[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 145 (Thursday, July 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38065-38067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18170]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-60383; File No. SR-BX-2009-042]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Modify 
Its Optional Anti-Internalization Functionality

July 24, 2009.
    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 July 22, 2009, NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (``NASDAQ OMX BX'' or 
``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 Exchange. The Exchange 
has designated the proposed rule change as effecting a change described 
under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the Act,\3\ which renders the proposal 
effective upon filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing 
this notice to solicit

[[Page 38066]]

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

    The Exchange is filing with the Commission a proposed rule change 
to modify its optional anti-internalization functionality.
    The text of the proposed rule change is below. Proposed new 
language is italic and proposed deletions are in brackets.
* * * * *
4757. Book Processing
    System orders shall be executed through the Book Process set forth 
below:
    (a) Execution Algorithm--Price/Time--The System shall execute 
equally priced or better priced trading interest within the System in 
price/time priority in the following order:
    (1)-(2) No Change.
    (3) Exception: Anti-Internalization--Market participants may direct 
that quotes/orders entered into the System not execute against quotes/
orders entered under the same MPID. [In such a case, the later entered 
of the quote/orders will be cancelled back to the entering party.] In 
such a case, if the interacting orders from the same MPID are 
equivalent in size, both orders will be cancelled back to their 
entering parties. If the interacting orders from the same MPID are not 
equivalent in size, share amounts equal to size of the smaller of the 
two orders will be cancelled back to their originating parties with the 
remainder of the larger order being retained by the System for 
potential execution.
    (b)-(c) No Change.
* * * * *

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 aspects of such 
statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    Nasdaq OMX BX is proposing to modify its voluntary anti-
internalization functionality. Under the proposal, market participants 
entering quotes/orders under a specific market participant identifier 
(``MPID'') may voluntarily direct that they not execute against other 
quotes/orders entered into the System under the same MPID. In such a 
case, if the orders from the same MPID are equivalent in size, both 
orders will be cancelled back to their entering parties. If the orders 
from the same MPID are not equivalent in size, share amounts equal to 
[sic] size of the smaller of the two orders will be cancelled back to 
their respective originating parties with the remainder of the larger 
order being retained by the System for potential execution.
    The above replaces NASDAQ OMX BX's 's [sic] currently approved, but 
not yet operational, anti-internalization functionality that would 
cancel the later entered of interacting orders from the same MPID. 
NASDAQ OMX BX is modifying its anti-internalization functionality based 
on additional input from system users as well as the Commission's 
recent approval of various versions of anti-internalization 
functionality for the BATS and NYSE Arca exchanges.\4\
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    \4\ See SR-BATS-2009-022 and SR-NYSEArca-2009-058. Nasdaq's 
proposed anti-internalization functionality is similar to BAT's MMTP 
Decrement and Cancel and NYSE Arca's STP Decrement and Cancel.
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    Anti-internalization functionality is designed to assist market 
participants in complying with certain rules and regulations of the 
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (``ERISA'') that preclude and/
or limit managing broker-dealers of such accounts from trading as 
principal with orders generated for those accounts. It can also assist 
market participants in reducing execution fees potentially resulting 
from the interaction of executable buy and sell trading interest from 
the same firm. NASDAQ OMX BX notes that use of the functionality does 
not relieve or otherwise modify the duty of best execution owed to 
orders received from public customers. As such, market participants 
using anti-internalization functionality will need to take appropriate 
steps to ensure that public customer orders that do not execute because 
of the use of anti-internalization functionality ultimately receive the 
same execution price (or better) they would have originally obtained if 
execution of the order was not inhibited by the functionality.
2. Statutory Basis
    Nasdaq OMX BX believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\5\ in general, and with 
Sections [sic] 6(b)(5) of the Act,\6\ in particular, in that the 
proposal 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 regulating, 
clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and 
facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and 
perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market 
system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. 
Nasdaq OMX BX notes that similar functionality has previously [sic] 
approved for other trading systems.\7\
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \7\ See SR-NASD-2003-039.
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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 
result in 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

    Written comments on the proposed rule change were neither solicited 
nor received.

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) of the Act \8\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\9\
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) normally does 
not become operative for 30 days after the date of filing. In addition, 
Rule 19b-

[[Page 38067]]

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. However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) 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 as well as the 
five business-day pre-filing requirement so that the benefits of this 
functionality to NASDAQ OMX BX market participants expected from the 
rule change can be implemented on August 3, 2009, when the Exchange 
expects to have the technological changes in place to support the 
proposed rule change. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day 
operative delay \10\ to make this functionality available without delay 
is consistent with the protection of investors and the public 
interest.\11\ The Commission notes that the proposal is similar to 
rules of other exchanges and thus does not raise any novel regulatory 
issues.\12\ The Commission designates the proposal operative upon 
filing to allow the Exchange to implement the functionality without 
delay.
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    \10\ For 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. 
78c(f).
    \11\ The Commission is also waiving the five business-day pre-
filing requirement.
    \12\ See BATS Exchange Rule 11.9(f) and NYSE Arca Equities Rule 
7.31(qq).
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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-BX-2009-042 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-BX-2009-042. 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 Number SR-BX-2009-042 and should be 
submitted on or before August 20, 2009.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
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    \13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-18170 Filed 7-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P