[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 99 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29339-29341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11518]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-49711; File No. S7-24-89]


Joint Industry Plan; Order Granting Approval of Amendment No. 13A 
of the Reporting Plan for Nasdaq-Listed Securities Traded on Exchanges 
on an Unlisted Trading Privilege Basis, Submitted by the National 
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Boston Stock Exchange, 
Inc., the Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc., the Cincinnati Stock Exchange, 
Inc., the Pacific Exchange, Inc., the American Stock Exchange LLC, and 
the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc.

May 14, 2004.

I. Introduction

    On October 31, 2003, the Cincinnati Stock Exchange, Inc. (``CSE'') 
on behalf of itself and the National Association of Securities Dealers, 
Inc. (``NASD''), the American Stock Exchange LLC (``Amex''), the Boston 
Stock Exchange, Inc. (``BSE''), the Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc. 
(``CHX''), the Pacific Exchange, Inc. (``PCX''), and the Philadelphia 
Stock Exchange, Inc. (``PHLX'') (hereinafter referred to as 
``Participants''), as members of the operating committee (``Operating 
Committee'' or ``Committee'') \1\ of the Plan submitted to the 
Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or ``Commission'') a 
proposal to amend the Plan (``Amendment 13A'') \2\ pursuant to Rule 
11Aa3-2 \3\ and Rule 11Aa3-1 \4\ under the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (``Act'' or ``Exchange Act''). The proposal reflects several 
changes unanimously adopted by the Committee.\5\ Amendment 13A was

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published for comment in the Federal Register on February 3, 2004.\6\ 
The Commission received no comment letters on Amendment 13A.
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    \1\ The Committee is made up of all the Participants.
    \2\ The Commission notes that CSE recently changed its name to 
National Stock Exchange. However, a Plan amendment that would change 
the name of CSE to National Stock Exchange for Plan purposes has not 
been submitted to the Commission. See Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 48774 (November 12, 2003), 68 FR 65332 (November 19, 
2003) (File No. SR-CSE-2003-12).
    \3\ 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-2.
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-1.
    \5\ CSE was chair of the Operating Committee at the time the 13A 
Amendment was filed with the Commission. Subsequently, PCX and its 
subsidiary the Archipelago Exchange were elected co-chairs of the 
Operating Committee for the Joint Self-Regulatory Organization Plan 
Governing the Collection, Consolidation and Dissemination of 
Quotation and Transaction Information for Nasdaq-Listed Securities 
Traded on Exchanges on an Unlisted Trading Privilege Basis (``Nasdaq 
UTP Plan'' or ``Plan'') by the Participants.
    \6\See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 49137 (January 28, 
2004), 69 FR 5217 (February 3, 2004).
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II. Description and Purpose of the Amendment

