Liberty Global plc (LBTYB)

Liberty Global's value-unlocking thesis is reactivated, with management now providing a clear 24-month timeline for potential spin-offs or IPOs. Despite depressed FCF and ongoing buybacks, I see at least $20/share in hidden value, especially as Dutch assets show early signs of turnaround. VMO2, VodafoneZiggo, and Telenet are prime spin-off candidates; successful separation could rapidly close Liberty's persistent holding company discount.

Liberty Global Ltd. (NASDAQ:LBTYA ) Q2 2025 Earnings Conference Call August 1, 2025 9:00 AM ET Company Participants Charles Henry Rowland Bracken - Executive VP & CFO Enrique Rodriguez - Executive VP & CTO Lutz Schuler - Chief Executive Officer (Leave of Absence) Michael Thomas Fries - Vice Chairman, President & CEO Stephen van Rooyen - Corporate Participant Conference Call Participants Carl Murdock-Smith - Citigroup Inc., Research Division David Antony Wright - BofA Securities, Research Division James Edmund Ratzer - New Street Research LLP Joshua Andrew Mills - BNP Paribas Exane, Research Division Matthew Joseph Harrigan - The Benchmark Company, LLC, Research Division Polo Tang - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division Robert James Grindle - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division Stephen Paul Malcolm - Redburn (Europe) Limited, Research Division Operator Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for standing by.

Liberty Global said Britain's Virgin Media O2 - its joint venture with Telefonica - would still play a role in fibre consolidation after the Spanish company said a plan to spin off the network had been scrapped.

Liberty Global's SOTP valuation offers a deep-value play, with gradual unlocking via buybacks. VMO2 and VodafoneZiggo face competitive challenges; VMO2 contributes significant dividends, while VodafoneZiggo's turnaround plan remains uncertain. Telenet's high CapEx impacts short-term FCF, but improvements are expected by 2026; Liberty Growth's portfolio is valued at $3.3 billion.

Liberty Global Ltd. (NASDAQ:LBTYA ) Q1 2025 Earnings Conference Call May 2, 2025 8:30 AM ET Company Participants Mike Fries - Chief Executive Officer Charlie Bracken - Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Lutz Schüler - Chief Executive Officer-Virgin Media Stephen van Rooyen - Chief Executive Officer, VodafoneZiggo Enrique Rodriguez - Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer Conference Call Participants Carl Murdock-Smith - Citigroup Robert Grindle - Deutsche Bank Polo Tang - UBS Steve Malcolm - Redburn Joshua Mills - BNP Paribas Ulrich Rathe - Bernstein Societe Generale Group Matthew Harrigan - Benchmark Company David Wright - Bank of America James Ratzer - New Street Research Operator Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for standing by.

Liberty Global's management suggests a $25+ SOTP valuation, but the market values it at $10.5, indicating a disparity in perspectives. Structural separation of debt and rise of "Liberty Services" shift value to HoldCo, while lowering risks. Capex cycles are peaking, with Belgium set for meaningful FCF uplift by 2026.

Liberty Global has approached Britain's Vodafone for a possible acquisition of its stake in the companies' Dutch joint venture VodafoneZiggo, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Liberty Global's diversified business and strategic investments in growth assets drive consistent free cash flows and a strong balance sheet. Management's creative strategies, including smart buybacks and M&A moves, demonstrate alignment with shareholder interests and potential for unlocking value. Smart capex financing maximizes free cash flow and improves liquidity.

Liberty Global Ltd. (NASDAQ:LBTYA ) Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call February 19, 2025 9:00 AM ET Company Participants Mike Fries – Chief Executive Officer Charlie Bracken – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Lutz Schüler – Chief Executive Officer-Virgin Media Conference Call Participants Steve Malcolm – Redburn Joshua Mills – BNP Paribas Carl Murdock-Smith – Citigroup Matthew Harrigan – the Benchmark Company Ulrich Rathe – Bernstein Societe Generale Group David Wright – Bank of America James Ratzer – New Street Research Operator Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for standing by.

Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss European CEO sentiment at Davos, future of company, state of 5G and broadband adoption, media landscape in Europe, future of Formula E, M&A outlook under the new Trump administration, and more.

