[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 41 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7841-7846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4576]



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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-36876; File Nos. SR-Philadep-95-08]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Philadelphia Depository Trust 
Company; Notice of Filing of Amendments and Order Granting Accelerated 
Partial Permanent Approval and Accelerated Partial Temporary Approval 
of a Proposed Rule Change to Convert the Settlement System for 
Securities Transactions to a Same-Day Funds Settlement System

February 22, 1996.
    On November 3, 1995, the Philadelphia Depository Trust Company 
(``Philadep'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') a proposed rule change (File Nos. SR-Philadep-95-08) 
pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act'').\1\ On December 19, 1995, Philadep filed an amendment to the 
proposed rule change.\2\ Notice of the proposal as amended was 
published in the Federal Register on January 9, 1996.\3\ On January 8, 
1996, Philadep filed an amendment to the proposed rule change to modify 
its charge-back policy relating to principal and income payments from a 
same-day reversal policy to a next-day reversal policy.\4\ On January 
24, 1996, Philadep filed an amendment to the proposed rule change to 
clarify which participants fund formulas were additive and which were 
not additive and to make a technical correction to Rule 4, Section 
8.\5\ On February 5, 1996, Philadep filed an amendment to the proposed 
rule change to remove certain previously proposed amendments made to 
Rule 4, Sections 1 and 2, regarding the maintenance and investment of 
the participants fund and to remove previously proposed allocation 
procedures between the Philadep participants fund and the Stock 
Clearing Corporation of Philadelphia (``SCCP'') participants fund.\6\ 
On February 16, 1996, Philadep filed an amendment to the proposed rule 
change to clarify its inter-

[[Page 7842]]
depository delivery procedures.\7\ No comment letters were received. 
For the reasons discussed below, the Commission is granting accelerated 
temporary approval through August 31, 1996, of the portion of the 
proposed rule change relating to Philadep's participants fund formulas 
and interdepository deliver procedures and is granting accelerated 
permanent approval of the remainder of the proposed rule change.

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. Sec. 78s(b)(1) (1988).
    \2\ Letter from J. Keith Kessel, Compliance Officer, Philadep, 
to Peter R. Geraghty, Esq., Division of Market Regulation 
(``Division''), Commission (December 14, 1995).
    \3\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 36681 (January 4, 1996), 
61 FR 745.
    \4\ Letter from William W. Uchimoto, General Counsel, Philadep, 
to Peter R. Geraghty, Esq., Division, Commission (January 11, 1996).
    \5\ Letter from William W. Uchimoto, Philadep, to Jerry 
Carpenter, Esq., Assistant Director, Division, Commission (January 
24, 1996).
    \6\ Letter from J. Keith Kessel, Compliance Officer, Philadep, 
to Peter R. Geraghty, Esq., Division, Commission (February 5, 1996).
    \7\ Letter from Keith Kessel, Compliance Officer, Philadep, to 
Peter R. Geraghty, Esq., Division, Commission (February 16, 1996).
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I. Description of the Proposal

