Stockbroking firm Goodbody is to be acquired by a consortium of Chinese investors led by the Zhongze Group.
Financial details of the transaction are undisclosed, however reports put the price-tag in the region of €150m.
The takeover is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of this year.
Goodbody is Ireland's oldest stockbroking firm, tracing its origins back to the 1870s.
It was acquired by AIB in 1990, which managed the business through to the 2008 financial crisis.
In 2010 Goodbody was sold to Kerry-based financial services firm Fexco for €24m.
In the past eight years Fexco's stake in the firm has fallen, as staff and management increased their shareholding.
Today Fexco holds 51% of Goodbody, with staff and management holding the remaining 49%.
If the deal is approved the Chinese consortium will acquire 100% of the business.
In a statement Goodbody said the deal was "an endorsement of Goodbody's growth strategy of the last seven years... and a signal of intent as it continues to build a market-leading business in Ireland and the UK."
It said the takeover would give its clients a "new corporate and institutional partnership network in China" while also giving consortium members access to "expertise in investment management".
The acquisition was supported by Grant Thornton, which said it marked a vote of approval for Irish financial services.
"This deal provides an excellent additional platform for Zhonge Ze to continue to execute on their expansion strategy across multiple markets in both Asia and internationally," said Grant Thornton partner Dara Kelly. "The transaction also confirms again how highly rated the Irish Financial Services sector is by international investors."
