[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19451-19452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8540]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-61865; File No. SR-ISE-2010-29]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, 
LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule 
Change Relating To Amending the Direct Edge ECN Fee Schedule

April 7, 2010.
    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 April 5, 2010, International Securities Exchange, LLC (``ISE'' or 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II 
and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. 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 Direct Edge ECN's (``DECN'') fee 
schedule for ISE Members \3\ to (i) eliminate a rebate on EDGX for 
securities priced less than $1; and (ii) to lower the removal rate on 
EDGX for securities priced less than $1. All of the changes described 
herein are applicable to ISE Members. The text of the proposed rule 
change is available on ISE's Web site at http://www.ise.com, on

[[Page 19452]]

the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov, and at the 
Commission's Public Reference Room.
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    \3\ References to ISE Members in this filing refer to DECN 
Subscribers who are ISE Members.
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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
    DECN, a facility of ISE, operates two trading platforms, EDGX and 
EDGA.\4\
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    \4\ This fee filing relates to the trading facility operated by 
ISE and not EDGA Exchange, Inc. and EDGX Exchange, Inc. Direct Edge 
ECN LLC (EDGA and EDGX) will cease to operate in its capacity as an 
electronic communications network following the commencement of 
operations of EDGA Exchange, Inc. and EDGX Exchange, Inc. as 
national securities exchanges.
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    The Exchange is proposing to: (i) Eliminate the current rebate of 
0.15% of the total dollar value of the transaction (number of shares 
multiplied by price) for securities priced less than $1.00; and (ii) 
lower the removal rate for securities priced less than $1 from .30% of 
the total dollar value of the transaction to 0.10% of the total dollar 
value of the transaction. This is being done because: (i) There was not 
an appropriate relationship between the size of the rebate offered and 
the minimum trading increment for securities priced less than $1; and 
(2) the Exchange is seeking to incentivize the removal of liquidity 
from EDGX in securities priced less than $1.00.
    The changes discussed in this filing will become operative on April 
5, 2010.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with the objectives of Section 6 of the Act,\5\ in general, and 
furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(4),\6\ in particular, as it is 
designed to provide for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, 
fees and other charges among its members and other persons using its 
facilities. ISE notes that DECN operates in a highly competitive market 
in which market participants can readily direct order flow to competing 
venues if they deem fee levels at a particular venue to be excessive. 
The proposed rule change reflects a competitive pricing structure 
designed to incent market participants to direct their order flow to 
DECN. Finally, the Exchange believes that the proposed rates are 
equitable in that they apply uniformly to all Members and provide 
higher rebates for higher volume thresholds, resulting from lower 
administrative costs. ISE believes the fees and credits remain 
competitive with those charged by other venues and therefore continue 
to be reasonable and equitably allocated to those members that opt to 
direct orders to DECN rather than competing venues.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The proposed rule change does not 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

    The Exchange has not solicited, and does not intend to solicit, 
comments on this proposed rule change. The Exchange has not received 
any unsolicited written comments from members or other interested 
parties.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3) of the Act \7\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(2) \8\ thereunder. At any 
time within 60 days of the filing of such 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.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
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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-ISE-2010-29 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-ISE-2010-29. 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,\9\ 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 such filing will also 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-ISE-2010-29 and should be 
submitted on or before May 5, 2010.
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    \9\ The text of the proposed rule change is available on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
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    \10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-8540 Filed 4-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P