NYSE Euronext in talks with brokers over sale of “significant” stake in NYSE Amex options unit

NYSE Euronext to sell stake in Amex options unit

PARIS — NYSE Euronext Inc. said Wednesday that it plans to sell a “significant” stake in its NYSE Amex options unit to seven Wall Street brokers.

The trans-Atlantic stock exchange operator said in a statement that it has agreed in principle on a framework with BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, Citadel Securities, Citi, Goldman Sachs, TD Ameritrade and UBS to sell part of one of its two U.S. options exchanges.

NYSE Euronext would remain the largest shareholder and manage the daily operations, which would have a separate board of directors and a CEO. The transaction should be completed by the end of 2009, the stock exchange operator said.

NYSE Euronext CEO Duncan Niederauer said the deal is intended to “further align our business interests with those of our customers.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Aside from its New York exchanges, NYSE Euronext also operates the Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Lisbon stock exchanges as well as European derivatives exchange NYSE Liffe.

Shares in the company were down 0.3 percent at €19.21 in Paris morning trade.