[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19393-19395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9814]



[[Page 19393]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-41276; File No SR-Amex-99-09]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule 
Change by the American Stock Exchange LLC Relating to an Amendment to 
Amex Rule 901C

April 12, 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 1, 1999, the American Stock Exchange LLC (``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 Exchange. 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.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to amend Amex Rule 901C to add modified 
equal-dollar weighting and modified capitalization weighting as 
acceptable weighting calculation methodologies for the construction of 
narrow-based index options.\3\ [Bracketing] indicates text to be 
deleted, and italics indicates text to be added. The text of the 
proposed rule change is as follows:
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    \3\ The Exchange refers to narrow-based index options as ``stock 
industry index options.'' See Amex Rule 900C(b)(1).
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* * * * *
Designation of Stock Index Options
    Rule 901C.    (a)-(c) No Change.
Commentary
    .01 No change.
    .02 No change.
    (a) No change.
    (b) Index Calculation--(i) The index will be calculated based on 
either the capitalization, [weighting,] modified capitalization, price, 
[weighting or] equal-dollar, [weighting] or modified equal-dollar 
weighting methodology. (ii) Indexes based upon the equal-dollar or 
modified equal-dollar weighting method will be rebalanced at least 
quarterly. (iii) If the index is maintained by a broker-dealer, the 
broker-dealer shall erect a ``[chinese] firewall'' around the personnel 
who have access to information concerning changes and adjustments to 
the index and the index shall be calculated by a third party who is not 
a broker-dealer. (iv) The current index value will be disseminated 
every 15 seconds over the Consolidated Tape Association's Network B.
    (c) No change.
    (d) No change.
* * * * *

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 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

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend Commentary .02 to Amex Rule 901C to 
include modified capitalization and modified equal-dollar weighting in 
the group of index calculation methodologies used for calculating stock 
industry index groups.\4\ Commentary .02 to Amex Rule 901C permits the 
Exchange to list options on stock industry index groups if the index 
meets certain criteria. Presently, the criteria require the index to be 
calculated using either the capitalization, price, or equal-dollar 
weighting methodologies. The Exchange proposes to include modified 
capitalization and modified equal-dollar weighting calculation 
methodologies in Commentary .02 to Amex Rule 901C to (i) better meet 
the needs of index option users; (ii) increase flexibility in index 
construction; and (iii) more accurately reflect the industry 
represented by the index.
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    \4\ A stock index industry group is defined in the Amex Rule as 
a group of stocks representing a particular industry or related 
industries. Id.
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    Use of the capitalization weighting calculation methodology to 
determine an index value is accomplished by multiplying the primary 
exchange regular way last sale price of each component security by its 
number of shares outstanding, adding the products, and dividing by the 
current index divisor. Determining an index value for modified 
capitalization weighted indexes is calculated in a similar manner. 
However, instead of using the number of shares outstanding, the 
methodology uses an adjusted number of shares outstanding in the 
multiplication (adding the products and then dividing by the current 
index divisor). The modified capitalization weighting methodology uses 
an adjusted number of shares outstanding to prevent components with 
relatively large market capitalizations from representing an excessive 
portion of an index's value. For example, inclusion of a large 
capitalization company in an index along with a number of smaller 
capitalization companies can result in the larger capitalization 
company's representation in the index exceeding 25% of the index's 
value, which violates the requirements of Amex Rule 901C, Commentary 
.02(a)(7). However, use of the modified capitalization index 
calculation methodology would permit a reduction in the large 
capitalization company's representation in the index to an amount less 
than 25% of the index's value, thereby permitting the index to satisfy 
the requirements of Commentary .02(a)(7). The Exchange represents that, 
as a part of their due diligence, the component weighting will be 
reviewed quarterly, and if necessary, adjusted to ensure the index 
continues to meet the weighting guidelines. Adjustments will be made on 
an intra-quarterly basis to reflect corporate actions, share issuances 
and repurchases, etc.
    Use of the equal-dollar weighting calculation methodology to 
determine an index value initially is accomplished by establishing an 
initial dollar representation (for example $100,000), determining the 
number of shares of each component representing this amount and then 
multiplying the primary exchange regular way last sale price of each 
component security by its predetermined fixed number of shares. The 
equal-dollar weighted methodology results in equal representation of 
each component in the index. The modified equal-dollar weighting 
methodology can be used to distinguish between larger and smaller 
capitalized companies, permitting larger capitalized companies to 
represent a larger portion of an index's value. This methodology can 
enhance an index's use as an accurate measure for a particular industry 
sector and thus its utility to market participants.
    In effect, the modified equal-dollar weighting methodology is the 
mirror image of the modified capitalization weighting methodology. 
While the modified capitalization weighting

