Despite efforts by Chief Executive Margherita Della Valle to rejuvenate the ailing share price, Vodafone is not expected to impress investors next Tuesday. The London-listed company's shares have seen minimal movement this year, with a slight increase of just over three per cent since January.
This is in spite of Della Valle's moves to offload its Spanish and Italian operations in a bid to cut costs and her recent push for a merger between its º£½ÇÊÓƵ arm and Three, as reported by .
Last week saw tentative indications that the £15bn amalgamation of two of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's largest mobile networks might receive approval, as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) suggested it could potentially be "pro-competitive" for the mobile sector.
AJ Bell's investment analyst Russ Mould labelled the deal as a potential "game-changer" for the operator, due to its capacity to increase customer numbers and stimulate investment. Despite a "sluggish" recovery effort and a decline in brand strength, Vodafone "now seems to be slowly regaining its mojo, selling assets to become a leaner, more focused business, but there is still a long way to go," according to Mould.
However, recent developments are unlikely to significantly impact next week's interim update. Revenue growth and escalating debts remain key concerns, while Vodafone has struggled to perform in its largest market, Germany.
In July, the group reported a 2.8 per cent increase in total revenue to £7.6bn and a 42.9 per cent surge in operating profit to £1.3bn.
However, the announcement led to a dip in shares as the results fell short of investor expectations.
Vodafone is currently projecting full-year adjusted earnings of approximately £9.1bn and a minimum of £2bn in adjusted free cash flow.
Seasoned city analyst Michael Hewson commented that the company has had a "torrid time of late. The rot set in soon after it sold its stake in the US-based Verizon back in 2014, which since then has seen the share price crater."
"Management have also made a series of questionable decisions as they look to turn the business around."
Nonetheless, he highlighted "some good news" this year, namely a 10-year agreement with Microsoft to incorporate generative AI into its service, benefiting its 300m customers.
He further stated: "In other news the CMA does appear minded to greenlight the merger between Vodafone and Three as long as various conditions are met with respect to pricing and competition."
