[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 154 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-19565] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: August 11, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-34492; File No. SR-NYSE-94-28] Self-Regulatory organizations; Filing of Proposed Rule Change by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Relating to Real Estate Investment Trusts (``REITs'') Portfolio Market Index Target-Term Securities. August 5, 1994. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on July 15, 1994, the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (``NYSE'' or ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'' or ``SEC'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\15 U.S.C. Sec. 78s(b)(1) (1982). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange proposes to list for trading Market Index Target-Term Securities (``MITTS''),\2\ the return on which is based upon a portfolio (``REIT Portfolio'') of securities of U.S. Real estate investment trusts (``REITs''). Initially, the REIT Portfolio will contain the securities of 20 REITs that are traded in the United States on the NYSE or on the American Stock Exchange (``Amex'').\3\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\``MITTS'' is a registered service mark and ``Market Index Target-Term Securities'' is a service mark of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (``Merrill Lynch''). \3\The REITs represented in the REIT Portfolio are: Carr Realty Corporation; Duke Realty Investments, Inc.; Federal Realty Investment Trust; Gables Residential Trust; Health Care Property Investors Inc.; Health and Rehabilitation Properties Trust; JP Realty, Inc.; Kimco Realty Corporation; Nationwide Health Properties, Inc.; New Plan Realty Trust; Simon Property Group, Inc.; Trinet Corporate Realty Trust, Inc.; Urban Shopping Centers, Inc.; Excel Realty Trust, Inc.; Weingarten Realty Investors; General Growth Properties, Inc.; Taubman Centers, Inc.; Burnham Pacific Properties, Inc.; Western Investment & Real Estate Trust; and Wellsford Residential Property Trust. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 NYSE 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 Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change Pursuant to the listing criteria set forth in Section 703.19 of the Exchange's Listed Company Manual (``Manual''), the Exchange proposes to list for trading MITTS on the REIT Portfolio (``REIT Portfolio MITTS'') issued by Merrill Lynch. MITTS are securities that entitle the holder to receive from the issuer upon maturity an amount based upon the change in the market value of a stock index or portfolio, provided that a minimum amount (90% of the principal amount) will be repaid. REIT Portfolio MITTS will allow investors to combine protection of a substantial portion of the principal amount of the MITTS with potential additional payments based on a portfolio of securities of selected REITs and the dividend stream related to the components of that portfolio. The REIT Portfolio MITTS will provide that at least 90% of the principal amount thereof will be repaid at maturity. The Security REIT Portfolio MITTS will entitle the owner at maturity to receive an amount in cash based upon the ``Total Return Portfolio Value;'' provided, however, that the amount payable at maturity will not be less than $9 for each $10 principal amount of the REIT Portfolio MITTS. The ``Total Return Portfolio Value'' will be an amount based upon the change in the ``Original Portfolio Value'' and the value of the REIT Portfolio at maturity, plus the aggregate dollar amount of dividends paid on the components of the REIT Portfolio after the issuance of the REIT Portfolio MITTS and prior to maturity. The Original Portfolio Value will equal $10, i.e., the value of the REIT Portfolio on the date the REIT Portfolio MITTS are priced by the issuer for initial offering to the public. The value of the REIT Portfolio at maturity will be based on the average of the closing prices for the components of the REIT Portfolio for a specified number of days immediately prior to maturity date of the REIT Portfolio MITTS.\4\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \4\In particular, the Total Return Portfolio Value will be based on the average of the REIT Portfolio values for the first 45 NYSE trading days of the Calculation Period. The Calculation Period is defined as the period from and including the ninetieth scheduled NYSE trading day prior to the maturity date to and including the fourth scheduled NYSE trading date prior to the maturity date. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If the market value of the REIT Portfolio plus the cumulative value of the dividends paid on the component REITs has declined below the Original Portfolio Value, the holder will receive not less than a specified percentage of the principal amount of the security. For example, if the Total Return Portfolio Value has declined more than 10% below the Original Portfolio Value, the owners of the REIT Portfolio MITTS will receive 90% of the principal amount of the securities. The payment at maturity is based on changes in the value of the REIT Portfolio and the payment of dividends on the securities that comprise the REIT Portfolio. As with other MITTS, REIT Portfolio MITTS may not be redeemed prior to maturity and are not callable by the issuer.\5\ Owners may sell the security on the Exchange. The Exchange anticipates that the trading value of the security in the secondary market will depend in large part on the value of the REIT Portfolio and also on other factors, including dividend rates, the levels of interest rates, the volatility of the value of the REIT Portfolio, the time remaining to maturity, and the creditworthiness of the issuer, Merrill Lynch. