Investors are hoping for a higher bid for Anglo Dutch steel group Corus, the Financieele Dagblad reports today. The paper says investors are counting on either Tata or another takeover-hungry company will come up with more than the 455 pence preliminary bid made by India’s Tata yesterday.

Sources told the paper that talks between Tata and Corus were at an advanced stage and a definitive offer would be made at the end of the week. Other parties which could join in a bidding war are Russian steel firms Severstal and Evraz, Brazil’s CSN and India’s Kalyani, the paper says.