Teathers, the UK broker that is up for sale for the second time in six months after Straumur-Burdaras, its parent, was seized by the Icelandic government, has drawn up a shortlist of buyers and hopes to strike a deal by the end of this week.

Nick Stagg, Teathers’ chief executive, held talks with potential buyers last week and narrowed the expressions of interest from private equity firms and other financial services companies down to a shortlist of three or four.