Alpha Financial Markets Consulting PLC (AIM:AFM) said it has received a potential take-private offer from Bridgepoint that the board would be willing to back.
The proposed bid, which was made early last month, was priced at 505p in cash per share, the fund management consultancy said in a statement today.
This is a 50.7% to the closing price of 335p on April 30, the last trading day before the offer.
Later in May, another of the possible bidders, private equity group Cinven, dropped out of bidding, saying it no longer intended to make an offer.
In today's statement, the independent members of the Alpha FMC board said the proposed bid "represents an attractive premium" and, having considered the deal with financial advisers, it has concluded it "would be minded unanimously to recommend the proposal" to shareholders if Bridgepoint makes a firm offer.
Tomorrow at 5 pm is the put-up-or-shut deadline, which has not been extended as Alpha said talks and finalisation of documentation are "advanced".
The shares shot up 22.5% to 477.5p.