F5 Inc vs Lumen Technologies Inc — how do they compare? F5 Inc trades at $402.69 (market cap $23.79B), while Lumen Technologies Inc trades at $6.31 (market cap $6.56B). The key difference: F5 Inc is far larger — about 3.6× Lumen Technologies Inc's market cap, and F5 Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Lumen Technologies Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| FFIV | LUMN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $23.79B | $6.56B |
Sector | Technology | Media |
52-Week High | $431.26 | $11.83 |
52-Week Low | $223.99 | $3.70 |
Enterprise Value | $22.60B | $18.19B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
F5 (FFIV) trades at $403.30, down 6.48% on the day, yet maintains a bullish technical trend with strong fundamental performance. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $3.90 surpassing the $3.46 expectation. Revenue growth is steady, reaching $3.09 billion in 2025, supported by strategic expansions into AI security, including the acquisition of SurePath AI and new platform launches.
The outlook is positive, driven by robust profitability and strategic positioning in application security. However, risks include high valuation multiples and competitive pressures. Analyst consensus is a 'Hold' with a $397 price target, slightly below the current price, indicating cautious optimism amid growth initiatives.
LUMN trades at $6.37, showing no change recently, with a bearish technical signal and mixed earnings history. The company reported a net loss of $1.74B in 2025, though revenue remains substantial at $12.40B. Recent developments include the acquisition of Alkira to enhance AI networking capabilities and cost-cutting initiatives targeting $1B in savings by 2027. Analyst consensus is cautious, with a hold-heavy rating distribution and a $8.25 price target.
The outlook is challenging due to persistent losses and high debt, but strategic acquisitions and efficiency efforts offer potential upside. Risks include execution hurdles and competitive pressures in telecom. Investors should weigh the low P/S ratio against profitability concerns before considering a position.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
F5 is a market leader in the application delivery controller market. The company sells products for networking traffic, security, and policy management. Its products ensure applications are safely routed in efficient manners within on-premises data centers and across cloud environments. More than half of its revenue is based on providing services, and its three customer verticals are enterprises, service providers, and government entities. The Seattle-based firm was incorporated in 1996 and generates sales globally.
Read more on FFIV →With 450,000 route miles of fiber, including over 35,000 route miles of subsea fiber connecting Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Lumen Technologies is one of the United States' largest telecommunications carriers serving global enterprises. Its merger with Level 3 further shifted the company's operations toward businesses (over 70% of revenue) and away from its legacy consumer business. Lumen offers businesses a full menu of communications services, providing colocation and data center services, data transportation, and end-user phone and internet service. On the consumer side, Lumen provides broadband and phone service across 37 states, where it has 4.5 million broadband customers.
Read more on LUMN →