Fortress Investment Group LLC has increased its previous offer, which had been agreed by management at the Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC (LSE:MRW), by £400 million. The bidder said it increased its offer amid “speculation regarding a possible counter-offer by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R)”, a rival US private equity firm which saw a £5.5 billion approach rejected last month. UK takeover regulators had given CD&R a deadline of Monday August 9 to either place its own firm bid for the chain or walk away. It also comes after a string of Morrisons’ investors " including largest shareholder Silchester " said they would not back the original 254 pence per share offer agreed. The latest deal will value the company at 272 pence per share. Morrisons said in a stock market statement: “Morrisons directors believe that the increased Fortress offer is in the best interests of Morrisons shareholders as a whole, and accordingly unanimously recommend that Morrisons shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions required to implement the increased Fortress offer".