Vodafone has expanded in emerging markets in the past two years with acquisitions in Turkey and India, the fastest-growing major wireless market, after slower growth in Europe hurt investor confidence. The European mobile-phone market will remain "challenging'' because of the "current economic environment'' and regulatory pressure on pricing, Vodafone said today.
"He'd like to go out on a high note,'' said Damien Chew, an analyst at ING in London who rates the company "hold.''
"He was under a lot of pressure about two years ago.''
Net income in the year ended in March was 12.5 pence a share, compared with a loss of