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Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Telephone and Data SystemsTDS +3.59%66 Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is $10.34 as of Jul. 24, 2026, which is 563% above its 10-year median of 1.56. GuruFocus rates TDS with a GF Score™ of 66/100 and a GF Value™ of $31.19 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 55 Telecommunication Services companies, Telephone and Data Systems ranks worse than 1818180% on this metric.
Note: Discounted Dividend model is only suitable for companies who have a consistant distribution history. If the company's dividends does not remain steady over a long period, results may not be accurate due to the low consistency. The model is also only suitable for predictable companies (Business Predictability Rank higher than 1-Star) with dividend payments. If the company's Predictability Rank is 1-Star or Not Rated, or if the company does not pay dividend, the data will not be stored into our database.
Telephone and Data Systems's Predictability Rank is 1-Star. Thus, this page is only used for demonstration purposes and the DCF related results in the screener and portfolio will appear as zero.
The historical rank and industry rank for Telephone and Data Systems's Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) or its related term are showing as below:
During the past 13 years, the highest Price-to-Intrinsic-Value-DCF (Dividends Based) Ratio of Telephone and Data Systems was 1.70. The lowest was 1.42. And the median was 1.56.
TDS's Price-to-DCF (Dividends Based) is not ranked *
in the Telecommunication Services industry.
Industry Median: 0.91 * Ranked among companies with meaningful Price-to-DCF (Dividends Based) only.
Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS) Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) Explanation
What you need to know about Discounted Dividends model:
1. The Discounted Dividends model evaluates a company based on its future dividends distribution power
2. Dividend growth is taken into account; therefore a company with a higher dividend growth rate is worth more if everything else is the same.
3. Since we are projecting future growth, it is assumed that the company will grow at the same rate as it did during the past 10 years. Therefore this model works better for the companies with consistently steady dividends distributed.
4. The Discounted Dividends model works poorly for inconsistent dividends distributor like high growth companies.
5. Your expected return from the investment is a reasonable discount rate assumption.
6. A larger margin of safety should be required for companies with less dividends distributed.
Telephone and Data Systems Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) Related Terms
Telephone and Data Systems Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Telephone and Data Systems's Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) can be seen below:
* 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 Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) Chart
For the Telecom Services subindustry, Telephone and Data Systems's Price-to-DCF (Dividends Based), along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-DCF (Dividends Based) 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 Price-to-DCF (Dividends Based) vs Telecommunication Services Industry
For the Telecommunication Services industry and Communication Services sector, Telephone and Data Systems's Price-to-DCF (Dividends Based) distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Telephone and Data Systems's Price-to-DCF (Dividends Based) falls into.
Telephone and Data Systems Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) Calculation
This is the intrinsic value calculated from the Discounted Dividend Model with default parameters. The calculation method is the same as Discounted Cash Flow model except adjusted dividend are used in the calculation instead of free cash flow. This is the default method of calculation with GuruFocus DCF calculator.
Usually a two-stage model is used in calculating the intrinsic value with discounted cash flow model. The first stage is called growth stage; the second is called the terminal stage. In the growth stage the company grows at a faster rate. Because it cannot grow at that rate forever, a lower rate is used for the terminal stage.
GuruFocus DDM calculator is a two-stage model. The default values are defined as:
1. Discount Rate: d = 11% A reasonable discount rate assumption should be at least the long term average return of the stock market, which can be estimated from risk free rate plus risk premium of stock market. GuruFocus uses 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate as the risk-free rate and rounded up to the nearest integer. It is updated daily. The current risk-free rate is 4.68%. Please go to Economic Indicators page for more information. Please note that we use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the country/region where the company is headquartered. If the data for that country/region is not available, then we will use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the United States as default. Then we added a risk premium of 6% to get the estimated discount rate. Some investors use their expected rate of return, which is also reasonable. A typical discount rate can be anywhere between 6% - 20%.
2. Dividend Growth Rate in the growth stage: g1 = 5%
The Growth Rate in the growth stage is initially set as the default 10-Year Dividend Growth Rate. In cases where the 10-year growth rate is unavailable, it defaults to using the 5-Year Dividend Growth Rate. If both the 10-year and 5-year growth rates are unavailable, the system defaults to the 3-Year Dividend Growth Rate.
However, it's important to note that there is a growth rate range. If the calculated growth rate exceeds 20%, it will be capped at 20%. Conversely, if the calculated growth rate falls below 5%, it will be adjusted to 5% to maintain a reasonable range.
=>
Telephone and Data Systems's average Dividend Growth Rate in the past
10 years was -7.10%,
which is less than 5%. GuruFocus defaults => Growth Rate: 5%
3. Years of Growth Stage: y1 = 10
4. Terminal Growth Rate: g2 = 4%
5. Dividends per Share: adjusted dividends per share = $0.8964. GuruFocus uses adjusted dividends per share by default to ensure that the valuation reflects the total value of the company, as the actual dividend is only a portion of the total value.
All of the default settings can be changed in the DCF calculator and the results are calculated automatically.
* 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.
What does a Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) of $10.34 mean?
Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) has a Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) of $10.34 as of Jul. 24, 2026. Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is the stock value based on a two-stage discounted dividend model. View historical data on Telephone and Data Systems and its competitors. This is 563% above median its historical median of 1.56. Over the past decade, Telephone and Data Systems' Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) has ranged from 1.42 to 1.70. According to the industry distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #999999 out of 55 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry.
Is Telephone and Data Systems' Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) too high?
Telephone and Data Systems' current Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) of $10.34 is 563% above median its 10-year median of 1.56. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.42 to a high of 1.70. The Telecommunication Services industry median Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is 0.91. Telephone and Data Systems' value of $10.34 is 1036.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #999999 out of 55 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Telephone and Data Systems has a GF Score™ of 66/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Telephone and Data Systems' Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) compare to LBRDA and IRDM?
According to the Telecommunication Services industry distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #999999 out of 55 companies for Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based). This places Telephone and Data Systems in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is 0.91. Telephone and Data Systems' value of $10.34 is 1036.3% above this benchmark. Historically, Telephone and Data Systems' own Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) has ranged from 1.42 to 1.70 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.56 vs. the industry median of 0.91, 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 Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) for a Telecommunication Services company?
The median Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) among Telecommunication Services companies is 0.91, based on 55 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Telephone and Data Systems's current Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) of $10.34 is 1036.3% 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 Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) mean?
A high Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is the stock value based on a two-stage discounted dividend model. View historical data on Telephone and Data Systems and its competitors. For the Telecommunication Services industry, the median Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is 0.91 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Telephone and Data Systems's current Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is $10.34, which is 563% above median its own 10-year median of 1.56. 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 $31.19, compared to a current price of $34.82 — trading 11.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is $10.34, which is 563% above median its 10-year median of 1.56 and 1036.3% above the Telecommunication Services industry median of 0.91. Telephone and Data Systems' overall GF Score™ is 66/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) calculated?
Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Telephone and Data Systems (TDS), the current Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is $10.34 as of Jul. 24, 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 $34.82 is trading 11.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of $31.19.
GuruFocus considers Telephone and Data Systems to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for TDS:
Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based): $10.34 (563% above median its 10-year median of 1.56)
GF Value™: $31.19 vs. price of $34.82 (11.6% above fair value)
Industry Position: 1036.3% above the Telecommunication Services median (#999999 of 55)
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.
66GF Score
Get the complete analysis for TDS
Intrinsic Value: DCF (Dividends Based) is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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