From Bloomberg News
MetroPCS Communications Inc., the pay-as-you-go mobile-phone carrier, gained the most in a month on speculation that it may be acquired, an analyst said.

“It’s a story of telecom stocks, PCS in particular,” said Robert Dezego, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Inc. in Atlanta. “It’s a pattern that we see whenever there’s a new story or article on mergers and acquisitions.”

The German newspaper Handelsblatt, in an article published today, said it learned from “company circles” that Deutsche Telekom AG, the parent of T-Mobile USA, might seek a partnership or may consider acquiring MetroPCS to help with the costs of expansion in the U.S.

It would make sense for Deutsche Telekom to combine with a partner like MetroPCS to increase its customer base and give the company access to a large U.S. market, said Dezego, who has a “buy” rating on the shares and doesn’t own them.

Jim Mathias, director of investor relations at MetroPCS, and Deutsche Telekom spokesman Andreas Leigers didn’t immediately return voice-mail messages seeking comment.

Earlier today, an analyst at Pali Capital Inc. said MetroPCS should buy Leap Wireless International Inc. to “unlock $2 billion of value” and save $200 million annually.

“If MetroPCS is bought first, it puts Leap in a good position to sell for higher,” the analyst, Walter Piecyk, said in an interview in New York.

Roger Linquist, MetroPCS’s chief executive officer, said in a conference call on Nov. 5 that the company isn’t interested in pursuing a merger with Leap and will instead focus on expanding its footprint through roaming partnerships.

MetroPCS, based in Dallas, rose 43 cents, or 7 percent, to $6.55 shortly before the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Earlier the shares reached $6.73, the biggest intraday increase since Oct. 22. The stock had fallen 59 percent this year before Friday.

Leap, based in San Diego, added $1.32, or 10 percent, to $14.07 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading.