Lumen Technologies Inc vs Wendys Co — how do they compare? Lumen Technologies Inc trades at $6.28 (market cap $6.58B), while Wendys Co trades at $8.58 (market cap $1.44B). The key difference: Lumen Technologies Inc is far larger — about 4.6× Wendys Co's market cap, and Wendys Co pays a 3.71% dividend while Lumen Technologies Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUMN | WEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $6.58B | $1.44B |
Sector | Media | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $11.83 | $10.68 |
52-Week Low | $3.95 | $6.17 |
Enterprise Value | $18.20B | $5.17B |
Dividend Yield | — | 3.71% |
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.
Wendy's (WEN) stock is trading at $8.57, up 17.4% in 24 hours, with a neutral technical signal and bullish moving averages. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $0.18, beating expectations, but faces challenges including a 50% dividend cut, withdrawn 2026 outlook, and declining U.S. same-store sales as Burger King overtakes it as the second-largest U.S. burger chain. Financial metrics show a P/E of 11.44 and ROE of 108.04%, but net income margin has fallen to 5.72% for 2026.
The outlook is cautious; while valuation appears reasonable and recent earnings beats are positive, significant operational headwinds, high debt, and intense competition pose risks. Analyst sentiment is mixed with a majority Hold rating, reflecting uncertainty around the new CEO's turnaround plan. Investment opportunity hinges on successful execution of strategic initiatives to restore growth and profitability.
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 →The Wendy's Company is the second-largest burger quick-service restaurant, or QSR, chain in the United States by systemwide sales, with $11.1 billion in 2021, narrowly edging Burger King ($10.3 billion) and clocking in well behind wide-moat McDonald's ($45.7 billion). After divestitures of Tim Hortons (2006) and Arby's (2011), the firm manages just the burger banner, generating sales across a footprint that spans almost 7,000 total units in 30 countries. Wendy's generates revenue from the sale of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and fries throughout its company-owned footprint, through franchise royalty and marketing fund payments remitted by its franchisees, which account for 94% of stores, and through franchise flipping and advisory fees.
Read more on WEN →