Trade Clearing and Settlement in Stock Markets

Clearing and settlement is a  post trade activity.

Clearing Agencies ensures trading members meet their fund/security obligations. It acts as a legal counter party to all trades and guarantees settlement for all members. The original trade between the two parties is cancelled and clearing corporation acts as counter party to both the parties, thus manages risk and guarantees settlement to both the parties. This process is called novation.

It determines fund/security obligations and arranges for pay-in of the same. It collects and maintains margins, processes for shortages in funds and securities. It takes help of clearing members, clearing banks, custodians and depositories to settle the trades.

The settlement cycle in India is T+2 days i.e. Trade + 2 days.  T+2 means the transactions done on the Trade day, will be settled by exchange of money and securities on the second business day (excluding Saturday, Sundays, Bank and Exchange Trading Holidays). Pay-in and Pay-out for securities settlement is done on a T+2 basis.

The following is the summary of trading and settlement process in India.

 

 

 In case of trades by mutual fund houses the custodians act as clearing members.

Please note that a clearing member is the brokerage firm which acts as a trading member and clearing member of clearing agency where as custodians are only clearing members. Even if the clients don’t meet their obligations clearing members are required to meet their obligations to the clearing corporations.

 

 

 

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