Lumen Technologies Inc vs McDonald's Corp — how do they compare? Lumen Technologies Inc trades at $6.31 (market cap $6.58B), while McDonald's Corp trades at $275.29 (market cap $194.00B). The key difference: McDonald's Corp is far larger — about 29.5× Lumen Technologies Inc's market cap, and McDonald's Corp pays a 2.71% dividend while Lumen Technologies Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUMN | MCD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $6.58B | $194.00B |
Sector | Media | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $11.83 | $341.06 |
52-Week Low | $3.95 | $262.80 |
Enterprise Value | $18.20B | $247.77B |
Volume | — | 2,230,036 |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.71% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
LUMN trades at $6.33, down 4.67% today, with a bearish technical signal and neutral oscillators. Revenue declined to $12.40B in 2025, with a net loss of $1.74B, though Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates. The company is shifting to digital services, with strategic revenues growing 14.1% in Q2 2026. High debt of $17.49B remains a concern, but positive cash flow from operations of $4.74B in 2025 supports liquidity.
Outlook is mixed: analyst consensus price target is $7.67 with a hold-heavy rating, indicating cautious optimism. Risks include persistent revenue declines and heavy debt load, but opportunities lie in digital transformation and AI-driven growth. CEO share purchases and institutional holdings suggest insider confidence amid challenges.
McDonald's (MCD) trades at $273.72, down 0.28% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and strong fundamentals including a 31.72% net margin and consistent earnings beats. The company recently unveiled its 'McDonald's NEXT' growth strategy focusing on automation and menu innovation to drive future performance. Revenue growth remains steady, with 2025 revenue at $26.89 billion.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $322.45 offering 17.8% upside, supported by 60% analyst buy ratings. Risks include inflationary pressures on franchisee margins and high long-term debt of $38.42 billion. The stock presents a value opportunity with stable dividends and strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing competitiveness.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →McDonald's Corporation franchises and operates fast-food restaurants in the global restaurant industry. The Company's restaurants serves a variety of value-priced menu products in countries around the world.
Read more on MCD →