London, Jan 31, 2026, 08:25 GMT — Market closed
Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L) closed Friday up 0.9%, finishing at 107.4 pence. The stock fluctuated between 106.25 and 107.4 pence throughout the session. About 132 million shares were traded.
The stock closed just shy of its 52-week peak at 107.65 pence, a mark it’s hovered around in the past few sessions. Its 52-week span stretches from 62.4 pence up to that 107.65 pence level, per market data.
As the London market remains closed until Monday, all eyes turn to Vodafone’s ability to sustain cash returns without rattling investors over its debt and spending. The trading update next week is set to provide the key signals.
Vodafone revealed on Friday that it purchased 1,567,099 shares from Merrill Lynch International on Jan. 29, at prices ranging from 105.95 to 107.65 pence. The volume-weighted average price came in at 106.66 pence. The company said it will keep these shares in treasury, boosting its treasury stock to 1,462,523,465 shares. There are now 23,415,437,292 shares outstanding, excluding those held in treasury.
The company announced a major wholesale network expansion in Greece, teaming up with NetIX to boost customer capacity both into and out of the country, supported by new subsea and terrestrial fibre routes. Fanan Henriques from Vodafone Business said the project “enables Vodafone to deliver new digital services,” while NetIX’s Dean Belev described Vodafone as “one of the most respected names in global communications.” Vodafone also highlighted its Thetis Express system, which links Crete to the mainland and can handle up to 180 terabits per second, with plans to connect it to the 2Africa cable down the line. Vodafone
Looking ahead to next week, the numbers will overshadow the engineering. Axel Rudolph at IG Group highlighted that “service revenue trends remain a critical focus,” emphasizing service revenue—the portion of sales excluding handset and equipment—as a clearer indicator of telecoms demand. IG
But it works both ways. Should the trading update reveal slower momentum, increased capital expenditures, or tighter cash return capacity, the shares might surrender part of this month’s gains.
Vodafone will release its Q3 FY26 trading update on Feb. 5, the same day it plans to pay an interim dividend of 2.25 cents per share. Its next big date after that is the FY26 full-year results, scheduled for May 12.
