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Side-by-side financial comparison of Crown Castle (CCI) and QWEST CORP (CTBB). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
QWEST CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.1B vs $1.0B, roughly 1.1× Crown Castle). Crown Castle runs the higher net margin — -45.9% vs -187.5%, a 141.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Crown Castle posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-4.8% vs -15.0%). QWEST CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($160.0M vs $-43.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Crown Castle's revenue compounded faster (-4.5% CAGR vs -8.6%).
Crown Castle Inc. is a real estate investment trust and provider of shared communications infrastructure in the United States headquartered in Houston, Texas. Operating with 100 offices worldwide, its network includes over 40,000 cell towers and approximately 85,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber systems.
Qwest Corporation, doing business as CenturyLink QC, is a Regional Bell Operating Company owned by Lumen Technologies. It was originally named Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company, later becoming known as Mountain Bell, then US West Communications, Inc. from 1991 to 2000. It includes the former operations of Malheur Bell, Northwestern Bell and Pacific Northwest Bell as well.
CCI vs CTBB — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.0B | $1.1B |
| Net Profit | $-464.0M | $-2.1B |
| Gross Margin | — | 67.9% |
| Operating Margin | 46.0% | -183.2% |
| Net Margin | -45.9% | -187.5% |
| Revenue YoY | -4.8% | -15.0% |
| Net Profit YoY | — | -627.9% |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.48 | — |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q1 26 | $1.0B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.1B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.1B | $1.1B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.1B | $1.1B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.1B | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.1B | $1.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.1B | $1.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.1B | $1.3B |
| Q1 26 | $-464.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $294.0M | $-2.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $323.0M | $176.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $291.0M | $277.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-464.0M | $284.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $391.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $303.0M | $365.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $251.0M | $378.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 97.4% | 67.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 97.2% | 65.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 97.5% | 68.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 97.4% | 69.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 97.7% | 71.2% | ||
| Q3 24 | 97.6% | 69.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 97.7% | 71.6% |
| Q1 26 | 46.0% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 48.8% | -183.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 49.0% | 22.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 47.7% | 33.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | 49.1% | 33.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 51.0% | 40.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 47.5% | 38.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 44.7% | 40.3% |
| Q1 26 | -45.9% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 27.5% | -187.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 30.1% | 16.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 27.5% | 24.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | -43.7% | 24.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 30.2% | ||
| Q3 24 | 27.1% | 28.2% | ||
| Q2 24 | 22.7% | 28.7% |
| Q1 26 | $1.48 | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.67 | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.74 | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.67 | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $-1.07 | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.70 | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.58 | — |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $55.0M | $39.0M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | — | $1.7B |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | — | $10.9B |
| Total Assets | $31.4B | $15.8B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | 0.15× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $55.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $99.0M | $39.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $57.0M | $36.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $94.0M | $25.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $60.0M | $40.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $100.0M | $26.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $194.0M | $22.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $155.0M | $18.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $21.6B | $1.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $21.6B | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 25 | $22.0B | $1.7B | ||
| Q1 25 | $22.9B | $1.7B | ||
| Q4 24 | $23.5B | $1.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $23.5B | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $22.9B | $1.9B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $-1.6B | $10.9B | ||
| Q3 25 | $-1.5B | $13.0B | ||
| Q2 25 | $-1.4B | $12.8B | ||
| Q1 25 | $-1.3B | $12.5B | ||
| Q4 24 | $-133.0M | $12.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.3B | $11.9B | ||
| Q2 24 | $5.7B | $11.5B |
| Q1 26 | $31.4B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $31.5B | $15.8B | ||
| Q3 25 | $31.5B | $17.9B | ||
| Q2 25 | $31.6B | $17.8B | ||
| Q1 25 | $31.8B | $17.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $32.7B | $17.4B | ||
| Q3 24 | $38.0B | $17.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $38.2B | $16.6B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 0.15× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 0.13× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 0.13× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 0.13× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 0.14× | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.43× | 0.14× | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.04× | 0.17× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | — | $402.0M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-43.0M | $160.0M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -4.3% | 14.5% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 1.0% | 22.0% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $4.3B | $938.0M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.1B | $402.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $714.0M | $427.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $832.0M | $480.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $641.0M | $453.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.9B | $548.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $699.0M | $627.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $768.0M | $548.0M |
| Q1 26 | $-43.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $2.9B | $160.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $671.0M | $252.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $792.0M | $276.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $601.0M | $250.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.8B | $277.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $661.0M | $396.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $729.0M | $280.0M |
| Q1 26 | -4.3% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 268.4% | 14.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 62.6% | 23.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 74.7% | 24.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 56.6% | 21.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 247.3% | 21.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 59.0% | 30.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 65.9% | 21.3% |
| Q1 26 | 1.0% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 17.0% | 22.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 4.0% | 16.0% | ||
| Q2 25 | 3.8% | 17.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 3.8% | 17.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | 15.7% | 20.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.4% | 17.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.5% | 20.4% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 10.40× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.21× | 2.43× | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.86× | 1.73× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 1.60× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 1.40× | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.31× | 1.72× | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.06× | 1.45× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
CCI
| Site rental | $961.0M | 95% |
| Services and other | $49.0M | 5% |
CTBB
| Nonrelated Party | $665.0M | 60% |
| Other | $436.0M | 40% |