[[Page 19394]]

methodology prevents companies with the largest capitalization from 
skewing an index, the modified equal-dollar weighting methodology 
guards against the smaller capitalized companies doing so. Determining 
an initial index value for modified equal-dollar weighted indexes uses 
two or more fixed dollar values for different groups of the index 
components instead of using the same fixed dollar value for each 
component. In this way, the modified equal-dollar weighted method 
allows for similar component stocks to be weighted similarly, while 
differentiating among dissimilar groups (e.g., high capitalization 
stocks versus lower capitalization stocks). For example, given a ten 
stock index, five components with capitalizations of approximately $1 
billion (or $5 billion in aggregate) and five with capitalizations of 
approximately $500 million (or $2.5 billion in aggregate), rather than 
each component accounting for 10% of the index (as would be the case in 
a pure equal-dollar weighted index), the modified equal-dollar 
weighting methodology would permit the larger capitalization components 
to account for twice the amount of the smaller capitalized companies. 
This permits a more accurate representation of the actual market 
capitalization composition of the industry for which the index is 
designed to measure.
    The number of shares of each component security in an index 
calculated under the modified equal-dollar weighting methodology will 
be adjusted quarterly, so that the members of each weighting group are 
again set to the appropriate index weight. The number of shares of each 
component stock in the index portfolio will remain fixed between 
quarterly reviews, except in the event of certain types of corporate 
actions (such as the payment of a dividend other than an ordinary cash 
dividend, stock distribution, reorganization, recapitalization, or 
similar event with respect to the component stocks). In a merger or 
consolidation of an issuer of a component stock, if the stock remains 
in the index, the number of shares of that security in the portfolio 
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 the event of a stock addition or replacement, the 
average dollar value of the remaining components in the same weighting 
group will be calculated, and that amount invested in the stock of the 
new component to the nearest whole share. In all cases, the divisor 
will be adjusted, if necessary, to ensure index continuity.
    The Exchange notes that the Inter@ctive Week Internet Index, the 
Nasdaq-100 Index, and the Amex Eurotop 100 Index are currently 
calculated using modified capitalization weighting methodologies, and 
have been approved as indexes that may underlie index options. 
Additionally, the Amex Mexico Index and the Amex Networking Index 
currently use modified equal-dollar weighting index calculation 
methodologies, and have been approved as indexes that may underlie 
index options.
    Increasingly, the Exchange receives requests to construct new stock 
industry indexes using the modified capitalization or modified equal-
dollar weighting methodologies, in many cases to enable the proposed 
indexes to meet the generic criteria for narrow-based indexes, or to 
provide for the timely trading of options on the newly proposed 
indexes. As a result, the Exchange proposes to add the modified 
capitalization and modified equal-dollar weighted calculation 
methodologies to the existing narrow-based criteria set forth in Amex 
Rule 901C that are currently subject to filing pursuant to Rule 19b-
4(e) under the Act.\5\ In doing so, use of the modified capitalization 
and modified equal-dollar weighted calculation methodologies will be 
limited to those narrow-based indexes meeting the generic index 
criteria set forth in Commentary .02 to Amex Rule 901C. In the event a 
proposed index does not meet the criteria set forth in Commentary .02, 
the Exchange will submit the terms of the proposed index to the 
Commission for review pursuant to section 19(b)(2) of the Act.\6\
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    \5\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(e).
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
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    The Exchange represents that the terms of any modified 
capitalization or modified equal-dollar weighting calculation 
methodology will be clearly defined, and consist of objective standards 
that will permit any newly developed narrow-based index initially to 
meet, and subsequently, to continue to be maintained, in accordance 
with the generic criteria set forth in Commentary .02 to Amex Rule 
901C. Further, the Exchange represents that these terms will be 
discussed in marketing materials describing the index and in the 
Information Circulars distributed to members upon the launch of the new 
index options.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Amex believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
Section 6(b) of the Act \7\ in general, and furthers the objectives of 
section 6(b)(5) of the Act \8\ 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 mechanisms 
of, a free and open market and a national market system.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange 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

    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 Exchange 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, 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

[[Page 19395]]

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 Amex. All submissions should refer to file 
number SR-Amex-99-09 and should be submitted by May 11, 1999.

    For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\9\
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    \9\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Jonathan G. Katz,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-9814 Filed 4-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M