Vodafone Idea shares rise 9% despite loss widening in Q1: Buy or stay away?

Vodafone Idea (Vi) shares rose 6.5 per cent on Monday, after the company posted its Q1 results; check what analysts suggest on the stock

Vodafone Idea (Vi) shares rose 8.6 per cent on Monday, August 18, 2025, logging an intra-day high at ₹6.68 per share on BSE. The buying on the counter came after the company posted its Q1 results. 

 

At 10:13 AM, Vodafone Idea share price was trading 6.18 per cent higher at ₹6.53 per share. In comparison, the Sensex was 1.27 per cent higher at 81,624.51.  CATCH STOCK MARKET UPDATES TODAY LIVE

Vodafone Idea Q1 results recap 

The telecom major reported a consolidated loss after tax of ₹6,608 crore in Q1FY26, up from ₹6,432 crore a year earlier. However, on a sequential basis, loss narrowed from ₹7,166.1 crore in Q4FY25.

 

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Its revenue from operations, however, grew 4.9 per cent year-on-year to ₹11,022.5 crore in Q1FY26 from ₹10,508.3 crore in Q1FY25. Sequentially, revenue increased slightly from ₹10,948.3 crore in Q4FY25.

 

The company said that its Average Revenue Per User (Arpu) for the quarter stood at ₹177, up 15 per cent from ₹154 in Q1FY25.

 

The company’s capital expenditure for the quarter was ₹2,440 crore, while bank debt declined to ₹1,930 crore as of June 30, 2025.

 

Its 4G/5G subscriber base rose to 127.4 million in the June quarter, up from 126.7 million in Q1FY25.

 

“This has been a decisive turnaround quarter. The investments made over the past three quarters to expand our 4G coverage have started yielding results, as reflected in the 90 per cent lower subscriber loss compared to Q2 and Q3 of last financial year, being the lowest subscriber decline since merger," said Akshaya Moondra, chief executive officer (CEO) of Vodafone Idea. 

Vodafone Idea Q1 results: Analysts view 

Kranti Bathini, director-equity strategy, WealthMills Securities, believes that the damage level for Vi has come down in the quarter under review, but the business is yet to stabilise. 

 

Bathini suggests that Vi shares are more suitable for high-risk appetite investors and speculators. He also said that one should monitor improvement in the growth prospects. 

 

Independent market analyst Ambareesh Baliga recommended avoiding Vodafone Idea shares post its Q1. The company, according to Baliga, has a long way to catch up, as there is no clear sign as to when the company will be profitable and when the accumulated losses will be cleared.