Verizon CEO says no Verizon Wireless buyout talks with Vodafone

By Sinead Carew LAS VEGAS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications is not in talks with Vodafone Group Plc about takingfull ownership of their Verizon Wireless venture, despite marketspeculation this week that such a deal could happen, Verizon'stop executive said. "There's no discussions about it," Verizon Chief ExecutiveLowell McAdam told Reuters late on Tuesday at the ConsumerElectronics Show in Las Vegas. Verizon, which owns 55 percent of the wireless venture, haslong said that it would be interested in buying out Vodafone ifthe 45 percent owner would sell its stake. Vodafone shares rose 2.6 percent on Tuesday and added almost8 points to the FTSE 100 Index, the UK benchmark, afterMcAdam was quoted in a Dow Jones report saying that a deal couldbe feasible. But McAdam said his comment did not mean that Verizon wasany more likely now to be able to purchase Vodafone's 45 percentstake in Verizon Wireless than it was before. "Its been feasible for 10 years," McAdams said. "There'snothing that's changed."