Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Lumen (NYSE: LUMN) and the best and worst performers in the telecommunication services industry.

The sector is a tale of two cities. Satellite telecommunication is generally buoyed by rising global demand for connectivity in costly-to-connect and remote areas. On the other hand, terrestrial telecommunication companies face an uphill battle, as they mostly sell into a deflationary market, where the price of moving a bit tends to decrease over time with better technology. Despite the differences in demand drivers, companies across the entire industry must contend competition from larger telecom conglomerates and hyperscalers expanding their own networks as well as newer entrants such as SpaceX's StarLink.

The 6 telecommunication services stocks we track reported a softer Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 4.3%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8.3% since the latest earnings results.

Lumen (NYSE: LUMN)

With approximately 350,000 route miles of fiber optic cable spanning North America and the Asia Pacific, Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) operates a vast fiber optic network that provides communications, cloud connectivity, security, and IT solutions to businesses and consumers.

Lumen reported revenues of $2.37 billion, down 2.7% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 16.3%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

“Our strategy is working and we continue to progress towards our key financial goals we set out at Investor Day,” said Lumen CEO Kate Johnson.

Lumen delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. The market seems disappointed with the results as the stock is down 7.9% since reporting and currently trades at $8.50.

Read our full report on Lumen here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Cogent (NASDAQ: CCOI)

Operating a massive network spanning 20,000 miles of fiber optic cable and connecting to over 3,200 buildings worldwide, Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI) provides high-speed Internet access, private network services, and data center colocation to businesses and bandwidth-intensive organizations across 54 countries.

Cogent reported revenues of $239.2 million, down 3.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. However, the business still had a strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 35.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $15.

Is now the time to buy Cogent? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Viasat (NASDAQ: VSAT)

Operating a fleet of 23 satellites that orbit the Earth and beam connectivity from space, Viasat (NASDAQ: VSAT) provides satellite-based communications networks and services for airlines, maritime vessels, governments, businesses, and residential customers worldwide.

Viasat reported revenues of $1.17 billion, up 2.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 14.4% since the results and currently trades at $74.25.

Read our full analysis of Viasat’s results here.

Globalstar (NASDAQ: GSAT)

Known for powering the emergency SOS feature in newer Apple iPhones, Globalstar (NASDAQ: GSAT) operates a network of low-earth orbit satellites that provide voice and data communications services in remote areas where traditional cellular networks don't reach.

Globalstar reported revenues of $70.06 million, up 16.7% year on year. This print came in 0.7% below analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Globalstar achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat among its peers. The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $81.

Read our full, actionable report on Globalstar here, it’s free.

Array (NYSE: AD)

Operating as a majority-owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems since its founding in 1983, Array (NYSE: AD) is a regional wireless telecommunications provider serving 4.6 million customers across 21 states with mobile phone, internet, and IoT services.

Array reported revenues of $52.01 million, up 92.8% year on year. This result lagged analysts’ expectations by 3.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Array delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 17.7% since reporting and currently trades at $40.56.

Read our full, actionable report on Array here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.