Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.
TDSCommunication Services · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
0.47%
Annual Dividend
$0.16
Payout Ratio
9%
5-Yr Growth
-25.1%
Ex-Date
Jun 16, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Summary
As of July 2026, Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) yields 0.47% ($0.16 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $24.90 — -27% downside, so it screens as overvalued. Dividend safety grade: B (69/100).
Is TDS a good dividend stock?
Yes, with caveatsTelephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 0.47% ($0.16/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of B. It's a solid income payer, but check the caveats below before buying.
Advantages
- Comfortable payout ratio (9%)
- 69% total price return over 5 years
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2024
- Dividend has been shrinking, not growing
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 0.47%
- Payout Ratio
- 9%
- Annual Dividend
- $0.16
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- -25.1%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Jun 16, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 0
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.31
- Market Cap
- $3.8B
- P/E Ratio
- 20.2
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 69%
- 52-Week Range
- $33.37 – $49.12
- Dividend Safety
- B · 69/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions
TDS Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
-14%
3 Years
+60%
5 Years
+69%
52-Week Range
$33.37 – $49.12
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is TDS worth?
Overvaluedmedium confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. is $24.90 per share, versus a market price of $34.32. That implies 27% of downside.
Fair Value
$24.90
Current Price
$34.32
Downside
-27%
Margin of Safety
-38%
How we get there
Discounted cash flow
Discounts projected free cash flow back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about -3.0% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model -5.0% — so the price already assumes faster growth than we think is likely.
Assumptions: 7.0% discount rate (CAPM), -5.0% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $1.70 EPS, $0.16 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
TDS Dividend Safety Score
Safe
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2026 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Mar 16, 2026 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Dec 15, 2025 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Sep 15, 2025 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Jun 16, 2025 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Mar 17, 2025 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Dec 16, 2024 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Sep 16, 2024 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Jun 14, 2024 | — | $0.0400 | regular |
| Mar 14, 2024 | — | $0.1900 | regular |
| Dec 14, 2023 | — | $0.1850 | regular |
| Sep 14, 2023 | — | $0.1850 | regular |
| Jun 14, 2023 | — | $0.1850 | regular |
| Mar 14, 2023 | — | $0.1850 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $0.16 / yr per share
