OCC, the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization, announced today that ISE Mercury has become an OCC participant exchange. ISE Mercury, ISE's newly launched options exchange, began operations on February 16, bringing to 14 the total number of U.S. options markets.
"We congratulate the International Securities Exchange on the successful launch of ISE Mercury," said Michael McClain OCC's President and COO. "We are pleased to provide central counterparty clearing and settlement services to our newest participant exchange. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility and a foundation for secure markets, we are looking forward to the success of ISE Mercury."
With the addition of ISE Mercury, OCC now provides central counterparty clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms for options, security futures, financial and commodity futures, and securities lending transactions. In 2015, OCC cleared contract volume was over 4.2 billion, its third-highest annual total ever.