Vodafone rating affirmed, outlook stable - S&P

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its long-term single-A and short-term A-1 ratings on Vodafone Group PLC and said the outlook is stable, following Vodafone's announcement that it has agreed to acquire BT PLC's and SBC Communications Inc's stakes in French fixed-line and mobile telecommunications company Groupe Cegetel SA for €6.3bn.

The additional acquisition of Vivendi Universal's 44% interest in Cegetel for €6.8bn would give Vodafone 100.0% ownership of Cegetel.