[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 62 (Monday, March 31, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 16859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6524]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Notice of Proposals to Engage in Permissible Nonbanking 
Activities or to Acquire Companies that are Engaged in Permissible 
Nonbanking Activities

    The companies listed in this notice have given notice under section 
4 of the Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1843) (BHC Act) and 
Regulation Y (12 CFR Part 225) to engage de novo, or to acquire or 
control voting securities or assets of a company, including the 
companies listed below, that engages either directly or through a 
subsidiary or other company, in a nonbanking activity that is listed in 
Sec.  225.28 of Regulation Y (12 CFR 225.28) or that the Board has 
determined by Order to be closely related to banking and permissible 
for bank holding companies. Unless otherwise noted, these activities 
will be conducted throughout the United States.
    Each notice is available for inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank 
indicated. The notice also will be available for inspection at the 
offices of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their 
views in writing on the question whether the proposal complies with the 
standards of section 4 of the BHC Act. Additional information on all 
bank holding companies may be obtained from the National Information 
Center website at www.ffiec.gov/nic/.
    Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding the applications must be 
received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the offices of the Board of 
Governors not later than April 15, 2008.
    A. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (David Tatum, Vice President) 
1000 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309:
    1. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Bilbao, Spain; to acquire 
100 percent of the voting shares of Proxima Alfa Investments (USA) LLC, 
New York, New York, and thereby engage in (i) providing investment and 
financial advisory services, including acting as a registered 
investment adviser and as a registered commodity trading adviser; (ii) 
providing as agent transactional services with respect to derivatives, 
forward contracts, futures, options, swaps and similar transactions; 
(iii) serving as investment adviser to, general partner or managing 
member of (and, if appropriate, acting as a commodity pool operator 
for), and holding and placing equity interests in, private investment 
funds (including limited partnerships, limited liability companies and 
similar investment vehicles) (Private Investment Funds) that invest 
only in securities, derivatives, commodity contracts, and other assets 
and instruments that a bank holding company would be permitted to hold 
directly under the BHCA (Private Investment Fund Activities). These 
activities have been approved by Board Order (see e.g. Meridian 
Bancorp, Inc., 80 Fed Res. Bull. 736 (1994); The Bessemer Group, Inc., 
82 Fed. Res. Bull. 569 (1996); Dresdner Bank AG, 84 Fed. Res. Bull. 985 
(1998); UBS AG, 84 Fed. Res, Bull. 684 (1998); Travelers Group Inc., 84 
Fed. Res. Bull. 985 (1998); KeyCorp, 84 Fed. Res. Bull. 1075 (1998); 
First Security Corporation, 85 Fed. Res. Bull 207 (1999); Banque 
National de Paris, 86 Fed. Res. Bull. 118 (2000); Letter from the 
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, dated June 3, 2003 (approval for 
Commerzbank); and Letter from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, dated 
December 16, 2002 (approval for Boston Private Financial Holdings, 
Inc.); (iv) investing and trading as principal in (A) foreign exchange; 
(B) forward contracts, options, futures, options on futures, swaps and 
similar contracts, whether traded on exchanges or not, based on any 
rate, price, financial asset nonfinancial asset, group of assets, other 
than a bank-ineligible security, subject to certain conditions and (C) 
forward contracts, options, options on futures, swaps, and similar 
contracts, whether traded on exchanges or not, based on an index of a 
rate, a price, or the value of any financial asset, nonfinancial asset, 
or group of assets, if the contract requires cash settlement, pursuant 
to sections 225.28(b)(6)(i); (b)(6)(iv); (b)(7)(v); and (b)(8)(ii) of 
Regulation Y.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, March 26, 
2008.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Deputy Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. E8-6524 Filed 3-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-S