Vodafone Idea Share Price Rises Despite Wider Q1 Loss: Analysts See Positive Signs; Should You Buy or Hold?

On the morning of August 18, shares of Vodafone Idea Ltd showed a modest upward movement in early trade after the telecom company's announcement of a larger loss for the June quarter. The net loss for Q1FY25 was Rs 6,608 crore, compared to Rs 6,432 crore in the same period last year. Despite this, revenue from operations increased by 5% year-on-year to Rs 11,023 crore from Rs 10,508 crore.

Vodafone Idea Share Price Today

NSE: IDEA : At 9:46 AM, the shares of Vodafone Idea Ltd at National Stock Exchange (NSE) were trading at Rs 6.34, marking a gain of Rs 0.19, or approximately 3.09% from the previous close. The session began with the stock opening at Rs 6.25, slightly higher than the previous day's close, indicating a positive market sentiment.

Shortly after the opening bell, the stock touched an intraday high of Rs 6.40, showing signs of buying interest, although it also dipped to an intraday low of Rs 6.18 during the session.

Despite today's gains, Vodafone Idea's stock remains near its 52-week low of Rs 6.12, underlining the pressure it has faced in recent months. In contrast, the stock's 52-week high stands at Rs 16.55, highlighting the significant correction it has undergone over the past year.

Vodafone Idea Q1 Results 2026 Highlights

The company reported a larger net loss of Rs 6,608 crore compared to Rs 6,432 crore in the same period last year. Despite this, revenue from operations increased by 5% year-on-year to Rs 11,023 crore. The average revenue per user (ARPU) also saw a significant rise of 15%, reaching Rs 177 from Rs 154 in the previous year.

VI EBITDA FY2026: The mobile operator company's average revenue per user (ARPU) rose to Rs 177 in the quarter, up from Rs 154 in Q1FY24, marking a 15% year-on-year growth. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) reached Rs 4,612 crore, showing a 10% increase from Rs 4,205 crore in the previous year. The EBITDA margin improved to 41.8%, which is an increase of 180 basis points from last year's same quarter.

Cash EBITDA for the quarter stood at Rs 2,180 crore on a pre-Ind AS 116 basis, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 3.7%. Bank debt reduced further to Rs 19.3 billion as of June end. Vodafone Idea entered into a strategic partnership with AST SpaceMobile aimed at providing satellite broadband connectivity directly to devices in remote areas lacking terrestrial networks.'

Brokerages' View on VI Share; Should You Buy, Hold or Sell?

Domestic brokerage firm Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOSL) noted that Vodafone Idea's Q1FY25 net loss of Rs 6,608 crore was narrower than its internal estimate of Rs 7,500 crore. The better-than-expected performance was primarily attributed to lower interest costs, which helped cushion the company's bottom line.

On the revenue front, Vodafone Idea reported Rs 11,023 crore, reflecting a 5% year-on-year growth, which MOSL said was in line with its projections, indicating stability in operational performance despite ongoing financial challenges.

VI Network Expansion and Subscriber Growth

During this period, Vodafone Idea expanded its network services significantly. The company launched 5G services in 22 cities across 13 circles and continued its progress with expanding its 4G network. Subscriber losses decreased notably as strategic investments led to a dramatic reduction in churn by 90%. The combined subscriber base for both 4G and 5G increased to 127.4 million from the previous quarter's figure of 126.7 million.

The company also reported improvements in its network capabilities. Coverage for the population using its 4G services rose to cover 84%, while data capacity increased by 36%. Additionally, average speeds saw an improvement of 24% compared with March 2024 figures.

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