TCX
Tucows Inc.
Software - Infrastructure
Market Cap$177M
5Y Perf.-73.5%
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Stock Comparison
TCX vs CABO vs LUMN vs SHEN
Revenue, margins, valuation, and 5-year total return — side by side.
CABO
Cable One, Inc.
Telecommunications Services
Market Cap$345M
5Y Perf.-96.8%
LUMN
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Telecommunications Services
Market Cap$8.71B
5Y Perf.-13.9%
SHEN
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company
Telecommunications Services
Market Cap$898M
5Y Perf.-69.2%
TCX vs CABO vs LUMN vs SHEN — Key Financials
Market cap, revenue, margins, and valuation side-by-side.
| Company Snapshot | TCX | CABO | LUMN | SHEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Software - Infrastructure | Telecommunications Services | Telecommunications Services | Telecommunications Services |
| Market Cap | $177M | $345M | $8.71B | $898M |
| Revenue (TTM) | $392M | $1.47B | $12.12B | $266M |
| Net Income (TTM) | $-79M | $-260M | $-1.74B | $-36M |
| Gross Margin | 23.1% | 39.0% | 35.2% | 37.9% |
| Operating Margin | -4.4% | 26.0% | -2.6% | -10.3% |
| Forward P/E | — | 2.6x | — | — |
| Total Debt | $682M | $3.19B | $17.71B | $642M |
| Cash & Equiv. | $47M | $153M | $1.00B | $27M |
TCX vs CABO vs LUMN vs SHEN — Long-Term Stock Performance
Price return indexed to 100 at period start. Dividends excluded.
TCX
CABO
LUMN
SHEN
| Stock | May 20 | May 26 | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucows Inc. (TCX) | 100 | 26.5 | -73.5% |
| Cable One, Inc. (CABO) | 100 | 3.2 | -96.8% |
| Lumen Technologies,… (LUMN) | 100 | 86.1 | -13.9% |
| Shenandoah Telecomm… (SHEN) | 100 | 30.8 | -69.2% |
Price return only. Dividends and distributions are not included.
Quick Verdict: TCX vs CABO vs LUMN vs SHEN
Each card shows where this stock fits in a portfolio — not just who wins on paper.
Bottom line: CABO and SHEN are tied at the top with 3 categories each — the right choice depends on your priorities. Shenandoah Telecommunications Company is the stronger pick specifically for growth and revenue expansion and profitability and margin quality. LUMN also leads in specific categories worth noting. This set spans 2 sectors — these stocks serve different portfolio roles, not just different price points.
TCX
Tucows Inc.
The Secondary Option
TCX lags the leaders in this set but could rank higher in a more targeted comparison.
Best for: technology exposure
CABO
Cable One, Inc.
The Income Pick
CABO carries the broadest edge in this set and is the clearest fit for income & stability and defensive.
- Dividend streak 0 yrs, beta 0.42, yield 5.0%
- Beta 0.42, yield 5.0%, current ratio 0.40x
- Better valuation composite
- Beta 0.42 vs LUMN's 2.74
Best for: income & stability and defensive
LUMN
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
The Momentum Pick
LUMN is the clearest fit if your priority is momentum.
- +100.0% vs CABO's -65.2%
Best for: momentum
SHEN
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company
The Growth Play
SHEN is the #2 pick in this set and the best alternative if growth exposure and long-term compounding is your priority.
- Rev growth 9.1%, EPS growth -120.1%, 3Y rev CAGR 12.9%
- 21.6% 10Y total return vs TCX's -32.8%
- Lower volatility, beta 0.89, Low D/E 66.2%, current ratio 0.90x
- 9.1% revenue growth vs LUMN's -5.4%
Best for: growth exposure and long-term compounding
See the full category breakdown
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | SHEN | 9.1% revenue growth vs LUMN's -5.4% |
| Value | CABO | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | SHEN | -13.7% margin vs TCX's -20.1% |
| Stability / Safety | CABO | Beta 0.42 vs LUMN's 2.74 |
| Dividends | CABO | 5.0% yield, vs SHEN's 0.7%, (1 stock pays no dividend) |
| Momentum (1Y) | LUMN | +100.0% vs CABO's -65.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SHEN | -2.0% ROA vs TCX's -10.7%, ROIC -1.1% vs -2.7% |
TCX vs CABO vs LUMN vs SHEN — Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
FY 2025
FY 2025
FY 2025
FY 2025
TCX vs CABO vs LUMN vs SHEN — Financial Metrics
Side-by-side numbers across 4 stocks — who leads on profitability, valuation, growth, and risk.
