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140 Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2010
This document containsforward-looking statements” within the meaning of the
US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the Group’s
financial condition, results of operations and businesses and certain of the Group’s
plans and objectives.
In particular, such forward-looking statements include statements with respect to:
the Group’s expectations regarding its financial and operating performance,
including statements contained within the Chief Executive’s review on pages 6 to
9, the Group’s 7% dividend per share growth target contained on pages 8 and 37
and the Guidance statement on page 37 of this document, and the performance
of joint ventures, associates, including Verizon Wireless, other investments and
newly acquired businesses;
intentions and expectations regarding the development of products, services and
initiatives introduced by, or together with, Vodafone or by third parties, including
new mobile technologies, such as the introduction of 4G, the Vodafone Money
Transfer System and an increase in download speeds;
expectations regarding the global economy and the Group’s operating
environment, including future market conditions, growth in the number of
worldwide mobile phone users and other trends;
revenue and growth expected from the Group’s total communications strategy,
including data revenue growth, and its expectations with respect to long-term
shareholder value growth;
mobile penetration and coverage rates, the Group’s ability to acquire spectrum,
expected growth prospects in Europe, Africa and Central Europe, Asia Pacific and
Middle East regions and growth in customers and usage generally;
expected benef its associated with the merger of Vodafone Australia and Hutchison
3G Australia including receipt of deferred payments;
anticipated benefits to the Group from cost efficiency programmes, including the
recently initiated £1 billion cost reduction programme, the two-year working
capital reduction programme and the outsourcing of IT functions and network
sharing agreements;
possible future acquisitions, including increases in ownership in existing
investments, the timely completion of pending acquisition transactions and
pending offers for investments, including licence acquisitions, and the expected
funding required to complete such acquisitions or investments;
expectations regarding the Group’s future revenue, operating profit, EBITDA
margin, free cash flow, capital intensity, depreciation and amortisation charges,
tax rates and capital expenditure;
expectations regarding the Group’s access to adequate funding for its
working capital requirements and the rate of dividend growth by the Group
(including the Group’s 7% dividend per share growth target) or its existing
investments; and
the impact of regulatory and legal proceedings involving Vodafone and of
scheduled or potential regulatory changes.
Forward-looking statements are sometimes, but not always, identified by their use
of a date in the future or such words as “will, “anticipates”, “aims”, “could, “may”,
should”,expects”,believes”,intends”,plans” ortargets”. By their nature, for ward-
looking statements are inherently predictive, speculative and involve risk and
uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will
occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and
developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-
looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
general economic and political conditions in the jurisdictions in which the Group
operates and changes to the associated legal, regulatory and tax environments;
increased competition, from both existing competitors and new market entrants,
including mobile virtual network operators;
levels of investment in network capacity and the Group’s ability to deploy new
technologies, products and services in a timely manner, particularly data content
and services;
rapid changes to existing products and services and the inability of new products
and services to perform in accordance with expectations, including as a result of
third party or vendor marketing efforts;
the ability of the Group to integrate new technologies, products and services with
existing networks, technologies, products and services;
the Group’s ability to generate and grow revenue from both voice and non-voice
services and achieve expected cost savings;
a lower than expected impact of new or existing products, services or technologies
on the Group’s future revenue, cost structure and capital expenditure outlays;
slower than expected customer growth, reduced customer retention, reductions
or changes in customer spending and increased pricing pressure;
the Group’s ability to expand its spectrum position, win 3G and 4G allocations and
realise expected synergies and benefits associated with 3G and 4G;
the Group’s ability to secure the timely delivery of high quality, reliable handsets,
network equipment and other key products from suppliers;
loss of suppliers, disruption of supply chains and greater than anticipated prices of
new mobile handsets;
changes in the costs to the Group of, or the rates the Group may charge for,
terminations and roaming minutes;
the Group’s ability to realise expected benefits from acquisitions, partnerships,
joint ventures, franchises, brand licences or other arrangements with third parties,
particularly those related to the development of data and internet services;
acquisitions and divestments of Group businesses and assets and the pursuit of
new, unexpected strategic opportunities which may have a negative impact on
the Group’s financial condition and results of operations;
the Group’s ability to integrate acquired business or assets and the imposition of
any unfavourable conditions, regulatory or otherwise, on any pending or future
acquisitions or dispositions;
the extent of any future write-downs or impairment charges on the Group’s assets,
or restructuring charges incurred as a result of an acquisition or disposition;
developments in the Group’s financial condition, earnings and distributable funds
and other factors that the Board of directors takes into account in determining the
level of dividends;
the Group’s ability to satisfy working capital requirements through borrowing in
capital markets, bank facilities and operations;
changes in exchange rates, including particularly the exchange rate of pounds
sterling to the euro and the US dollar;
changes in the regulatory framework in which the Group operates, including the
commencement of legal or regulatory action seeking to regulate the Groups
permitted charging rates;
the impact of legal or other proceedings against the Group or other companies in
the communications industry; and
changes in statutory tax rates and profit mix, the Group’s ability to resolve open tax
issues and the timing and amount of any payments in respect of tax liabilities.
Furthermore, a review of the reasons why actual results and developments may differ
materially from the expectations disclosed or implied within forward-looking
statements can be found under “Principal risk factors and uncertainties” on pages 38
and 39 of this document. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements
attributable to the Company or any member of the Group or any persons acting on
their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors referred to above.
No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements in this document
will be realised. Subject to compliance with applicable law and regulations, Vodafone
does not intend to update these forward-looking statements and does not undertake
any obligation to do so.
Forward-looking statements