Company Performance - Lumen reported a quarterly loss of $0.03 per share, significantly better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.24, representing an earnings surprise of +87.50% [1] - The company posted revenues of $3.09 billion for the quarter ended June 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.06%, and down from $3.27 billion year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Lumen has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times and topped consensus revenue estimates three times [2] Stock Outlook - Lumen shares have declined approximately 16% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 8.2% [3] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is -$0.36 on revenues of $3.07 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is -$1.02 on revenues of $12.49 billion [7] Industry Context - The Diversified Communication Services industry, to which Lumen belongs, is currently ranked in the top 10% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact Lumen's stock performance [5]

分组1 - Shenandoah Telecommunications reported a quarterly loss of $0.19 per share, slightly better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.20, but worse than a loss of $0.08 per share a year ago [1][2] - The company posted revenues of $88.57 million for the quarter ended June 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.16%, and showing an increase from $85.8 million year-over-year [3] - The stock has gained approximately 17.4% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 8.2% [4] 分组2 - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is -$0.17 on revenues of $92.59 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is -$0.66 on revenues of $364.47 million [8] - The Zacks Industry Rank indicates that the Diversified Communication Services sector is in the top 10% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook for stocks in this category [9]

Company Performance - Telecom Italia (TIIAY) has returned 82.8% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the average Utilities group gain of 11.2% [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Telecom Italia's full-year earnings has increased by 400% over the past 90 days, indicating improved analyst sentiment and a stronger earnings outlook [3] Industry Context - Telecom Italia is part of the Diversified Communication Services industry, which consists of 19 individual stocks and currently ranks 24 in the Zacks Industry Rank [6] - The average gain for the Diversified Communication Services industry so far this year is 16.1%, showing that Telecom Italia is also outperforming its industry peers [6] Comparative Analysis - Grupo Televisa (TV) is another stock in the Utilities sector that has shown strong performance, returning 67.3% year-to-date [4] - The consensus EPS estimate for Grupo Televisa has increased by 147.6% over the past three months, reflecting positive analyst sentiment similar to that of Telecom Italia [5]

Core Insights - Lumen Technologies, Inc. is set to report its Q2 2025 results on July 31, with a consensus estimate indicating a loss of 24 cents per share and total revenues of $3.13 billion, reflecting a 4.4% year-over-year decline [1] Financial Performance - Lumen has outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters, with an average earnings surprise of 64.5%. However, its shares have decreased by 10.6% over the past six months, contrasting with a 14.5% increase in the Diversified Communication Services industry [2] Factors Influencing Q2 Results - Increased revenues from the North American Grow Business and Wave are expected to enhance Lumen's performance, despite challenges in the legacy business. The rising demand for Lumen's PCF solutions, driven by AI growth, is a positive indicator [3] - The company is progressing with its $8.5 billion PCF projects initiated in 2024, with production ongoing at 57 ILA sites, and 24 sites expected to be completed in Q2 as planned and within budget [4] Strategic Developments - Lumen is simplifying its capital structure by extending debt maturities and reducing its cost of capital, which will lower interest expenses and enhance financial flexibility. The sale of its Mass Markets fiber-to-the-home business to AT&T for $5.75 billion is a significant step in its transformation into a digital enterprise networking company [5] - The company anticipates strong growth in its Quantum business, with plans to launch a new network architecture in late 2025. Lumen aims to save $1 billion by 2027 through streamlining its network and product offerings, reducing its product count from thousands to about 300 [6] Recent Developments - In June 2025, Lumen was selected to provide connectivity for the JUNO Trans-Pacific Cable System, which will enhance capacity between Japan and the United States [11] - A collaboration with IBM to create AI solutions at the edge aims to improve operational efficiency and customer experiences [12] - The launch of DefenderSM Plus, a cybersecurity solution, is designed to protect enterprise environments from various cyber threats [13] Market Positioning - Lumen is focusing on cloud-enabling telecom and expanding its network-as-a-service (NaaS) solutions, leveraging its strong network and integrated services to support growth in the cloud market [9] - Despite ongoing revenue pressures from legacy services and a heavy debt load, Lumen's investments in AI and cloud services are strategic moves to enhance its market position [10]

