Nasdaq is preparing to cash in its London Stock Exchange stake barely six months after the failure of its £2.7bn (€4bn) hostile bid for the UK market, in a move that would boost its financial firepower and increase its chances of success in its latest attempt to tie up with a European rival.

Nasdaq, which remained the LSE's largest shareholder with a 31% stake after its bid lapsed in February, struck a deal in May to take over Scandinavian stock exchange group OMX for $3.7bn (€2.7bn) in cash and shares, but has since seen that deal trumped by a $4bn bid from a Dubai rival.