United States Cellular
About: US Cellular is a regional wireless carrier that serves about 4.4 million customers spread across four major geographic clusters: the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, New England, and the Pacific Northwest. These service territories encompass a total population of about 32 million people. The vast majority of the markets the firm serves are rural or second/third-tier cities, with only the greater Milwaukee and Oklahoma City regions boasting populations greater than 1 million. US Cellular also owns a 5.5% stake in Verizon Wireless' Los Angeles operations and, unlike its wireless carrier peers, owns most of its towers. The firm has agreed to sell its wireless operations and most of its spectrum licenses in a series of transactions with T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.
Employees: 4,100
0
Funds holding %
of 7,323 funds
–
Analysts bullish %
Fund manager confidence
Based on 2025 Q1 regulatory disclosures by fund managers ($100M+ AUM)
10,292% more call options, than puts
Call options by funds: $37.4M | Put options by funds: $360K
138% more first-time investments, than exits
New positions opened: 38 | Existing positions closed: 16
16% more funds holding
Funds holding: 134 [Q4 2024] → 156 (+22) [Q1 2025]
12% more capital invested
Capital invested by funds: $866M [Q4 2024] → $969M (+$103M) [Q1 2025]
0.9% more ownership
Funds ownership: 26.05% [Q4 2024] → 26.95% (+0.9%) [Q1 2025]
5% less repeat investments, than reductions
Existing positions increased: 39 | Existing positions reduced: 41
67% less funds holding in top 10
Funds holding in top 10: 3 [Q4 2024] → 1 (-2) [Q1 2025]
Research analyst outlook
2 Wall Street Analysts provided 1 year price targets over the past 3 months
Low target
$84
16%
upside
Avg. target
$85
17%
upside
High target
$85
18%
upside
2 analyst ratings
2 positive
100%
0 neutral
0%
0 negative
0%
Raymond James Ric Prentiss | 16%upside $84 | Outperform Reiterated | 25 Jul 2025 |
JP Morgan Sebastiano Petti | 18%upside $85 | Overweight Maintained | 28 May 2025 |
Financial journalist opinion
Based on 7 articles about USM published over the past 30 days
Positive
Seeking Alpha
1 day ago
United States Cellular Q2 Earnings Preview: Sale Value Priced In
With T-Mobile's $4.4 B acquisition closing on Aug 1 and a special dividend of roughly $23 per share imminent, my sum-of-the-parts math pegs United States Cellular Corporation fair value at $69.41. Upside rests on leasing 4,400 rural towers into a 5G data boom and monetising the deep spectrum bank; downside stems from heavy reliance on T-Mobile (>40 % tower revenue). Ahead of USM Q2 results on Aug 11, I maintain a Hold: the cash windfall is locked, but future value hinges on management's execution of tower and spectrum deals.
Neutral
PRNewsWire
5 days ago
TDS and UScellular to release second quarter operating results and host conference call on August 11, 2025
CHICAGO , July 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) will be webcasting their second quarter operating results conference call on August 11, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time.
Neutral
PRNewsWire
6 days ago
UScellular Announces Expected Amount of Special Dividend
Expects to issue special dividend of $22.50 - $23.75 per share to shareholders Contingent on closing the sale of the wireless operations and subject to board approval CHICAGO , July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE:USM) (the "Company") today announced that it expects its Board of Directors to approve a special cash dividend in the aggregate range amount of $1.950 billion - $2.075 billion following the closing of the sale of the Company's wireless operations and select spectrum assets to T-Mobile US, Inc. The expected dividend is in the range of $22.50 - $23.75 per Common Share and Series A Common Share. The board is expected to set a record and payment date at the time of declaration.
Neutral
PRNewsWire
6 days ago
UScellular announces expected name change to Array Digital Infrastructure
Appoints Doug Chambers as interim President and CEO of Array SM Expects to close on the sale of the wireless operations on August 1 CHICAGO , July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE:USM) announced two developments today, each of which is subject to and will become effective upon the closing of the previously announced sale (the "T-Mobile Transaction") of its wireless operations to T-Mobile US, Inc. The T-Mobile Transaction is expected to close on August 1, 2025, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions. Upon closing: Douglas W.
Neutral
PRNewsWire
2 weeks ago
UScellular announces FCC approval for sale of wireless operations and select spectrum assets
CHICAGO , July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) and Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) announce that the Federal Communications Commission issued an order today approving our transaction with T-Mobile US, Inc. We look forward to closing the transaction upon satisfaction of all closing conditions. A bout UScellular United States Cellular Corporation provides a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, excellent customer support, and a high-quality network to customers with 4.4 million retail connections in 21 states.
Neutral
PRNewsWire
2 weeks ago
US Department of Justice Antitrust Division closes its investigation into proposed transaction with T-Mobile and UScellular
CHICAGO , July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) and Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) report that the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division announced yesterday that it has closed its investigation into the proposed transaction with T-Mobile. The transaction remains subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and we continue to work with the FCC as they complete their independent assessment.
Positive
Deadline
2 weeks ago
Justice Department Won't Try To Block T-Mobile's Acquisition Of U.S. Cellular
The Justice Department won't try to block T-Mobile's acquisition of U.S. Cellular, but the chief of the Antitrust Division is warning of industry concentration.
Negative
Zacks Investment Research
2 months ago
U.S. Cellular's Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Decline Y/Y
USM reports a top-line contraction year over year in the first quarter of 2025, owing to weak demand for postpaid and prepaid connections.
Neutral
Seeking Alpha
2 months ago
United States Cellular Corporation (USM) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE:USM ) Q1 2025 Earnings Conference Call May 2, 2025 10:00 AM ET Company Participants Colleen Thompson - VP, Corporate Relations Vicki Villacrez - EVP and CFO LT Therivel - President and CEO, UScellular Doug Chambers - EVP and CFO, UScellular Kris Bothfeld - VP, Finance and CFO, TDS Telecom Conference Call Participants Ric Prentiss - Raymond James Sebastiano Pettiat - JPMorgan Sergey Dluzhevskiy - with GAMCO Investors Operator Hello and thank you for standing by. My name is Regina and I will be your conference operator today.
Neutral
Zacks Investment Research
2 months ago
U.S. Cellular (USM) Q1 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare to Wall Street Estimates
While the top- and bottom-line numbers for U.S. Cellular (USM) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended March 2025, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.
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