[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28093-28094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11935]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-62080; File No. SR-BX-2010-035]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Modify 
Fees for Members Using the NASDAQ OMX BX Equities System

May 11, 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 May 3, 2010, NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (``BX'') 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 BX. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(2) thereunder,\4\ BX has designated this proposal as establishing 
or changing a due, fee, or other charge, which renders the proposed 
rule change effective upon filing. 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.
    \3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    BX proposes to modify pricing for BX members using the NASDAQ OMX 
BX Equities System. BX will implement the proposed change on May 3, 
2010. The text of the proposed rule change is

[[Page 28094]]

available at http://nasdaqomxbx.cchwallstreet.com, at BX'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, BX 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. BX 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
    BX is proposing to modify its fees for orders that execute at 
prices below $1. Currently, BX charges 0.15% (15 basis points) of the 
total dollar value of the execution to members accessing liquidity, and 
provides a rebate of 0.05% (5 basis points) of the total dollar value 
to members providing liquidity. Through this filing, BX will reduce the 
fee to access liquidity to 0.10% (10 basis points) of the total dollar 
value and eliminate the rebate for providing liquidity. The change is a 
competitive response to several other transaction venues that have made 
recent changes to fees for securities priced under $1.\5\ The new fees 
are consistent with the limitations of Regulation NMS, SEC Rule 610(c), 
for securities with a price of less than $1.
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    \5\ See http://apps.nyse.com/commdata/pub19b4.nsf/docs/
50B8C6B6842FEA1E85257700006A989D/$FILE/NYSEArca-2010-26.pdf (NYSE 
Arca); http://www.nsx.com/resources/content/5/1/documents/SR-NSX-2010-04.pdf (National Stock Exchange); http://www.ise.com/assets/
documents/OptionsExchange/legal/proposed_rule_changes/2010/SR-ISE-
2010-29$Proposed_Rule_Change_Relating_to_Direct_Edge%20_ECN_
Fee_Change_for_ISE_Members$20100405.pdf (Direct Edge).
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2. Statutory Basis
    BX believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the 
provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\6\ in general, and with Section 
6(b)(4) of the Act,\7\ in particular, in that it provides for the 
equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees and other charges among 
members and issuers and other persons using any facility or system 
which BX operates or controls. The impact of the price changes upon the 
net fees paid by a particular market participant will depend upon a 
number of variables, including the relative availability of liquidity 
on BX and other venues, the prices of the market participant's quotes 
and orders relative to the national best bid and offer (i.e., its 
propensity to add or remove liquidity), and the types of securities 
that it trades. BX believes that the proposed changes are reasonable 
and equitable in that they apply uniformly to all similarly situated 
members.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    BX 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, as amended. Because the market 
for order execution and routing is extremely competitive, members may 
readily direct orders to BX's competitors if they object to the 
proposed rule change.

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

    Written comments were neither solicited nor received.

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)(A)(ii) of the Act \8\ and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b-4 
thereunder.\9\ 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.
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    \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
    \9\ 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-BX-2010-035 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-2010-035. 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 will also be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of the self-regulatory 
organization. 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-
2010-035 and should be submitted on or before June 9, 2010.

    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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Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-11935 Filed 5-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P