1. Introduction

    The purpose of the proposed rule change is to amend Philadep's 
rules and procedures to convert Philadep's money settlement system from 
a next-day funds settlement (``NDFS'') system to a same-day funds 
settlement (``SDFS'') system. Under the proposed rule change, Philadep 
intends to provide SDFS depository services for all eligible 
securities.
    In accordance with the SDFS service, Philadep will accept deposits 
of securities certificates for safekeeping and will provide the full 
range of SDFS depository services which include, but are not limited 
to, processing deposits, book-entry deliver and receive orders, 
withdrawals, pledges, trade confirmations, affirmations, transfers, and 
dividend and interest payments. Philadep's rules and procedures have 
been amended to provide for, among other things, the pledging of 
securities, failure to settle procedures, transaction processing, risk 
management controls, and money settlement in an expanded SDFS 
environment.
    Pursuant to a joint agency agreement between SCCP and Philadep, 
SCCP, among other things, effects daily money settlements on behalf of 
Philadep participants for securities received into and delivered out of 
participants' accounts at Philadep. On behalf of Philadep, SCCP also 
processes continuous net settlement (``CNS'') movements from one 
participant to another, processes all SCCP and Philadep dividend and 
reorganization settlements, and prepares and renders bills and collects 
fees from Philadep participants for depository services.
    Philadep evaluated the impact of converting to an SDFS system with 
respect to the operational requirements, liquidity requirements, and 
overall risk on a joint SCCP/Philadep basis.\8\ Philadep estimates that 
at the time of implementing the proposed modifications, SCCP and 
Philadep will have combined liquidity resources of over $73 million, 
consisting of $1.1 million in the Philadep participants fund, $7.3 
million in the SCCP participants fund, $4.7 million in unrestricted 
capital, and $60 million in lines of credit.\9\ Philadep will routinely 
monitor these amounts and assess the need to increase them based on 
SCCP and Philadep activity levels.

    \8\ SCCP and Philadep are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the 
Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc. SCCP and Philadep have a 
substantial overlap of participants and strategic business 
objectives.
    \9\ As of the date of this order, SCCP and Philadep have secured 
$20 million in uncommitted lines of credit and $40 million in 
committed lines of credit.
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2. Risk Management Controls

    Philadep's risk management controls are intended to protect 
Philadep participants against the inability of a participant to pay for 
its settlement obligations. Philadep's two primary risk management 
controls for securities processing are the collateral monitor and the 
net debit cap. Philadep's collateral monitor and net debit cap analysis 
were structured to incorporate the netting of SCCP and Philadep 
settlements. Certain transactions also are not subject to these risk 
management controls.\10\

    \10\ Under Philadep's proposed rule change, CNS and reclamation 
activity will be exempt from risk management controls. SCCP and 
Philadep will continue to process these activities; however, when a 
participant exceeds its set debit cap as a result of its CNS 
activity, Philadep may request settlement prepayments to reduce the 
participant's daily debit. If Philadep does not receive such 
prepayments, Philadep may reverse unsettled book-entry receives 
previously accepted to produce a positive collateral position and 
reduce the net debit to an amount under the net debit cap.
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A. Collateralization
    Philadep will operate its SDFS system on a fully collateralized 
basis. Philadep has designed its collateral monitor to assure that a 
participant will have sufficient collateral in its account in the event 
that the participant becomes insolvent and/or fails to pay its end-of-
day settlement obligation and Philadep must pledge the collateral to 
draw on its lines of credit.
    Philadep recognizes several sources of collateral. The primary 
sources of collateral are: (1) participants' required and voluntary 
deposits to the participants fund; (2) proprietary or firm positions 
that the participant designates as collateral; (3) securities received 
versus payment for which the participant has not yet paid (includes CNS 
deliveries); and (4) securities added to a participant's account but 
not received versus payment (e.g., deposits, free deliveries, free 
pledge releases, and reclassification of non-collateral securities) 
that the participant designates as collateral.
    Securities designated as collateral by participants are valued 
based on the security's closing price on the prior business day less an 
applicable haircut. Philadep employs haircuts to protect itself and its 
participants against price fluctuations in collateral in the event that 
Philadep must liquidate the collateral of an insolvent participant. 
Moreover, because Philadep may have to borrow against a participant's 
collateral to finance overnight a participant's failure, Philadep's 
haircut structure takes into consideration the haircuts imposed by its 
lending institutions. Ordinarily, banks will not assign the full market 
value to securities used to collateralize loans. Banks will generally 
consider the relative price volatility of the collateral and impose a 
haircut accordingly. Philadep's haircut levels configured by security 
type are as follows: (1) 10% for equities; (2) 5% for corporate and 
municipal debt, and (3) 2%, 5%, or up to 100% for money market 
instruments (depending on their term and investment grade rating). 
Philadep reserves the right to reprice and modify haircuts intraday if 
it determines changes to be in the best interest of Philadep and its 
participants.
    Philadep will monitor the collateral in each of the participant's 
accounts through the use of its collateral monitor. At the start of 
each business day, Philadep credits each participant's collateral 
monitor with its participants fund deposit. Philadep updates the 
collateral monitor throughout the day for each transaction that adds or 
removes collateral to or from the participant's collateral monitor. At 
all times, the collateral monitor in a participant's account must be 
equal to or exceed the participant's 'net settlement obligation. 
Therefore, the market value of all the collateral less any applicable 
haircuts in a participant's account must be equal to or exceed the 
participant's net settlement obligation.
    Throughout the day, Philadep will continually verify each 
participant's collateral value to assure that the deliverer's and 
receiver's collateral monitor will not become negative as a result of 
Philadep processing a transaction. If a transaction will cause either 
the deliverer or the receiver to be undercollateralized, Philadep will 
prevent the transaction from completing until the participant with the 
deficient collateral monitor has infused sufficient collateral into its 
account for the transaction to complete. Transactions that continue to 
recycle at the end of the processing day will be dropped from the 