Group 1 - NiSource (NI) is currently outperforming its peers in the Utilities sector, with a year-to-date return of approximately 14%, compared to the sector average of 11.2% [4][5] - NiSource holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook based on earnings estimates and revisions [3][5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NiSource's full-year earnings has increased by 0.1% over the past quarter, reflecting improving analyst sentiment [3] Group 2 - The Utilities sector consists of 108 individual stocks and currently has a Zacks Sector Rank of 1, indicating strong overall performance [2] - NiSource is part of the Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes 59 stocks and is ranked 74 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with stocks in this group gaining about 11.2% year-to-date [5] - Another outperforming stock in the Utilities sector is Telefonica (TEF), which has returned 34.3% year-to-date and also holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [4][6]

What's Next for Koninklijke KPN? While Koninklijke KPN has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlatio ...

Company Overview - Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGY) is a notable stock in the Utilities sector, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [3] - The company has achieved a year-to-date return of 18.5%, significantly outperforming the average Utilities sector return of 10.8% [4] Industry Performance - Deutsche Telekom AG is part of the Diversified Communication Services industry, which consists of 19 individual stocks and is ranked 41 in the Zacks Industry Rank [6] - The average return for the Diversified Communication Services industry so far this year is 16%, indicating that DTEGY is performing better than its industry peers [6] Analyst Sentiment - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for DTEGY's full-year earnings has increased by 3%, reflecting improved analyst sentiment and a more positive earnings outlook [3] - In comparison, another stock in the Utilities sector, Energias de Portugal (EDPFY), has outperformed with a year-to-date return of 38.6% and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [4][5]

Group 1 - Telenor ASA (TELNY) is currently ranked 1 in the Utilities group within the Zacks Sector Rank, indicating strong performance relative to its peers [2] - Telenor ASA has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), with a 11.5% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past 90 days, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [3] - Year-to-date, Telenor ASA has returned 40.8%, significantly outperforming the average 9.1% gain of the Utilities group [4] Group 2 - Telenor ASA is part of the Diversified Communication Services industry, which ranks 16 in the Zacks Industry Rank, and has gained an average of 15.8% this year [5] - In comparison, Tele2 (TLTZY), another Utilities stock, has outperformed with a 52.7% year-to-date return and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [4][5] - The Wireline Non-US industry, which includes Tele2, has seen a decline of -29% since the beginning of the year, highlighting the relative strength of Telenor ASA [6]

Group 1 - Investors in Telefônica Brasil S.A. should monitor stock movements due to high implied volatility in options, particularly the Aug. 15, 2025 $7.50 Call [1] - Implied volatility indicates market expectations for significant price movement, suggesting potential upcoming events that could lead to a rally or sell-off [2] - Analysts currently rate Telefônica Brasil as a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Diversified Communication Services industry, with no earnings estimate increases and one decrease over the last 60 days, lowering the consensus estimate from 13 cents to 12 cents per share [3] Group 2 - The high implied volatility may indicate a developing trade, as options traders often seek to sell premium on such options to capture decay, hoping the stock does not move as much as anticipated [4]

Company Performance - Algonquin Power & Utilities (AQN) has returned 32.1% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the average gain of 8.8% in the Utilities sector [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AQN's full-year earnings has increased by 8.8% over the past quarter, indicating improving analyst sentiment [4] - AQN currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), suggesting a favorable outlook for the stock [3] Industry Context - The Utilities group, which includes AQN, ranks 1 within the Zacks Sector Rank, reflecting strong performance among its 109 companies [2] - AQN belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry, which consists of 60 companies and currently ranks 90 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with an average gain of 8.7% year-to-date [6] - Another outperforming stock in the Utilities sector is Koninklijke KPN NV (KKPNF), which has returned 32.7% year-to-date and also holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5][7]