NYSE Euronext , the world's top exchange operator by the size of its listings, is planning to establish a clearinghouse for fixed-income investments, the Wall Street Journal said.

The clearinghouse could position the trading venue to gain business from a regulatory push to clear more derivatives, according to the paper.

The New York Stock Exchange parent company has agreed with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp (DTCC) to establish a clearinghouse for U.S. interest-rate derivatives and the move will likely be announced this week, the paper said.

The 50-50 venture will be called New York Portfolio Clearing and is meant to leverage the exchange operator's domestic futures platform NYSE Liffe US and the DTCC's Fixed Income Clearing Corp, and will follow the expected introduction of fixed-income derivatives on NYSE Liffe US, the paper added.

The planned clearinghouse is expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2010, pending regulatory approval, and will be led by Dennis Dutterer, a former chief executive of the Chicago Board of Trade as well as Clearing Corp, the paper said.

NYSE Euronext could not be immediately reached by Reuters for a comment.

(Reporting by Chakradhar Adusumilli in Bangalore; Editing by Dhara Ranasinghe)

NYSE Euronext