[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61547-61549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24896]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-63004; File No. SR-Phlx-2010-126]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Regarding 
Individual Stock Trading Pauses

September 29, 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 September 22, 2010, NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC (``PHLX'' or 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 
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 PHLX Rule 3100(a)(4) to add 
securities included in the Russell 1000[reg] Index 
(``Russell 1000'') and specified Exchange Traded Products (``ETP'') to 
the definition of Circuit Breaker Securities. The text of the proposed 
rule change is available from the Exchange's Web site at http://nasdaqomxphlx.cchwallstreet.com, at the Exchange's principal office, 
and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

[[Page 61548]]

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. The 
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in 
Item IV below, and is set forth in Sections A, B, and C below.

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

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend Rule 3100(a)(4) to add securities 
included in the Russell 1000[reg] Index (``Russell 1000'') 
and specified Exchange Traded Products (``ETPs'') to the definition of 
Circuit Breaker Securities. For purposes of this filing, ETPs include 
Exchange Traded Funds (``ETFs''),\3\ Exchange Traded Vehicles 
(``ETVs''),\4\ and Exchange Traded Notes (``ETNs'').\5\
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    \3\ An ETF is an open-ended registered investment company under 
the Investment Company Act of 1940 that has received certain 
exemptive relief from the Commission to allow secondary market 
trading in the ETF shares. ETFs are generally index-based products, 
in that each ETF holds a portfolio of securities that is intended to 
provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, generally 
correspond to the price and yield performance of the underlying 
benchmark index.
    \4\ An ETV tracks the underlying performance of an asset or 
index, allowing investor's exposure to underlying assets such as 
futures contracts, commodities, and currency without actually 
trading futures or taking physical delivery of the underlying asset. 
An ETV is traded intraday like an ETF. An ETV is an open-ended trust 
or partnership unit that is registered under the Securities Act of 
1933.
    \5\ An ETN is a senior unsecured debt obligation designed to 
track the total return of an underlying index, benchmark or 
strategy, minus investor fees. ETNs are registered under the 
Securities Act of 1933 and are redeemable to the issuer.
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    The primary listing markets for U.S. stocks recently amended their 
rules so that they may, from time to time, issue a trading pause for an 
individual security if the price of such security moves 10% or more 
from a sale in a preceding five-minute period.\6\ In connection with 
its resumption of trading of NMS Stocks through the NASDAQ OMX PSX 
(``PSX'') system, the Exchange recently adopted Rule 3100(a)(4) \7\ to 
pause trading in an individual stock when the primary listing market 
for such stock issues a trading pause in any Circuit Breaker 
Securities, as defined in the rule. The rule is in effect on a pilot 
basis until December 10, 2010. Originally, the pilot list of Circuit 
Breaker Securities comprised all securities included in the S&P 
500[reg] Index (``S&P 500''). On September 10, 2010, the 
Commission approved filings by exchanges other than the Exchange to 
expand the list of Circuit Breaker Securities.\8\ Accordingly, the 
Exchange is submitting this filing to conform its pilot list to the 
list just approved for other exchanges. Specifically, the Exchange 
proposes to add the securities included in the Russell 1000 and 
specified ETPs to the pilot. The pilot list of ETPs is provided in 
Exhibit 3. The Exchange believes that adding these securities would 
begin to address concerns raised by some parties that the scope of the 
original pilot may be too narrow, while at the same time recognizing 
that during the pilot period, the markets will continue to review 
whether and when to add additional securities to the pilot and whether 
the parameters of the rule should be adjusted for different securities.
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    \6\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62252 (June 10, 2010), 
75 FR 34186 (June 16, 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).
    \7\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62877 (September 9, 
2010), 75 FR 56633 (September 16, 2010) (SR-PHLX-2010-79).
    \8\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62884 (September 10, 
2010), 75 FR 56618 (September 16, 2010) (SR-BATS-2010-018; SR-BX-
2010-044; SR-CBOE-2010-065; SR-CHX-2010-14; SR-EDGA-2010-05; SR-
EDGX-2010-05; SR-ISE-2010-66; SR-NASDAQ-2010-079; SR-NYSE-2010-49; 
SR-NYSEAmex-2010-63; SR-NYSEArca-2010-61; SR-NSX-2010-08).
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2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\9\ in general, and with 
Sections 6(b)(5) of the Act,\10\ 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. The proposed 
rule change is also designed to support the principles of Section 
11A(a)(1) \11\ of the Act in that it seeks to assure fair competition 
among brokers and dealers and among exchange markets. The Exchange 
believes that the proposed rule meets these requirements in that it 
promotes uniformity across markets concerning decisions to pause 
trading in a security when there are significant price movements.
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \11\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-1(a)(1).
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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

    Written comments 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 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 \12\ 
and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\13\
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    \12\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \13\ 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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    A proposed rule change filed pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the 
Act \14\ normally does not become operative for 30 days after the date 
of its filing. However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6) 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 it has recently 
received approval to initiate trading on PSX and plans to do so on 
October 8, 2010. In order to ensure that the Exchange's rules on 
individual stock trading pauses are consistent with the recently 
approved changes to the rules of other markets, the Exchange wants to 
be able to implement these pauses concurrent with the initiation of 
trading on PSX. For this reason, the Commission believes that waiving 
the

[[Page 61549]]

30-day operative delay \15\ is consistent with the protection of 
investors and the public interest. Therefore, the Commission designates 
the proposal operative upon filing.
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    \14\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \15\ 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).
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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule 
change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend 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-Phlx-2010-126 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-Phlx-2010-126. 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-
Phlx-2010-126 and should be submitted on or before October 26, 2010.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\16\
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    \16\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-24896 Filed 10-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P