NYSE EURONEXT TO SELL PART OF AMEX STAKE, EXPAND SERVICES IN SINGAPORE

Posted September 9, 2009

NEW YORK and SINGAPORE – NYSE Euronext has announced plans to sell a significant equity interest in its NYSE Amex options exchange, after getting backing on a framework for the sale from leading liquidity providers and market makers on the options exchange, including BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, Citadel Securities, Citi, Goldman Sachs, TD Ameritrade and UBS.

In a separate development, NYSE Technologies, a unit of NYSE Euronext, plans to expand its Secure Financial Transaction Infrastructure (SFTI) services to Asian markets, providing improved connectivity to NYSE Liffe. Having rolled out SFTI in the US and more recently Europe, NYSE Technologies will upgrade existing assets to create the first Asian SFTI Access Centre in Singapore by the end of this year.

“Reliable low latency connectivity is critical to [our] trading mission, so we are extremely pleased with the initiative and foresight of NYSE Euronext in bringing ever more robust connectivity to our Singapore traders with this significant investment,” says Mike Donahue, Managing Director of TransMarket Group.

Following the proposed sale of the interest in NYSE Amex, NYSE Euronext will remain the largest shareholder and aims to enhance the competitive position of NYSE Amex options, while bringing competitive and operational benefits to the marketplace. The contemplated transaction would call for NYSE Euronext to continue to manage the day-to-day operations of NYSE Amex options, which would operate under the supervision of a separate board of directors and a dedicated chief executive officer.

“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,” says Duncan L. Niederauer, Chief Executive Officer, NYSE Euronext. “We welcome this shared commitment to deliver the highest levels of innovation and market quality to our options trading platform.”

The contemplated transaction is subject to the negotiation and execution of final legal documentation and obtaining the requisite regulatory approvals. NYSE Euronext anticipates that the transaction could be completed by the end of 2009.

“Market participants will benefit from tighter spreads, deeper liquidity, superior technology, and the distinct market model of NYSE Amex options,” says Edward Boyle, Senior Vice President, US Options for NYSE Euronext. “We plan to continue to enhance technology and quoting speed, building upon existing service offerings, and introducing new products and order types to generate future order flow."

The contemplated transaction is expected to enable NYSE Amex options to offer customers deep liquidity delivered by many of the world’s leading market makers on an exceptional technology platform. NYSE Amex options also anticipates making other services available, including the facilitation of open-outcry orders.