Introduction
Current Position
Chief Executive Comments
Ratio Analysis Profitability Liquidity and Control of Working Capital Return on Capital Investors' Ratios
Sources of long-term finance
Gearing
Shareholders wealth
Dividend Policy
Mergers and Acquisitions
Efficient Market are Vodafone's share priced fairly
Future prospects
Introduction
This project sets out to give an overview of the current financial position of Vodafone Group plc and its prospects. The position is analyzed by looking at accounting ratios over the last few years, and by an examination of sources of long term finance, gearing, shareholders wealth, dividend policy and mergers and acquisitions. Finally this project asks are the company's shares priced fairly and what are its prospects for the future?
Background
Vodafone made the UK's first mobile call at a few minutes past midnight on the 1st January 1985. Today Vodafone Group plc is the world's largest mobile operator by revenues, and the only one with a claim to be global. Its principal assets include controlled operations in Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, a 45% holding in Verizon Wireless in the US and a 44% stake in SFR in France. Sir Christopher Gent has been CEO of Vodafone for over six years. In that time, the company's valuation has expanded from UK £7 billion to approximately UK £85 billion. Vodafone's cellular footprint has also grown to more than 30 directly-owned, associate and partnership cellular networks. Turnover last year was UK £35.7 billion and profit before exceptional items, etc. was UK £8.4 billion, although once those items were taken into consideration, including a number of write-downs, the overall situation was of a loss of UK £9.8 billion. Subscribers stand at a very substantial 119.7 million. That's around 2% of the global population. EBITDA , however, which stands for Earnings Before Taxes, Interest,