The executive committee of TSB Bank met yesterday to consider bids for the bank received by the close of business last Friday. The committee was still meeting late last evening but had decided not to issue a statement until today .
Market sources said that bids received by the bank's advisers PricewaterhouseCoopers came from financial and non-financial companies and from inside and outside the Irish market.
Possible Irish bidders were unwilling to discuss their plans yesterday. But market sources said that Irish Life and Permanent has made an preliminary bid. Other possible Irish bidders include Ulster Bank and Irish Intercontinental Bank.
Market sources have described National Irish Bank as "a dark horse". There would be a strong logic to the bank acquiring TSB to build on its 3 per cent market share.
TSB was NIB's chosen partner some years ago when its parent National Australia Bank launched a bid for the bank which was approved by the TSB trustees. That bid failed to get the required Government approval.
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