Iridium Communications vs Lumen Technologies
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KIRA’s take AI analyst
I put Iridium Communications and Lumen Technologies side by side, using each one’s latest annual report. Here is what stands out:
- Lumen Technologies is the larger business, with $12.4B of revenue in fiscal 2025 against $872M for Iridium Communications, about 14 times as much.
- Iridium Communications grew revenue faster (4.9%, against −5.4%).
- Iridium Communications kept more of each dollar of sales as operating profit (27.1% operating margin, against −6.6%).
- Iridium Communications turned more of its sales into free cash flow (34.4% FCF margin, against 3.0%).
- Iridium Communications earned a higher return on the capital invested in it (8.7%, against −3.9%).
Who comes out ahead
Of the 9 measures where higher (or lower) is clearly better, how many each company leads.
Iridium Communications
IRDM
9/9
Revenue growth5-year growthOperating marginNet marginFCF marginReturn on capitalPiotroski F-scoreNet debt / EBITDAShare count change
Lumen Technologies
LUMN
0/9
Side by side
Best in the row
| Latest fiscal year | IRDM FY25 | LUMN FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| Market cap | $4.8B | $4.4B |
| Revenue | $872M | $12.4B |
| Free cash flow | $300M | $371M |
| Net income | $114M | −$1.7B |
| Growth | ||
| Revenue growth | 4.9% | −5.4% |
| 5-year growth | 8.4% | −9.8% |
| Share count change | −10.0% | 0.7% |
| Profitability | ||
| Gross margin | — | 46.5% |
| Operating margin | 27.1% | −6.6% |
| Net margin | 13.1% | −14.0% |
| FCF margin | 34.4% | 3.0% |
| Return on capital | 8.7% | −3.9% |
| Return on equity | 22.0% | — |
| Balance sheet | ||
| Net debt | $1.7B | $16.8B |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.7x | 8.7x |
| Dividends and buybacks | $249M | $1.0M |
| Valuation & quality | ||
| P/E | 29.4x | — |
| Piotroski F-score | 7 | 4 |
Ten years
Revenue
Operating margin
Free cash flow
Return on capital
Each company's latest fiscal year; fiscal years end in different months. The best value in each row is highlighted where higher (or lower) is clearly better. Not investment advice.