Pearson to Explore Sale of Financial Times

Pearson Plc is exploring a sale of the Financial Times after receiving interest from potential buyers, according to people familiar with the matter.     London-based Pearson is sounding out possible bidders for the salmon-colored newspaper, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are confidential. A sale may value the business at as much as 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion), two of the people said.