Traders Buy High Volume of Lumen Technologies Put Options (NYSE:LUMN)

Lumen Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:LUMN) saw some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders bought 62,368 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 116% compared to the average volume of 28,890 put options.

Lumen Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE:LUMN opened at $7.03 on Friday. Lumen Technologies has a one year low of $3.01 and a one year high of $11.95. The stock has a market cap of $7.20 billion, a PE ratio of -4.04 and a beta of 1.51. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $8.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.40.

Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The technology company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.21) by $0.44. Lumen Technologies had a negative return on equity of 158.40% and a negative net margin of 14.02%.The company had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.09 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Lumen Technologies will post -0.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Kathleen E. Johnson acquired 78,685 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $6.35 per share, for a total transaction of $499,649.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 8,562,582 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,372,395.70. The trade was a 0.93% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Diankha Linear sold 45,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.89, for a total transaction of $355,050.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 198,229 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,564,026.81. The trade was a 18.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lumen Technologies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Lumen Technologies by 49.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 4,105 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 1,351 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Lumen Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MRP Capital Investments LLC increased its stake in Lumen Technologies by 160.0% during the second quarter. MRP Capital Investments LLC now owns 6,500 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lumen Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Lumen Technologies by 24.5% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 5,343 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,051 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.19% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Lumen Technologies

Here are the key news stories impacting Lumen Technologies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lumen outlined a multi‑year strategy at its 2026 Investor Day — management laid out a transformation to an enterprise‑focused technology infrastructure and “trusted network for AI,” plus a financial framework aimed at accelerating growth; the presentation prompted a positive market reaction. Lumen Marks New Phase of Transformation at 2026 Investor Day Business Wire: Lumen Marks New Phase of Transformation
• Positive Sentiment: Operational progress: Lumen reported growth in managed/network offerings (Network‑as‑a‑Service customer base reportedly doubled), supporting the company’s shift toward higher‑value enterprise services. Lumen doubles network-as-a-service customer base
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/sector commentary views Lumen as well‑positioned for communications infrastructure demand (5G, scalable networks), which could support a longer‑term thesis even if near‑term execution matters. 3 Communication Stocks Likely to Benefit From Industry Tailwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put buying was reported — investors purchased roughly 62,368 put options (about 116% above typical put volume), a sign some traders are positioning for downside or hedging exposure in the near term.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: a director sold 45,000 shares (~$355k) in the open market, which may raise short‑term concerns for some investors about insider conviction. Is Lumen Technologies Stock a Buy or Sell After a Director Dumped 45,000 Shares?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Lumen Technologies from $4.25 to $8.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Lumen Technologies from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Lumen Technologies from $5.50 to $7.25 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Lumen Technologies from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Lumen Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lumen Technologies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $7.25.

Lumen Technologies Company Profile

Lumen Technologies is a multinational technology company specializing in integrated network, edge cloud, security and collaboration services for enterprise and public sector clients. The company’s core offerings include high-capacity fiber and IP-based connectivity, managed edge computing solutions designed to accelerate applications and data processing closer to end users, and cybersecurity services ranging from DDoS protection to unified threat management. Through its unified portfolio, Lumen enables organizations to support digital transformation initiatives, modernize infrastructure and enhance operational resilience.

Leveraging one of the largest fiber footprints in North America, as well as infrastructure in Latin America and parts of Europe, Lumen connects customers across more than 60 countries.