TDS (Telephone and Data Systems) Shareholder Yield % : 55.70% (As of Mar. 2026)


TDS Telephone and Data Systems Inc TDS
64 GF Score
Price $38.45
GF Value $32.81
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 5 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Telephone and Data Systems Shareholder Yield %?

Telephone and Data Systems TDS +3.25% 64 Shareholder Yield % is 55.70% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates TDS with a GF Score™ of 64/100 and a GF Value™ of $32.81 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 363 Telecommunication Services companies, Telephone and Data Systems ranks better than 95.59% on this metric.

Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. It is a measure of shareholder return. As of today, Telephone and Data Systems's Shareholder Yield % was 55.70%.


Telephone and Data Systems  (NYSE:TDS) Shareholder Yield % Explanation

Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. The term was coined by William W. Priest of Epoch Investment Partners in a paper in 2005 entitled The Case for Shareholder Yield as a Dominant Driver of Future Equity Returns. William Priest indicated that "shareholder yield is a term that we came up with to reflect the various ways dividends can be paid to owners of a business in a publicly-traded company."

Shareholder Yield % is calculated by three components: Dividend Yield %, Buyback Yield %, and Net Debt Paydown Yield %.

Dividend Yield % shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its stock price, which is most obvious form of shareholder return.

Buyback Yield % is the net repurchase of shares outstanding over the market capital of the company. Shares repurchases also increase shareholder value by returning the money back to shareholders.

Net Debt Paydown Yield % is the change in average of four quarters of company's total debt over a company's market cap. Assuming the total value of a company remains that same, shareholder value is increased as debt is reduced.


Telephone and Data Systems Shareholder Yield % Related Terms


Telephone and Data Systems Shareholder Yield % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Telephone and Data Systems's Shareholder Yield % 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 Shareholder Yield % Chart

Telephone and Data Systems Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Shareholder Yield %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -17.61 -9.70 -12.53 12.59 32.82

Telephone and Data Systems Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Shareholder Yield % Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 11.34 13.72 35.14 32.82 50.88

TDS vs LBRDA, IRDM, LBTYA: Shareholder Yield % Comparison

For the Telecom Services subindustry, Telephone and Data Systems's Shareholder Yield %, along with its competitors' market caps and Shareholder Yield % 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 Shareholder Yield % vs Telecommunication Services Industry

For the Telecommunication Services industry and Communication Services sector, Telephone and Data Systems's Shareholder Yield % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Telephone and Data Systems's Shareholder Yield % falls into.


TDS
64GF Score
Telephone and Data Systems Inc TDS
Shareholder Yield % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Telephone and Data Systems Shareholder Yield % Calculation

Telephone and Data Systems's Shareholder Yield % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

Shareholder Yield %=Dividend Yield %+Buyback Yield %+Net Debt Paydown Yield %
=0.38 %+2.26 %+48.24 %
=50.88 %

* 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.

* All the data are calculated by TTM values. Note that if a companies is traded in several exchanges, then we calculate the company level data for Shareholder Yield % using the primary share class stock data. The calculation result in definition page is for demonstration purpose only, and it's showing the share class level data. Therefore, the numbers in the calculation may differ from elsewhere if the stock is not a primary share.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Shareholder Yield % →
What does a Shareholder Yield % of 55.70% mean?
Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) has a Shareholder Yield % of 55.70% as of Mar. 2026. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Telephone and Data Systems and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #16 out of 363 companies in the Telecommunication Services industry, placing it in the top 4.4%.
Is Telephone and Data Systems' Shareholder Yield % too high?
Telephone and Data Systems' current Shareholder Yield % is 55.70%. The Telecommunication Services industry median Shareholder Yield % is 1.73. Telephone and Data Systems' value of 55.70% is 3119.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #16 out of 363 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' Shareholder Yield % compare to LBRDA and IRDM?
According to the Telecommunication Services industry distribution chart, Telephone and Data Systems ranks #16 out of 363 companies for Shareholder Yield %. This places Telephone and Data Systems in the top 4% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Shareholder Yield % is 1.73. Telephone and Data Systems' value of 55.70% is 3119.7% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Shareholder Yield % for a Telecommunication Services company?
The median Shareholder Yield % among Telecommunication Services companies is 1.73, based on 363 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Shareholder Yield % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Shareholder Yield % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Telephone and Data Systems's current Shareholder Yield % of 55.70% is 3119.7% 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 Shareholder Yield % mean?
A high Shareholder Yield % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Telephone and Data Systems and its competitors. For the Telecommunication Services industry, the median Shareholder Yield % is 1.73 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Telephone and Data Systems's current Shareholder Yield % is 55.70%. 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 $32.81, compared to a current price of $38.45 — trading 17.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Shareholder Yield % is 55.70% and 3119.7% above the Telecommunication Services industry median of 1.73. 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 Shareholder Yield % calculated?
Shareholder Yield % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Telephone and Data Systems (TDS), the current Shareholder Yield % is 55.70% as of Mar. 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 $38.45 is trading 17.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $32.81. GuruFocus considers Telephone and Data Systems to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for TDS:

  • Shareholder Yield %: 55.70%
  • GF Value™: $32.81 vs. price of $38.45 (17.2% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 64/100 with 5 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 3119.7% above the Telecommunication Services median (#16 of 363)

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 Business Description

Other Exchanges TDSpU.PFD:USA
Address 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL, USA, 60602
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

Get the complete analysis for TDS

Shareholder Yield % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$38.45
Price
$32.81
GF Value