[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 85 (Monday, May 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24204-24205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9980]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-49613; File No. SR-Amex-2004-22]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate 
Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change by the American Stock Exchange 
LLC Relating to Allocation and Performance Evaluation Procedures for 
Securities Admitted to Dealings on an Unlisted Basis

April 26, 2004.
    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 April 7, 2004, 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 
proposed rule change has been filed by the Amex as a ``non-
controversial'' rule change pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the 
Act.\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\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    Amex seeks a one year extension of its allocations and performance 
evaluation procedures for securities admitted to dealings on an 
unlisted trading privileges (``UTP'') basis to permit these programs to 
remain in effect while the Commission considers permanent approval of 
these procedures. The text of the proposed rule change is available at 
Amex 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 places specified in 
Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in 
Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts 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 extend its specialist allocation and 
performance evaluation rules for securities admitted to dealings on a 
UTP basis while the Commission considers permanent approval of these 
rules. The Commission approved on a pilot basis, through two 
independent approval orders, the Exchange's specialist allocation 
procedures and performance evaluation procedures with respect to 
securities admitted to trading pursuant to UTP (``Pilots'').\4\ These 
procedures are set forth in Amex Rule 28, ``Allocation of Securities 
Admitted to Dealings on an Unlisted Trading Privileges (``UTP'') 
Basis,'' which details the Exchange's specialist allocation rules for 
UTP trading and Amex Rule 29, ``Market Quality Committee,'' which 
details the Exchange's specialist performance evaluation rules for UTP 
trading. The proposed rule change does not alter the operation of 
either of the Pilots in any way.\5\
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    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 45698 (April 5, 
2002), 67 FR 18051 (April 12, 2002) (File No. SR-Amex 2001-107); and 
46750 (October 30, 2002), 67 FR 67880 (November 7, 2002) (File No. 
SR-Amex 2002-19). On October 3, 2003, Amex filed a proposed rule 
change for immediate effectiveness that extended both Pilots until 
April 5, 2004. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 48657 
(October 17, 2003), 68 FR 61025 (October 24, 2003).
    \5\ The instant proposal's description of the frequency by which 
the Exchange may ``routinely evaluate'' UTP specialist performance 
relative to both market quality and market share criteria, however, 
varies from the original proposal. Telephone conversation between 
Bill Floyd-Jones, Associate General Counsel, Amex, and Frank N. 
Genco, Special Counsel, Division of Market Regulation, Commission 
(April 22, 2004).
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    The proposed rule change contains a detailed description of the 
Pilots. That description has not been included in this notice because 
it is duplicative of the descriptions contained in the original 
approval orders for the Pilots.\6\ This filing extends the effective 
dates of both Amex Rule 28 and Amex Rule 29 for one year until April 6, 
2004.
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    \6\ Id.
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2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange 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 promote just and equitable principles of trade, to 
remove impediments to and perfect the

[[Page 24205]]

mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, 
in general, to protect investors and the public interest. More 
specifically, the Exchange believes that trading securities on an 
unlisted basis will provide investors with increased flexibility in 
satisfying their investment needs by providing additional choice and 
increased competition in markets to effect transactions in the 
securities subject to UTP.
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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 that is not necessary or appropriate 
in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The Exchange believes that 
the proposed rule change will tend to enhance competition by providing 
investors with additional choice and increased competition in markets 
to effect transactions in securities.

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

    Written comments were neither solicited nor 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 (1) does not 
significantly affect the protection of investors or the public 
interest; (2) does not impose any significant burden on competition; 
and (3) by its terms, does not become operative until 30 days from the 
date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as the Commission may 
designate if consistent with the protection of investors and the public 
interest, and the exchange provided the Commission with written notice 
of its intent to file the proposed rule change at least five business 
days prior to the date of filing of the proposed rule change,\9\ it has 
become effective pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \10\ and 
Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\11\
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    \9\ See letter from Willam Floyd Jones, Associate General 
Counsel, Amex, to Nancy Sanow, Assistant Director, Division, 
Commission, dated April 6, 2004.
    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    Although Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the Act \12\ requires that an 
Exchange submit a notice of its intent to file at least five business 
days prior to the filing date, the Commission waived this requirement 
at the Amex's request in view of the fact that the proposed rule change 
seeks to continue existing pilot programs. At any time within 60 days 
of the filing of this 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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    \12\ Id.
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    The Amex has requested that the Commission waive the 30-day 
operative delay. The Commission believes waiving the 30-day operative 
delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the public 
interest. Acceleration of the operative date will allow the Exchange's 
allocation and performance evaluation procedures to continue without 
any interruption in service to investors. For these reasons, the 
Commission designates the proposal to be effective and operative upon 
filing with the Commission.\13\
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    \13\ For purposes only of accelerating the operative date of 
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 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:

    Electronic comments:

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form 
(http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an E-mail to [email protected]. Please 
include File Number SR-Amex-2004-22 on the subject line.

    Paper comments:

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Jonathan G. 
Katz, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20549-0609. All submissions should refer to File 
Number SR-Amex-2004-22. This file number should be included on the 
subject line if e-mail is used. To help the Commission process and 
review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The 
Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site 
(http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). 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 Amex. All comments received will be posted without 
change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information 
from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to 
make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number 
SR-Amex-2004-22 and should be submitted on or before May 24, 2004.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\14\
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    \14\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Jill M. Peterson,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-9980 Filed 4-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P