[[Page 7843]]
system and must be subsequently reentered by the participant that 
initially entered the transaction.
B. Net Debit Caps
    In addition to collateralization, Philadep's net debit cap 
procedures will prevent the completion of transactions if completion 
will cause a participant's individual net debit to exceed its net debit 
cap. Net debit caps limit the net settlement debits that a participant 
may incur at any point during the processing day and at the end of the 
day. Net debit caps are designed to help assure that Philadep will have 
sufficient liquidity to complete settlement if a participant fails to 
settle. If a transaction will cause a participant's net settlement 
debit to exceed its net debit cap, Philadep's SDFS system will not 
allow the transaction to complete. The transaction will recycle until 
there is sufficient credit in the account. Most credits result from 
securities deliveries versus payment; securities pledges for value; 
principal, dividend, or interest allocations; or settlement progress 
payments (``SPPs'') wired from a participant to Philadep's account at 
its designated settling bank. Transactions that continue to recycle at 
the close of the processing day will be dropped from the system and 
must be subsequently reentered by the participant who initially entered 
the transaction.
    Each participant's individual net debit cap is determine by a 
participant's combined net debit history at Philadep and SCCP. Philadep 
will periodically adjust a participant's net debit cap in relation to 
the participant's ongoing activity. Philadep will calculate net debit 
caps using participants' daily net settlement activities and may adjust 
these figures monthly. A participant's net debit cap will be 
specifically determined by: (1) an average of the participant's three 
highest end-of-day net settlement debits over a rolling three-month 
period to establish a base figure \11\ and (2) the participant's base 
figure multiplied by a factor to determine the participant's individual 
net debit cap.\12\ Individual participants' net debit caps are limited 
by Philadep's established maximum net debit cap of $40 million. 
Philadep's maximum net debit cap was set, as explained below, using 
Philadep's total available liquidity.

    \11\ For purpose of calculating a participant's net debit 
settlement, Philadep includes net CNS settlements.
    \12\ Factors are based on a sliding scale, ranging from 1 to 2, 
where lower base figures are multiplied by larger factors and higher 
base figures are multiplied by smaller factors.
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    Philadep established a minimum net debit cap based on 50% of the 
combined SCCP and Philadep participants funds. The minimum net debit 
cap, which is currently estimated to be $3.5 million, will be 
recalculated and adjusted semi-annually. Despite a participant's base 
figure, Philadep reserves the right to make adjustments to a 
participant's net debit cap. Philadep may effect such change for a 
length of time deemed necessary and appropriate by Philadep's 
management.

