Blocked by regulators in an attempt to...

Blocked by regulators in an attempt to sell its contact lens division to a competitor, Cooper Cos. has decided to sell the whole company. The Palo Alto-based firm said its board authorized management to immediately pursue a sale or merger of the company as a whole or of each of its principal businesses. A medical supplier once known as CooperVision Inc., Cooper was dealt a blow on March 29 when the Federal Trade Commission said it opposed the $150-million sale of the contact lens division to Schering-Plough because it violated antitrust rules.