[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6772-6773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2863]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-61479; File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2010-08]


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

February 3, 2010.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(the ``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given 
that on January 29, 2010, NYSE Amex LLC (``NYSE Amex'' or the 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 
``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\ 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 to 
designate SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) and IWM (iShares Russell 2000 
Index Fund) as eligible to quote and trade all options contracts in one 
cent increments effective February 1, 2010. 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, at the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, and on the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov.

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 these statements may be examined at 
the places specified in Item IV below. The self-regulatory organization 
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 the 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to designate two Penny Pilot Program \3\ 
issues as eligible to quote and trade all options contracts in one cent 
increments, regardless of premium value. Specifically, the Exchange 
proposes to so designate SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) and IWM (iShares 
Russell 2000 Index Fund). In selecting these issues, the Exchange 
considered, among other things, that these symbols are (a) among the 
most actively traded issues nationally, with a wide array of investor 
interest, (b) have more series trading at a premium between $3 and $10, 
and (c) are trading at prices that are neither extremely low nor high, 
but are generally trading between $15--$50.
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    \3\ The Penny Pilot was extended and expanded on November 2, 
2009, adding 75 classes to the Pilot on that date. See Exchange Act 
Release No. 61106 (December 3, 2009) 74 FR-65193 (December 9, 2009).
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    Furthermore, the Exchange proposes to designate SPY and IWM as 
eligible to quote and trade all options contracts in one cent 
increments as of February 1, 2010. This date corresponds with the 
second phase-in date for additional classes in the pilot. The Exchange 
believes that issues that meet these criteria benefit the most from the 
ability to quote and trade all options in penny increments.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with 
Section 6(b) \4\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act''), 
in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) \5\ in 
particular in that it is designed to promote just and equitable 
principles of trade, to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts, to 
remove impediments to and to perfect the mechanism for a free and open 
market and a national market system and, in general, by allowing all 
SPY and IWM option series to quote in penny intervals.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \5\ 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 does not: (i) 
Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public 
interest; (ii) impose any significant burden on competition; and (iii) 
become operative prior to 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, the proposed rule 
change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 
\6\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) normally does 
not

[[Page 6773]]

become operative for 30 days after the date of filing.\7\ 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 requested that the Commission waive the 
30-day operative delay, as specified in Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\8\ which 
would make the rule change effective and operative upon filing.
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    \7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii). In addition, Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) requires the self-regulatory organization to give the 
Commission 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. NYSE Amex has satisfied this requirement.
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
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    The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is 
consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest 
because the proposal is based on a recent Commission-approved proposal 
submitted by another options exchange \9\ and therefore does not raise 
any novel regulatory issues. Further, waiving the operative delay will 
allow the Exchange to commence quoting all series of IWM and SPY in 
increments of $0.01 effective February 1, 2010, contemporaneously with 
other options exchanges. Accordingly, the Commission designates the 
proposed rule change as operative upon filing with the Commission.\10\
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    \9\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61061 (November 24, 
2009), 74 FR 62857 (December 1, 2009) (granting partial approval of 
NYSEArca-2009-44).
    \10\ For purposes only of waiving the operative delay for this 
proposal, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact 
on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 
78c(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-2010-08 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-2010-08. 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 Web site 
viewing and printing 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 the filing also will be 
available for inspection and copying at the NYSE's principal office and 
on its Web site at http://www.nyse.com. 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-NYSEAmex-2010-08 and should be submitted 
on or before March 3, 2010.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\11\
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    \11\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-2863 Filed 2-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P