Qwest's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Qwest (CTQ) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Qwest vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 4,577M vs 495,685M combined for its competitors (0.9% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-8.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (-0.4%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Qwest generated -14.0% revenue growth year over year in Q1 2026, vs 4.5% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its -21.5% net margin compares with 11.1% for the peer group.
- Peer revenue share: Qwest accounted for 0.8% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 1.0% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.50M compares with $0.99M for the peer group (0.5x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
CTQ Sales vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Qwest reported revenue contraction of 13.99 % year on year in Q1 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 4.53 %.
With a net margin of -21.50 %, Qwest reported lower profitability than its competitors (11.07 %).
Qwest generated 0.84 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 1.02 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Qwest vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Qwest reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Qwest and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (8) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Qwest's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Communications Services industry grew revenue -4.9% year over year, combined, vs -14.0% for Qwest. Qwest's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.16% to 0.15%, a loss of 0.02 percentage points.
Qwest's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | No | No | No | No |
| Competitors combined (5) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (9) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
CTQ Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
CTQ Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verizon Communications Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Comcast corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | At and t Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | T mobile Us Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Lumen Technologies inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Qwest's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Publicly Traded Peers of Qwest Corporation
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Qwest Corporation |
- | 4,577.00 |
 Verizon Communications Inc |
191,655.66 | 139,387.00 |
 T mobile Us Inc |
180,794.77 | 92,982.00 |
 At and t Inc |
149,199.20 | 128,852.00 |
 Comcast corporation |
87,304.62 | 123,004.00 |
 Lumen Technologies inc |
4,340.62 | 11,460.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 613,294.87 | 500,262.00 |
Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Qwest Corporation versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Qwest's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Qwest reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Comcast corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Tucows Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Atn International inc | Company report | 85% |
| Bandwidth Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Fastly Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Calethos Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Pc Connection Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Telecom Argentina Sa | Company report | 85% |
| Akamai Technologies | Company report | 85% |
| Limelight Networks | Company report | 85% |
| Content Delivery Networks | Company report | 85% |
| Edgecast Networks | Company report | 85% |
| Optimum Communications Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Nuvera Communications Inc | Company report | 85% |
| At and t Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Verizon Communications Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Frontier Communications Parent Inc | Company report | 85% |
| T mobile Us Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Edgio Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Telephone And Data Systems Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Consolidated Communications Holdings inc | Company report | 85% |
| Shenandoah Telecommunications Company | Company report | 85% |
| Cincinnati Bell Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Crown Castle Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Verizon Communications Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Qwest's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Qwest's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Verizon Communications Inc | Verizon Consumer Group 77.03 % |
| T mobile Us Inc | Wireless 100.00 % |
| At and t Inc | Advanced Connectivity 91.21 % |
| Comcast corporation | Residential Connectivity and Platforms 58.09 % |
| Lumen Technologies inc | Business 87.13 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Qwest's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | - | 502,967 | -201,868 |
| Verizon Communications Inc | 191,656 | 1,550,467 | 186,218 |
| T mobile Us Inc | 180,795 | 1,239,760 | 143,680 |
| At and t Inc | 149,199 | 968,594 | 107,028 |
| Comcast corporation | 87,305 | 687,173 | 61,257 |
| Lumen Technologies inc | 4,341 | 477,500 | -27,833 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 613,295 | 989,529 | 103,911 |
Qwest's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 56 companies in Qwest's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Qwest ranks #0 of 56 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.00 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,137, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verizon Communications Inc | 192,116 | 18.15 % |
| 2 | T mobile Us Inc | 182,613 | 17.25 % |
| 3 | At and t Inc | 151,423 | 14.31 % |
| 4 | Veon ltd | 137,654 | 13.00 % |
| 5 | America Movil Sab De Cv | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Tim S a | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Vodafone Group Public Limited Company | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Chunghwa Telecom Co Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Echostar Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Telecom Argentina Sa | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 0 | Qwest Corporation | - | 0.00 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Qwest's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2016-12-29.
Qwest's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Communications Services industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (121 companies). See the full Communications Services industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 0.70 % | 34.71 % (avg) | -34.0 pp |
| Operating Margin | - | industry median | - |
| EBITDA Margin | -0.14 % | 6.94 % (avg) | -7.1 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 16.08 % | 13.46 % (avg) | +2.6 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Qwest's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | -0.67 % | -3.96 % | -10.35 % | -10.57 % | -7.17 % | -8.28 % | -6.88 % | -13.80 % |
| Operating Margin | 31.32 % | 35.36 % | 37.07 % | 44.12 % | 42.72 % | -3.30 % | 37.24 % | -21.25 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 9.28 % | 9.51 % | 11.60 % | 10.61 % | 8.53 % | -0.59 % | 7.09 % | -3.33 % |
| P/E | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Qwest's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 1,137 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 16.08 % vs industry average 13.46 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Qwest's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Qwest's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Qwest falls in the Low attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest / Divest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Qwest's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
No rule matched.
Weaknesses
- Return on equity 10.0 points below the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-8.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Qwest's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | 0.05 | 6.24 | 0.15 |
| Verizon Communications Inc | 0.13 | 0.69 | 1.57 |
| T mobile Us Inc | 0.19 | 0.97 | 1.13 |
| At and t Inc | 0.27 | 0.91 | 1.15 |
| Comcast corporation | 0.26 | 0.84 | 1.49 |
| Lumen Technologies inc | 0.32 | 1.11 | - |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Qwest's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | Q1 2026 | -14.0 % | - |
| Verizon Communications Inc | Q3 2026 | +1.5 % | +2.8 % |
| T mobile Us Inc | Q3 2026 | +11.6 % | +7.2 % |
| At and t Inc | Q3 2026 | +5.3 % | -90.8 % |
| Comcast corporation | Q3 2026 | -6.1 % | +6.1 % |
| Lumen Technologies inc | Q3 2026 | -12.1 % | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | +1.7 % | -40.1 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Qwest's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | Q1 2026 | -16.9 % | -43.3 % |
| Verizon Communications Inc | Q3 2026 | +281.5 % | +57.3 % |
| T mobile Us Inc | Q3 2026 | +411.4 % | +78.5 % |
| At and t Inc | Q3 2026 | -0.1 % | +3.6 % |
| Comcast corporation | Q3 2026 | - | -1.5 % |
| Lumen Technologies inc | Q3 2026 | -15.8 % | -16.2 % |
Qwest's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | - | - | - |
| Verizon Communications Inc | 4.06% | 4.74% | 15.84% |
| T mobile Us Inc | 4.99% | 7.11% | 18.59% |
| At and t Inc | 3.32% | 3.09% | 11.36% |
| Comcast corporation | 4.19% | 4.88% | 11.93% |
| Lumen Technologies inc | - | - | - |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Qwest's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Qwest Corporation | - | - |
| Verizon Communications Inc | 11.81 | 1.37 |
| T mobile Us Inc | 17.29 | 1.94 |
| At and t Inc | 11.85 | 1.16 |
| Comcast corporation | 7.73 | 0.71 |
| Lumen Technologies inc | - | 0.38 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 12.21 | 1.23 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.