In keeping with information from AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown, UK buyers have been busy snapping up shares of Vodafone (LSE: VOD). Certainly, this was probably the most purchased FTSE 100 inventory on each platforms final week (based mostly on the variety of offers positioned by clients).

Ought to I comply with the gang and make investments too? Listed here are my ideas.

Issues

To kind my determination, I’m going to take a look at a couple of key issues. The primary is the share price development.

Now, this isn’t a dealbreaker someway. Nevertheless it does inform me whether or not buyers have been bullish, bearish, or impartial on the inventory.

Over the previous yr, Vodafone shares have been mainly flat in comparison with the FTSE 100’s 13% rise. Over 5 years, Vodafone inventory is down 57%.

I see a couple of apparent explanation why buyers proceed to be unconvinced right here.

Firstly, Vodafone has not been rising. Income was €43.6bn in FY 2019, however solely €36.7bn in FY 2024 (ended March). Looking forward to FY 2026, the highest line is anticipated to develop to €38.1bn.

Admittedly, the corporate has been actively divesting revenue-generating property to streamline operations and concentrate on core markets. However the reality stays that general progress has been disappointing.

Once more, this doesn’t essentially rule out the inventory for me. I personal shares of Authorized & Basic and British American Tobacco for revenue, though neither have been setting the world alight when it comes to progress.

Nevertheless, each corporations have an amazing file of accelerating their payouts. In distinction, Vodafone’s dividend per share has gone from 9.24 euro cents per share in 2019 to a forecast 5.3 for 2025. That’s anticipated to fall to five.1 cents per share subsequent yr.

Whereas that does put the ahead dividend yield above 6%, the revenue prospects aren’t actually tempting me.

Lastly, there’s the inescapable concern of debt. Constructing and working telecoms infrastructure is notoriously capital-intensive. On the finish of September, internet debt was a hefty €31.8bn.

Regardless that that determine was down from €33.2bn in March 2024, the lower was primarily pushed by the €4.1bn sale of Vodafone Spain. 

Some good bits

So why have buyers been shopping for the shares en masse? Presumably it pertains to the Vodafone UK-Three UK merger that was cleared in December.

It will create the UK’s largest cell phone operator, with some 27m subscribers, and a plan to create one in every of Europe’s most superior 5G networks. A brand new management crew was introduced final week for the long run merged entity. 

Maybe these buyers additionally turned bullish after the corporate’s current Q3 outcomes. Income elevated 5% yr on yr to €9.8bn, with sturdy progress in Africa. And a mammoth €2bn has been earmarked for share buybacks following the €8bn sale of Vodafone Italy.

In the meantime, the inventory continues to look ultra-cheap, buying and selling at simply 10 occasions earnings. So there seems to be important worth on supply, at the very least on paper.

Ought to I make investments?

One other fear I’ve although is that income is heading within the fallacious course in Vodafone’s key market of Germany.

In the meantime, it’s dedicated to investing £11bn to construct out 5G within the UK. It could possibly be some time earlier than the advantages of that large expenditure materialise.

Weighing issues up, I’m going to offer this worth inventory a miss.