(Reuters) - Britain's Financial Conduct Authority plans to fine the investment banking unit of the failed Portuguese lender Banco Espirito Santo SA (>> BANCO ESPIRITO SANTO) for violating listing rules, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

The penalty could cost the London based unit of Banco Espirito Santo de Investimento, S.A., several hundred thousand pounds, the Journal said, citing one person.

An announcement could come as early as Tuesday, the report said.

The FCA had earlier suspended the London investment bank's sponsor status on Dec 9, the report said, citing a regulatory notice published on the FCA website.

Last month, Chinese brokerage firm Haitong Securities Ltd (>> HAITONG Securities Company Limited) said in a statement it was in talks to buy Banco Espirito Santo de Investimento SA (BESI), BES's investment banking arm.

Local media in Portugal had then valued BESI at about 400 million euros (312.95 million pounds).

Representatives of FCA and Banco Espírito Santo were not immediately available for comment outside regular UK business hours.

(Reporting by Luke Koshi in Bangalore; Editing by Ken Wills)

Stocks treated in this article : BANCO ESPIRITO SANTO, HAITONG Securities Company Limited