3. Failure to Settle Procedures

A. Rule 4(A)
    New Rule 4(A) will clarify that Philadep is authorized to pledge, 
repledge, hypothecate, transfer, create a security interest, and/or 
assign (``pledge'') to lenders as collateral in the event a participant 
fails to settle any or all property received by Philadep for Philadep 
from its participants.\13\ This property includes (i) deposits in the 
participants fund; (ii) the securities or repurchase agreements in 
which the participants fund is invested overnight; (iii) certain 
qualifying securities which secure the open account indebtedness of the 
participant; (iv) securities which have been pledged to Philadep as a 
voluntary deposit to the participants fund; and (v) any or all 
securities designated as collateral (collectively, ``allowable 
assets'').

    \13\ The text of proposed New Rule 4(A) is attached as Exhibit 
B(2) to File No. SR-Philadep-95-08. The file is available for review 
in the Commission's Public Reference Room and at the principal 
office of Philadep.
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    If Philadep pledges these allowable assets, Philadep will make the 
appropriate account entries reflecting the creation and transfer of the 
respective security interest from the participant to Philadep and from 
Philadep to the lender. Likewise, if a participant designates 
additional securities as pledged collateral, Philadep will record the 
security interest for such pledged collateral on its books which 
reflects the decrease in the account of the pledging participant and 
the increase in Philadep's account. Philadep will receive these journal 
entries upon the release and return of any pledged assets, which will 
reflect a decrease in the account of any pledgee and an increase in the 
account of the pledgor as appropriate.
B. Settlement Failure
    At the end of the processing day, Philadep will provide each 
participant with a net settlement amount, which will be the aggregate 
of the end-of-the-day net debits and credits in the participant's SCCP 
and/or Philadep accounts. Money settlements will occur daily with 
immediately available funds in the form of fed wire transfers into and 
out of Philadep's account at its designated settling bank.
    In the event a participant or its representative settling bank 
fails to settle, Philadep will utilize its liquidity resources to 
finance such participant's unsettled net debit. Philadep will 
prioritize the order in which it will use the resources. Philadep first 
will use cash from the participants fund and other immediately 
available internal sources prior to drawing upon its external lines of 
credit to secure an extension of credit in connection with the 
defaulting participant, Philadep shall secure the participant's assets 
as collateral pursuant to proposed Rule 4(A).
    If the participant settles by 10 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, the 
morning after the default occurs, Philadep will use the settlement 
payment received to repay the principal and finance charges of the 
lending bank. Philadep then will return the pledged collateral to the 
participant. For example, if the defaulting participant is solvent and 
pays its net debit balance and interest charge in same-day funds on the 
day after the default, Philadep generally will reverse the procedures 
followed on the day of the default. Philadep will repay lenders and 
restore pledged securities.
    However, if the defaulting participant remains in default the next 
business day, Philadep may take the following steps in successive 
order: (i) apply the defaulting participant's fund deposit to satisfy 
the participant's obligation; (ii) apply collateral of the defaulting 
participant which is the subject of incomplete transactions; (iii) 
apply any collateral of the defaulting participant including collateral 
which is not subject to incomplete transactions; (iv) if the 
participant's collateral is exhausted, apply pro rata net credit 
reductions to all participants that delivered securities to the 
defaulting participant on the day of the default with such reductions 
being limited to the amount of the net credit balance of each 
participant resulting from transactions with the defaulting 
participant; (v) in the alternative to such net credit reductions, 
resell to the delivering participants securities that were sold to the 
defaulting participant on the day of the default; and (vi) make pro 
rata net credit reductions to all participants with net credit balances 
including those participants that did not make deliveries to the 
defaulting participant on that day. 

