SmarterDividends
TDS

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

TDS

Communication Services · Stock · quarterly payer

Forward Yield

0.40%

Annual Dividend

$0.16

Payout Ratio

9%

5-Yr Growth

-25.1%

Ex-Date

Jun 16, 2026

Frequency

Quarterly

TDS Dividend Safety Score

69/ 100
Grade B

Safe

Dividend-growth streak1 consecutive years of growth
Cut historyCut its dividend in 2024
Earnings payout coverage9% of earnings paid out
Free-cash-flow coverage3% of free cash flow
Balance-sheet strengthDebt/equity of 0.24
Yield vs its historyYield in line with its history

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

Is TDS a good dividend stock?

Yes, with caveats

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 0.40% ($0.16/yr), with 1 year 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%)
  • 72% total price return over 5 years

Risks

  • Cut its dividend in 2024
  • Dividend has been shrinking, not growing

Key Data

Dividend Yield
0.40%
Payout Ratio
9%
Annual Dividend
$0.16
5-Yr Avg Growth
-25.1%
Ex-Dividend Date
Jun 16, 2026
Years of Growth
1
Frequency
quarterly
Beta
0.30
Market Cap
$4.5B
P/E Ratio
23.3
5-Yr Total Return
72%
52-Week Range
$32.60 – $49.12
Dividend Safety
B · 69/100
Ever Cut?
Yes (2024)
TDS ex-dividend date & scheduleNext ex-date Jun 16, 2026 · full ex-dividend historyView →

Frequently Asked Questions

Income Calculator

At $0.16 / yr per share

Per payment (quarterly)$4.00
Annual$16.00
Monthly avg$1.33