OCC March 2021 Total Volume Up 34.8 Percent from a Year Ago

Highest total volume month on record for U.S. equity options and end of highest quarter in OCC history

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OCC, the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization, announced today that March 2021 total cleared contract volume was 904,039,629 contracts, the highest volume month on record and up 34.8 percent compared to March 2020. March also marks the end of the highest quarter by contract volume in OCC’s history. Year-to-date average daily cleared contract volume through March was 42,231,809 contracts, up 48.7 percent compared to March 2020.

Options: Total exchange-listed options cleared contract volume was 898,653,388, up 35.6 percent compared to March 2020. Equity options cleared contract volume was 856,908,768 contracts, up 45.1 percent compared to March 2020. This includes ETF options cleared contract volume of 269,041,795, an 11.2 percent decrease compared to March 2020. Index options volume was 41,744,620, a 42.1 percent decrease compared to March 2020. OCC's year-to-date average daily cleared options volume is 41,973,869 contracts.

Futures: Total futures cleared contract volume was 5,386,241, a 31.2 percent decrease compared to March 2020. OCC's year-to-date average daily cleared futures volume is 257,940 contracts.

Securities Lending: The average daily loan value at OCC in March 2021 was $119,120,897,964, a 75.4 percent increase compared to March 2020. Securities lending CCP activity increased by 17.8 percent in new loans from March 2020 with 143,987 transactions last month.

For 2021 monthly exchange market share information, click here.

	March 2021 Total Contract Volume	March 2020 Total Contract Volume	March Total Contract % Change vs 2020	YTD Avg Daily Contract 2021	YTD Avg Daily Contract 2020	% Change vs 2020
Equity Options	856,908,768	590,743,481	45.1%	40,053,014	25,331,139	58.1%
Index Options	41,744,620	72,070,438	-42.1%	1,920,855	2,683,128	-28.4%
Total Options	898,653,388	662,813,919	35.6%	41,973,869	28,014,267	49.8%
Futures	5,386,241	7,833,079	-31.2%	257,940	393,377	-34.4%
Total Volume	904,039,629	670,646,998	34.8%	42,231,809	28,407,644	48.7%

About OCC

The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC operates under the jurisdiction of both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a registered clearing agency and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a Derivatives Clearing Organization. Named 2020 Best Clearing House - Equities by Markets Media for the third consecutive year, OCC now provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms for options, financial futures, and securities lending transactions. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com.

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