Fundamental analysis TDS (Telephone and Data Systems Inc)

Updated on 06/09/2026

We analyzed Telephone and Data Systems stock against the 10 quality criteria of Lubin Investment. The company gets a quality score of 6/10, meaning medium quality, and a P/FCF valuation multiple of 72.2×.

Sector: Telecom Services. Listing: US. Current price: 39.23 USD.

Lubin scoring methodology

Telephone and Data Systems Inc (TDS)'s score is calculated automatically from 10 objective financial criteria, with no human intervention or opinion. Each criterion is validated (YES / PARTIAL / NO) based on thresholds drawn from the financial literature (Warren Buffett, Bettin-Mauboussin, Aswath Damodaran). The final score is the sum of validations.

The 10 quantitative criteria analyzed

1. Profitable: positive net margin
2. Growing revenue: revenue growing > 10%/year over 5 years
3. Growing earnings per share: FCF per share adjusted for stock-based compensation, > 10%/year over 5 years
4. Share count under control: stable or declining (net buybacks = value creation for shareholders)
5. Cash profitability: free cash flow margin > 10% of revenue
6. Expanding margins: operating margin widens over 5 years (operating leverage)
7. Return on invested capital: Bettin-Mauboussin Cash ROCE > 15% per year
8. Debt under control: net debt repayable in less than 3 years of free cash flow
9. Earnings converted to cash: free cash flow exceeds accounting net income
10. Net collection period: short or negative cash conversion cycle

Frequently asked questions

Is Telephone and Data Systems a quality stock?

Telephone and Data Systems gets a quality score of 6/10 (medium quality), calculated over the 10 Lubin Investment criteria: profitability, revenue and free cash flow growth, share buybacks, margins, debt and return on capital.

How is Telephone and Data Systems's score calculated?

The score is the total of validated criteria (YES / PARTIAL / NO) using thresholds drawn from the financial literature (Warren Buffett, Mauboussin, Aswath Damodaran), automatically and with no human opinion.

What is Telephone and Data Systems's P/FCF?

The price-to-free-cash-flow (P/FCF) multiple of Telephone and Data Systems stock is 72.2×. At Lubin Investment, valuation is judged separately from quality.

Where to see Telephone and Data Systems's full analysis?

The full interactive analysis (10-criteria detail, history, P/FCF valuation, sector comparisons) is available at https://lubin-investment.com/analyse/TDS?lng=en.

Other stocks in the Telecom Services sector

• Bharti Airtel (BHARTIARTL.NS) — score 9/10, P/FCF 14.3×
• Telefônica Brasil (VIV) — score 9/10, P/FCF 1.8×
• Telecom Argentina (TEO) — score 9/10, P/FCF 1.2×
• NOS, S.G.P.S. (NOS.LS) — score 9/10, P/FCF 6.3×
• TIM (TIMB) — score 9/10, P/FCF 1.2×

Go further

👉 See the full interactive analysis of TDS

Other resources : Detailed methodology · All stocks in the Telecom Services sector · Stocks rated 10 out of 10 · Top quality companies · Lubin Investment pricing.