[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10048-10050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5846]



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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-36932; File No. SR-NASD-96-7]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate 
Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change by National Association of 
Securities Dealers, Inc. Relating To Small Order Execution System Tier 
Size Classifications

March 6, 1996.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act'')\1\ Notice is hereby given that on March 1, 1996, the National 
Association

[[Page 10049]]
of Securities Dealers, Inc. (``NASD'' or ``Association'') 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 NASD. The Commission is publishing this 
notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested 
persons.

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1) (1988).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The NASD is submitting this filing to effectuate The Nasdaq Stock 
Market, Inc.'s (``Nasdaq'') periodic reclassification of Nasdaq 
National Market (``NNM'') securities into appropriate tier sizes for 
purposes of determining the maximum size order for a particular 
security eligible for execution through Nasdaq's Small Order Execution 
System (``SOES'') and the minimum quote size requirements for Nasdaq 
market makers in NNM securities. Specifically, under the proposal, 
1,024 NNM securities will be reclassified into a different SOES tier 
size effective April 1, 1996. Since the NASD's proposal is an 
interpreation of existing NASD rules, there are no language changes.

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 NASD 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 NASD 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

    The purpose of the rule change is to effectuate Nasdaq's periodic 
reclassification of NNM securities into appropriate tier sizes for 
purposes of determining the maximum size order for a particular 
security eligible for execution through SOES and the minimum quote size 
requirements for Nasdaq market makers in NNM securities. Nasdaq 
periodically reviews the SOES tier size applicable to each NNM security 
to determine if the trading characteristics of the issue have changed 
do as to warrant a tier size adjustment. Such a review was conducted 
using data as of December 31, 1995, pursuant to the following 
established critiia:\2\

    \2\ The classification criteria is set forth in footnote 1 to 
Section(a)(7) of the SOES Rules and Section 2(a) of Part V of 
Schedule D to the NASD By-Laws.
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     NNM securities with an average daily non-block volume of 
3,000 shares or more a day, a bid price less than or equal to $100, and 
three or more market makers are subject to a minimum quotation size 
requirement of 1,000 shares and a maximum SOES order size of 1,000 
shares;
     NNM securities with an average daily non-block volume of 
1,000 shares or more a day, a bid price less than or equal to $150, and 
two or more market makers are subject to a minimum quotation size 
requirement of 500 shares and a maximum SOES order size of 500 shares; 
and
     NNM securities with an average daily non-block volume of 
less than 1,000 shares a day, a bid price less than or equal to $250, 
and less than two market makers are subject to a minimum quotation size 
requirement of 200 shares and a maximum SOES order size of 200 shares.
    Pursuant to the application of this classification criteria, 1,024 
NNM securities will be reclassified effective April 1, 1996. These 
1,024 NNM securities are set out in the NASD's Notice To Members 96-17 
(March 1996).
    In ranking NNM securities pursuant to the established 
classification criteria, Nasdaq followed the changes dictated by the 
criteria with two exceptions. First, an issue was not moved more than 
one tier size level. For example, if an issue was previously 
categorized in the 1,000-share tier size, it would not be permitted to 
move to the 200-share tier even if the reclassification criteria showed 
that such a move was warranted. In adopting this policy, Nasdaq was 
attempting to maintain adequate public investor access to the market 
for issues in which the tier size level decreased and help ensure the 
ongoing participation of market makers in SOES for issues in which the 
tier size level increased. Second, for securities priced below $1 where 
the reranking called for a reduction in tier size, the tier size was 
not reduced.
    The NASD believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
Section 15A(b)(6) of the Act. Section 15A(b)(6) requires, among other 
things, that the rules of the NASD governing the operation of The 
Nasdaq Stock Market be designed to foster cooperation and coordination 
with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, processing 
information with respect to, and facilitating transactions in 
securities, and to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a 
free and open market. The NASD believes that the reassignment of NNM 
securities within SOES tier size levels and minimum quotation size 
levels will further these ends by providing an efficient mechanism for 
small, retail investors to execute their orders on Nasdaq and providing 
investors with the assurance that they can effect trades up to a 
certain size at the quotations displayed on Nasdaq.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The NASD believes that the proposd rule change will not result in 
any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

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

    Comments were neither solicited nor received.

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

    The proposed rule change has become effective immediately pursuant 
to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(i) of the Act and subparagraph (e) of Securities 
Exchange Act Rule 19b-4 because the reranking of NNM securities into 
appropriate SOES tier sizes was done pursuant to the NASD's stated 
policy and practice with respect to the administrative and enforcement 
of two existing NASD rules. Further, in the SOES Tier Size Order, the 
Commission requested that the NASD provide this information as an 
interpretation of an existing NASD rule under Section 19(b)(3)(A) of 
the Act. At any time within 60 days of the filing of such rule change, 
the Commission may summarily abrogate such rule change if it appears to 
the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the 
public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

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

[[Page 10050]]
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 withhel 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 Room. Copies of such filing will also be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of the NASD. All 
submissions should refer to the file number in the caption above and 
should be submitted by April 3, 1996.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\3\

    \3\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12) (1995).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-5846 Filed 3-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M