Tag Archives: Kabel Deutschland

News, Politics, Government

Vodafone says Q1 sales lifted by emerging markets

Leave a comment

British mobile phone giant Vodafone said on Friday that sales grew in the first quarter, as strength in emerging markets countered weakness in Europe.

Total sales, including joint ventures, grew by 2.5 percent to ??10.155 billion in the first quarter or three months to the end of June, compared with a year earlier, Vodafone said in a trading update, adding that it remains on course to meet full-year targets.

“We have made a good start to the year in our areas of strategic focus: growth in emerging markets has accelerated,” said Chief Executive Vittorio Colao in the statement.

However, sales in Northern and Central Europe fell 3.0 percent due to increased competition.

Southern Europe revenues dived 14.4 percent, with particularly heavy drops in Italy and Spain, as trading conditions remained “difficult” in the region.

But the group’s Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific region posted a 5.9-percent sales increase.

Vodafone added that its 7.7-billion-euro ($10.1-billion) takeover of Kabel Deutschland was expected to complete at the end of this year.

Colao added: “The proposed acquisition of Kabel Deutschland will create an excellent platform for our unified communications strategy in our most important market.

“Although regulation, competitive pressures and weak economies, particularly in Southern Europe, continue to restrict revenue growth, we continue to lay strong foundations for the longer term.”

The group had clinched a deal to purchase Germany’s biggest cable operator last month in a bid to grow in Europe.

Kabel Deutschland is Germany’s leading cable provider, providing television, telephony and broadband services to about 8.5 million connected households in 13 of Germany’s 16 federal states.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Vodafone Group Expands International Presence

Leave a comment

By Sam Robson, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

LONDON — As the M&A rumors continue to swirl around Vodafone  , specifically its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless, the British telecom Goliath pushes on with expanding its international presence.

Yesterday, Vodafone announced that it has formed a consortium with China Mobile to bid for a mobile telecommunications license in Myanmar, formerly Burma, believed to be an important new market for the mobile industry.

The news follows the government in Myanmar doubling the number of mobile operators from two to four, and backing plans to encourage the country’s development of mobile infrastructure. The two new licenses will authorize the license holders to build, own and operate a mobile network on a nationwide basis for an initial term of 15 years.

Myanmar currently has a GDP growth rate of 5.5% per year, a comparatively young and highly literate population of around 60 million, and its and mobile phone penetration is currently below 10%, which is much lower than many emerging countries.

Elsewhere, Reuters reported that Vodafone is thought to be in talks with Deutsche Telekom in Germany over a wholesale deal “that would enable the British group to offer its German customers superfast broadband and a TV service,” according to “a person familiar with the situation.” 

Earlier this year, it had been thought that Vodafone was eyeing up a potential acquisition of Kabel Deutschland, with CEO Vittorio Colao saying “I’d like to provide pan-European unified services,” but making no mention of a specific company. 

A one-stop shop to include bundles of wireless, web, television, and phone service is a promising prospect to consumers, while a fixed-line offering in the country would strengthen Vodafone’s operations that are needed to connect its radio masts as well as handle the volumes of Internet data, as it currently has to rent capacity from its rivals’ fixed networks in continental Europe.

Both companies are yet to comment on the speculation.

If you are looking for alternative opportunities in the FTSE 100, this exclusive wealth report reviews five particularly attractive possibilities.

Indeed, all five blue chips offer a mix of robust prospects, illustrious histories, and dependable dividends, and have just been declared by The Motley Fool as “5 Shares You Can Retire On.” Simply click here for the report — it’s completely free!

The article Vodafone Group Expands International Presence originally appeared on Fool.com.


Sam Robson owns shares of Vodafone. The Motley Fool recommends Vodafone. The Motley Fool owns shares of China Mobile. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

M&A Rumors Rear Again for Vodafone

Leave a comment

By Sam Robson, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

LONDON — Having seen its share price return to former glory after six months of darkness, management at Vodafone has reiterated that it isn’t under pressure to sell its stake in Verizon Wireless.

This announcement follows a speech by chief executive Andy Halford at a private Citigroup-organized conference held on Tuesday, in which he declared that the company would be willing to accept a lower debt rating if circumstances arose for a merger or acquisition. Shares in Vodafone slipped to 185.5 pence in morning trade from a previous close of 188 pence.

Vodafone is on an “A-” ranking by Standard & Poor’s, although CEO Halford revealed that the telecommunications company would be willing to take a “BBB+” rating. Debt of about 7 billion pounds would take Vodafone one investment grade below its current one and could finance an acquisition — it’s worth noting that the previous reports of a potential takeover of German cable operator Kabel Deutschland were priced between 5 billion pounds and 8.5 billion pounds…

Intriguingly, however, Citigroup analysts upgraded Vodafone on Monday from neutral to buy, lifting the shares up to a six-month high of 188 pence, commenting: “We see a number of advantages supporting a decision to exit the U.S. now. The low interest rate environment, a strong operating performance from Verizon Wireless, improved balance sheet flexibility, a stronger dollar relative to sterling and the increase in U.S. telecoms valuations are all favorable factors.”

It seems this story is far from over, then; almost-daily newsbytes on a Verizon Communications buyout of Vodafone’s stake in their joint-venture and reinvigorated rumors of a Kabel Deutschland takeover are swinging the share price back and forth. As a shareholder, I recently reduced my holding in the company in order to finance a buying opportunity I felt I couldn’t miss, but it remains a significant position in my budding portfolio due to the strength of its yield.

