$VOD

Vodafone's average price target was reduced from GBX 124.15 to GBX 123.41 by 13 analysts, with a range of GBX 93.57 to GBX 159.75. This suggests a 1% upside from the Oct. 16 closing price. The consensus rating remains 'Hold' among 15 analysts.

Smartphone sales dropped 22% YoY in Q3, per IDC, with Samsung and Apple leading. Austrian operators A1, Magenta, and Drei launched identity APIs with GSMA. Jio Platforms' IPO aims to raise $3.2B, with proceeds for debt repayment and network investments. Telenet Group's CEO to step down, replaced by Rocio Lorenzo. Vodafone Business introduced Express Capacity for faster data connections in Europe.

SpaceX agreed to pay $8B for US low-band spectrum, causing shares of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to fall. The deal requires FCC approval. European telecom shares also declined, with Deutsche Telekom down 8.6% this year. The European Union proposed reserving two-thirds of its equivalent spectrum for European firms and sovereign use.

Opensignal's study compared 5G/4G FWA broadband to Starlink's satellite service in 14 European markets. Starlink was fastest in rural areas (82Mbps), while Three UK led in UK urban areas (81.2Mbps). Starlink's speeds exceeded FWA in rural regions, but FWA providers had better consistent quality scores. Pricing varied, with Starlink starting at £40/month and FWA providers at £18/month.

Telia is cutting 900 jobs (6% of workforce) to save $100m annually, with restructuring costs of $60m. Nokia and Vodafone showcase broadband tech at Network X. StarHub acquires MyRepublic's mobile unit, adding 85k customers. StarHub also in talks to acquire M1. Telia's H1 2026 revenue: $3.5bn, EBITDA: $1.63bn.

Vodafone's investor day revealed its enterprise business, Vodafone Business, generated £1.85 billion in annual service revenue, 27% of VodafoneThree's total. The division has 6.5 million mobile and 15.3 million IoT connections, with IoT growing at 11,500 daily. Vodafone Business sees growth opportunities in SME and public sectors, with mobile leading its service revenue at 50%.

Vodafone and KKR are considering a full takeover of Inwit, the telecom tower operator. The deal may involve Abu Dhabi's Mubadala to reduce reliance on debt. Telecom Italia and Fastweb's contract renegotiations could impact Inwit's cash flow predictability, affecting the deal's financing.

Telecom operators like AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and others are investing in disaster recovery and network resilience to combat extreme weather threats. AT&T has spent over $1 billion on disaster recovery, Verizon expanded its satellite fleet to 2,600 assets, and Vodafone targets 10,000 critical sites with AI-managed power.

Bombay High Court ruled in favor of Vodafone, stating that a share premium received by its Indian arm is not taxable. The court rejected the IT Department's Rs 3,200 crore transfer pricing tax claim. Vodafone welcomes the decision, which may impact 20+ other companies. The ruling is a setback for the ITD, which may appeal to the Supreme Court. Vodafone faces another tax dispute over a 2007 deal.

Vodafone Group (LSE:VOD) raised its UK cost-savings target to £1bn by FY2032, with interim savings of £800m by 2030. The company plans to double site upgrades, aiming for ~90% 5G Standalone coverage by 2029 and 2.5x network capacity by 2034. Vodafone also targets 28M+ homes with fiber and is testing multi-Gbps services. Societe Generale crossed a voting-rights threshold in Vodafone, and Oak Holdings may explore a take-private offer for INWIT shares.