What if you'd held TDS?
A $1,000 investment in Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. Common Shares (TDS) at the month-end close of 1981-12 would be worth $1.58M at the close of 2026-08 — +157490.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $62,897.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 1981
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $1,000 | — |
| 1982 | $1,718 | +71.8% |
| 1983 | $1,423 | -17.2% |
| 1984 | $1,141 | -19.8% |
| 1985 | $1,673 | +46.6% |
| 1986 | $2,300 | +37.5% |
| 1987 | $3,618 | +57.3% |
| 1988 | $7,936 | +119.3% |
| 1989 | $13,532 | +70.5% |
| 1990 | $10,082 | -25.5% |
| 1991 | $10,545 | +4.6% |
| 1992 | $12,177 | +15.5% |
| 1993 | $15,745 | +29.3% |
| 1994 | $14,050 | -10.8% |
| 1995 | $12,150 | -13.5% |
| 1996 | $11,259 | -7.3% |
| 1997 | $14,609 | +29.8% |
| 1998 | $14,250 | -2.5% |
| 1999 | $40,209 | +182.2% |
| 2000 | $28,855 | -28.2% |
| 2001 | $28,936 | +0.3% |
| 2002 | $15,295 | -47.1% |
| 2003 | $20,609 | +34.7% |
| 2004 | $25,577 | +24.1% |
| 2005 | $961,364 | +3658.7% |
| 2006 | $1.46M | +52.1% |
| 2007 | $1.7M | +16.0% |
| 2008 | $869,473 | -48.7% |
| 2009 | $942,495 | +8.4% |
| 2010 | $1.03M | +9.2% |
| 2011 | $741,982 | -27.9% |
| 2012 | $704,500 | -5.1% |
| 2013 | $837,682 | +18.9% |
| 2014 | $838,332 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | $877,814 | +4.7% |
| 2016 | $999,973 | +13.9% |
| 2017 | $985,386 | -1.5% |
| 2018 | $1.18M | +19.6% |
| 2019 | $942,891 | -20.0% |
| 2020 | $713,609 | -24.3% |
| 2021 | $799,514 | +12.0% |
| 2022 | $437,600 | -45.3% |
| 2023 | $815,086 | +86.3% |
| 2024 | $1.54M | +89.0% |
| 2025 | $1.86M | +20.7% |
| 2026 | $1.58M | -15.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought TDS was 1982-02 ($0.02): $1,000 then is $2.1M today. The worst was 2026-01 ($45.04): $1,000 then is $770.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in TDS be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. Common Shares (TDS) at the start of 1981 would be worth about $1.58M today, a total return of +157490.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for TDS?
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. Common Shares (TDS)'s strongest calendar year since 1981 was 2005, a +3658.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $37,587 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -48.7%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in TDS have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1981-12 would have grown to about $10.07M on $53,700 invested.
Did TDS beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $62,897. TDS beat the S&P 500 by +2405.6% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. Common Shares (TDS) historical total-return data from 1981-12 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.