[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 116 (Thursday, June 17, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34512-34513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14602]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-62268; File No. SR-BX-2010-039]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating to 
Halting Trading Whenever Trading in the Underlying Security Has Been 
Paused by the Primary Listing Market

June 10, 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 June 10, 2010, NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (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 Exchange. The Exchange filed the proposed rule change 
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act,\3\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) 
thereunder,\4\ which renders the proposal effective upon filing with 
the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit 
comments on the proposed rule 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).
    \4\ 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 proposes to amend the Chapter V, Section 10 of the 
Rules of the Boston Options Exchange Group, LLC (``BOX'') to state that 
trading in any option contract shall be halted whenever trading in the 
underlying security has been paused by the primary listing market. The 
text of the proposed rule change is available from the principal office 
of the Exchange, on the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov, at 
the Commission's Public Reference Room and also on the Exchange's 
Internet Web site at http://nasdaqomxbx.cchwallstreet.com/NASDAQOMXBX/Filings/.

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
    The Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved rules 
changes relating to trading pauses due to extraordinary market 
volatility (``trading pause'').\5\ The purpose of the proposed rule 
change is to ensure that the Exchange maintains a fair and orderly 
market upon the imposition of a trading pause. Accordingly, as 
proposed, trading in any option contract shall be halted whenever 
trading in the underlying security has been paused by the primary 
listing market. Trading in such options contracts may be resumed upon a 
determination by the Exchange that the conditions that led to the pause 
are no longer present and that the interests of a fair and orderly 
market are best served by a resumption of trading, which in no 
circumstances will be before the Exchange has received notification 
that the underlying security has resumed trading on at least one 
exchange. The Exchange anticipates that all U.S. options exchanges will 
be submitting similar proposals.
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    \5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-62252 (June 10, 
2010), (SR-BATS-2010-014; SR-EDGA-2010-01; SR-EDGX-2010-01; SR-BX-
2010-037; SR-ISE-2010-48; SR-NYSE-2010-39; SR-NYSEAmex-2010-46; SR-
NYSEArca-2010-41; SR-NASDAQ-2010-061; SR-CHX-2010-10; SR-NSX-2010-
05; SR-CBOE-2010-047). The term trading pause is not defined in the 
BOX Trading Rules, but is described in these recently approved 
rules.
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2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Act \6\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act \7\ in particular, in that it is designed to promote 
just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and 
perfect the mechanism of a free and

[[Page 34513]]

open market and a national market system, and, in general to protect 
investors and the public interest. Specifically, the Exchange believes 
that the proposal benefits Participants by halting trading in options 
during times of uncertainty regarding the price of the underlying 
security due to a trading pause in such underlying security.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \7\ 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 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 neither solicited nor received comments on 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 for 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, it 
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). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) 
requires the self-regulatory organization to submit to the 
Commission 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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    The Exchange requested that the Commission waive the 30-day 
operative delay. The Exchange notes that such a waiver will permit it 
to immediately implement the proposed rule change in order to benefit 
customers by halting trading in options during times of uncertainty 
regarding the price of the underlying security due to a trading pause 
in such underlying security. The Commission approved filings from the 
exchanges and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to institute 
a single stock trading pause for equity securities that experience a 
10% change in price during a five minute period.\10\
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    \10\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 62251 and 62252 
(June 10, 2010).
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    The Commission hereby grants the Exchange's request and believes 
such waiver is consistent with the protection of investors and the 
public interest.\11\ Accordingly, the Commission designates the 
proposed rule change operative upon filing with the Commission.
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    \11\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay of 
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-BX-2010-039 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-2010-039. 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 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-
2010-039 and should be submitted on or before July 8, 2010.

    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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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-14602 Filed 6-16-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P