Vodafone reports underlying earnings growth after European recovery

LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) - Mobile phone operator Vodafone posted its first underlying growth in both full-year revenue and core earnings since 2008, helped by a return to top-line growth in Europe in the fourth quarter.

The world's second-largest mobile phone operator reported full-year revenue of 40.97 billion pounds ($59 billion), up 2.3 percent on an underlying basis and broadly meeting market forecasts, helped by a better performance in South Africa, Egypt and Turkey.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) posted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of 11.61 billion pounds, slightly shy of forecasts.

It said it expected underlying earnings growth to accelerate to 3-6 percent this year. ($1 = 0.6909 pounds) (Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Kate Holton)