London, Jan 25, 2026, 09:10 GMT — Market closed.
- Vodafone closed Friday at 104.05 pence, rising 0.4%.
- On Friday, the group revealed a new batch of share buybacks.
- Attention shifts to Vodafone’s trading update scheduled for Feb. 5.
Vodafone shares ended the final London session a bit up following the company’s announcement of additional share buybacks, maintaining steady backing for a stock that’s seen swings amid telecom sector news. 1
The stock ended Friday at 104.05 pence, gaining 0.43%. With no trading over the weekend, investors are left to consider if buybacks will continue to counterbalance ongoing concerns around pricing pressure and hefty network investments across European telecoms. 1
Vodafone disclosed that on Jan. 22 it acquired 2,679,550 ordinary shares at a volume-weighted average price of 103.78 pence. The shares traded between 102.20 pence and 104.70 pence. The company intends to keep these shares in treasury. 2
The timing is key as the wider UK market closed the week cautiously, the FTSE 100 slipping 0.07% on Friday. Investors weighed geopolitical tensions alongside a shift in risk appetite. 3
That backdrop keeps Vodafone’s stock volatile day-to-day: some funds treat it as a defensive pick, yet its heavy debt and network spending tie it closely to movements in rates and credit.
Fixed-line competition in the UK remains dynamic. CityFibre reported that roughly 70% of households changing broadband providers in areas covered by its network are opting for its service. Vodafone is among the retail providers offering broadband on CityFibre’s fibre footprint. 4
“Where CityFibre is available, we are becoming the preferred network,” CityFibre Chief Executive Simon Holden said. This bodes well for fibre adoption and ramps up the pressure on incumbents to compete on both price and speed. 4
Investors in Vodafone will be keeping an eye on peers connected to the same UK infrastructure — namely BT via Openreach, and Virgin Media O2 — for clues on wholesale pricing, churn rates, and how aggressively promotions are being pushed.
But buybacks aren’t a fix-all. A weaker-than-anticipated trading update, stiffer competition in crucial markets, or rising financing costs could easily overshadow any boost from repurchases.
Vodafone’s Q3 FY26 trading update lands on Feb. 5. The company will lay out how things are shaping up across its markets and either confirm or tweak guidance for the full year. 5