A new report from Liberty Global and EY suggests that the strategic adoption of AI in the telco sector has the potential to drive major sustainability gains over the next decade. The report – ‘Smarter networks, greener planet’ – takes an in-depth look at how the telecommunications industry can harness artificial intelligence (AI) in the coming years to help meet important sustainability goals in the sector. aAdsList.push('Article'); aAdsListSize.push([300, 250]); aAdsListCA.push(null); Whilst acknowledging the energy intensity of AI – through practices such as the widespread integration of GenAI features into mobile applications - the report also highlights the technology’s potential for driving operational efficiencies within the telco sector. These include applications such as optimizing energy use in mobile and fixed networks and using AI-enhanced video technology to improve efficiency in network builds. The scale of the challenge created by AI-driven applications is illustrated by research cited in the report that shows that in just two years’ time the AI sector could consume between 85 and 134 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity annually – approximately 0.5% of total global consumption and roughly equivalent to the current electricity usage of the Netherlands. Sustainability gains through AI would leverage the sector’s long-standing reputation for innovation, illustrated by research in the report which states that telco operators now carry as much as 10 times more data compared with five years ago, whilst maintaining similar levels of energy consumption. Overall, the report strikes an optimistic tone. Outlining four hypothetical outcomes for AI and sustainability in the next ten years, it predicts that the most likely is a scenario whereby AI helps minimize the extra energy required to support a huge growth in volume of data carried over telecommunications networks, while also yielding a number of other benefits. This would be achieved by the telco industry utilizing advanced AI to optimize the allocation of resources, predict maintenance needs in advance and manage network traffic in real-time. In this scenario – labelled ‘Growth’ in the report - telecommunications networks would handle 50 times more data traffic than now, while increasing energy consumption by only 10%. This would see the elimination of Scope 1 and 2 emissions, a 70% increase in the lifespan of equipment, and networks becoming net contributors to clean energy production. The report outlines eight key recommendations that can lead the telecommunications sector to reach such a desirable outcome: Conduct comprehensive assessments of AI's sustainability impact to identify opportunities for reducing energy consumption and waste Prioritize AI-driven network optimization to enhance efficiency across mobile and fixed-line networks Accelerate the transition to AI-managed renewable energy sources by optimizing integration of diverse energy sources, managing storage, and predicting future needs Implement AI-enhanced circular economy practices to extend equipment lifespans and improve recycling and reduce waste Develop comprehensive AI governance frameworks that integrate sustainability considerations Foster an organisational culture that values both technological innovation and sustainability through cross-functional collaboration Invest in workforce development - equipping teams with necessary skills in AI, data analytics, and environmental management Lead efforts to develop industry-wide standards for sustainable AI, establishing common metrics for measuring environmental impact Mike Fries, Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Global, comments: "As data traffic continues to grow exponentially, we are committed to playing our part in reducing emissions throughout our networks and operations. We're excited about the potential of AI to help us do this - and we're already seeing the benefits in areas such as the optimization of energy use in our networks and making our network builds more efficient." Dr Harvey Lewis, partner for AI at EY and the author of the report, adds: "While the scenarios we present are speculative, they highlight the strategic potential of AI in the telco sector. Success will depend on network collaboration across Europe, investment in skills and infrastructure to create more competition, and a holistic approach to AI adoption that balances immediate efficiency gains with long-term sustainability impacts." ABOUT LIBERTY GLOBAL Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) is a world leader in converged broadband, video and mobile communications services. Liberty Telecom delivers next-generation products through advanced fiber and 5G networks, and currently provides over 80 million* connections across Europe. Our businesses operate under some of the best-known consumer brands, including Telenet in Belgium, Virgin Media in Ireland, UPC in Slovakia, Virgin Media-O2 in the U.K. and VodafoneZiggo in The Netherlands. Through our substantial scale and commitment to innovation, we are building Tomorrow’s Connections Today, investing in the infrastructure and platforms that empower our customers to make the most of the digital revolution, while deploying the advanced technologies that nations and economies need to thrive. Liberty Global's consolidated businesses generate annual revenue of more than $4 billion, while the VMO2 JV and the VodafoneZiggo JV generate combined annual revenue of more than $18 billion.** Liberty Growth, our global investment arm, has a portfolio of more than 75 companies and funds across the content, technology and infrastructure industries, including stakes in companies like ITV, Televisa Univision, Plume, AtlasEdge and the Formula E racing series. * Represents aggregate consolidated and 50% owned non-consolidated fixed and mobile subscribers. Includes wholesale mobile connections of the VMO2 JV and B2B fixed subscribers of the VodafoneZiggo JV. ** Revenue figures above are provided based on full year 2023 Liberty Global consolidated results and the combined as reported full year 2023 results for the VodafoneZiggo JV and full year 2023 U.S. GAAP results for the VMO2 JV. Telenet, the VMO2 JV and the VodafoneZiggo JV deliver mobile services as mobile network operators. Virgin Media Ireland delivers mobile services as a mobile virtual network operator through third-party networks. UPC Slovakia delivers mobile services as a reseller of SIM cards. Liberty Global Ltd. is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbols "LBTYA", "LBTYB" and "LBTYK". View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250120161281/en/

Liberty Global is spinning-off the Sunrise shares, that should unlock $10+ value per share. RemainCo is deeply undervalued but facing challenges of highly leveraged assets during the high-capex cycle focused on fiber and 5G to drive long-term returns. Once the Capex cycle is over, these assets have the potential to generate over $1 billion in annual FCF for Liberty Global, driving a huge upside in the share price.

Liberty Global Ltd. (NASDAQ:LBTYA ) Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call October 30, 2024 9:00 AM ET Company Participants Mike Fries - CEO Charlie Bracken - EVP and CFO Lutz Schüler - CEO, Virgin Media Stephen van Rooyen - CEO, VodafoneZiggo André Krause - CEO, Sunrise Conference Call Participants Robert Grindle - Deutsche Bank Maurice Patrick - Barclays Joshua Mills - BNP Paribas Steve Malcolm - Redburn Ulrich Rathe - Bernstein Societe Generale Group James Ratzer - New Street Research Dhruva Shah - UBS Operator Good morning, ladies and gentlemen and thank you for standing by.

Liberty Global shares are clearly undervalued based on SOTP value by about 50%. Understanding John Malone's financial engineering is key to the investment thesis. Management is unlocking the value with the coming Sunrise spin-off and the ongoing buyback program. The risks of high leverage are well managed by shielding the holding from the debt of its subsidiaries, making Liberty Global essentially debt-free with 50% of Market Cap in cash.

Liberty Global will spin off its Swiss telecoms operator Sunrise to shareholders in the fourth quarter of 2024, it said on Monday.

Liberty Global has explored selling a stake in its Swiss telecoms operator Sunrise ahead of a planned spin-off later this year, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.