Thursday preview: Vodafone Group to report 'growth deterioation'
Vodafone Group is expected to post 'growth deterioration' in its financial results Thursday.
Vodafone Group is expected to post 'growth deterioration' in its financial results Thursday.
Last month Deutsche bank lowered its recommendation from 'buy' to 'hold' citing concerns about the telecom company's worsening cash returns.
"We forecast growth deterioration through calendar 2013 with the outlook for financial FY14 set to confirm declining free cash flow (FCF), no further dividend-per-share (DPS) growth and a scaled down buyback to avoid increased leverage."
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Deutsche Bank said it anticipates organic service revenues to falter further this year, with a return to positive growth unlikely until 2014.
It also reduced its target price for the shares from 225p to 175p.
Analysts at Jefferies expect there will be no rise in dividends per shares (DPS) from the 10.19 guided in the fiscal year 2013.
They said Vodafone may show reliance on its Verizon Wireless joint venture with Verizon to sustain DPS growth.
It comes following reports Verizon wants to buy out Vodafone's 45% stake in Verizon Wireless.
"The urgency of fixing strategic weaknesses in the core may force Vodafone to accept an unsatisfactory [Verizon Wireless] endgame," Jefferies said in a note.
"...Vodafone can expect ongoing dividends from [Verizon Wireless] but it really needs to preserve this cash to fund strategic acquisitions."
INTERIMS
Mcbride
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
FirstGroup
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)
ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)
Industrial Production (GER) (11:00)
Productivity (US) (13:30)
Q4
Smith & Nephew
FINALS
Beazley, Smith & Nephew
IMSS
Avon Rubber, Supergroup, Vodafone Group
EGMS
Hotel Corporation (The)
AGMS
Avon Rubber, BlackRock New Energy Inv Trust, Compass Group, Downing Absolute Income VCT 1, Downing Absolute Income VCT 1 'C' Shares , Downing Income Vct, Downing Income Vct 4, Paragon Group Of Companies, Thomas Cook Group, TUI Travel, Unicorn AIM VCT
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bellway
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (09:30)
BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Cardiff Property, JPMorgan Asian Inv Trust
Q1
TUI Travel, TUI Travel
Sign up to Money Morning
Our team, led by award winning editors, is dedicated to delivering you the top news, analysis, and guides to help you manage your money, grow your investments and build wealth.
-
Europe’s deep creativity crisis
In the US, small companies become big ones. On this side of the Atlantic, they don’t
By David C. Stevenson Published
-
How to invest in US small caps
For more than a decade, US small caps have lagged their larger counterparts. There are signs this is starting to change – here's how to stock up
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published