[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 241 (Thursday, December 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78786-78787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31560]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-63512; File No. SR-NSX-2010-17]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Stock Exchange, Inc.; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Amend its Rules To Extend Pilot Program Regarding Trading Pauses in 
Individual Securities Due To Extraordinary Market Volatility

December 9, 2010.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 \2\ thereunder, notice is hereby given 
that on December 7, 2010, National Stock Exchange, Inc. (``NSX'' or 
``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 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

    National Stock Exchange, Inc. (``NSX[supreg]'' or ``Exchange'') is 
proposing to amend its rules to extend until April 11, 2011, a certain 
pilot program regarding trading pauses in individual securities due to 
extraordinary market volatility.
    The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's 
Web site at http://www.nsx.com, at the principal office of the 
Exchange, 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, 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 parts of such 
statements.

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

1. Purpose
    With this rule change, the Exchange is proposing to extend a pilot 
program currently in effect regarding trading pauses in individual 
securities due to extraordinary market volatility under NSX Rule 
11.20B. Currently, unless otherwise extended or approved permanently, 
this pilot program will expire on December 10, 2010. The instant rule 
filing proposes to extend the pilot program until April 11, 2011.
    NSX Rule 11.20B (Trading Pauses in Individual Securities Due to 
Extraordinary Market Volatility) was approved by the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (the ``Commission'') on June 10, 2010 on a pilot 
basis to end on December 10, 2010.\3\ Similar rule changes were adopted 
by other markets in the national market system in a coordinated manner. 
As the Exchange noted in its filing to adopt NSX Rule 11.20B, during 
the pilot period, the Exchange, in conjunction with other markets in 
the national market system, would continue to assess whether additional 
securities need to be added and whether the parameters of the rule 
would need to be modified to accommodate trading characteristics of 
different securities. NSX Rule 11.20B was expanded to include 
additional exchange traded products on September 10, 2010.\4\ The 
Exchange, in consultation with the Commission and other markets, has 
determined that the duration of this pilot program should be extended. 
Accordingly, pursuant to the instant rule filing, the expiration date 
of the pilot program referenced in Commentary .05 to Rule 11.20B is 
proposed to be changed from ``December 10, 2010'' to ``April 11, 
2011.''
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    \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62252 (June 10, 
2010), 75 FR 36746 (June 28, 2010) (SR-NSX-2010 05).
    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62884 (September 10, 
2010), 75 FR 59316 (September 27, 2010) (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(b) and Section 11A of the Act,\5\ in 
general, and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\6\ in particular, in that it 
is designed, among other things, to promote clarity, transparency and 
full disclosure, in so doing, to prevent fraudulent and manipulative 
acts and practices, to promote just and

[[Page 78787]]

equitable principles of trade, 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. Moreover, the 
proposed rule change is not discriminatory in that it uniformly applies 
to all ETP Holders.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \6\ 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 inappropriate burden on competition.

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 written 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: (1) 
Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public 
interest; (2) impose any significant burden on competition; and (3) 
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 \7\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6) thereunder.\8\
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). When filing a proposed rule change 
pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the Act, an exchange is required 
to give 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 Commission notes that the Exchange 
has satisfied this requirement.
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) normally may 
not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of filing.\9\ 
However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \10\ permits the Commission to designate a 
shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of 
investors and the public interest. The Exchange has requested that the 
Commission waive the 30-day operative delay.
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    \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \10\ Id.
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    The Commission has considered the Exchange's request to waive the 
30-day operative delay. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day 
operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the 
public interest, as it will allow the pilot program to continue 
uninterrupted, thereby avoiding the investor confusion that could 
result from a temporary interruption in the pilot program.\11\ 
Therefore, the Commission designates the proposed rule change to be 
operative upon filing.
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    \11\ For the purposes only of waiving the 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 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. If the Commission 
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings to 
determine whether the proposed rule change should be approved or 
disapproved.

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-NSX-2010-17 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-NSX-2010-17. 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 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-NSX-2010-17 and should be submitted on 
or before January 6, 2011.

    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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Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-31560 Filed 12-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P