orchestration is being modernized on AWS using Amdocs' AI-driven capabilities, improving agility and time-to-market.
Lumen Posts Narrower-Than-Expected Q2 Loss, Revenues Drop Year Over Year
Lumen Technologies reported a second-quarter 2026 adjusted loss of 7 cents per share, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 15 cents. Quarterly total revenues were $2.805 billion, down 9.3% year over year but topping the consensus estimate by 2%. Strategic revenues reached 53% of total business revenues, up from 51% in the first quarter, and grew 14.1% year over year to $1.289 billion, while legacy revenues declined 15.1% to $1.155 billion. The company reiterated its full-year 2026 outlook, projecting adjusted EBITDA excluding special items between $3.1 billion and $3.3 billion, capital expenditures excluding special items between $3.2 billion and $3.4 billion, and free cash flow between $1.9 billion and $2.1 billion.
Viasat Is the Better Data Network Stock to Buy in 2026 Over Lumen Technologies
The Motley Fool compared Lumen Technologies and Viasat and concluded Viasat is the better buy for 2026. Lumen reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $12.4 billion, a 5% decline, and a net loss of nearly $1.7 billion, while carrying $13.25 billion in debt. Viasat posted fiscal 2026 revenue of roughly $4.6 billion, up 3%, with a narrower net loss of approximately $34 million and free cash flow of about $597 million. The analysis noted Viasat is better aligned with the trend toward satellite-based data services, while Lumen continues to struggle with legacy revenue declines and a heavy debt load.
Lumen Technologies Stock May Be Above Fair Value After Alkira Deal
Lumen Technologies stock may be trading above fair value following its $475 million acquisition of Alkira, according to a Simply Wall St analysis. A discounted cash flow model estimates intrinsic value at about $4.30 per share, implying the stock trades at a roughly 49.8% premium. However, market-based multiples paint a different picture, with the price-to-sales ratio at 0.5 times, below the telecom industry average of 1.4 times and a tailored fair ratio of 0.9 times, suggesting undervaluation. Broader checks are mixed, with four of six valuation metrics pointing to undervaluation and two indicating the stock is expensive. The key question is whether Lumen can stabilize revenue and convert recent investments into durable cash flows to justify the current price.
Lumen Technologies Could Be 22% Undervalued After Palo Alto Security Launch
Lumen Technologies drew fresh attention after launching Lumen Defender Advanced Managed Detection and Response for Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSIAM, combining its Black Lotus Labs threat intelligence with Palo Alto's AI-driven security operations platform. The most followed narrative on Lumen pegs fair value at $8.29 per share compared with the last close at $6.45, implying the stock could be 22.2% undervalued. However, a discounted cash flow model from Simply Wall St estimates a value of $4.30, suggesting the stock may instead be overvalued. Lumen's shares have swung sharply, with a 24.03% decline over 30 days and a 17.31% drop over 90 days, though one-year and three-year total shareholder returns stand at 40.22% and roughly 2.8 times respectively. The company faces pressure from declining legacy revenues and a sizeable debt load, which could undercut the upbeat fair value narrative.
Lumen Technologies Completes Debt Exchange Offers for Qwest Notes
Lumen Technologies and its Qwest subsidiary announced the expiration and final results of exchange offers and consent solicitations for Qwest notes due in 2056 and 2057. The transaction is a capital-structure move aimed at continuing balance-sheet repair, which remains central to the company's recovery case. Lumen has been repositioning around business connectivity, data transport, and AI-related network demand, but its equity story is still weighed down by debt and weak legacy revenue. Analysts see room for recovery from depressed levels, with an average price target implying 29.70% upside and a consensus Hold rating.
Alphabet disrupts NetNut proxy network and Popa botnet with FBI
Alphabet escalated its fight against malicious proxy networks Thursday, saying Google worked with the FBI, Lumen and others to disrupt NetNut's residential proxy service and the Popa botnet. Google said the operation follows its January 2026 disruption of the IPIDEA proxy network and is part of a broader push to dismantle residential proxy systems used to hide and route malicious web traffic. The coordinated action caused significant degradation to NetNut's proxy network and business operations, reducing the available device pool by millions. NetNut's parent, Israel-based Alarum Technologies, told Reuters it had been informed Thursday that the FBI seized some of its domains and that it takes the matter seriously and will cooperate with law enforcement to investigate any misuse of its infrastructure.
