Associated British Ports Holding, Britain's largest ports operator, said that it opened its books to a bid consortium after receiving an increased takeover offer worth £2.44 billion ($4.6 billion).
A healthier economy provided the backdrop to the increase in takeover activity, since Brazil was struggling to recover from a debilitating currency devaluation in the same period last year.
SoftBank of Japan agreed late on Monday to increase its takeover bid for Sprint Nextel to $21.6 billion, seeking to block a rival bid by Dish Network.
Labour's previous hold on 41 seats could slip down to 10, while SNP are set to increase their takeover from six seats to 45 of Scotland's 59 total places in the House of Commons.
In a high-profile gambit involving mediation by Tony Blair, Britain's former prime minister, Qatar helped force Glencore to increase its takeover bid last autumn for the miner Xstrata, in which Qatar's sovereign wealth fund held a large stake, increasing the price of the multibillion-dollar deal 9 percent, said Jeff Largey, an analyst at Macquarie in London.
Citigroup said Microsoft is expected to increase its takeover offer, which currently stands at $31 a share.
The entire argument over the increasing corporate takeover of rock in the 70's is specious at best.
US newspaper giant Gannett has increased its takeover bid for another big publisher, Tribune, after its first attempt was rebuffed.
Other Brazilian industries contributed to the increase in takeovers as well, driven in part by a perception that bigger companies are more powerful.
Vincor, Canada's largest winemaker, rejected an increased hostile takeover bid of $944 million from Constellation Brands, saying the price "falls short".
