Conexant Stock Up 15% on News of Merger

Shares of Conexant Systems Inc. rose $8.02, or 15%, to close at $63.20 Friday, the first day of trading after the Newport Beach maker of semiconductors said it bought Britain’s Microcosm Communications Ltd.

Conexant said it is paying $128 million in stock for Microcosm to gain chips for fiber-optic gear. Separately, Conexant on Friday unveiled a series of networking chips for digital cordless telephones.