[[Page 7844]]


4. Paying Agent Charge-Back Procedures

    With respect to principal, dividend, interest, and corporate 
reorganization payment obligations (``P&I payments''), Philadep will 
pay participants in same-day funds upon receipt of payment in same-day 
funds from paying agents for such P&I payments. In order to induce the 
delivery of P&I payments in same-day funds to Philadep from paying 
agents that would not otherwise receive such payments from issuers in 
same-day funds on payable date, Philadep may agree to provide rebates 
to such paying agents. Philadep will act as the conduit passing along 
such rebate costs to those participants benefitting from receiving P&I 
payments in same-day funds.
    Under Philadep's SDFS proposal, Philadep will be authorized to 
charge-back participants that were previously credited with P&I 
payments if the payment was made in error by the paying agent, the 
issuer failed to provide the paying agent with sufficient funds to 
cover the payments, the issuer filed for bankruptcy on or prior to the 
payable date, or other paying agent default. In order for Philadep to 
charge-back participants, the paying agent must furnish Philadep a 
written request within ten business days of the payable date. Philadep 
also may charge-back participants for any errors made by Philadep 
including errors as a result of erroneous announcements or payment 
calculations credited to participants in anticipation of receiving 
payments from paying agents which Philadep has not received.
    Under Philadep's charge-back procedures, Philadep will notify 
participants of charge-backs initiated by a paying agent one business 
day prior to the date Philadep includes the charge-back in the 
participant's daily settlement. Although Philadep usually verifies the 
facts stated in the notice from the paying agent, Philadep does not 
have any obligation to do so. If the paying agent notifies Philadep 
more than ten business days after payment date, Philadep is not 
required to charge-back the participant's account but will cooperate 
with the paying agent and the participants to resolve the matter. For 
Philadep initiated charge-backs, Philadep will give participants one 
business day notice of the charge-back before Philadep includes the 
charge-back in the participant's daily settlement. For either charge-
back, Philadep reserves the right to impute and recover interest from 
the respective participants.

5. Inter-depository Delivery Procedures

    When processing participants' deliveries to The Depository Trust 
Company (``DTC''), Philadep will employ an immediate update technique 
whereby a delivering participant's security position, collateral, and 
settlement accounts are immediately updated if the delivering 
participant has sufficient securities and collateral to complete the 
delivery. The delivering participant's position is reduced by the 
quantity of securities it is delivering, its settlement account is 
credited for the settlement value of the transaction, and its 
collateral monitor is increased by the settlement credit it will 
receive and reduced by the collateral value of the securities it is 
delivering (provided the securities being delivered are part of the 
participant's collateral position).
    Once a delivery satisfies Philadep's risk management controls and 
completes at Philadep (e.g., the participant has sufficient securities 
to make the delivery and the participant's collateral monitor will not 
become negative because of the delivery), the delivery is sent to DTC 
where it is subject to DTC's internal risk management controls. In 
certain instances, DTC's internal risk management controls may prevent 
a delivery from completing (i.e., the receiving participant may not 
have sufficient collateral or the receipt will violate the 
participant's net debit cap) and may cause those deliveries to recycle 
in DTC's system. Deliver orders and payment orders that fail to 
successfully complete in DTC's system at the end of each processing day 
will be returned to Philadep, and Philadep will reverse the deliveries 
to the original delivering participants. Such reversals will not be 
subject to Receiver-Authorized Delivery (``RAD'') processing \14\ or 
risk management controls.

    \14\ RAD allows a participant to review and either approve or 
cancel incoming deliveries before they are processed in Philadep's 
system.
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6. Participants Fund

    Rule 4, governing the participants fund, and the procedures 
regarding the participants fund formulas are being amended to respond 
to Philadep's increased liquidity needs. Rule 4 and the procedures are 
being amended to provide for an all cash participants fund. The all 
cash requirement applies to both the required deposit and any 
additional or voluntary deposits that participants may make. 
Participants that choose to make voluntary deposits, in most 
situations, will be able to increase their level of activity at 
Philadep. Participants will receive interest rebates from Philadep for 
deposits in excess of $50,000.
    Philadep also has modified the size of the participants fund by 
amending the participants fund formulas. Rule 4 as amended requires all 
Philadep participants to maintain a minimum cash deposit of $10,000 in 
the Philadep participants fund. Philadep will calculate participants' 
required cash deposit pursuant to the following formulas:

