Verizon sale talk lifts Vodacom

Vodafone Group advanced 2.8 percent yesterday after Verizon Communications chief executive Lowell McAdam was reported to say his firm could buy the UK carrier’s stake in their US joint venture, Verizon Wireless. Vodafone stock declined 14 percent last year. Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao said in November that he would not rule out a sale of the firm’s 45 percent stake in the US carrier. McAdam said his company had the strength to buy Vodafone’s stake, the Wall Street Journal reported. – Bloomberg