Hong Kong Exchanges Bid for LME Beats out ICE

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Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd., host to the world’s fifth-largest equity market, agreed to pay 1.39 billion pounds ($2.15 billion) for the London Metal Exchange, which handles more than 80 percent of global trade in industrial-metal futures.

LME investors will get 107.60 pounds per ordinary share in cash, with a vote scheduled before the end of next month, the bourses said today. The stock traded at 4.925 pounds in July 2011, before the LME said it was considering bids. JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and closely held Metdist Ltd. are the biggest LME shareholders.