Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) carries a Roarable Rating of D- (Sell) with 43/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.
As of 2026-11-02, Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (NYSE: TDS) is rated D- (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 43/100 at a spot price of $34.30 (+1.12% 1D, market cap $3.90B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 8/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 5/20, Executive Insider Alignment 13/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 7/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 10/20. Across 132 tracked Communication Services issuers, TDS ranks #82 in composite RQD confidence.
Within the Communication Services sector (Telecommunications Equipment), TDS carries a Roarable D- (43/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of —, and ROIC of -1.9%. By comparison, PHI (PLDT Inc. Sponsored ADR) holds a D grade (47/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $3.82B) and TKC (Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS) posts a D grade (44/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $4.07B). Among the 5-stock peer group, TDS leads on earnings multiple (N/A) while TDS leads on capital efficiency (-1.9% ROIC).
Per TDS's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001051512), Telephone and Data Systems Inc. generated $1.07B in revenue (-9.0% YoY), $20.2M in net income, and $199.4M in free cash flow against $8.40B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Communication Services with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
Altman Z-Score 3.80 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 6/9
SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 50% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-0.68% YoY Shares)
Put hedging (50% put share) caps near-term gamma upside (-15 pts vs max)
While TDS currently carries a cautious 43/100 (D-) rating due to Whale & Options Positioning (5/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.
Established market leader in Communication Services with deep daily trading liquidity.
Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($35.20) and Max Pain ($36.02) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $51.58.
Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Cannibal Buyback (-0.68% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.
Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) advanced +1.12% to $34.30, trading at 20% of its 52-week range ($30.71 – $49.12). Stretched risk/reward at current multiples (-2% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.
Yahoo Finance UK report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
GuruFocus report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingView report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Simply Wall St report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
MarketBeat report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Stock Titan report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
ad-hoc-news.de report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
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Billionaire investor Howard Marks, co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, has spent more than five decades studying financial markets, investment risk, and speculative bubbles. His firm, founded in 1995, has grown int
Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).
vs. -9.0% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).
No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on TDS today. View full Setup Ledger →
No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for TDS. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.
Across 132 tracked Communication Services securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) ranks #82 by composite RQD confidence (43/100, grade D-) and #44 by equity capitalization ($3.90B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, TDS leads on earnings valuation at N/A trailing P/E, while TDS leads on capital efficiency and profitability with -1.9% ROIC and — gross margin. PHI currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 47/100 (D) compared with TDS at 43/100 (D-).
| Ticker / Company | Roarable Grade | RQD Score | Trailing P/E | Gross Margin | ROIC | 1D Change | Market Cap | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TDS
ACTIVE
Telephone and Data Systems Inc. | D- | 43/100 | — | — | -1.9% | +1.12% | $3.90B | Benchmark Subject |
| PHI PLDT Inc. Sponsored ADR | D | 47/100 | — | — | — | +0.51% | $3.82B | /phi-vs-tds → |
| TKC Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS | D | 44/100 | — | — | — | -1.08% | $4.07B | /tkc-vs-tds → |
| TEO Telecom Argentina SA | D | 45/100 | — | — | — | -4.24% | $4.77B | /teo-vs-tds → |
| LUMN Lumen Technologies Inc. | D- | 37/100 | — | 41.4% | -13.4% | +1.88% | $4.94B | /lumn-vs-tds → |
In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) reported GAAP revenue of $1.07B (-9.0% vs. FY2024 revenue of $1.18B , and -12.8% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $20.2M, operating cash flow of $589.9M, and free cash flow of $199.4M (-74.5% YoY). On the balance sheet, TDS closed FY2025 with $8.40B in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: N/A, Piotroski F-Score: 6/9).
| Fiscal Period | Filing Date | Revenue | Net Income | Operating Cash Flow | Free Cash Flow | Total Assets | Total Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 (FY) | 2025-12-31 | $1.07B | $20.2M | $589.9M | $199.4M | $8.40B | — |
| FY2024 (FY) | 2024-12-31 | $1.18B | -$26.5M | $1.15B | $780.4M | $13.68B | — |
| FY2023 (FY) | 2023-12-31 | $1.23B | -$487.3M | $1.14B | $1.14B | — | — |
As of 2026-11-02, Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (NYSE: TDS) is rated D- (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 43/100 at a spot price of $34.30 (+1.12% 1D, market cap $3.90B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 8/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 5/20, Executive Insider Alignment 13/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 7/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 10/20. Across 132 tracked Communication Services issuers, TDS ranks #82 in composite RQD confidence.