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \5\See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release No. 32840 (September 2, 1993), 58 FR 47485 (September 9, 1993) (approval order for Global Telecommunications Portfolio MITTS). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Exchange will only list for trading this issue of REIT Portfolio MITTS if there are at least one million outstanding securities, at least 400 holders, a minimum life of one year, a market value of at least $4 million, and the issue is in compliance with the Exchange's initial listing criteria. In addition, the Exchange will monitor the issue to verify that it complies with the Exchange's continued listing criteria.\6\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \6\See Section 703.19 of the Manual. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merrill Lynch will deposit registered securities representing REIT Portfolio MITTS with a depository, The Depository Trust Company (``DTC''), so as to permit book-entry settlement of transactions by participants in DTC. The Portfolio The REIT Portfolio consists of the common stock of 20 highly capitalized REITs. As of June 6, 1994, the market capitalizations (i.e., the market price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding) of the 20 companies range from a high of $2.3 billion to a low of $216 million. Also on that date, the market prices of their common stocks ranged from a high of $40.25 to a low of $11.25. The common stocks of 19 of the 20 component REITs are listed on the Exchange. The common stock of the other component REIT is traded on the Amex. The initial weighings of the components of the REIT Portfolio will be based upon that stock's relative liquidity (i.e., relative trading volume in dollars) in the United States. To determine relative liquidity, Merrill Lynch will compare the average daily consolidated dollar volume of the stock over the 90 day period immediately preceding the date on which the REIT Portfolio MITTS are priced for issuance to the average daily consolidated dollar volume for all of the stocks in the REIT Portfolio for that 90 day period. As of June 6, 1994, the highest weighting for any stock in the REIT Portfolio was 10.22% and the weighting for the five components with the highest relative liquidity was 42.64%. Also as of that date, the lowest weighting for any stock in the REIT Portfolio was 1.58% and the weighting for the five components with the lowest relative liquidity was 9.88%. Except for certain multiplier adjustments discussed below, once the initial weighings have been determined, the multipliers will remain constant throughout the term of the REIT Portfolio MITTS. The value of the REIT Portfolio MITTS at any point in time will equal the aggregate for the components of the price of each component times the multiplier for that component plus the cumulative dividends paid on that component since issue date for the REIT Portfolio MITTS. The multipliers assigned to the component REITs will be adjusted for certain events such as stock splits, reverse stock splits, or stock dividends, and the value of the common stock of the component REITs will also be adjusted for certain events including a liquidation, bankruptcy, insolvency, merger, or consolidation involving the issuer of the underlying shares. For example, if the issuer of the shares underlying a component REIT has been subject to a merger or a consolidation and is not the surviving entity, then a value for such common stock will be determined at the time such issuer is merged or consolidated and will equal the last available market price for such common stock and that value will be constant for the remaining term of the REIT Portfolio MITTS.\7\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \7\Merrill Lynch will not attempt to find a replacement stock or to compensate for the extinction of a security due to bankruptcy or a similar event. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Based upon the reported prices of the common stock of the component REITs, an independent third party will calculate and disseminate the value of the REIT Portfolio no less frequently than once every minute through the trading day. The Issuer The Exchange has determined that the issuer of the REIT Portfolio MITTS, Merrill Lynch, meets the listing criteria set forth in Section 703.19 of the Manual. The Exchange states that Merrill Lynch is an Exchange-listed company in good standing and has sufficient assets to justify the issuance of MITTS offerings of the size contemplated by the proposed rule change. The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6 of the Act, in general, and with 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 remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition The NYSE 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 Commision 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, N.W., Washington, D.C. 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. Sec. 552, will be available for inspection and copying at the Commission's Public Reference Section, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the NYSE. All submissions should refer to File No. SR-NYSE-94-28 and shoud be submitted by September 1, 1994. For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.\8\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \8\17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12) (1993). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonathan G. Katz, Secretary. [FR Doc. 94-19565 Filed 8-10-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5010-01-M