* NYSE Euronext partners with seven other Wall St firms
* Says will remain largest shareholder of Amex options
* Deal could be completed by the end of 2009
(Changes source to company, adds detail)
Sept 9 (Reuters) - NYSE Euronext said on Wednesday it plans to sell a significant stake in its NYSE Amex options unit to seven major Wall Street companies.
As part of the deal, the company has agreed in principle on a framework with BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays PLC, Citadel Securities, Citigroup Inc, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, TD Ameritrade Holding Corp and UBS AG, who will become partners in the Amex options unit.
"This partnership will further align our business interests with those of our customers, and makes NYSE Amex options an even more compelling trading venue within an increasingly competitive marketplace," Duncan Niederauer, CEO of NYSE Euronext, said in a statement.
NYSE Euronext said it would continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the unit, which would be operated under the supervision of a separate board and a chief executive officer.
NYSE Euronext said it would remain the largest shareholder in the entity. It expects the transaction to be completed by the end of 2009.
Shares of NYSE Euronext closed at $28.08 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Chakradhar Adusumilli and Ajay Kamalakaran in Bangalore; Editing by Valerie Lee/Will Waterman)