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Side-by-side financial comparison of QWEST CORP (CTBB) and Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Lumen Technologies, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($2.7B vs $1.1B, roughly 2.5× QWEST CORP). Lumen Technologies, Inc. runs the higher net margin — -0.1% vs -187.5%, a 187.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Lumen Technologies, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-11.0% vs -15.0%). QWEST CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($160.0M vs $-1.1B). Over the past eight quarters, Lumen Technologies, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (-5.3% CAGR vs -8.6%).
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.
Lumen Technologies, Inc. is an American telecommunications company headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. It offers network, security, cloud, voice, and other managed communications services through its fiber optic and copper networks, data centers and cloud computing services. The company has been included in the S&P 600 index since March 2023, and was previously listed among the S&P 500.
CTBB vs LUMN — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 2025 vs Q4 2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.1B | $2.7B |
| Net Profit | $-2.1B | $-2.0M |
| Gross Margin | 67.9% | 40.7% |
| Operating Margin | -183.2% | -7.3% |
| Net Margin | -187.5% | -0.1% |
| Revenue YoY | -15.0% | -11.0% |
| Net Profit YoY | -627.9% | -102.4% |
| EPS (diluted) | — | $-0.01 |
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.
| Q4 25 | $1.1B | $2.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.1B | $2.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.1B | $2.9B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.2B | $2.9B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.3B | $3.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.3B | $3.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.3B | $3.0B | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.3B | $3.1B |
| Q4 25 | $-2.1B | $-2.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $176.0M | $-621.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $277.0M | $-915.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $284.0M | $-201.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $391.0M | $85.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $365.0M | $-148.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $378.0M | $-49.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $353.0M | $57.0M |
| Q4 25 | 67.9% | 40.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 65.3% | 39.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 68.2% | 43.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 69.3% | 42.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 71.2% | 44.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 69.9% | 43.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 71.6% | 45.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | 71.9% | 46.0% |
| Q4 25 | -183.2% | -7.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 22.3% | -4.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 33.1% | -21.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 33.7% | 3.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 40.7% | 5.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 38.5% | 4.2% | ||
| Q2 24 | 40.3% | 4.5% | ||
| Q1 24 | 37.6% | 1.5% |
| Q4 25 | -187.5% | -0.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 16.1% | -22.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 24.3% | -31.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 24.7% | -6.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 30.2% | 2.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 28.2% | -5.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 28.7% | -1.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | 26.8% | 1.9% |
| Q4 25 | — | $-0.01 | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $-0.62 | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $-0.92 | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $-0.20 | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $0.08 | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $-0.15 | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $-0.05 | ||
| Q1 24 | — | $0.06 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $39.0M | $1.0B |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $1.7B | $17.4B |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $10.9B | $-1.1B |
| Total Assets | $15.8B | $34.3B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.15× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $39.0M | $1.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $36.0M | $2.4B | ||
| Q2 25 | $25.0M | $1.6B | ||
| Q1 25 | $40.0M | $1.9B | ||
| Q4 24 | $26.0M | $1.9B | ||
| Q3 24 | $22.0M | $2.6B | ||
| Q2 24 | $18.0M | $1.5B | ||
| Q1 24 | $14.0M | $1.6B |
| Q4 25 | $1.7B | $17.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.7B | $17.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.7B | $17.6B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.7B | $17.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.7B | $17.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.7B | $18.1B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.9B | $18.4B | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.9B | $18.6B |
| Q4 25 | $10.9B | $-1.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $13.0B | $-1.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $12.8B | $-595.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $12.5B | $289.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $12.2B | $464.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $11.9B | $342.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $11.5B | $466.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $11.1B | $504.0M |
| Q4 25 | $15.8B | $34.3B | ||
| Q3 25 | $17.9B | $34.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $17.8B | $33.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | $17.6B | $33.5B | ||
| Q4 24 | $17.4B | $33.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $17.0B | $34.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $16.6B | $32.9B | ||
| Q1 24 | $16.4B | $33.2B |
| Q4 25 | 0.15× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.13× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.13× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.13× | 59.98× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.14× | 37.70× | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.14× | 53.05× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.17× | 39.51× | ||
| Q1 24 | 0.17× | 36.89× |
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 | $562.0M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $160.0M | $-1.1B |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 14.5% | -39.4% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 22.0% | 59.9% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $938.0M | $371.0M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $402.0M | $562.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $427.0M | $2.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $480.0M | $570.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $453.0M | $1.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $548.0M | $688.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $627.0M | $2.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $548.0M | $511.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $471.0M | $1.1B |
| Q4 25 | $160.0M | $-1.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $252.0M | $1.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $276.0M | $-321.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $250.0M | $304.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $277.0M | $-227.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $396.0M | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $280.0M | $-242.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $194.0M | $389.0M |
| Q4 25 | 14.5% | -39.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 23.1% | 52.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 24.2% | -11.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 21.7% | 10.4% | ||
| Q4 24 | 21.4% | -7.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 30.6% | 39.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 21.3% | -8.0% | ||
| Q1 24 | 14.7% | 12.7% |
| Q4 25 | 22.0% | 59.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 16.0% | 37.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 17.9% | 31.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | 17.6% | 27.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 20.9% | 29.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 17.9% | 28.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 20.4% | 25.0% | ||
| Q1 24 | 21.0% | 23.3% |
| Q4 25 | — | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.43× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.73× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.60× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.40× | 8.09× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.72× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.45× | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.33× | 19.33× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
CTBB
Segment breakdown not available.
LUMN
| Large Enterprise | $758.0M | 28% |
| Wholesale | $661.0M | 24% |
| Mid Market Enterprise | $472.0M | 17% |
| Fiber Broadband | $232.0M | 8% |
| Other Broadband | $218.0M | 8% |
| Other | $184.0M | 7% |
| Voice And Other | $166.0M | 6% |
| International And Other | $77.0M | 3% |
