Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE:TDS) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE:TDS - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $49.6667.

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A number of research analysts recently weighed in on TDS shares. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on Telephone and Data Systems from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Telephone and Data Systems in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $45.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Telephone and Data Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Telephone and Data Systems from $53.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Telephone and Data Systems from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Telephone and Data Systems

Insiders Place Their Bets

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In other Telephone and Data Systems news, CAO Anita J. Kroll sold 870 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.16, for a total value of $34,069.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 14.97% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Telephone and Data Systems

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TDS. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in Telephone and Data Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at $417,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its position in shares of Telephone and Data Systems by 3.0% during the third quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 86,558 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $3,345,000 after buying an additional 2,538 shares during the last quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Telephone and Data Systems in the third quarter valued at about $1,304,000. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Telephone and Data Systems during the third quarter worth about $212,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC increased its stake in Telephone and Data Systems by 152.7% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 44,718 shares of the Wireless communications provider's stock valued at $1,755,000 after acquiring an additional 129,651 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.00% of the company's stock.

Telephone and Data Systems Stock Up 2.0%

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Shares of Telephone and Data Systems stock traded up $0.78 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $40.00. 257,721 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,025,136. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 1.78. Telephone and Data Systems has a 52 week low of $31.07 and a 52 week high of $42.74. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $38.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.50. The company has a market cap of $4.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -41.31 and a beta of 0.35.

Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by $0.13. Telephone and Data Systems had a negative net margin of 0.85% and a positive return on equity of 0.92%. The firm had revenue of $308.52 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.73) earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Telephone and Data Systems will post -0.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Telephone and Data Systems Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.04 per share. This represents a $0.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. Telephone and Data Systems's payout ratio is currently -14.81%.

Telephone and Data Systems Company Profile

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc, a telecommunications company, provides communications services in the United States. It operates through two segments: UScellular and TDS Telecom. The company offers wireless solutions to consumers, and business and government customers, including a suite of connected Internet of things (IoT) solutions, and software applications for monitor and control, business automation/operations, communication, fleet and asset management, smart water solutions, private cellular networks and custom, and end-to-end IoT solutions; wireless priority services and quality priority and preemption options; smartphones and other handsets, tablets, wearables, mobile hotspots, fixed wireless home internet, and IoT devices; and accessories, such as cases, screen protectors, chargers, and memory cards, as well as consumer electronics, including audio, home automation and networking products.

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