ATLANTA & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading operator of global exchanges and clearing houses and provider of data and listings services, announced it has acquired the remaining equity of MERSCORP Holding, Inc., owner of Mortgage Electronic Registrations Systems, Inc. (MERS). ICE has owned a majority equity interest in MERS since 2016. Price and terms of the transaction were not disclosed and will not be material to ICE’s earnings or have an impact on capital return plans.

“This is a natural evolution for our business and will provide benefits for participants throughout the industry.”

MERSCORP owns and operates the MERS System, a national electronic registry that tracks the changes in servicing rights and beneficial ownership interests in U.S.-based mortgage loans. Earlier this month, ICE successfully moved the MERS System infrastructure to the ICE Mahwah data center, an integral requirement for completing the final acquisition of the business.

“As the U.S. mortgage finance industry transitions from a paper-based process to more digital mortgages and electronic notes, MERS is uniquely positioned to provide a seamless process that will bring greater efficiencies to consumers, lenders and institutional investors,” said ICE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher.

“ICE has a well-established track record of transitioning traditional analog businesses to digital marketplaces, and MERS represents another important chapter in that record. We’re excited to work with MERS as it embarks on their next stage of development.”

“ICE’s global infrastructure and experience in making markets more transparent and efficient will enhance the access, scalability and effectiveness of MERS for its more than 5,000 member institutions,” said Bill Beckmann, MERSCORP Holdings CEO. “This is a natural evolution for our business and will provide benefits for participants throughout the industry.”

For additional information on MERS, please visit www.mersinc.org. For additional information on ICE, please visit www.theice.com.

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 and Fortune Future 50 company formed in the year 2000 to modernize markets. ICE serves customers by operating the exchanges, clearing houses and information services they rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global financial and commodity markets. A leader in market data, ICE Data Services serves the information and connectivity needs across virtually all asset classes. As the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, the company raises more capital than any other exchange in the world, driving economic growth and transforming markets.

Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located at http://www.intercontinentalexchange.com/terms-of-use. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading “Key information Documents (KIDS)”.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 — Statements in this press release regarding ICE’s business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the SEC on February 7, 2018.

SOURCE: Intercontinental Exchange

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