    The Commission originally approved the Plan on a pilot basis on 
June 26, 1990.\7\ The parties did not begin trading until July 12, 
1993, accordingly, the pilot period commenced on July 12, 1993. The 
Plan has since been in operation on an extended pilot basis.\8\
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    \7\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 28146, 55 FR 27917 
(July 6, 1990) (``1990 Plan Approval Order'').
    \8\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 34371 (July 13, 
1994), 59 FR 37103 (July 20, 1994); 35221 (January 11, 1995), 60 FR 
3886 (January 19, 1995); 36102 (August 14, 1995), 60 FR 43626 
(August 22, 1995); 36226 (September 13, 1995), 60 FR 49029 
(September 21, 1995); 36368 (October 13, 1995), 60 FR 54091 (October 
19, 1995); 36481 (November 13, 1995), 60 FR 58119 (November 24, 
1995) (``November 1995 Extension Order''); 36589 (December 13, 
1995), 60 FR 65696 (December 20, 1995); 36650 (December 28, 1995), 
61 FR 358 (January 4, 1996); 36934 (March 6, 1996), 61 FR 10408 
(March 13, 1996); 36985 (March 18, 1996), 61 FR 12122 (March 25, 
1996); 37689 (September 16, 1996), 61 FR 50058 (September 24, 1996); 
37772 (October 1, 1996), 61 FR 52980 (October 9, 1996); 38457 (March 
31, 1997), 62 FR 16880 (April 8, 1997); 38794 (June 30, 1997) 62 FR 
36586 (July 8, 1997); 39505 (December 31, 1997) 63 FR 1515 (January 
9, 1998); 40151 (July 1, 1998) 63 FR 36979 (July 8, 1998); 40896 
(December 31, 1998), 64 FR 1834 (January 12, 1999); 41392 (May 12, 
1999), 64 FR 27839 (May 21, 1999) (``May 1999 Approval Order''); 
42268 (December 23, 1999), 65 FR 1202 (January 6, 2000); 43005 (June 
30, 2000), 65 FR 42411 (July 10, 2000); 44099 (March 23, 2001), 66 
FR 17457 (March 30, 2001); 44348 (May 24, 2001), 66 FR 29610 (May 
31, 2001); 44552 (July 13, 2001), 66 FR 37712 (July 19, 2001); 44694 
(August 14, 2001), 66 FR 43598 (August 20, 2001); 44804 (September 
17, 2001), 66 FR 48299 (September 19, 2001); 45081 (November 19, 
2001), 66 FR 59273 (November 27, 2001); 44937 (October 15, 2001), 66 
FR 53271 (October 19, 2001); 46139 (June 28, 2001), 67 FR 44888 
(July 5, 2002); 46381 (August 19, 2002), 67 FR 54687 (August 23, 
2002); 46729 (October 25, 2002), 67 FR 66685 (November 1, 2002); 
48318 (August 12, 2003), 68 FR 49534 (August 18, 2003); and 48882 
(December 4, 2003), 68 FR 69731 (December 15, 2003).
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    By way of background, the Operating Committee submitted the 
Amendment 13 to the Nasdaq UTP Plan (Amendment 13'') to address 
amendments related to (1) The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.'s (``Nasdaq'') 
separation from NASD and anticipated registration as a national 
securities exchange, and (2) the implementation of an Internal 
Securities Information Processor (``Internal SIP'') designed to 
separate Nasdaq's functions as a securities market from its functions 
as the securities information processor (``SIP'' or ``Processor'') for 
the Nasdaq UTP Plan. The Internal SIP began operating in July 2002. The 
Legacy securities information processing system application (the 
``Legacy SIP'') operated in parallel with this new system until March 
31, 2003. In addition, certain other changes raised during the 
Operating Committee deliberations were proposed as part of Amendment 
13. The changes in Amendment 13 were grouped in four categories:
    Category 1: changes that would become effective upon Nasdaq's 
exchange registration;
    Category 2: changes that would become effective upon the launch of 
the Internal SIP;
    Category 3: changes that would become effective upon the end of the 
parallel period and the elimination of the Legacy SIP; and
    Category 4: changes where timing was not an issue. The changes 
detailed in Categories 2, 3 and 4 were approved by the Commission.\9\ 
The changes detailed in Category 1 have not been approved because 
Nasdaq's exchange registration has not been approved.
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    \9\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 46139 (June 28, 
2001[sic]), 67 FR 44888 (July 5, 2002) (putting into effect 
summarily Category 2 of Amendment 13 on a temporary basis not to 
exceed 120 days); and 46381 (August 19, 2002), 67 FR 54687 (August 
23, 2002) (approving the extension of the Plan through August 19, 
2003); and 46729 (October 25, 2002), 67 FR 66685 (November 1, 2002) 
(approving the amendments in Categories 2, 3 and 4 on a pilot basis 
through August 19, 2003, to be coterminous with the expiration of 
the Plan and continuing the exemption under Rule 11Aa3-2(f) under 
the Act, 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-2(f), from compliance with Section VI.C.1 
of the Plan as required by Rule 11Aa3-2(d) under the Act, 17 CFR 
240.11Aa3-2(d), see Securities Exchange Act Release No. 46139). See 
also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 48882 (December 4, 2003), 
68 FR 69731 (December 15, 2003) (extending the Plan through December 
15, 2004).
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    The NASD, acting through its subsidiary, Nasdaq, proposed Amendment 
13A to address changes to the Plan related to the elimination of the 
Legacy SIP. As a condition to its decision to sunset the operation of 
the Legacy SIP on March 31, 2003, the Operating Committee determined to 
adopt the proposed changes contained in Amendment 13A. As described 
below, the proposed Amendment 13A also affects certain changes proposed 
in the Amendment 13, Category 1 revisions currently pending approval 
with the Commission.\10\
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    \10\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 46139 (June 28, 
2001), 67 FR 44888 (July 5, 2002).
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    These proposed changes clarify the operation of the Internal SIP 
pending Nasdaq's exchange registration. The following is a summary of 
the changes to the Plan proposed in Amendment 13A.
    1. Section III.T. of the Plan,\11\ which defines ``Quotation 
Information,'' would be amended to reflect that both the NASD 
Alternative Display Facility and the Nasdaq markets send individual 
market participant information to the Processor.\12\
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    \11\ In Amendment 13A, the Plan section number for ``Quotation 
Information'' is erroneously listed as III.R. This error was based 
on an anticipated renumbering of Section III, which would occur when 
Item 6 of the Category 1 changes in Amendment 13 is approved.
    \12\ The Commission approved Nasdaq's Order Display Facility, 
Order Collector Facility, and Trading Platform (collectively, 
``SuperMontage'') contingent upon the NASD offering a quote and 
trade reporting alternative thereto, subsequently named the 
Alternative Display Facility (``ADF''). See Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 43863 (January 19, 2001), 66 FR 8020 (January 26, 2001) 
(``SuperMontage Order'').
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    2. Section III.Z. of the Plan would redefine ``NQDS.'' \13\ 
``NQDS'' will now be defined as ``the data stream of information that 
provides the best quotations and sizes from each Nasdaq Participant.'' 
In addition, Section III.Z. would add a definition for ``Nasdaq 
Participant,'' which is ``an entity that is registered as a market 
maker or an electronic communications network in Nasdaq or otherwise 
utilizes the facilities of Nasdaq pursuant to applicable NASD rules but 
does not include an NASD Participant as defined in Section III.G. of 
this Plan.'' A definition of NASD Participant would be added in Section 
III.G.\14\ Sections III.G through III.X. would be accordingly