If you already hold Vodafone shares as well and are looking for a stock on a similar yield, then you may wish to read this exclusive, free in-depth report. The FTSE 100 company in question offers a 5.7% income and might be worth 850 pence versus a current price of around 735 pence. Just click here to download the report — it’s absolutely free.

The article M&A Rumors Rear Again for Vodafone originally appeared on Fool.com.


Sam Robson owns shares in Vodafone. The Motley Fool recommends Vodafone. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Virgin Media Selects Concurrent's Unified CDN Solution to Deliver Video to Internet Connected Device

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Virgin Media Selects Concurrent’s Unified CDN Solution to Deliver Video to Internet Connected Devices

Concurrent Wins Another Tier One Service Provider

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Concurrent (NAS: CCUR) , a global leader in video and media data solutions, today announced Virgin Media, the largest quad-play provider of broadband Internet, television, mobile and fixed line telephony services in the United Kingdom, has selected Concurrent’s MediaHawk VX™ unified content delivery network solution to support video services to IP connected devices.

Virgin Media will use Concurrent’s MediaHawk® technology to support Virgin TV Anywhere, a new cloud-based entertainment service that gives customers the flexibility to enjoy their favorite TV content on computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Concurrent enables Virgin Media to reach multiple devices using a common software solution and content delivery architecture. MediaHawk supports a wide variety of video applications, including linear broadcast, video on-demand, time-shifted TV and network DVR. With its embedded eFactor content workflow features, MediaHawk simplifies multi-screen content delivery and reduces operational costs by adapting source content on-the-fly to satisfy the requirements of each target device.

“With Virgin TV Anywhere, Virgin Media is helping our customers enjoy compelling entertainment whenever they want, wherever they are. We continue to grow the services we offer and, with Concurrent’s solution, we can reach new screens more easily and rapidly scale our system to meet increasing demand for Internet-based services,” said Scott Kewley, Virgin Media‘s Director, Multi-Screen Product. “Concurrent’s unified solution was a great fit for us given the wide range of services we offer. We are committed to offering our customers a compelling experience on every screen and we are excited to be working with Concurrent to achieve our goals.”

Concurrent adds Virgin Media to a growing list of high profile customers in Europe, which includes Kabel Deutschland in Germany, ZON Multimedia in Portugal, Telefonica in Spain, and Vectra in Poland.

“We are proud to be working with Virgin Media to deliver innovative multi-screen video services to consumers,” said Jim Marino, Senior Vice President of Sales for Concurrent. “Concurrent’s strategy has been to provide operators with solutions that make it easier to launch new applications on any screen. The selection of our technology by Virgin Media is a key milestone in our progression, highlighting the strength of our technology, the success of our continued market expansion, and our commitment to winning new marquee accounts around the globe.”

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Should You Buy Vodafone?

Leave a comment

By Royston Wild, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

LONDON — Regardless of whether Vodafone  decides to pursue the acquisition of Kabel Deutschland — speculation about a deal has shaken the mobile operator’s shares in recent weeks — I believe the London-listed company remains a stellar stock pick.

Vodafone’s strategy of grabbing key footholds in exciting growth markets, exemplified by last month’s successful 4G auction, plus a generous dividend policy, makes it an attractive proposition for investors.

4G victory bodes well for future growth
Vodafone emerged as the runaway victor in last month’s much-awaited 4G mobile auction, an excellent result given the operator is due to launch its 4G service later this year. Some analysts had forecast that the company could have been forced to shell out as much as 1 billion pounds for the rights.

Vodafone purchased 2 x 10 MHz in the 800 MHz band, twice as much as rivals Everything Everywhere and Hutchison 3G, and 2 x 20 MHz in the 2.6 GHz category, plus an extra 25 MHz of unpaired spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band. This leaves the company well positioned to latch onto the exploding market for mobile broadband services, which 4G should enhance.

Elsewhere, Vodafone also inked a five-year accord with defense giant BAE Systems in February to provide companies with security products and services for their smartphones and tablets. This is a relatively new and lucrative area for the mobile operator. The deal will also see Vodafone installed as BAE‘s preferred network provider in all global regions excluding the US.

A dependable dividend play
Vodafone’s progressive dividend policy makes it a star attraction for today’s income investors, with the share’s yield expected to remain far in excess of the 3.5% FTSE 100 average.

The mobile network giant is expected to carry a gigantic 6.2% yield for the year ending March 2013, which City brokers expect to grow to 6.4% in 2014 and 6.5% the following year.

Although Vodafone does not offer the sturdiest of dividend covers — this is expected to remain anchored at around 1.5 until the end of 2015 — the company boasts a solid history of increasing dividends even in times of earnings pressure, providing investors with peace of mind.

Steady earnings growth expected
Analysts expect earnings per share to edge 2% higher during 2013, to 15 pence, before trotting higher thereafter — growth of 7% and 6%, to 16 pence and 17 pence, respectively, are anticipated in 2014 and 2015.

I believe that Vodafone offers decent value for money at current levels. A P/E ratio of 11 for the current year is expected to fall to 10.3 and 9.7, for 2014 and 2015, respectively. These ratings also compare favorably with an average forward earnings multiple of 12 for the wider mobile telecommunications sector.

Electrify your dividend income with the Fool
Whether or not you already own Vodafone, and are looking for other hot payout plays to really propel the income from your stock portfolio, I recommend you take a look at this exclusive, in-depth report about another FTSE 100 high-income opportunity.

The …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance