A clearing system holds positions that are affected by trades executed during trading cycles. The positions are updated by those trades in clearing cycles. A first trade is executed and includes first trade information regarding how the trade should affect a position, e.g., bought or sold, open or close, number of contracts, etc.). The first trade can be received by the clearing system at a time when a first clearing cycle for the first trade and a second clearing cycle for a subsequent second trade are both open. A trade which belongs to the first clearing cycle updates a first variable for a position for that first clearing cycle using the first trade information. Second trade information for the second trade belonging to the second clearing cycle which is also open updates the second variable for the position for that second clearing cycle.