* Consortium's LCH.Clearnet bid rejected last month-sources
* ICAP-led consortium may return with revised offer -source
* ICAP Q1 revenue up 10 percent on year, FY profit on track
* Shares down 3 percent at 430p, trade ex-dividend
(Adds sources on rejection of LCH.Clearnet offer, details)
By Daisy Ku and Steve Slater
LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - Britain's ICAP Plc, the world's biggest interdealer broker, said it was on track to almost match last year's profit after a "solid" first quarter and remains in talks to buy clearing house LCH.Clearnet as part of a consortium.
The board of LCH.Clearnet last month rejected a bid for the clearing house from a 14-member consortium led by ICAP due to concerns about the details of the business plan, two people familiar with the matter said.
The consortium remains interested and is likely to return with a revised offer around September, one of the sources said. A spokesman for the consortium said it remained in talks with LCH.Clearnet, but declined to comment on specific details.
ICAP said in a trading update ahead of its annual shareholder meeting that revenue in the three months to the end of June grew by over 10 percent, aided by rising bond issuance and active commodities markets.
Profit before tax and one-off items for the year to March 2010 is on course to meet the average analyst forecast of 337 million pounds ($552 million), the company said.
That would be down 2.6 percent from 2008-09 profit of 346 million pounds, which was up 5 percent on 2007-08.
Interdealer brokers match up buyers and sellers across fixed income, foreign exchange, equities and commodities markets, and have been more resilient than other financial firms during the financial crisis as they benefit from lively markets.
By 1100 GMT ICAP shares were down 13 pence, or 3 percent, at 429.5p. That mostly reflected the shares trading ex-dividend, meaning investors no longer qualify for a 12.35p dividend.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE
ICAP said it welcomed plans to strengthen OTC financial regulation -- despite concerns brokers could be hurt by the moves -- saying markets can be made more transparent and robust.
The broker said its first quarter was assisted by low short-term interest rates, steep yield curves, the jump in corporate and government bond issuance and commodities activity.
Credit and equity derivatives markets were more difficult, and its electronic broking daily volumes in the first quarter fell 31 percent amid quieter markets. Average daily spot FX volumes on the EBS platform fell 37 percent from a year ago.
Overall margins will also be impacted by investment in new organic initiatives, ICAP said, but added it remained highly cash generative and was able to support its investment and was cutting costs by 23 million pounds in 2009-10. (Reporting by Steve Slater; Editing by Dan Lalor and David Cowell) ($1 = 0.6102 pound)