BEST OVERALLCABOLAGGINGLUMN
Who Leads Where
CABO leads in 2 of 6 categories
SHEN leads 1 • TCX leads 0 • LUMN leads 0 • 3 tied
Explore the data ↓LUMNLumen Technologies, I…
0leads
TCXTucows Inc.
0leads
SHENShenandoah Telecommun…
1leads
CABOCable One, Inc.
2leads
6 Total Categories
CATEGORYLEADERvs SHENvs TCXMETRICS WON
Income & Cash FlowRevenue, margins, and cash flow strength
CABO3/6
Valuation MetricsMultiples, price ratios, and targets
CABO3/5
Profitability & EfficiencyROE, ROIC, leverage, and quality scores
SHEN5/9
Total Returns1Y, 3Y, 5Y total returns with dividends
Tied
—
Risk & VolatilityBeta, volatility, and downside exposure
Tied
—
Analyst OutlookRatings, price targets, and dividends
Tied
—
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
CABO leads this category, winning 3 of 6 comparable metrics.
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
LUMN is the larger business by revenue, generating $12.1B annually — 45.5x SHEN's $266M. SHEN is the more profitable business, keeping -13.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to TCX's -20.1%. On growth, TCX holds the edge at +2.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | TCXTucows Inc. | CABOCable One, Inc. | LUMNLumen Technologie… | SHENShenandoah Teleco… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $392M | $1.5B | $12.1B | $266M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $27M | $730M | $2.4B | $104M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$79M | -$260M | -$1.7B | -$36M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$8M | -$167M | $5.4B | -$276M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +23.1% | +39.0% | +35.2% | +37.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -4.4% | +26.0% | -2.6% | -10.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -20.1% | -17.7% | -14.3% | -13.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -2.1% | -11.3% | +44.9% | -103.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.2% | -7.3% | -8.9% | -100.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -19.0% | +12.3% | 0.0% | -18.2% |
CABO leads this category, winning 3 of 6 comparable metrics.
Valuation Metrics
CABO leads this category, winning 3 of 5 comparable metrics.
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, TCX's 3.6x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than SHEN's 13.8x.
| Metric | TCXTucows Inc. | CABOCable One, Inc. | LUMNLumen Technologie… | SHENShenandoah Teleco… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $177M | $345M | $8.7B | $898M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $812M | $3.4B | $25.4B | $1.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.32x | -0.96x | -4.83x | -22.86x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 2.63x | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 3.60x | 4.60x | 9.91x | 13.80x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.45x | 0.23x | 0.70x | 2.51x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 0.24x | — | 0.92x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 1.24x | 23.49x | — |
CABO leads this category, winning 3 of 5 comparable metrics.
Profitability & Efficiency
SHEN leads this category, winning 5 of 9 comparable metrics.
Profitability & Efficiency
SHEN delivers a -3.7% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-4 in annual profit, vs $-79 for LUMN. SHEN carries lower financial leverage with a 0.66x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to CABO's 2.23x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), TCX scores 4/9 vs SHEN's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | TCXTucows Inc. | CABOCable One, Inc. | LUMNLumen Technologie… | SHENShenandoah Teleco… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | -18.3% | -79.4% | -3.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -10.7% | -4.6% | -5.3% | -2.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -2.7% | +6.1% | -0.8% | -1.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -3.1% | +7.1% | -0.6% | -1.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 2.23x | — | 0.66x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $635M | $3.0B | $16.7B | $614M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $47M | $153M | $1.0B | $27M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $682M | $3.2B | $17.7B | $642M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.53x | 3.06x | -1.12x | -0.65x |
SHEN leads this category, winning 5 of 9 comparable metrics.
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
Evenly matched — LUMN and SHEN each lead in 3 of 6 comparable metrics.
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
A $10,000 investment in SHEN five years ago would be worth $7,209 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $605 for CABO. Over the past 12 months, LUMN leads with a +100.0% total return vs CABO's -65.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LUMN at 54.4% vs CABO's -50.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | TCXTucows Inc. | CABOCable One, Inc. | LUMNLumen Technologie… | SHENShenandoah Teleco… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -27.8% | -41.7% | +10.0% | +43.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -3.8% | -65.2% | +100.0% | +41.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -40.7% | -87.7% | +267.8% | -13.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -80.0% | -93.9% | -28.8% | -27.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -32.8% | -70.3% | -35.7% | +21.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -16.0% | -50.3% | +54.4% | -4.8% |
Evenly matched — LUMN and SHEN each lead in 3 of 6 comparable metrics.
