Out Fox The $treet

Liberty Global continues pursuing a deal with Vodafone despite regulatory concerns and disagreements on asset values. The stock continues trading toward multi-month lows on market weakness and the lack of merger news. Vodafone remains attractive with solid growth catalysts and a big dividend. The  unsurprising news  of the week is that Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA ) is finding it difficult to work out a deal with Vodafone (NASDAQ: VOD ). To most investors it shouldn't be a shock that the companies are struggling to find common ground on a deal in the midst of stricter regulatory scrutiny of related mergers in Europe. The original  investment thesis  surrounding this potential deal back in June questioned some of the logic supportive of a workable deal. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha.  Disclosure: Long VOD. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Vodafone is rallying similar to early 2014 due to another potential deal. The European focused wireless operator has an interesting opportunity for a combination with Liberty Global. The details suggest the operational overlap might not provide the necessary synergies and benefits expected of such a large-scale deal. The recent stock surge of Vodafone (NASDAQ: VOD ) toward $40 has a similar feeling to the run with the sale of Verizon Wireless to Verizon (NYSE: VZ ). In both cases, the stock made a rapid rise within a few months from the low $30s. The question is whether Vodafone holds and even builds on the gains this time. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha. Disclosure: Long VOD. Please review the disclaimer page for more details.