(a)  Inactive Accounts: \15\ $10,000.00

    \15\ Philadep's procedures define inactive account to mean an 
account that has less than $100 of average monthly billings.
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(b)  Specialized Services:
    (Maximum $50,000 required with $100 or greater in average monthly 
billings for either Deposit or Transfer activity)
    --Deposit Activity--$25,000.00 plus
    --Transfer Activity--$25,000.00
(c)  Participants not doing Specialized Service activity with service 
fees of $100 or greater in average monthly billings. The greater of 
either:
    (1) $25,000, or;
    (2) 1% of the average of the three highest net debits over the past 
three months (rounded to the next $5,000 increment).

    Philadep will recalculate each participant's deposit requirement at 
the end of each month based on a participant's activity over the 
previous three months. Philadep will notify its participants of any 
required deposit increases and the amount of such additional deposit 
within ten business days of the end of the month. Participants whose 
deposit requirements have decreased will be notified at least quarterly 
although they may inquire and withdraw excess deposits monthly. 
Participants may leave excess cash deposits in the participants fund.

II. Discussion

    Section 17A(b)(3)(F) of the Act \16\ requires that the rules of a 
clearing agency be designed to promote the prompt and accurate 
clearance and settlement of securities transactions and to assure the 
safeguarding of securities and funds which are in the custody or 
control of the clearing agency or for which it is responsible. The 
Commission believes that Philadep's proposed rule change is consistent 
with Philadep's obligations under Section 17A(b)(3)(F) to promote the 
prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities transactions 
because the proposal converts Philadep's money 

[[Page 7845]]
settlement system from an NDFS system to an SDFS system. Philadep's 
conversion to an SDFS system should help reduce risk by, among other 
things, eliminating overnight participant credit risk. The SDFS system 
also should reduce risk by achieving closer conformity with the payment 
methods used in the derivatives markets, government securities markets, 
and other markets.

    \16\ 15 U.S.C. Sec. 78q-1(b)(3)(F) (1988).
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    The Commission also believes the proposal is consistent with 
Philadep's obligations to assure the safeguarding of securities and 
funds in its custody or control because Philadep's SDFS proposal 
provides certain protections for Philadep and its participants from 
financial loss associated with member defaults and insolvencies. The 
rule change contains several risk management controls that are intended 
to protect Philadep and its participants by limiting Philadep's 
exposure from one or more participants' inability to fulfill its or 
their settlement obligations to an account within Philadep's liquidity 
resources. Those protections include an all cash SDFS participants 
fund,\17\ individual net debit caps, a fixed maximum net debit cap of 
$40 million, and the application of the collateral monitor. In 
addition, Philadep has increased its liquidity resources by retaining 
additional committed and uncommitted lines of credit totaling $60 
million.

    \17\ Pursuant to Philadep Rule 4, Philadep is restricted from 
investing the cash in the participants fund in any investment other 
than U.S. Government obligations or any other investments which 
provide safety and liquidity of the principal invested. The 
Commission has interpreted this rule to mean that Philadep is 
prohibited from investing the Philadep participants fund directly or 
through SCCP in the specialists financing program operated by SCCP. 
Letter from Jerry W. Carpenter, Assistant Director, Division, 
Commission, to William W. Uchimoto, General Counsel, Philadep 
(February 15, 1996).
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    However, the Commission continues to have concerns about the 
adequacy of Philadep's participants fund formulas in providing a 
sufficient source of cash liquidity and the formulas' conformity with 
the standards set forth by the Division.\18\ The Commission believes 
clearing agencies must establish an appropriate level of clearing fund 
contributions based, among other things, on its assessment of the risks 
to which it is subject.

