BUZZ-View from the buyside: Investec's Brazier taps into Vodafone

** Simon Brazier, who runs Investec UK Alpha Fund, has bought Vodafone shares for the first time amid a return to form for the mobile phone operator as its bet on 4G starts paying off

** Contrarian investment; StarMine's Analyst Revisions Model score for VOD is 10 out of 100, indicating VOD is worse off than 90% of companies in UK on analyst revisions

** Fiercely competitive environment in Europe, with laws enabling c.3-4 operators in region's markets to increase price competition & secure lowest price for consumer having hit cos' ability to invest in networks

** But regulators' newfound openness to M&A (more investment into faster networks could aid economy) should revive sector after yrs of falling revenues & PM sees VOD well placed after heavy investment in "Project Spring" to improve its 4G networks

** VOD posted rise in quarterly sales for first time in

** Brazier, who bought VOD in last c.3.5 months (partly on divi attractions, yield 4.6%), invests on 5-yr view & reckons within period co will have solved fixed-line issue which may be some kind of deal with Liberty Global (NasdaqGS: LBTYA - news)

** VOD, traditionally mobile-only, hampered in recent years as cos with access to mobile & fixed-line infrastructure offer packages of services to customers in one bundle; co said June in talks with Liberty over exchanging selected assets (RM (LSE: RM.L - news) : tricia.wright1.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)