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renumbered to Sections III.H through III.Y.
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    \13\ NQDS had previously been defined in Section III.O. of the 
Plan as ``the Nasdaq Quotation Dissemination Service, a data stream 
of information that provides Vendors and Subscribers with quotations 
and sizes from all Participants and Nasdaq market participants.'' 
The definition in Section III.O. and related references to NQDS in 
the Plan were proposed to be eliminated through Item 7 of the 
Category 1 amendments. NQDS would be redefined in proposed Section 
III.Z., therefore, the conflicting reference contained in Section 
III.O. would be deleted. In addition, Item 7 of the pending 
Amendment 13, Category 1 revisions would be revised to reference 
Section III.Z. instead of Section III.O.
    \14\ The definition of ``NASD Participant'' in Section III.G. 
originally would have been added through Item 4 of the Category 1 
amendments. However, because the term is necessary to distinguish 
between the NASD ADF and Nasdaq market participants (and is already 
used in various provisions of the Plan), this definition is included 
as part of Amendment 13. As a result, Item 4 of the Category 1 
amendments would be removed from the list of pending Amendment 13 
changes. In addition, because the NASD ADF and Nasdaq are now 
operating under two distinct marketplace identifiers (D and Q, 
respectively), Section VIII.C. of the Plan would be amended to 
reflect this. As a result, Item 10 of the Category 1 amendments 
would be removed from the list of the pending Amendment 13 changes.
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    3. Section VI.B. and VI.C.3. of the Plan would be amended to 
clarify who will act as the Processor for NQDS given the timing of 
Nasdaq's exchange registration and the appointment of an independent 
processor. Specifically, so long as Nasdaq is not registered as a 
national securities exchange but is still the Plan's Processor, these 
revisions would clarify that the Processor shall collect, consolidate, 
disseminate, and distribute the quotation information contained in 
NQDS. The revisions would also provide that, in the event a new 
Processor is selected for the Plan's other data feeds while Nasdaq's 
exchange registration is still pending, the Operating Committee would 
need to determine whether to allow Nasdaq or a third party to act as 
the Processor for NQDS.
    4. Finally, Amendment 13A would amend Plan Exhibit 1, which governs 
the distribution of revenue attributable to the sale of market data 
collected pursuant to the Plan. Paragraph 3 of Plan Exhibit 1 would be 
amended to clarify that NQDS continues to be one of the data feeds 
subject to Paragraph 3. It also would be amended to reflect the change 
in the name of the ``Level 1 Service'' to the ``UTP Quote Data Feed'' 
(Section III.I) and the ``Nasdaq Last Sale Information Service'' to 
``UTP Trade Data Feed'' (Section M), as well as reflect the addition of 
the OTC Montage Data Feed (Section III.O).\15\
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    \15\ The change in definition of the UTP Quote, UTP Trade and 
OTC Montage Data Feeds was approved as part of the Category 2 
amendments, but the cross-references in Paragraph 3 of Plan Exhibit 
1 were not revised at that time (the cross-references were instead 
listed as part of Item 15 of the Category 1 changes). In drafting 
the Amendment 13A resolution, the Operating Committee assumed these 
changes were effective. The Processor continued to disseminate the 
Level 1, Level 2 and Nasdaq Last Sale Information Service for a 
parallel period to enable market data vendors to have a smooth 
transition to the new feeds. To the extent there is Plan revenue 
attributable to the parallel operation of these feeds, that revenue 
is governed by Paragraph 3 as though those terms had not been 
deleted.
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III. Discussion and Commission's Findings

