[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 116 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32600-32601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15358]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-41507; File No. SR-OCC-99-04]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation; 
Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change Relating to Amendments to 
the Pledge Program

June 10, 1999.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on March 8, 1999, The Options 
Clearing Corporation (``OCC'') 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 primarily by 
OCC. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments from 
interested persons on the proposed rule change.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    Under the proposed rule change, OCC will permit clearing members to 
pledge long positions in non-proprietary cross margin accounts through 
its pledge program. In addition, OCC will update its rules to reflect 
the way that the pledge program currently operates.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, OCC 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. OCC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections (A), 
(B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of such 
statements.\2\
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    \2\ The Commission has modified the text of the summaries 
prepared by OCC.
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(A) Self-Regulatory Organizations's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    OCC's market maker pledge program was designed to facilitate the 
ability of clearing members to finance their positions by permitting 
them to pledge excess long market maker options as collateral to obtain 
loans from banks or other clearing members.\3\ Current eligible account 
types include, among others, a combined market-makers' account and a 
separate market-maker's account.
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    \3\ For a detailed description of the pledge program, refer to 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 19956 (July 19, 1983), 48 FR 
33956 [File No. SR-OCC-82-25] (order approving proposed rule 
change).
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    Market-makers, specialists, and registered traders are categories 
of market professionals that are eligible to have their positions 
included in a clearing members' non-proprietary cross margin account, 
and many such market professionals participate in cross margining. OCC 
believes that it is an appropriate extension of the purposes of the 
pledge program to permit long options carried in a non-proprietary 
cross margin account to be pledged to facilitate clearing member 
financing needs. As a result, under the rule change OCC will amend Rule 
614 to add non-proprietary cross margin accounts to the list of 
accounts that are eligible for the pledge program.
    In addition, OCC will update certain of the terms of Rule 614. Some 
of the practices described in the rule are no longer used, and OCC will 
eliminate references to those obsolete practices and revise the rule to 
reflect the current pledge program operation. For example, OCC's system 
does not ``transfer'' pledge cleared securities into a separate 
``pledge account'' as suggested by the rules. Rather, OCC identifies 
within the ``primary'' account those long positions in a cleared 
security that a clearing member has instructed OCC that it desires to 
pledge. In addition, certain instructions or reports are not submitted 
or distributed by hard copy form but are electronically inputted or 
disseminated through OCC's C/MACS system. (Hard copy forms are used as 
acceptable backups should C/MACS be unavailable.) As such, OCC will 
eliminate reference to ``transfers,'' ``Transfer Day,'' ``Primary 
Accounts,'' and certain ``forms.'' Instead, OCC will substitute where 
appropriate more generic terms like ``identifying'' cleared securities 
to be pledged, ``Activity Day,'' ``Eligible Account,'' ``pledged and 
unpledged cleared securities,'' and ``instructions'' as being more 
descriptive of current pledge program processing. In addition, clearing 
member designations among pledgees can be carried out electronically or 
through use of the pledgee designation form. The rule will also be 
amended to reflect this practice.
    Further, OCC will eliminate references to lock box distribution of 
reports. Clearing members receive OCC reports electronically through C/
MACS. Other pledges also receive reports by electronic format from OCC 
or have other arrangements with OCC for purposes of receiving reports. 
Accordingly, there is no longer any need to refer to lock box report 
distribution. Instead, report distribution will be accomplished in 
accordance with the procedures agreed between OCC and each pledgee.
    Finally, OCC will change the time at which the release of a pledged 
cleared security is effective. Currently, the rule provides that the 
release is deemed to be effective as of 9:00 a.m. (central time) on the 
transfer day and all rights of a pledgee as to such released cleared 
security are terminated at that time. However, this effective time 
comes after OCC nightly processing is completed. During nightly 
processing, the long positions in cleared securities are released from 
pledge, included in marginable positions, and used to offset short 
positions as described in Rules 601 and 602. Pledgee banks have the 
understanding that when they execute the instructions to release 
pledged positions they release their rights in the long positions and 
take appropriate measures to ensure that the loan is repaid or 
otherwise secured. Accordingly, OCC is proposing to alter the time at 
which as pledge is deemed to be released. That time will be the

[[Page 32601]]

cutoff time for submitting the instructions to release pledge positions 
on the receipt day. OCC believes that this change is consistent with 
the expectations of clearing members, pledgees, and of OCC as to when 
each party has rights in the pledged long positions.
    In addition to the amendments described above, conforming changes 
will be made to Rules 601, 602, 1105, and 1106 and to the pledge 
account agreement.\4\
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    \4\ OCC attached a copy of the amended pledge account agreement 
as Exhibit A to its filing, which is available for inspection and 
copying in the Commission's public reference room and through OCC.
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    OCC believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
Section 17A of the Act \5\ and the rules and regulations thereunder 
because it provides for expanded clearing member financing 
opportunities and updates OCC's pledge program rule to reflect current 
practices.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1.
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(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    OCC does not believe that the proposed rule change would impose any 
burden on competition.

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

    Written comments were not and not intended to be solicited with 
respect to the proposed rule change, and none have been received.

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

    Within thirty-five 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 ninety 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 OCC 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 provisions 
of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying in the 
Commission's Public Reference Section, 450 Fifth Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20549. Copies of such filing also will be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of OCC. All submissions 
should refer to File No. SR-OCC-99-04 and should be submitted by July 
8, 1999.

    For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\6\
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    \6\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-15358 Filed 6-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M