Buyback yield (TTM)
3.24%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
5.05%
5Y share count change
0.2%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$156.49M
Cumulative buybacks
$2.25B
Key takeaways
- Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) repurchased about $156.49M of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is roughly flat (0.2%) over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are offsetting dilution but not shrinking the float.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 9.78× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +28.5% per year over the latest 5-year window.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS)
Latest: $129.49M
Overview
2025's annual buyback spend for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) came in at $129.49M – surged 139.8% year-over-year.
Telephone and Data Systems buyback spend compound annual growth for the 2020–2025 (5 years) window is +28.5%, sustaining 2 straight years of year-over-year growth.
Telephone and Data Systems buyback spend peaked at $513.92M in 2000; the latest annual figure is $129.49M in 2025 (74.8% below peak).
2000 marks the peak buyback spend at $513.92M, with the historical low of $0.00 recorded in 1994.
Telephone and Data Systems Buyback Spend 2025: $129.49M
Telephone and Data Systems buyback spend in 2025 was $129.49M, surged 139.8% from 2024.
Telephone and Data Systems Buyback Spend 2024: $54.00M
2024's buyback spend for Telephone and Data Systems came in at $54.00M, surged 800.0% from 2023.
Telephone and Data Systems Buyback Spend 2023: $6.00M
Telephone and Data Systems posted buyback spend of $6.00M in 2023, plunged 92.8% below 2022.
Telephone and Data Systems Buyback Spend 2022: $83.00M
In 2022, Telephone and Data Systems reported buyback spend of $83.00M, surged 38.3% from 2021.
Telephone and Data Systems Buyback Spend 2021: $60.00M
Telephone and Data Systems buyback spend in 2021 was $60.00M.
See more financial history for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $129.49M | $0.00 | $129.49M | 2.75% | 0.12B | +1.0% | |
| 2024 | $54.00M | $71.00M | −$17.00M | 1.39% | 0.11B | +0.9% | |
| 2023 | $6.00M | $41.00M | −$35.00M | 0.29% | 0.11B | -0.9% | |
| 2022 | $83.00M | $42.00M | $41.00M | 7.00% | 0.11B | -1.7% | |
| 2021 | $60.00M | $49.00M | $11.00M | 2.59% | 0.12B | +0.9% | |
| 2020 | $37.00M | $53.00M | −$16.00M | 1.75% | 0.12B | -0.9% | |
| 2019 | $21.00M | $59.00M | −$38.00M | 0.72% | 0.12B | +1.8% | |
| 2018 | $0.00 | $54.00M | −$54.00M | — | 0.11B | +1.8% | |
| 2017 | $1.00M | $46.00M | −$45.00M | 0.03% | 0.11B | +0.9% | |
| 2016 | $8.00M | $42.00M | −$34.00M | 0.25% | 0.11B | +1.0% | |
| 2015 | $6.19M | $40.40M | −$34.21M | 0.22% | 0.11B | +1.3% | |
| 2014 | $58.04M | $35.79M | $22.25M | 2.21% | 0.11B | -0.6% | |
| 2013 | $28.24M | $30.34M | −$2.10M | 1.01% | 0.11B | +0.2% | |
| 2012 | $43.40M | $41.87M | $1.52M | 1.81% | 0.11B | -8.1% | |
| 2011 | $83.79M | $36.84M | $46.96M | 3.24% | 0.12B | +3.4% | |
| 2010 | $120.88M | $35.13M | $85.75M | 3.18% | 0.11B | -3.7% | |
| 2009 | $212.12M | $32.49M | $179.63M | 5.90% | 0.12B | -5.7% | |
| 2008 | $228.33M | $22.69M | $205.63M | 6.41% | 0.13B | -2.4% | |
| 2007 | $214.57M | $0.00 | $214.57M | 2.92% | 0.13B | +2.0% | |
| 2006 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.13B | +0.7% | |
| 2005 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.13B | +0.8% | |
| 2004 | $24.35M | $0.00 | $24.35M | 0.54% | 0.13B | -0.3% | |
| 2003 | $86.78M | $0.00 | $86.78M | 2.37% | 0.13B | -1.6% | |
| 2002 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.13B | -0.0% | |
| 2001 | $80.30M | $0.00 | $80.30M | 1.49% | 0.13B | -3.3% | |
| 2000 | $513.92M | $0.00 | $513.92M | — | 0.13B | +24.5% | |
| 1999 | $69.00M | $0.00 | $69.00M | — | 0.11B | -35.7% | |
| 1998 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.16B | +25.1% | |
| 1997 | $69.90M | $0.00 | $69.90M | — | 0.13B | -0.6% | |
| 1996 | $600.00K | $0.00 | $600.00K | — | 0.13B | — | |
| 1995 | $600.00K | $0.00 | $600.00K | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $200.00K | $0.00 | $200.00K | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $400.00K | $0.00 | $400.00K | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $1.90M | $0.00 | $1.90M | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $3.10M | $0.00 | $3.10M | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | $1.00M | $0.00 | $1.00M | — | — | — |
- 2025$129.49M
- 2024$54.00M
- 2023$6.00M
- 2022$83.00M
- 2021$60.00M
- 2020$37.00M
- 2019$21.00M
- 2018$0.00
- 2017$1.00M
- 2016$8.00M
- 2015$6.19M
- 2014$58.04M
- 2013$28.24M
- 2012$43.40M
- 2011$83.79M
- 2010$120.88M
- 2009$212.12M
- 2008$228.33M
- 2007$214.57M
- 2006$0.00
- 2005$0.00
- 2004$24.35M
- 2003$86.78M
- 2002$0.00
- 2001$80.30M
- 2000$513.92M
- 1999$69.00M
- 1998$0.00
- 1997$69.90M
- 1996$600.00K
- 1995$600.00K
- 1994$0.00
- 1993$200.00K
- 1992$400.00K
- 1991$1.90M
- 1990$3.10M
- 1989$1.00M
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 9.78×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Telephone and Data Systems (TDS)
How Telephone and Data Systems splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Telephone and Data Systems, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $45.71B | |
| $26.25B | |
| $9.97B | |
| $9.13B | |
| $4.50B | |
| $3.50B | |
| $510.99M | |
| $0.00 |
- $45.71B
- $26.25B
- $9.97B
- $9.13B
- $4.50B
- $3.50B
- $510.99M
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $0.00 (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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