    \18\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 16900 (June 17, 1980), 
45 FR 41920 (order approving standards for clearing agency 
registration).
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    Althouth Philadep submitted its assessment of the risks presented 
by its conversion to an SDFS system and the risks posed by its 
participants and their type of depository activities, the Commission 
desires a more thorough analysis. Furthermore, the Commission believes 
Philadep's recent depository arrangement with the West Canada 
Depository Trust Company presents additional risks that were not 
present when Philadep conducted its original risk assessment. Under the 
proposed rule change, Philadep's participants fund formulas do not take 
into consideration a participants' level of depository activity. 
Rather, the formulas are fixed based on the type of depository services 
used by the participant. The Commission has concerns about whether the 
size of the participants fund will be sufficient because the formulas 
are not based on participants' levels of depository activities. For 
these reasons, the Commission is temporarily approving the portion of 
the proposed rule change relating to the participants fund formulas 
through August 31, 1996.
    During the period of temporary approval, the Commission will 
monitor and analyze the adequacy of the participants fund formulas in 
an SDFS environment. In this regard, the Commission requests that 
Philadep submit prior to filing for permanent approval of the 
participants fund formulas a detailed report including (1) a 
description of the different types of participants at Philadep, the 
types of depository activities the participants conduct, and the number 
of each type of participant, and (2) a detailed discussion of the types 
of risks these participants and their activities pose and the measure 
Philadep will take to mitigate the risks.
    In addition, the Commission is concerned about Philadep's proposed 
inter-depository delivery procedures. Under Philadep's proposed inter-
depository delivery procedures, Philadep will immediately update a 
participant's account for delivery orders and payment orders sent to 
DTC participants through the interface. In the event a delivery fails 
to complete at DTC by the end of the day, the procedures provide a 
mechanism by which Philadep will reverse the transaction to the 
delivering Philadep participant without subjecting the reversal to risk 
management controls. Philadep has represented that the expected volume 
of deliveries through the interface and the possibility of such 
reversal procedures being employed are minimal. However, the Commission 
is concerned that Philadep's proposed inter-depository delivery 
procedures could create the situation where an inter-depository 
reversal resulting from an uncompleted delivery to a DTC participant 
forces Philadep participant to violate its net debit cap near the end 
of the day. Therefore, the Commission is temporarily approving the 
portion of the proposed rule change relating to the inter-depository 
delivery procedures through August 31, 1996, so that the Commission and 
Philadep can monitor the interface activity before the procedures 
become permanent.
    During the period of temporary approval, Philadep has agreed to 
submit monthly reports to the Commission concerning the number of 
inter-depository reversals performed pursuant to the proposed 
procedures that caused participants to violate their net debit caps. 
The Commission encourages Philadep to examine and consider future 
enhancements to the interface to provide a mechanism through which 
Philadep participants can receive real-time notification of 
transactions pending at DTC.
    Philadep has requested that the Commission find good cause for 
approving the proposed rule change prior to the thirtieth day after the 
date of publication of notice of filing of amendments. The Commission 
finds good cause for approving the proposed rule change prior to the 
thirtieth day after the date of publication of notice of filing of 
amendments because the proposed rule change modifies Philadep's rules 
in anticipation of Philadep's conversion to an SDFS system on February 
22, 1996. Accelerated approval of the proposal will allow Philadep to 
effect the conversion and to implement the procedures provided under 
the proposed rule change on that date.

III. 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 in 
the Commission's Public Reference Room, 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 Philadep. All 
submissions should refer to the file number SR-

[[Page 7846]]
Philadep-95-08 and should be submitted by March 21, 1996.
    It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, 
that the proposed rule change (File Nos. SR-Philadep-95-08) be, and 
hereby is, temporarily approved through August 31, 1996, for those 
sections of the proposed rule change relating to Philadep's 
participants fund formulas and inter-depository delivery procedures and 
permanently approved for the remainder of the proposed rule change.

    For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\19\

    \19\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12) (1995).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-4576 Filed 2-28-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M