Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) carries a Roarable Rating of D (Sell) with 44/100 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 2026-11-03, 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 44/100 at a spot price of $36.10 (+5.25% 1D, market cap $3.95B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 8/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 6/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 13/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 7/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 10/20. Across 132 tracked Communication Services issuers, TDS ranks #78 in composite RQD confidence.
Within the Communication Services sector (Telecommunications Equipment), TDS carries a Roarable D (44/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of —, and ROIC of -1.9%. By comparison, TKC (Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS) holds a D grade (45/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $4.03B) and PHI (PLDT Inc. Sponsored ADR) posts a D grade (47/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $3.84B). 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 (-14 pts vs max)
While TDS currently carries a cautious 44/100 (D) rating due to Whale & Options Positioning (6/20), 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 ($35.22) and Max Pain ($37.91) 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) surged +5.25% to $36.10, trading at 29% 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 #78 by composite RQD confidence (44/100, grade D) and #44 by equity capitalization ($3.95B). 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 44/100 (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 | 44/100 | — | — | -1.9% | +5.25% | $3.95B | Benchmark Subject |
| TKC Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS | D | 45/100 | — | — | — | +0.87% | $4.03B | /tkc-vs-tds → |
| PHI PLDT Inc. Sponsored ADR | D | 47/100 | — | — | — | +0.06% | $3.84B | /phi-vs-tds → |
| TEO Telecom Argentina SA | D | 45/100 | — | — | — | -0.66% | $4.57B | /teo-vs-tds → |
| LUMN Lumen Technologies Inc. | D- | 37/100 | — | 41.4% | -13.4% | -1.02% | $5.03B | /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 2026-11-03, 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 44/100 at a spot price of $36.10 (+5.25% 1D, market cap $3.95B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 8/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 6/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 13/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 7/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 10/20. Across 132 tracked Communication Services issuers, TDS ranks #78 in composite RQD confidence.
Within the Communication Services sector (Telecommunications Equipment), TDS carries a Roarable D (44/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of —, and ROIC of -1.9%. By comparison, TKC (Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS) holds a D grade (45/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $4.03B) and PHI (PLDT Inc. Sponsored ADR) posts a D grade (47/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $3.84B). 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 $36.10 (+5.25% on volume of 1,216,678 shares), positioning the stock +2.50% above its 50-day simple moving average ($35.22) and -8.58% below its 200-day simple moving average ($39.49). Across its 52-week range of $30.71 to $49.12, TDS sits at the 29.3% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 47.5 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±8.9% ($32.89 to $39.31).
Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) earns a live Roarable RQD composite score of 44/100, corresponding to a D letter grade (Roarable Sell) at a spot price of $36.10 (+5.25% 1D, market capitalization $3.95B).
Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) is a NYSE-listed issuer classified under the Communication Services sector and the Telecommunications Equipment industry. The profile identifies it as a Communication Services issuer with a market capitalization of $3.9B.
In its latest audited SEC EDGAR 10-K filing for FY2025 (filed 2025-12-31), Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) reported $1.07B in annual revenue (up from $1.18B in FY2024, -9.0% YoY) and $20.2M in GAAP net income. Over the multi-year SEC filing window from FY2023 ($1.23B revenue, -$487.3M net income) through FY2025, TDS scaled operating cash flow to $589.9M and free cash flow to $199.4M, backed by $8.40B in total assets against $0 in total debt.
No upstream or downstream links, sector correlations, or proprietary signals are recorded.
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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.
Here is why I am bullish on TDS here at $34.30: Positive free cash flow yield of 5.11% and a forensic balance sheet score of 13/20 with cash rising to $766.0M in FY 2025 point to cash-generation resilience.. Compare TDS's -9.1% operating margin and -1.9% ROIC against the rest of Telecommunications Equipment. As long as cash conversion holds up, dips toward $32.58 are getting bought.
@ShortSeller_Dan Shorting a 6/20 institutional whale-flow stock at $34.30 is dangerous when funds are rotating into Communication Services.
I respect the product at Telephone and Data Systems Inc., but the stock at $34.30 is a different story. Negative ROIC of -1.9% and operating income of -$97.4M in FY 2025, alongside revenue falling from $1.23B to $1.07B, show the core business is not earning a return on capital.. FCF yield is 5.11% and RQD sits at 44/100 (D) — why pay up here when you can wait for next quarter's numbers?
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