Within the Communication Services sector (Telecommunications Equipment), TDS carries a Roarable D- (43/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of —, and ROIC of -1.9%. By comparison, PHI (PLDT Inc. Sponsored ADR) holds a D grade (47/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $3.82B) and TKC (Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS) posts a D grade (44/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $4.07B). Among the 5-stock peer group, TDS leads on earnings multiple (N/A) while TDS leads on capital efficiency (-1.9% ROIC).
Per TDS's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001051512), Telephone and Data Systems Inc. generated $1.07B in revenue (-9.0% YoY), $20.2M in net income, and $199.4M in free cash flow against $8.40B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Communication Services with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
TDS last traded at $34.30 (+1.12% on volume of 1,022,616 shares), positioning the stock -2.56% below its 50-day simple moving average ($35.20) and -13.25% below its 200-day simple moving average ($39.54). Across its 52-week range of $30.71 to $49.12, TDS sits at the 19.5% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 44.9 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±9.0% ($31.21 to $37.39).
Why TDS Stock advanced +1.12% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. Stretched risk/reward at current multiples (-2% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.
| Period | Revenue | Operating Income | Net Income | EPS | FCF | Cash | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2025 | $1070.9M | $-97.4M | $20.2M | N/A | $199.4M | $766.0M | N/A |
| FY 2024 | $1176.6M | $-191.3M | $-26.5M | N/A | $780.4M | $363.6M | N/A |
| FY 2023 | $1228.1M | $-682.6M | $-487.3M | N/A | $1141.2M | N/A | N/A |
Per the SEC financials, revenue declined from $1228.1M (FY 2023) to $1070.9M (FY 2025), and operating income remained negative in each reported period. Per the market data, the operating margin is -9.1%, the net margin is 1.9%, and the gross margin is 0%. ROIC is -1.9%. Per the RQD rating, the Altman Z-Score is 2.5 and the Piotroski F-Score is 6/9. Per the SEC financials, reported cash rose to $766.0M in FY 2025 from $363.6M in FY 2024, while reported debt is Not available in source data; the RQD rating's Debt/Equity of 0.5 is the only leverage figure provided.
Per the recent news feed, catalyst items cover fiber transition and value unlocking in Array Digital, a GuruFocus report on a 3.4% share decline with a GF Score of 51 (flagged RED as RISK WATCH), a Simply Wall St valuation discussion tied to fiber and tower growth (flagged GREEN as CATALYST), a preferred-share listing notice for the 6.625% Series UU Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, and a MarketBeat notice of the Q3 2026 earnings date and estimates. Most other items are flagged YELLOW as MARKET WIRE. Per the Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph, the supply chain is NONE, with no butterfly links and no proprietary signals recorded.
Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below
Yahoo Finance UK report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
GuruFocus report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingView report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Simply Wall St report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
MarketBeat report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Stock Titan report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
ad-hoc-news.de report covering Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Welcome to the TDS (Telephone and Data Systems Inc.) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 43/100 (Roarable Sell — Vulnerable Balance Sheet & Flow) in Telecommunications Equipment. Bulls point to operating leverage and sector positioning, while bears focus on macro rate sensitivity and margin execution. Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.
Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on TDS, but look at what you are paying: current EV/EBITDA multiples with tightening sector spreads. Unless Telephone and Data Systems Inc. expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.
Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on TDS, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Telecommunications Equipment and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $33.92 (52-wk range $30.71 - $49.12), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.
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