All Nick Read articles – Page 5
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Financial & Performance
Vodafone under pressure from activist investor to boost shareholder returns
Bloomberg reports Cevian Capital has built up stake in Vodafone. Unnamed sources say Swedish investment firm putting pressure on Read and management team to move more aggressively on M&A. Accuses Vodafone board of lacking experience and strategic know-how in telecoms. Vodafone share price gets bounce after news breaks of ...
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Strategy & Change
Vodafone in the market for London real estate
Reports indicate desire for more office space in London alongside Paddington HQ. Growing software engineering team seemingly looking for desks, with Future Ready hybrid-working model rolling out in parallel.
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M&A
Vodafone under M&A spotlight in Italy, UK
Group reportedly in consolidation talks with Iliad in Italy. A potential merger with Three UK was also apparently explored. Vodafone keeps head down as rumours swirl. Read keen advocate of European in-market consolidation.
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Strategy & Change
Telefónica offers redundancy plan to almost 3,000 staff
Unions still not satisfied with latest redundancy offer. Group offers a higher pay increase of 1.5% for 2023.
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M&A
American Tower “excited” by tower M&A in Europe
CFO flags possibility of “compelling things” happening in Europe’s tower scene. Cautions, however, that American Tower in no rush for dealmaking. Deutsche Telekom, Cellnex, Orange, and Vodafone also in the mix for tower M&A.
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Strategy & Change
Vodafone’s Wibergh hails speedy integration of former Liberty assets
CTO said 1,000 people are involved in the four-market integration programme. Vodafone TV figures dipped in Germany because of COVID-19. Velocix is supporting GigaTV in Germany.
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Premium
Vodafone bulks up with full-fibre wholesale deals
Deals give Vodafone UK access to eight million full-fibre homes by April 2022. VfUK open to more wholesale partnerships. If Virgin Media O2 needs convincing for its wholesale plans, VfUK is interested.
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Premium
Read calls out European market failures
Vodafone CEO Nick Read identified four core principles that he sees as necessary for Europe to compete against Chinese and US tech domination. Consolidation of “hyper-fragmented” telecoms market remains a preoccupation.
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Premium
Vodafone H1 FY21–22 spend: capex boost falls silent, opex squeeze paused
Presentation sees no further update on (somewhat contentious) Group plans for a capex lift to fuel digital services growth. Executives moot another exceptional investment boost in Germany, for fibre rollout. Group Finance’s headline opex reduction programme comes to a temporary halt, amid pandemic effects.
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Premium
Q2 FY21–22 Headlines: Vodafone growth maintained despite B2B, Spain bumps
Group benefits as COVID-19 drag steadily eases. On positive side, forward movement maintained in Germany and UK, and picture improves in super-competitive Italy. Blotches include an apparent step back in growth at Vodafone Business, despite its star billing, and a return to reverse gear in perennially challenging Spain.
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Premium
Q2 FY21–22: Vodafone's Read hypes prospects as M&A talk hots up
Leadership especially bullish on “momentum” and “sustainable growth” after solid Q2 data. Wave of M&A possibilities surround Vodafone only a few months after Group declared portfolio reshaping complete. Report sees Group maintain growth, but with mix of performances across businesses and a glitch on cost-saving progress. Guidance floors raised ...
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Strategy & Change
Telco leaders converge on Bilbao for ‘secret’ strategising
Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, and Vodafone represented at the latest European Round Table event. Behind-closed-doors discussions focused on decarbonisation, skills transformation, and single market competition.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Telekom Deutschland: TDE ties with Trumpf
Elsewhere in Telekom Deutschland: TDE ties with Trumpf Source: Mathias Konrath / Unsplash Nick Read, Chief Executive (CEO) at Vodafone — taking a leaf, perhaps, out of the Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Telefónica full-fibre playbook — said he is open to joint ventures and other off-balance ...
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Strategy & Change
Spain’s ‘big three’ agitate for consolidation
Top execs at Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone indicate ‘enough is enough’ in Spain’s hyper-competitive market. Telefónica Group COO says Spanish incumbent can play “facilitator role” for consolidation in a market that is “not sustainable”. Vodafone CEO’s patience running out on low returns from southern Europe; looking to “actively engage” ...
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone CEO open to fibre JVs in Germany
Read exploring off-balance sheet financing and infrastructure partnerships to meet FTTP demand. Retains the love for HFC, however; believes network upgrades across cable footprint will meet consumers’ broadband requirements for some time yet. Della Valle pointedly notes that mid-term capex fixed guidance does not include FTTP buildouts.
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Financial & Performance
Vodafone: DT and Orange are ‘credible’ tower merger partners
Read confirms either of Vodafone’s big European rivals could end up being an ally as noise continues to increase around an “industrial merger” for Group’s Vantage Towers business.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vantage states ‘clear interest’ in Cornerstone buyout
Vodafone’s European TowerCo eyes opportunities in Netherlands and UK as partners Liberty and Telefónica look to cash in on wireless infrastructure assets. Strategic tie-up between Vantage and another MNO TowerCo also remains a possibility.
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Network & Infrastructure
Höttges seeks to bring balance to future tower tie-up
Deutsche Telekom CEO seeks to lure tower partner with promise of hands-off approach to managing the business, allowing it to flourish “independently”. Picky operator unenthusiastic about approaches taken by rivals to tower extraction, including Vodafone’s Vantage Towers IPO earlier in the year.
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M&A
Vodacom expands into Egypt with Vodafone stake switch
Vodafone to increase its stake in Vodacom to more than 65% following the transaction. Internal deal follows STC’s failed mission to buy Vodafone Egypt during 2020.
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Network & Infrastructure
Portugal 5G spectrum auction finally ends after 200 days
Vodafone Portugal is second-biggest spender after NOS. Auction ushers in Dixarobil and Nowo as new entrants.