Lumen Technologies Inc vs Paycom Software Inc — how do they compare? Lumen Technologies Inc trades at $6.31 (market cap $6.58B), while Paycom Software Inc trades at $211 (market cap $9.57B). The key difference: Paycom Software Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Paycom Software Inc pays a 0.71% dividend while Lumen Technologies Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUMN | PAYC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $6.58B | $9.57B |
Sector | Media | Technology |
52-Week High | $11.83 | $233.89 |
52-Week Low | $3.95 | $113.59 |
Enterprise Value | $18.20B | $10.35B |
Dividend Yield | — | 0.71% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
LUMN stock trades at $6.375, down 3.99% today, amid a bearish technical signal and mixed earnings. The company reported a Q2 2026 loss of $0.07 per share, beating estimates, but revenue declined 9.3% year-over-year. Strategic revenues grew 14.1%, highlighting its digital transformation. CEO Kathleen Johnson purchased 100,000 shares on August 6, 2026, signaling insider confidence. Net cash flow was negative $886 million in 2025, though 2026 projections show improvement. The stock faces headwinds from high debt and legacy revenue declines.
LUMN offers a high-risk opportunity with a low P/S ratio of 0.54 and analyst consensus price target of $7.67, implying potential upside. However, persistent net losses, negative ROE of -78.94%, and $17.49 billion in long-term debt pose significant risks. Investors should weigh the digital growth potential against financial instability and cautious analyst sentiment, with 60.71% holding ratings.
Paycom Software (PAYC) trades at $211.28, down 1.02% today, with a bullish technical outlook per moving averages but overbought RSI signals. The company reported strong Q2 2026 results, beating EPS estimates with $2.78 versus $2.38 expected, and raised its full-year revenue and EBITDA guidance, driven by AI-driven demand and operational efficiency.
The stock offers growth potential from robust earnings momentum and high profitability margins, but risks include valuation premiums and competitive pressures. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $219.22 price target, suggesting moderate upside from current levels amid near-term volatility.
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 →Paycom is a fast-growing provider of payroll and human capital management, or HCM, software primarily targeting clients with 50-10,000 employees in the United States. Paycom was established in 1998 and services about 18,000 clients as of 2021, based on parent company grouping. Alongside its core payroll software, Paycom offers various HCM add-on modules, including time and attendance, talent management, and benefits administration.
Read more on PAYC →