Cybersecurity & Digital Trust › Network Security & SASE ▼Regulation
GOOG · Regulation · Positive Google's collaboration with FBI to disrupt malicious proxy networks enhances its cybersecurity reputation and aligns with regulatory enforcement.
LUMN · Regulation · Positive Lumen's involvement in the disruption operation highlights its role in network security, potentially boosting its credibility.
Cogent Tops Q1 Telecommunication Services Stocks Despite Revenue Miss
Cogent Communications topped a group of six tracked telecommunication services stocks in the first quarter, even as the sector overall missed revenue estimates by 1.2%. Cogent reported revenues of $239.2 million, down 3.2% year on year and 0.9% below analyst expectations, but beat earnings per share estimates. Lumen Technologies outperformed with revenues of $2.90 billion, down 8.9% year on year but 2.3% above estimates, though it missed EPS forecasts. Viasat, the weakest performer, posted revenues of $1.17 billion, up 2.1% year on year but 3% below estimates, with a significant EPS miss. Iridium Communications reported $219.1 million in revenues, up 1.9% year on year but 0.9% below estimates, and Globalstar recorded $70.06 million, up 16.7% year on year but 0.7% below estimates, both with significant EPS misses. On average, share prices of the six companies have fallen 12.1% since their earnings releases.
FIFA's stadium debranding backfires as Levi's, Heinz, Gillette turn censorship into viral marketing
FIFA's attempt to hide non-sponsor brands at World Cup stadiums has backfired, generating unexpected publicity for companies like Levi's, Heinz, and Gillette. To protect an estimated $1.8 billion in official sponsorship revenue for 2026, FIFA required venues across the United States, Canada, and Mexico to cover or remove branding from naming-rights partners and other advertisers. Levi's Stadium in California was temporarily renamed 'San Francisco Bay Area Stadium,' but a thin white fabric left the Levi's name clearly visible, prompting the company to embrace the situation with social-media posts calling it the 'beautiful [redacted] stadium.' Heinz Canada censored its own logo online and distributed covered-up ketchup bottles near venues, while Gillette posted images suggesting its signage was hidden beneath shaving cream. Lumen Technologies produced a mock documentary about removing its branding from Seattle's Lumen Field. Some branding remained visible, such as at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and MetLife Stadium, now called 'New York New Jersey Stadium,' where traces of the insurer's name persist on cupholders and GPS addresses.
Nvidia is reportedly working on a massive long-haul telecom network project that could cost between $5 billion and $10 billion over the next three years, according to Needham. The firm believes Nvidia aims to reduce its dependence on major hyperscalers by building direct connectivity and hosting infrastructure for neocloud partners and enterprise customers. Needham identified Ciena, Cisco, Nokia, Corning, Zayo, and Lumen as likely beneficiaries, with the biggest upside seen for Ciena, which could generate an additional $500 million to $800 million in revenue over the next two to three years if it secures related contracts. The network may include dozens of fiber pairs capable of moving more than 5 petabytes of data, with Corning expected to be a key fiber supplier and Zayo and Lumen potentially helping build portions of the network.
Artificial Intelligence › AI Data Center & Build-out ▲Demand
CIEN · Demand · Positive Ciena could generate $500M-$800M additional revenue from Nvidia's network project.
NVDA · Capital · Positive Nvidia's network project reduces dependence on hyperscalers, potentially improving strategic positioning.
GLW · Demand · Positive Corning expected to be a key fiber supplier for the network.
LUMN · Demand · Positive Lumen may help build portions of the network.
NOK · Demand · Positive Needham identifies Nokia as a likely beneficiary of Nvidia's telecom network project, potentially generating additional revenue from related contracts.
CSCO · Demand · Neutral Cisco is named as a likely beneficiary but no specific revenue impact given.
Wall Street Issues Rare Downbeat Forecasts for Tennant, Hub Group, and Lumen
Wall Street has issued rare downbeat forecasts for Tennant, Hub Group, and Lumen Technologies, with consensus price targets implying limited or negative returns. Tennant carries a target of $91.50, just 1.4% above its $90.20 price, while Hub Group's $42.20 target suggests a 3.9% decline from $43.92, and Lumen's $8.29 target implies a 2.7% gain from $8.07. The cautious outlooks reflect weakening fundamentals: Tennant and Hub Group have seen annual sales declines and eroding returns on capital, while Lumen has experienced revenue drops, falling earnings per share, and shrinking free cash flow margins. Financial institutions typically avoid such negative calls to protect other business lines, making these forecasts particularly notable.
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