Thump in London for the title of Vodafone, which in the morning comes to lose more than six percentage points. The wave of sales comes after the US mobile operator AT&T ruled out a bid for the British group, finally clarifying its intentions at the request of the British Acquisitions Committee.
The press release sent to the London Stock Exchange rules out a takeover in the next six months. The second largest mobile service provider in the United States will still be able to bid if it agrees with the Vodafone board or if an interested third party presents itself.
The hypothesis of an interest of AT&T for Vodafone had been fueled by the declarations of Randall Stephenson, who, in the past, had spoken of a "huge opportunity" for investment in mobile broadband in Europe.
Vodafone is the second largest mobile operator in the world and is selling its stake in US operator Verizon Wireless to its partner Verizon Communications for 130 billion dollars. Analysts and bankers have speculated that the sale of the US division, which should be completed next month, will make Vodafone more attractive for an offer.
