Vodafone Group PLC (LSE:VOD) shares jumped on Monday morning after it was revealed that activist investor Cevian Capital is calling for strategic and boardroom improvements.
The Swedish activist fund, which has built an undisclosed stake of less than 3% in the telecoms group, which has seen its share price more than halve between the beginning of 2018 and the start of 2022.
Cevian is thought to want to put pressure on the FTSE 100 company to sell parts of its global operations, consolidate its position in key markets, return cash to shareholders and bring more telecoms experience onto the board, according to a report by Bloomberg over the weekend.
A source close to Cevian said it had been in contact with Vodafone for several months, and told the Times: “It’s not the type of investor that’s in it for a quick buck.”
Shares in Vodafone rose 4% to 132.91p on Monday morning, making it a 15% gain since the start of the year.