Verizon ends divi speculation for Vodafone shareholders

Verizon Wireless has ended months of speculation by announcing it will pay a total dividend of $8.5bn to its parent companies, Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group.

It follows months of concern amongst investors as to whether Verizon Wireless would pay a dividend this year, Reuters reports. However, the payout is below the $10bn dividend it announced in July 2011 and paid in January 2012. Shareholders have been pressuring Verizon to continue to pay dividends after payouts were suspended from 2005-2010 while the group focused on paying down debt. Verizon declined to comment on the size of the payout or how it plans to use the cash. Dividends are due to be paid on or before December 31. Vodafone also announced today it had written down the va...