The Japan-based owner of 7-Eleven confirmed a new bid last week to take the convenience store giant private—letting it potentially escape capture by Quebec’s Alimentation Couche-Tard, which offered to buy it for US$47 billion. Bloomberg previously reported a take-private bid by Junro Ito’s firm of up to US$58 billion; now, broadcaster NHK said the deal is for more than US$52 billion and would be executed by the end of the financial year. (NHK, translated by Reuters)

Talking point: Negotiations seem to be closing in on a final figure and deadline, pressuring Circle K owner Couche-Tard to make its next move. Some investors have pushed 7-Eleven to negotiate with Couche-Tard, in hopes new management would improve the Japanese chain’s performance. But foreign takeovers are still relatively novel in Japan. Ito, if successful, would keep an insider at the head of the company. Ito is both a vice-president and the son of Seven & i founder Masatoshi Ito, who died last year.