[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53757-53758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25701]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Release No. 34-41912; File No. SR-CBOE-99-24


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, 
Inc.: Order Approving Proposed Rule Change Relating to Option Trading 
Permit Auction Procedures

September 24, 1999.

I. Introduction

    On June 9, 1999, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. (``CBOE'' 
or ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``SEC'' or ``Commission''), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the 
Securities Exchange Act

[[Page 53758]]

of 1934 (``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ a proposed rule 
change to alter the Exchange's option trading permit auction 
procedures.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
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    The proposed rule change, including Amendment No. 1,\3\ was 
published in the Federal Register on August 24, 1999.\4\ The Commission 
did not receive any comments on the proposed rule change. This order 
approves the proposed rule change, as amended.
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    \3\ Amendment No. 1 was filed on August 2, 1999. Amendment No. 1 
expanded the discussion on the proposed rule change and clarified 
the proposed test of the rule change. See letter from Christopher R. 
Hill, Attorney, CBOE, to Heather Traeger, Attorney, Division of 
Market Regulation, dated August 2, 1999.
    \4\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 41747, (August 16, 
1999), 64 FR 46221.
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II. Description of the Proposal

    CBOE Rule 3.27(a)(3) provides for the creation of a Permit lease 
pool to be administered by the Exchange.\5\ Under these procedures, the 
Exchange conducts an auction every six months during which members and 
non-members who have qualified for membership may submit bids equal to 
the monthly rent that the bidder is willing to pay for a month-to-month 
Permit lease. Upon the close of the bidding period, Permits in the 
lease pool are awarded to the highest bidders in a number equal to the 
total number of Permits in the lease pool at that time. Under the 
existing procedures, the monthly rent to be paid by a lessee is the 
dollar value of the bid submitted by that lessee. Following each 
auction, the Exchange continues to accept bids for Permit leases. 
Should any Permit lessee desire to give up that lessee's Permit prior 
to the next auction, the Permit is transferred to the highest bidder at 
a monthly lease price equal to the new lessee's bid for the remainder 
of the six month auction cycle.
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    \5\ The procedures for the administration on the lease pool were 
previously filed with and approved by the Commission. SR-CBOE-97-14 
provided for the issuance of Permits in connection with the transfer 
of the options business of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. to CBOE 
and defined the rights and obligations associated with Permits. See 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 38541 (April 23, 1997), 62 FR 
23516 (April 30, 1997). In SR-CBOE-97-47, CBOE amended the manner in 
which the CBOE accesses the fee that it charges when a person 
submits a bid to receive a Permit. See Securities Exchange Act No. 
39179 (October 1, 1997), 62 FR 52602 (October 8, 1997).
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    The proposal would amend the method of the auction to establish a 
procedure known as a Dutch auction. Under the Dutch auction, bidders 
will submit bids equal to the monthly rent which they are willing to 
pay for a six-month lease, and, upon the close of the bidding period, 
Permits in the lease pool will continue to be awarded to the highest 
bidders in a number equal to the total number of Permits in the lease 
pool at that time. Under the Dutch auction procedure, however, each 
successful bidder will pay only the price of the lowest successful bid. 
Following each Dutch auction, the Exchange will continue to accept 
bids, with a minimum bid established at the price set in the most 
recent Dutch auction.
    The proposal also contains several other amendments, most of which 
set forth existing Exchange practices in greater detail, including:
     The proposed rule change establishes a minimum qualifying 
bid level for all bidding which occurs between Dutch auctions. The 
minimum qualifying bid is set at the lease rate established in the most 
recent Dutch auction. This change is designed to equalize Permit lease 
rates and enhance administrative efficiency by encouraging lessees to 
use the Dutch auction process, rather than attempt to obtain a lower 
priced lease by bidding between the Dutch auctions.
     The proposed rule change permits a lessee to terminate the 
lessee's Permit during the lease period, by written notice to the 
Membership Department, but provides that the termination notice shall 
be irrevocable. The Membership Department will post notice of the 
availability of the Permit for at least two business days on the 
Exchange bulletin board. The Permit will be transferred to the highest 
bidder whose bid is received by 3:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday after 
notice of the Permit's availability has been posted for at lest two 
business days.
     The proposed rule change also allows Permits to be 
transferred among nominees of an organization with appropriate notice 
to the Exchange, as is the case with CBOE membership.
     The proposed rule change provides that an individual can 
lease only one Permit from the lease pool at a time Therefore, an 
individual who is already a Permit lessee may not submit a Permit bid 
during the six month lease period (except to bid in the next Dutch 
auction) unless and until the lessee first terminates the lessee's 
current lease.
     Finally, the proposed rule change establishes a six month 
Permit lease instead of the current month-to-month lease, for easier 
and more efficient administration of the lease process.

III. Discussion

    After careful review, the Commission finds that the proposed rule 
change, as amended, is consistent with the requirements of the Act and 
the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to a national 
securities exchange. In particular, the Commission believes the 
proposal is consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the 
Act \5\ because it is designed to promote just and equitable principles 
of trade, perfect the mechanism of a free and open national market 
system, and, in general, to further investor protection and the public 
interest. Under the proposal, the current auction procedure for Permit 
leases would be replaced by a procedure known as a Dutch auction. The 
proposed Dutch auction differs from the current procedures because each 
successful bidder will pay only the price of the lowest successful bid 
for Permits, instead of the dollar value of the bid submitted by that 
lessee. The Commission believes that it is reasonable for the Exchange 
to determine how to distribute the Permits. The Commission also 
believes that the Dutch auction procedure as described in the proposal 
is a competitive process that is a fair and equitable method for 
distributing the Permits. The Commission further believes that the 
proposal clearly sets forth in sufficient detail the parameters of and 
for the proposed Dutch auction process so that Exchange members can 
fully understand the proposed process, including how to bid, when to 
bid, restrictions on bidding and holding Permit leases, and how to 
terminate or transfer a Permit lease.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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IV. Conclusion

    It is Therefore Ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the 
Act,\7\ that the proposed rule change (SR-CBOE-99-24), is amended, is 
approved.

    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).

    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. 99-25701 Filed 10-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M