Is Verizon, which is busy rolling out its FiOS competitor to cable and cutting content deals for it and wireless phones with lots of media companies, a takeover target? Verizon's stock jumped 11% in pre-market trading yesterday after a Financial Times blog reported that Vodaphone was preparing a 160 billion bucks takeover bid – and it still closed up about 2% after UK-based Vodaphone denied that any such thing is in the works. Vodaphone already holds a large stake in Verizon Wireless, so it was not such a stretch for investors to believe that it might want to make a play for its partner in that venture.
