[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 130 (Thursday, July 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32990-32991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16187]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-60225; File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2009-35]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Amending Rule 
960NY-Trading Differentials

July 1, 2009.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (``Act''),\2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby given 
that on June 29, 2009, NYSE Amex LLC (``NYSE Amex'' or the 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and 
II below, which Items have been prepared by the self-regulatory 
organization. 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
    \3\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to amend its option trading rules in order to 
extend the Penny Pilot in options classes in certain issues (``Pilot 
Program'') previously approved by the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (``Commission'') through October 31, 2009. The text of the 
proposed rule change is attached as Exhibit 5 to the 19b-4 form. A copy 
of this filing is available on the Exchange's Web site at http://www.nyse.com, at the Exchange's principal office and at the 
Commission's Public Reference Room.

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 self-regulatory organization 
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 those 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 hereby proposes to extend the time period of the Pilot 
Program \4\ which is currently scheduled to expire on July 3, 2009 
through October 31, 2009. This filing does not propose any substantive 
changes to the Pilot Program: All classes currently participating will 
remain the same and all minimum increments will remain unchanged. The 
Exchange believes the benefits to public customers and other market 
participants who will be able to express their true prices to buy and 
sell options have been demonstrated to outweigh the increase in quote 
traffic.
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    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-55162 (January 
24, 2007), 72 FR 4738 (February 1, 2007); Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 34-56567 (September 27, 2007), 72 FR 56396 (October 7, 
2007).
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    The Exchange agrees to submit a report to the Commission that 
includes data and written analysis of information collected from May 1, 
2009 through August 31, 2009 which will be submitted by the close of 
September 2009. The report will analyze the impact of the Pilot Program 
on market quality and options systems capacity. This report will 
include, but is not limited to: (1) Data and written analysis on the 
number of quotations generated for options selected for the Pilot 
Program; (2) an assessment of the quotation spreads for the options 
selected for the Pilot Program; (3) an assessment of the impact of the 
Pilot Program on the capacity of the NYSE Amex's automated systems; (4) 
any capacity problems or other problems that arose related to the 
operation of the Pilot Program and how the Exchange addressed them; and 
(5) an assessment of trade through complaints that were sent by the 
Exchange during the operation of the Pilot Program and how they were 
addressed.
2. Statutory Basis
    The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) \5\ of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act''), in general, and furthers 
the

[[Page 32991]]

objectives of Section 6(b)(5) \6\ in particular in that it is designed 
to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote 
just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and 
coordination with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in 
securities, and to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanisms of 
a free and open market and a national market system. The Exchange 
believes that the Pilot Program promotes just and equitable principles 
of trade by enabling public customers and other market participants to 
express their true prices to buy and sell options.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \6\ 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.

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

    No written comments were solicited or 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 for 30 days after the 
date of this filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may 
designate if consistent with the protection of investors and the public 
interest, the proposed rule change has become effective pursuant to 
Section 19(b)(3)(A) \7\ of the Act and subparagraph (f)(6) of Rule 19b-
4 thereunder.\8\
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) 
requires a self-regulatory organization to provide the Commission 
with written notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, 
along with a brief description and text of the proposed rule change, 
at least five business days prior to the date of filing of the 
proposed rule change, or such shorter time as designated by the 
Commission. The Exchange has satisfied this requirement.
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \9\ normally 
does not become operative for 30 days after the date of filing. 
However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \10\ permits the Commission to designate 
a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of 
investors and the public interest. The Exchange requests that the 
Commission waive the 30-day operative delay so that the proposal may 
become operative immediately upon filing. The Exchange states that the 
Pilot Program offers market participants additional flexibility in 
their investment choices, which can help promote a fair, orderly and 
competitive market.
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    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
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    The Commission believes waiving the 30-day operative delay is 
consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest 
because such waiver will allow the Penny Pilot Program to continue 
without interruption through October 31, 2009.\11\ Accordingly, the 
Commission designates the proposed rule change operative upon filing 
with the Commission.
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    \11\ For the purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative 
delay, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on 
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 
78(c)(f).
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of the 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.

 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-NYSEAmex-2009-35 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, 
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEAmex-2009-35. 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 Room, 100 F Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours 
of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. 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 No. SR-NYSEAmex-2009-35 and should be 
submitted on or before July 30, 2009.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\12\
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    \12\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-16187 Filed 7-8-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P