(Bloomberg) -- G4S Plc, the British security provider that’s the subject of a hostile bid from GardaWorld, said it received takeover interest from competitor Allied Universal Security Services LLC.

Allied Universal expressed interest in a possible offer for the company, G4S said in a statement Friday, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report that the U.S. firm was evaluating whether to pursue an acquisition. There’s no certainty a bid will made, according to the statement.

Shares of G4S jumped as much as 6.3% in London trading Friday. They were up 5.3% at 1:28 p.m., putting the company on track to close at the highest level since January and giving it a market value of about 3.3 billion pounds ($4.3 billion).

G4S provides guards to everything from airports to prisons. It has been approaching potential counterbidders in an attempt to solicit rival proposals and fend off GardaWorld’s 3 billion-pound hostile bid, people with knowledge of the matter said earlier. The company may also draw interest from private equity firms, which could potentially allow management to stay in place under a new owner, according to the people.

Garda made a hostile takeover bid for G4S last month after failing to convince its management to come to the negotiating table. It’s been seeking meetings with G4S shareholders to persuade them to accept the proposal, which G4S has rejected on the grounds that it undervalues the company.

Allied Universal is a security and facilities manager with more than 200,000 staff and $8.5 billion in revenue, according to its website. It operates across North America, with a presence in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It also has an international base in the U.K., where it employs more than 700 people.

The company was created in 2016 through a merger of AlliedBarton Security Services and Universal Services of America. Last year, Canadian pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec bought about 40% of Allied Universal in a deal valuing the business at more than $7 billion. Warburg Pincus and J. Safra Group also acquired a stake in the company later in the year.

Major G4S shareholders have so far been unconvinced by Garda’s cash offer. Harris Associates and Sachem Head Capital Management both view the bid as too low, Bloomberg News has reported.

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