[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 69 (Monday, April 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17702-17703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9010]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-41252; File No. SR-CBOE-99-09]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate 
Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change by the Chicago Board Options 
Exchange, Inc. To List index Options for an Additional Expiration Month

April 5, 1999.
    Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that 
on March 15, 1999, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. (``CBOE'' 
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 Exchange.\3\ The 
Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the 
proposed rule change from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ Although the Exchange spoke with staff in the Division of 
Market Regulation (``Division'') at the Commission to give notice of 
its intent to file the proposed rule change, the Exchange did not 
provide the Commission with written notice and the text of the 
proposed rule change at least five business days prior to the date 
of filing the proposed rule change. Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii). However, 
the Commission has decided to waive the pre-filing requirement. On 
March 18, 1999, CBOE made technical amendments to the proposal. 
Telephone conversations between Timothy H. Thompson, Director, 
Regulatory Affairs, CBOE, and Kenneth Rosen and Joseph Morra, 
Attorneys, Division, Commission.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange is proposing to amend CBOE Rule 24.9, Terms of Index 
Option Contracts, to allow the Exchange to list up to seven expiration 
months, instead of the currently permitted six, for certain index 
options up until the expiration of those options in January 2000. The 
text of the proposed rule change is available at the Office of the 
Secretary, CBOE, 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

[[Page 17703]]

places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange 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 Exchange is proposing to amend paragraph (a)(2) of CBOE Rule 
24.9 to allow, for a limited time, the Exchange to list up to seven 
expiration months in certain index options. When options are listed for 
seven expiration months, one of those expiration months would be 
January 2000. Currently, CBOE Rule 24.9(a)(2) permits the Exchange to 
list only six expiration months in any index options at any one time.
    Under the current application of the Rule, the Exchange generally 
will list three consecutive near term months and three months on a 
quarterly expiration cycle. For example, the Exchange currently lists 
options on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (``SPX options'') for the 
following expiration months: March 1999, April 1999, May 1999, June 
1999, September 1999, and December 1999. After the March 1999 options 
expire, the exchange intends to list SPX options with an expiration 
month of March 2000. The Exchange believes it is necessary to list the 
March 2000 SPX options because a number of institutional customers 
commonly engage in a strategy where they purchase a new option with the 
same expiration month but for the next year when the options with the 
same expiration month in the current year expire. When the Exchange 
lists the March 2000 SPX options, it will have used its current 
allotment of six expiration months under CBOE Rule 24.9(a)(2).
    The Exchange, however, has been approached by a number of 
institutional customers who are interested in trading SPX options and 
other index options with an expiration of January 2000. These customers 
have explained to the Exchange that they believe that index options 
expiring in January 2000 will provide a useful tool to hedge positions 
in stocks overlying particular index options or to hedge market 
exposure to the equity markets generally against the uncertainty 
presented by potential Year 2000 computer problems. By listing index 
options with a January 2000 expiration at this point, the Exchange will 
provide these customers with the opportunity to hedge their positions 
in an orderly fashion well in advance of the beginning of the Year 
2000.
    The Exchange recognizes that this request to expand the allowable 
expiration months for index options is a unique situation presented by 
the unusual risks presented by potential Year 2000 problems, and so the 
Exchange only intends to seek the ability to list seven expiration 
months until the January 2000 options expire.
    The Exchange believes that it has the system capacity to more than 
adequately handle the series that would be permitted to be added by 
this proposal. In addition, the Exchange has received a letter from the 
Options Price Reporting Authority (``OPRA'') stating that OPRA has the 
necessary capacity to handle the additional series that could be added 
through this proposal.
    Because the temporary increase in the number of expiration months 
for index options would satisfy significant customer demand to address 
a unique hedging need and because the series could be added without 
presenting capacity problems, the Exchange believes this rule change is 
consistent with, and furthers the objectives of, section 6(b)(5) of the 
Act \4\ in that it would remove impediments to the perfect the 
mechanism of a free and open market in a manner consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The CBOE does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose 
any 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

    Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not:
    (i) Significantly affect the protection on competition; and
    (ii) impose any significant burden on competition; and
    (iii) become operative for 30 days from the date on which it was 
filed, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate, it has 
become effective \5\ pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \6\ and 
Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\7\ At any time within 60 days of the 
filing of the proposed 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.
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    \5\ The Commission has waived the 5-day pre-filing requirement. 
See supra note 3.
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In reviewing this proposal, the 
Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on efficiency, 
competition, and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
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IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
argument concerning the foregoing including whether the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the Act. Persons making written submissions 
should file six copies thereof with the Secretary, Securities and 
Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. 
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 Room. Copies of such filing will also be 
available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the 
CBOE. All submissions should refer to File No. SR-CBOE-99-09, and 
should be submitted by May 3, 1999.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\8\
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    \8\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-9010 Filed 4-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M