The Options Clearing Corporation Announces Options Trading Volume Surpasses 2005 Annual Record

CHICAGO - October 5, 2006

The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) announced today that the total number of options traded for the year reached 1,505,932,244 contracts yesterday, passing the annual volume record set in 2005 of 1,504,311,540 contracts. This also represents a 40.1% increase over the same point last year.

The annual volume record was broken three weeks earlier than last year and with nearly three full months remaining for trading this year. The achievement also comes on the heels of September, a month that recorded a new open interest record and new top 10 record volume days.

“Options volume has passed another milestone, and once again set a new annual volume record earlier than the year before,” said Wayne P. Luthringshausen, Chairman and CEO of OCC. “The tremendous growth continues to prove the versatility and desirability of options as an important tool for investors.”

OCC Background

OCC, founded in 1973, is the world's largest derivatives clearing organization and was the first clearinghouse to receive a 'AAA' credit rating from Standard & Poor's Corporation. Operating under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, OCC provides clearing and settlement services for the American Stock Exchange, the Boston Options Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Futures Exchange, International Securities Exchange, OneChicago, NYSE Arca, Philadelphia Stock Exchange and Philadelphia Board of Trade. More information about OCC is available through its Web site at www.optionsclearing.com.

Media Contacts:

Jim Binder
The Options Clearing Corporation
312-322-9853
jbinder@theocc.com

Erin Green
The Options Clearing Corporation
312-322-6267
egreen@theocc.com