Telephone and Data SystemsTDS +0.12%64 Piotroski F-Score is 8 as of Jun. 25, 2026, which is 60% above its 10-year median of 5.00. GuruFocus rates TDS with a GF Score™ of 64/100 and a GF Value™ of $32.86 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 359 Telecommunication Services companies, Telephone and Data Systems ranks better than 97.21% on this metric.
Good Sign:
Piotroski F-Score is 8, indicates a very healthy situation.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Telephone and Data Systems has an F-score of 8. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.
The historical rank and industry rank for Telephone and Data Systems's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:
TDS'
s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3 Med: 5 Max: 8
Current: 8
During the past 13 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of Telephone and Data Systems was 8. The lowest was 3. And the median was 5.
Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS) Piotroski F-Score Explanation
The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.
He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.
He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.
What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.
Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.
Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).
Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.
Telephone and Data Systems Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
Telephone and Data Systems Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Telephone and Data Systems Piotroski F-Score Chart
TDS vs AD, LBTYA, LBRDA: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Telecom Services subindustry, Telephone and Data Systems's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Telephone and Data Systems Piotroski F-Score vs Telecommunication Services Industry
For the Telecommunication Services industry and Communication Services sector, Telephone and Data Systems's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Telephone and Data Systems's Piotroski F-Score falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.
Profitability
Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)
Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
Telephone and Data Systems's current Net Income (TTM) was 131.
==> Positive ==> Score 1.
Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)
Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
Telephone and Data Systems's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 472.
==> Positive ==> Score 1.
Question 3. Change in Return on Assets
Compare this year's return on assets (1) to last year's return on assets.
Telephone and Data Systems's return on assets of this year was 0.00970124. Telephone and Data Systems's return on assets of last year was -0.0035631.
==> This year is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
Telephone and Data Systems's gearing of this year was 0.11695654. Telephone and Data Systems's gearing of last year was 0.35737045.
==> This year is lower or equal to last year. ==> Score 1.
Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)
Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.
Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Telephone and Data Systems's current ratio of this year was 3.4261092. Telephone and Data Systems's current ratio of last year was 1.74818653.
==> This year's current ratio is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue
Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.
Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.
Telephone and Data Systems's number of shares in issue this year was 116.651. Telephone and Data Systems's number of shares in issue last year was 114.582.
==> There is larger number of shares in issue this year. ==> Score 0.
Efficiency
Question 8. Change in Gross Margin
Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.
Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.
Telephone and Data Systems's gross margin of this year was 0.5905631. Telephone and Data Systems's gross margin of last year was 0.56708849.
==> This year's gross margin is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 9. Change in asset turnover
Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.
Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Telephone and Data Systems's asset turnover of this year was 0.15770412. Telephone and Data Systems's asset turnover of last year was 0.1551477.
==> This year's asset turnover is higher. ==> Score 1.
Evaluation
Piotroski F-Score
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Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Telephone and Data Systems has an F-score of 8. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.
Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) has a Piotroski F-Score of 8 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Telephone and Data Systems and its competitors. This is 60% above median its historical median of 5.00. Over the past decade, Telephone and Data Systems' Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 8.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #10 out of 359 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, placing it in the top 2.8%.
Is Telephone and Data Systems' Piotroski F-Score too high?
Telephone and Data Systems' current Piotroski F-Score of 8 is 60% above median its 10-year median of 5.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 8.00. The Telecommunication Services industry median Piotroski F-Score is 6.00. Telephone and Data Systems' value of 8 is 33.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #10 out of 359 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Telephone and Data Systems has a GF Score™ of 64/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Telephone and Data Systems' Piotroski F-Score compare to AD and LBTYA?
According to the Telecommunication Services industry distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #10 out of 359 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places Telephone and Data Systems in the top 3% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 6.00. Telephone and Data Systems' value of 8 is 33.3% above this benchmark. Historically, Telephone and Data Systems' own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 8.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 5.00 vs. the industry median of 6.00, Telephone and Data Systems has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Piotroski F-Score for a Telecommunication Services company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Telecommunication Services companies is 6.00, based on 359 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Telephone and Data Systems's current Piotroski F-Score of 8 is 33.3% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Telephone and Data Systems and its competitors. For the Telecommunication Services industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 6.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Telephone and Data Systems's current Piotroski F-Score is 8, which is 60% above median its own 10-year median of 5.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Telephone and Data Systems stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $32.86, compared to a current price of $37.60 — trading 14.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Piotroski F-Score is 8, which is 60% above median its 10-year median of 5.00 and 33.3% above the Telecommunication Services industry median of 6.00. Telephone and Data Systems' overall GF Score™ is 64/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Telephone and Data Systems (TDS), the current Piotroski F-Score is 8 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Telephone and Data Systems stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $37.60 is trading 14.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $32.86.
GuruFocus considers Telephone and Data Systems to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for TDS:
Piotroski F-Score: 8 (60% above median its 10-year median of 5.00)
GF Value™: $32.86 vs. price of $37.60 (14.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 33.3% above the Telecommunication Services median (#10 of 359)
No single metric tells the full story. See the TDS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Telephone and Data Systems Inc is a diversified telecommunications operator that provides communications services to customers through broadband, video, voice, and wireless connections. The company has two reportable segments: TDS Telecom and Array. The majority of its revenue is generated from the TDS Telecom segment, which generates revenue by providing broadband, video, voice, and wireless services. The Array segment generates its revenue mainly by leasing tower space on Array-owned towers to customers.
64GF Score
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