UK traders are piling into Vodafone! Ought to I purchase this FTSE 100 inventory?

In keeping with information from AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown, UK traders 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 below are my ideas.

Issues

To kind my choice, I’m going to take a look at just a few key issues. The primary is the share worth pattern.

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

Over the previous 12 months, 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 just a few apparent the explanation why traders 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). Waiting for FY 2026, the highest line is predicted to develop to €38.1bn.

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

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

Nevertheless, each companies have an incredible report 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 12 months.

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

Lastly, there’s the inescapable problem 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 traders been shopping for the shares en masse? Presumably it pertains to the Vodafone UK-Three UK merger that was cleared in December.

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

Maybe these traders additionally turned bullish after the corporate’s latest Q3 outcomes. Income elevated 5% 12 months on 12 months 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 instances earnings. So there seems to be important worth on provide, no less than on paper.

Ought to I make investments?

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

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

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