Risk & Volatility
Evenly matched — CABO and SHEN each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Risk & Volatility
CABO is the less volatile stock with a 0.42 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LUMN's 2.74 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SHEN currently trades 93.6% from its 52-week high vs CABO's 32.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | TCXTucows Inc. | CABOCable One, Inc. | LUMNLumen Technologie… | SHENShenandoah Teleco… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.29x | 0.42x | 2.74x | 0.89x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $25.17 | $186.54 | $11.95 | $17.34 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $14.97 | $53.94 | $3.37 | $9.66 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +63.2% | +32.6% | +70.8% | +93.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 37.5 | 23.1 | 73.4 | 55.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 32K | 151K | 12.5M | 300K |
Evenly matched — CABO and SHEN each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Analyst Outlook
Evenly matched — CABO and SHEN each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Analyst Outlook
Analyst consensus: CABO as "Hold", LUMN as "Hold", SHEN as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 78.7% upside for SHEN (target: $29) vs -16.3% for LUMN (target: $7). For income investors, CABO offers the higher dividend yield at 5.03% vs SHEN's 0.72%.
| Metric | TCXTucows Inc. | CABOCable One, Inc. | LUMNLumen Technologie… | SHENShenandoah Teleco… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $80.00 | $7.08 | $29.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 14 | 28 | 8 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +5.0% | +0.0% | +0.7% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $3.06 | $0.00 | $0.12 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Evenly matched — CABO and SHEN each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Key Takeaway
CABO leads in 2 of 6 categories (Income & Cash Flow, Valuation Metrics). SHEN leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 3 tied.
Best OverallCable One, Inc. (CABO)Leads 2 of 6 categories
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TCX vs CABO vs LUMN vs SHEN: Key Questions Answered
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN a better buy right now?
For growth investors, Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (SHEN) is the stronger pick with 9.
1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -5. 4% for Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN). Analysts rate Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (SHEN) a "Buy" — based on 8 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN?
Over the past 5 years, Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (SHEN) delivered a total return of -27.
9%, compared to -93. 9% for Cable One, Inc. (CABO). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SHEN returned +21. 6% versus CABO's -70. 3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Cable One, Inc.
(CABO) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 42β versus Lumen Technologies, Inc. 's 2. 74β — meaning LUMN is approximately 558% more volatile than CABO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (SHEN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 66% versus 2% for Cable One, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which is growing faster — TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN?
By revenue growth (latest reported year), Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (SHEN) is pulling ahead at 9.
1% versus -5. 4% for Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Tucows Inc. grew EPS 31. 6% year-over-year, compared to -30. 4% for Lumen Technologies, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, SHEN leads at 12. 9% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.
05Which has better profit margins — TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN?
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (SHEN) is the more profitable company, earning -11.
0% net margin versus -23. 7% for Cable One, Inc. — meaning it keeps -11. 0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CABO leads at 26. 5% versus -6. 2% for SHEN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CABO leads at 51. 3%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SHEN: 78.
7% to $29. 00.
07Which pays a better dividend — TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN?
In this comparison, CABO (5.
0% yield), SHEN (0. 7% yield) pay a dividend. TCX, LUMN do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is TCX or CABO or LUMN or SHEN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Cable One, Inc.
(CABO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 42), 5. 0% yield). Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN) carries a higher beta of 2. 74 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (CABO: -70. 3%, LUMN: -35. 7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between TCX and CABO and LUMN and SHEN?
These companies operate in different sectors (TCX (Technology) and CABO (Communication Services) and LUMN (Communication Services) and SHEN (Communication Services)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.
In terms of investment character: TCX is a small-cap quality compounder stock; CABO is a small-cap income-oriented stock; LUMN is a small-cap quality compounder stock; SHEN is a small-cap quality compounder stock. CABO, SHEN pay a dividend while TCX, LUMN do not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Gross Margin > 23%
- Dividend Yield > 2.0%
- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Gross Margin > 22%
- Dividend Yield > 0.5%
Revenue Growth>
%
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