Telecoms

Vodafone's good problem

Vodafone shares climbed this morning after its US mobile phone joint venture with Verizon Communications finally agreed to pay its first dividend since 2005. Majority owner Verizon had resisted calls for a distribution, probably in the hope that Vodafone would sell out. Lex's Edward Hadas and Luke Templeman discuss why Verizon has acquiesced now and why Vodafone is returning most of the dividend to shareholders.