The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) -  - is the entity that owns in trust securities that are purchased "on account" on behalf of trading customers, making it by far the highest financial value processor in the world. The DTCC settles the vast majority of US securities transactions, close to $1.7 quadrillion ($1,700,000,000,000,000) worldwide -  Cede and Company, a New York City-based partnership of certain employees of DTCC, technically owns substantially all of the publicly issued stock in the United States. Thus, investors do not themselves hold direct property rights in stock, but rather have contractual rights that are part of a chain of contractual rights involving Cede - 