Lumen's Q2 Loss Narrower Than Expected, Revenues Fall Y/Y

Core Insights - Lumen Technologies, Inc. reported a narrower adjusted loss of 3 cents per share for Q2 2025, compared to an expected loss of 24 cents, and a loss of 13 cents in the same quarter last year [1][8] - Total revenues for the quarter were $3.092 billion, down 5% year over year, missing the consensus estimate by 1.1%, impacted by $46 million in one-time reimbursements related to the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund [2][8] Financial Performance - Business revenues decreased by 3.4% year over year to $2.49 billion, Large Enterprises revenues fell 2% to $732 million, Mid-Market Enterprise revenues dropped 11% to $500 million, while Public Sector revenues increased by 8% to $486 million [6] - Revenues from Mass Markets declined by 12.8% year over year to $602 million, with the addition of 34,000 Quantum fiber subscribers, bringing the total to 1.2 million [9][10] - Total operating expenses rose by 18% year over year to $3.695 billion, resulting in an operating loss of $603 million compared to an operating income of $135 million in the previous year [11] Strategic Developments - Lumen secured $9 billion in PCF deals, an increase of $500 million since Q1, driven by rising AI connectivity demand from major tech companies [3] - The company anticipates $350 million in run-rate cost benefits, up from a previous target of $250 million, and expects to achieve $1 billion in run-rate cost benefits by the end of 2027 [4] - Lumen is optimistic about selling its Mass Markets' fiber-to-the-home business to AT&T for $5.75 billion, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2026 [4] Cash Flow and Liquidity - Lumen generated $570 million in net cash from operations, compared to $511 million in the prior year, while free cash outflow was $209 million, up from $156 million [12] - As of June 30, 2025, the company had $1.6 billion in cash and cash equivalents and $17.565 billion in long-term debt, following a significant refinancing that reduced annual interest expenses by $50 million [13] Future Outlook - For 2025, adjusted EBITDA is projected to be between $3.2 billion and $3.4 billion, with expectations to report near the high end of this range [14] - Capital expenditures are anticipated to be between $4.1 billion and $4.3 billion, while free cash flow is now expected to be between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, up from previous guidance [15][16]