Recent Vodafone

Good video here summarizing your options.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/shares/10288456/Vodafone-how-can-shareholders-decide-what-to-do.html

The documentation pack being circulated to VF shareholders is excellent, received mine today. Appears easy to follow, all key details are very well explained and illustrated but I will study closely.

Anyone any views on Verizon? I will do some research but any heads up would be appreciated.

RobertKK wrote: »

One gets very few Verizon shares, I think most Eircom IPO buyers will be able to count them on one hand.

A rather lame comment, and I fail to see your point? For starters the Verizon share is c $45.00 ea, and the VF share is £ 2.30!

Each VF shareholder will for receive for every VF share, be offered £1.05(approx. £0.75 to buy Verizon shares) and the balance in cash.

Alternatively the shareholder can also opt not to take any shares but sell instead @ zero cost.

So whether you opt for shares + cash or cash only (differing taxes will apply) will be a function of the number of shares you own!

It is free money and you many also donate any proceeds!

RobertKK wrote: »

I am just thinking of the cost of selling (in lets say a couple of years after getting them) lets say you get two Verizon shares and lets say you use a cheaper than Irish broker and it cost $15 plus currency conversion fee, ok you could keep them and take the dividend.
That is all, and why I said count on one hand, I will get two Verizon shares and I think for most former Eircom shareholders who did nothing with the Vodafone shares they will be in the same position.
Like I would rather own more than two shares of Verizon as it is not exactly at the value of a Google share. It depends on what people intend on doing with the shares, whether they want a small amount or would rather the cash as you pointed out.

The Verizon shares do appear expensive and with no income (divi), I doubt many will want to retain them (myself included) but the main reason being US and CREST. I prefer Euro stocks and certificates. What I own I have and I prefer the income stream from shares too! There is a zero cost option available (but all proceeds will be subject to 50% Dirt/PRSI combo!). I'll probably use the cash to buy more Vodafone shares when the dust settles.

Cute Hoor wrote: »

Verizon pay 4.5% Dividend, paid 4 times per year, increased year on year for the last 5 years, next dividend ($0.53) due on February 3rd

Edit: I'd expect this dividend to increase once they've got all of Verizon Wireless

Yeah, thanks for pointing out my earlier error, 4.5% is a good divi.

Anyone got any views on what an Irish tax resident expecting to pay a lot of income tax in 2014 and no Capital gains tax should do regarding the B or C option?
I expect it would be better to opt for the capital gain option as this will take advantage of the €1270 exemption and then be taxed at 20% instead of the higher rate of income tax.....is this everyone elses view also?

Would I be correct in saying that someone who got their shares from the original Eircom issue will not have any Capital Gains Tax to pay as they are still in a loss situation?

Kevo81 wrote: »

Hi all, myself and some family members have 280 Vodafone shares each from the eircom days, I'm looking into selling them off but we don't seem to have the share certificates. My Dad who bought all the shares originally doesn't remember the last share certificates that were issued arriving - he's usually spot on and files everything away!

I've read a few posts on the internet with people having the same problem, my question is are we better to fill out forms Vodafone sent out and let Vodafone sell our Verizon shares and then sell off the shares from the new smaller Vodafone or should we just bite the bullet and get our share certificates reissued?

I'm just a bit reluctant to pay Computershare to reissue us with new certificates given that I don't think they sent us the original in the first place.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

You don't need your original share certificates. The Vodafone documentation should say how many shares you own, unless you are disputing this figure then you don't need them.

Kevo81 wrote: »

Great, thanks Cute Hoor. Does that mean I'm free to sell my shares - I thought I needed my share certificate to be able to do this.

I don't want to wait for the Verizon deal to go through - I'm sorry if you've already answered that question in the above

Cheers,

You will have received 2 White Forms (attached I think).

The first form is entitled 'Form of Election: Return of Value 2014', in Box A (top right hand corner of this form) is a line 'Number of ordinary shares held by you, this will tell you how many shares you currently hold. Once you are happy with that figure you don't need to worry about whether you have the shares or not.

In the main body of that form you have a number of sections. Section 3 gives you the option of keeping your shares in a Vodafone Share Account with Computershare or receiving a physical Share Certificate (your choice). Once you get confirmation that everything has been completed you can tear up your old shares.

There is a second form 'Dealing Form' that you fill in if you wish to immediately sell your entitlement to Verizon shares (for many of the original Eircom shareholders this may be the optimum option as you will probably be entitled to very few Verizon shares). You need to make up your own mind on whether you wish to receive the Verizon shares.

If you wanted to sell you're Vodafone shares before the Verizon deal goes through, and you don't have the certs then you're going to have to get on to Computershare and get replacement certs, a lot of hassle and probably at a cost. Why not wait and avoid that hassle?

Hope this helps

RobertKK wrote: »

Cantor Fitzgerald are advising to take the deal on offer, and keep the Verizon shares.

I'd be very slow to take the Verizon shares if, as has been posted above, the number of Verizon shares will be small. Accepting these shares means having to make a return annually (Form W-8BEN) to the US authorities. That prospect alone will make up the minds of the thousands of shareholders who have nothing else but a small no. of Vodafone shares.

Hi, anyone know how I calculate how many verizon shares one gets for every Vodafone share they currently own?

Tow wrote: »

Exactly my thoughts.
Does anyone have the calculations from the original Eircom Share purchase price?
There are some back of the envelope calculations on Askaboutmoney, but that is about it. If someone only ever had Eircom shares, they are already carrying forward an additional loss from the Eircom sale to Valentia.

It's complicated and because of the options available as part of the offer, the tax implications are also fuzzy, but it was really well explained in the business pages of last Sunday's Sunday Times.

kelbal wrote: »

Hi, I have a minimal amount of Vodafone shares, from the original Eircom shares. I got a big wad of paperwork in the post this morning - a form to fill out in relation to "Return of Value" to shareholders. I have basically no participation in my shareholding, just let it tick away. Is this something I should be bothered about reading, completing & returning?

thanks

Is this 'Return of Value' really a return of value?

I have 4000 VOD @£;2.33 currently worth £9354,
Cash return on value 4000 x £0.30 =£1200.00
Verizon return on value(cash) 4000 x £0.75 = £3000.00

Total cash return of value £4200.00 less 20% tax = £3360

But Consolidation of 2 existing shares for one new share means my Vod share holding would be 2000 x £2.33 = £4660.00

This means my holding would be worth £4660.00 + £3360 = £8020.00

This means a loss in value to me of £1364.00

Is there some thing wrong with my maths?

euroboom13 wrote: »

if you sold your holding straight you would pay tax too...£9354 -tax due (or else you are pay tax on the sold holding not due) deal was worked out to be reasonably cost neutral ,

Okay, can someone answer a simple question. Please...

For someone with less than 200 shares in Vodafone does the current offer result in a gain of some sort?
Otherwise, for such a small holding disposing of the Vodafone shares now less investercentre commission is probably the most efficient way of "getting out" of this business!