Citigroup, the bank that’s splitting in two and selling units to endure the credit crisis, plans to keep Japanese broker Nikko Cordial Securities for at least a year, said two company officials who asked not to be identified because the deliberations aren’t public.

Citigroup “remains committed to maximizing the value of Nikko Cordial over the next few years,” the company said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit included the Tokyo-based unit on a list of businesses flagged for eventual sale under a reorganization plan announced Jan. 16.

Financial stocks have plunged since Citigroup acquired Nikko Cordial a year ago for about $18 billion, slashing the price the brokerage could fetch in a sale. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Japan’s largest lender, denied a newspaper report that it’s seeking to buy Nikko Cordial.