What Investors Got Wrong About Vivendi Before The Drop

Simply Wall St · 2d ago

If you had looked at Vivendi in October 2025 and decided to wait for clearer signs that the Gameloft restructuring and listed stakes focus were working, skipping the stock might now feel like a bullet dodged. Investors who held Vivendi over the past year are down 47.3%, including dividends. With analysts then projecting sharply higher margins and a future P/E of 17.8x, what specific assumptions about earnings control and portfolio risks were you really signing up for?

The easy part of this move is behind Vivendi. Zero in on 198 high quality undervalued stocks for companies trading below our estimates.

The Argument Vivendi Investors Were Really Weighing

The shares cost €3.01 at the start of the period, and anyone looking at Vivendi then had to choose between two very different but plausible storylines.

The optimistic case saw the Gameloft overhaul and focus on listed holdings paying off, with a Fair Value of €3.55. This was effectively the price implied if assumptions came good, based on revenue rising 2.3% a year and profit margins moving from deep losses to 74.8%.

The cautious view pointed to a fragmented portfolio and rising compliance costs, with a Fair Value of €2.86. A key concern was that shrinking control over earnings could leave Vivendi more exposed to regulatory and competitive shocks.

ENXTPA:VIV 1-Year Stock Price Chart
ENXTPA:VIV 1-Year Stock Price Chart

What The Vivendi Results Actually Tested

The clearest new data point for Vivendi was the H1 2026 report. Revenue moved from €145 million in H1 2025 to €140 million, while net income slipped from €30 million to €28 million and net margin edged down from 20.7% to 20.0%. That combination challenged the optimistic case of rapid earnings repair and supported the cautious view that earnings control would be harder than hoped.

The lesson to carry to other stocks is simple. When a thesis hinges on margin expansion, track the reported net margin and absolute profit side by side to see whether efficiency claims are actually showing up in the income statement.

What Vivendi’s Lower Price Now Asks You To Believe

Vivendi trades at €1.56 today, after the share price fell 47.3% over the past year. The selected Narrative’s Fair Value sits above the current price, based on the idea that portfolio rotation, Gameloft and the V Collection can support stronger earnings power than recent history implies.

The key question is what would have to be true for that drop to be a chance rather than a warning. This comes down to whether you think Gameloft can keep its PC and console traction while headquarters cost cuts and media reinvestment actually show up in earnings and net asset value.

"Vivendi’s shift toward a media and content investment holding, with telecom stakes already sold and proceeds available for redeployment into new media assets, creates room for less-modeled portfolio rotation that can change the mix of dividend income and fair value gains and influence earnings and net asset value over time."

Not everyone reads the same price the same way. → See the higher figure this Narrative lands on, and how it gets there

Which Company Could Surprise You Next?

This company's disappointment is already part of the story. Your next idea could come from looking where the price and the possibilities still seem far apart. Here are three companies priced below our estimates.

  • Company 1 - 25% below our estimate - grows elevator maintenance and modernization by adding salespeople to win recurring service contracts.
  • Company 2 - 47% below our estimate - shifts focus toward AI data center power and liquid cooling while managing weaker segments.
  • Company 3 - 33% below our estimate - expands dairy and nutrition lines while using a dense retail network to reach more households.

That is three of the list. See all 202 companies with the balance sheet to back it up →