    After careful consideration of proposed Amendment 13A to the Plan, 
the Commission finds that approving Amendment 13A is consistent with 
the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, 
and, in particular, Section 11A(a)(1) \16\ of the Act and Rules 11Aa3-1 
and 11Aa3-2(c)(2) thereunder.\17\ Section 11A of the Act directs the 
Commission to facilitate the development of a national market system 
for securities, ``having due regard for the public interest, the 
protection of investors, and the maintenance of fair and orderly 
markets,'' and cites as an objective of that system the ``fair 
competition * * * between exchange markets and markets other than 
exchange markets.'' \18\ Rule 11Aa3-2(c)(2) requires the Commission to 
approve a plan or amendment ``if it finds that such plan or amendment 
is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection 
of investors, and the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, to 
remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanisms of, a national market 
system, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.'' \19\ 
The Commission finds that approving Amendment 13A is appropriate in the 
public interest and otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the 
Act. The amendment makes changes to the Plan related to the elimination 
of the Legacy SIP, which will enhance the maintenance of fair and 
orderly markets, and remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanisms 
of, a national market system.
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    \16\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-1(a)(1).
    \17\ 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-1 and 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-2(c)(2).
    \18\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-1(a).
    \19\ 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-2(c)(2).
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IV. Conclusion

    It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 11A of the Act \20\ 
and paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 11Aa3-2 \21\ thereunder, that Amendment 
13A to the Plan be, and hereby is, approved.
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    \20\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-1.
    \21\ 17 CFR 240.11Aa3-2(c)(2).

    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\22\
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    \22\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(27).
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Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-11518 Filed 5-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P