Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE:TDS)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $36.96 and last traded at $36.41, with a volume of 12596 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $36.50.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

TDS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Raymond James upgraded shares of Telephone and Data Systems from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $51.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Telephone and Data Systems from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th.

Telephone and Data Systems Stock Down 0.6 %

The stock has a market cap of $4.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.72 and a beta of 0.80. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $34.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

Telephone and Data Systems Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were issued a $0.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This represents a $0.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.44%. Telephone and Data Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -2.96%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of TDS. Independence Bank of Kentucky purchased a new position in Telephone and Data Systems during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Telephone and Data Systems in the 4th quarter worth approximately $74,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Telephone and Data Systems by 14.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,395 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its stake in shares of Telephone and Data Systems by 35.5% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,643 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Telephone and Data Systems by 139.9% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,749 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 2,186 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.00% of the company’s stock.

About Telephone and Data Systems

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.