Vodafone Group Confirms Margherita Della Valle As Group CEO

British telecom major Vodafone Group Plc announced a 10-year strategic partnership with tech major Microsoft Corp. with a view to provide generative AI, digital and cloud services to customers. The move will help Vodafone to offer scaled digital platforms to more than 300 million businesses, public sector organisations, and consumers across Europe and Africa using Microsoft's generative AI.

Shares of Vodafone Group Plc were losing around 4 percent in the morning trading in London as well as in pre-market activity on Nasdaq after the British telecom major reported Tuesday lower adjusted EBITDAaL, a key earnings metric, in its fiscal 2023. This was despite reporting significantly higher net profit, largely reflecting a gain on disposal of Vantage Towers.

Shares of Vodafone Group Plc were losing around 5 percent in the morning trade in London as well as in the pre-market activity on Nasdaq after the British telecom major reported Tuesday weak profit in its first half with lower revenues. For fiscal 2023, the company now projects adjusted EBITDAaL at at the lower end of original guidance. The company also announced a new cost savings target

The Taiwan stock market has finished lower in three straight sessions, shedding almost 420 points or 1.8 percent in that span. The Taiwan Stock Exchange now sits just above the 22,450-point plateau and it figures to open under water again on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is broadly negative on recession fears and concerns over the health of the world economy. The European and U.S. markets finished sharply lower and the Asian bourses are expected to open under pressure as well. The TSE finished modestly lower again on Monday following mixed performances from the financial shares and technology stocks. For the day, the index slumped 116.92 points or 0.52 percent to finish at 22,459.15 after trading between 22,407.57 and 22,641.25. Among the actives, Cathay Financial and CTBC Financial both perked 0.16 percent, while Mega Financial collected 0.63 percent, Fubon Financial fell 0.22 percent, E Sun Financial improved 0.70 percent, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company sank 0.70 percent, United Microelectronics Corporation rallied 2.04 percent, Largan Precision retreated 1.67 percent, Catcher Technology gained 0.73 percent, MediaTek plunged 4.78 percent, Novatek Microelectronics shed 0.37 percent, Formosa Plastics advanced 1.03 percent, Nan Ya Plastics climbed 1.05 percent, Asia Cement was up 0.11 percent and Hon Hai Precision was unchanged.

The average of household spending in Japan was up 0.8 percent on year in January, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Tuesday - coming in at 305,521 yen.

Japan's gross domestic product expanded a seasonally adjusted 0.6 percent on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Cabinet Office said in Tuesday's second preliminary estimate.

The Singapore stock market has tracked lower in back-to-back sessions, sinking almost 20 points or 0.5 percent along the way. The Straits Time Index now sits just beneath the 3,900-point plateau and the losses may accelerate on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is broadly negative on recession fears and concerns over the health of the world economy. The European and U.S. markets finished sharply lower and the Asian bourses are expected to open under pressure as well. The STI finished modestly lower on Monday following losses among the financial shares, property stocks and industrial issues. For the day, the index fell 15.41 points or 0.39 percent to finish at the daily low of 3,899.07 after peaking at 3,922.66. Among the actives, CapitaLand Investment sank 0.77 percent, while City Developments declined 1.19 percent, Comfort DelGro shed 0.68 percent, DBS Group eased 0.28 percent, Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust spiked 1.79 percent, Genting Singapore rallied 1.41 percent, Hongkong Land stumbled 1.79 percent, Keppel DC REIT added 0.49 percent, Keppel Ltd slid 0.44 percent, Mapletree Industrial Trust advanced 1.00 percent, Mapletree Logistics Trust skidded 0.80 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation lost 0.64 percent, Seatrium Limited jumped 1.43 percent, SembCorp Industries retreated 1.27 percent, Singapore Technologies Engineering slumped 1.14 percent, SingTel tumbled 1.75 percent, UOL Group climbed 1.38 percent, Venture Corporation rose 0.24 percent, Wilmar International fell 0.61 percent, Yangzijiang Financial dropped 0.78 percent, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding dipped 0.42 percent and Thai Beverage, Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust, DFI Retail, Frasers Centrepoint Trust, CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust, Emperador and SATS were unchanged.

The Malaysia stock market has tracked lower in three straight sessions, slumping almost 30 points or 2 percent in that span. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index now sits just above the 1,535-point plateau and it may take further damage again on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is broadly negative on recession fears and concerns over the health of the world economy. The European and U.S. markets finished sharply lower and the Asian bourses are expected to open under pressure as well.