Barclays bids for broker TD Direct, reports say

Barclays has made an offer to acquire retail stockbroker TD Direct Investing, according to reports.

The bank made an offer for the Canadian-owned UK stockbroker as part of plans to merge the business with its own Barclays Stockbrokers arm and create a serious challenger to Hargreaves Lansdown, Sky News reported.

Sky's sources said that current owner Toronto Dominion Bank was still mulling whether to proceed with the sale process.

Earlier on Monday, Barclays was reported to be nearing a $70m (£49m) settlement with the New York Attorney General for misleading investors about its so-called 'dark-pool' trading venues.

Dark pools are private trading venues that allow clients to retain their identities.