The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) announced today that 2009 was the busiest year in the 36-year history of the clearinghouse with record levels of options trading and major expansions of its futures and stock loan services.
Options: Exchange-listed options trading in the U.S., OCC’s core business, achieved its seventh consecutive record year in 2009. Investors returning to the marketplace looked to options to manage their risk after the financial crisis, lifting trading 0.8 percent than 2008, despite earlier predictions of declines.
Futures: The addition of two new futures exchanges brought OCC’s futures clearing to its highest volume level, about 140 percent higher than 2008, and 34 percent higher than the previous peak recorded in 2007.
Securities Lending: OCC expanded its stock loan program in 2009 and began operating as the central counterparty for the AQS platform. The year ended with a stock loan contract notional value of $16,046,138,414.
