[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 98 (Monday, May 23, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12468]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 23, 1994]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-34071; File No. SR-Amex-94-16]

 

Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule 
Change by the American Stock Exchange, Inc., Relating to the Listing 
and Trading of Indexed Term Notes

May 17, 1994.
    Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''), 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1), notice is hereby given that on May 13, 
1994, the American Stock Exchange, Inc. (``Amex'' or ``Exchange'') 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the 
proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which 
Items have been prepared by the Amex. The Commission is publishing this 
notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested 
persons.\1\
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    \1\On May 16, 1994, the Amex filed Amendment No. 1 to the 
proposed rule change to alter the eligibility standards for Index 
(as defined herein) components as originally proposed. As amended, 
non-U.S. component securities (stocks or American Depositary 
Receipts) that are not subject to comprehensive surveillance 
agreements may not in the aggregate represent more than two 
components of the Index. See Letter from Claire McGrath, Managing 
Director and Special Counsel, Derivative Securities, Amex, to 
Michael Walinskas, Branch Chief, Office of Derivatives and Equity 
Oversight, Division of Market Regulation, Commission, dated May 16, 
1994.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to approve for listing and trading under 
Section 107A of the Amex Company Guide (``Guide''), Indexed Term Notes 
(``Notes''), the return on which is based in whole or in part on 
changes in the value of a static portfolio of ten equity securities. 
The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Office of the 
Secretary, the Amex, and at the Commission.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements 
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and 
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The 
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in 
Item IV below. The Amex has prepared summaries, set forth in sections 
(A), (B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of such 
statements.

(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and the 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    Under section 107 of the Guide, the Exchange may approve for 
listing and trading securities which cannot be readily categorized 
under the listing criteria for common and preferred stocks, bonds, 
debentures, or warrants.\2\ The Amex now proposes to list for trading 
under section 107A of the Guide, Notes whose value is based in whole or 
in part on a static index composed of ten actively-traded equity 
securities to be determined and published by Lehman Brothers on or 
about July 1, 1994 (``Index''). The securities to be included in the 
Index will be announced by Lehman Brothers at or as close as possible 
to the time of the offering of the Notes.
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    \2\See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 27753 (March 1, 
1990), 55 FR 8626 (March 8, 1990).
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    The Notes will be non-convertible debt securities and will conform 
to the listing guidelines under Section 107A of the Guide. 
Specifically, the Notes must have: (1) A minimum public distribution of 
one million trading units; (2) a minimum of 400 holders; (3) an 
aggregate market value of at least $20 million; and (4) a term of at 
least one year. Additionally, the issuer of the Notes (i.e., Lehman 
Brothers) must have assets of at least $100 million, stockholders' 
equity of at least $10 million, and pre-tax income of at least $750,000 
in the last fiscal year or in two of the three prior fiscal years.\3\
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    \3\As an alternative to these financial criteria, the issuer may 
have either: (1) Assets in excess of $200 million and stockholders' 
equity in excess of $10 million; or (2) assets in excess of $100 
million and stockholders' equity in excess of $20 million.
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    Although the specific maturity date will not be established until 
immediately prior to the time of the offering, the Notes will provide 
for maturity within approximately one year from the date of issue. 
Notes may provide for periodic payments and/or payments at maturity 
based in whole or in part on changes in the value of the Index. In 
addition, the Notes may feature a ``cap'' on the maximum amount and/or 
a ``floor'' on the minimum amount to be paid either periodically or at 
maturity. Prior to the commencement of listing and trading of the 
Notes, the Exchange shall distribute a circular to its membership 
providing guidance with regard to member firm compliance 
responsibilities, including appropriate suitability criteria and/or 
guidelines.
    The ten components of the Index shall meet the following criteria: 
(1) A minimum market capitalization of $75 million, except that one 
component security may have a market capitalization of not less than 
$50 million; (2) trading volume in each of the six months prior to the 
offering of the Notes of not less than one million shares, except that 
one component security may have a trading volume in each of the six 
months prior to the offering of the Notes of not less than 500,000 
shares; (3) at least nine of the ten components of the Index will meet 
the then current criteria for standardized options trading set forth in 
Exchange Rule 915; (4) all components of the Index will be listed on 
the Amex or the New York Stock Exchange, or will be National Market 
securities traded through the National Association of Securities 
Dealers Automated Quotation System; and (5) no more than two components 
of the Index shall be non-U.S. securities that are not subject to 
comprehensive surveillance sharing agreements between the appropriate 
regulatory organizations.
    The Index will be calculated using an ``equal dollar-weighting'' 
methodology designed to ensure that each of the component securities is 
represented in an approximately equal dollar amount in the Index. To 
create the Index, a portfolio of ten equity securities will be 
established by the issuer, Lehman Brothers, representing an investment 
of $10,000 in each component security (rounded to the nearest whole 
share). The value of the Index will equal the current market value of 
the sum of the assigned number of shares of each of the component 
securities divided by the current Index divisor. The Index divisor will 
initially be set to provide a benchmark value of 100.00 at the close of 
trading on the day preceding the establishment of the Index.
    The number of shares of each component stock in the Index will 
remain fixed except in the event of certain types of corporate actions 
such as the payment of a dividend (other than an ordinary cash 
dividend), a stock distribution, stock split, reverse stock split, 
rights offering, distribution, reorganization, recapitalization, or 
similar event with respect to the component securities. The number of 
shares of each component security may also be adjusted, if necessary, 
in the event of a merger, consolidation, dissolution, or liquidation of 
an issuer or in certain other events such as the distribution of 
property by an issuer to shareholders, the expropriation or 
nationalization of a foreign issuer of the imposition of certain 
foreign taxes on shareholders of a foreign issuer. Shares of a 
component security may be replaced (or supplemented) with other 
securities under certain circumstances, such as the conversion of a 
component stock into another class of security, the termination of a 
depositary receipt program, or the spin-off of a subsidiary. If the 
security remains in the Index, the number of shares of that security 
may be adjusted, to the nearest whole share, to maintain the 
component's relative weight in the Index at the level immediately prior 
to the corporate action. In all cases, the divisor will be adjusted, if 
necessary, to ensure continuity of the value of the Index.
    The value of the Index will be calculated continuously by the Amex 
and disseminated every 15 seconds over the Consolidated Tape 
Association's Network B.
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with section 6(b) of the Act, in general, and furthers the objectives 
of section 6(b)(5) in particular, in that it is designed to prevent 
fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and 
equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination 
with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, and to 
remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open 
market and a national market system.

(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Amex does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose 
any inappropriate burden on competition.

(C) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the 
Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others

    No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the 
proposed rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    Within 35 days of the date of publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register or within such longer period (i) as the Commission may 
designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to 
be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to 
which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:

(A) By order approve such proposed rule change, or
(B) Institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change 
should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and 
arguments concerning the foregoing. Persons making written submissions 
should file six copies thereof with the Secretary, Securities and 
Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street NW., Washington, DC 20549. Copies 
of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements 
with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the 
Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed 
rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those 
that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions 
of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying in the 
Commission's Public Reference Section, 450 Fifth Street NW., 
Washington, DC. Copies of such filing will also be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of the Amex. All 
submissions should refer to File No. SR-Amex-94-16 and should be 
submitted by June 13, 1994.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\4\
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    \4\17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12) (1993).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-12468 Filed 5-20-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M