1.   This means that potential competitive bidders will have more time to organise rival bids.

2.   Analysts were also wondering whether Comcast was necessarily a winner, since its offer for QVC might prompt rival takeover bids.

3.   Analysts said a rival bid was still possible.

4.   As speculation surrounds a possible rival bid for TSB by, among others, National Australia Bank, such a bid wold have to made almost blindfold.

5.   As the weeks went by, however, no rival bid emerged.

6.   Aside from its appeal to shareholders, the actual structure of the deal has little defense if a rival bid is made by another company.

7.   A rival bid for most of the assets was also received from a collection of little-known investors calling themselves Jet Acquisitions Group.

8.   A rival bid led by the man behind Saracens rugby club, Nigel Wray, and involving the former Tottenham chairman, Irving Scholar, is now the favourite.

9.   A rival bid for Rover, meanwhile, has collapsed, leaving the fate of the plant in Longbridge, outside Birmingham, up in the air.

10.   AIG saw an opening to offer a rival bid for American General almost as soon as the deal with Prudential was announced.