Topic: How To Invest

Dear Pat: What do you think about the prospects of Vodafone Group? Buy, sell or hold? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

Vodafone Group plc (ADRs), $29.29, symbol VOD on Nasdaq (ADRs outstanding: 4.9 billion; Market cap: $143.5 billion; www.vodafone.com), is a leading provider of mobile telecommunications services, including cellular phones and paging. The company has 448.8 million subscribers and operates in 26 countries. Vodafone also owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, which provides mobile-phone services in the U.S. Verizon Communications Inc., symbol VZ on New York, owns the remaining 55%. Verizon Communications is a recommendation of our Wall Street Stock Forecaster newsletter. In July 2012, Vodafone completed its purchase of Cable & Wireless Worldwide, a U.K.-based firm that sells telephone and Internet services to corporations and governments. Cable & Wireless’s extensive fibre optic networks look like a good fit with Vodafone’s mainly wireless businesses. The deal also lowers Vodafone’s reliance on consumers. Vodafone paid roughly 1.05 billion British pounds for Cable & Wireless (1 British pound = $1.56 Canadian). As well, the company recently agreed to buy TelstraClear Ltd., which sells telephone, Internet and TV services…