ICAP boosts FTSE

ICAP has surged 8% to 516p after it agreed to pay $775m in cash for EBS, an electronic currency trading system, as it expands computer-based transactions. Pearson has climbed 7.5p, or 1%, to 765p. The publisher of the Financial Times said the company made a "good start" in 2006 and sales are "in line with expectations". BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are pacing declining stocks as metal prices fall. BHP has declined 1% to 1137p, while Rio Tinto has also tumbled 1% to 3,044p. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 86.43 points, or 0.5%, to 17,403.96 points, led by Honda Motor and S...