[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20782-20783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8799]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-64237; File No. SR-FINRA-2011-014]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Financial Industry Regulatory 
Authority, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of 
Proposed Rule Change to Extend the Pilot Period of Amendments to FINRA 
Rule 11892 Governing Clearly Erroneous Transactions

April 7, 2011.
    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 March 30, 2011, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. 
(``FINRA'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' 
or ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and 
II below, which Items have been prepared by FINRA. FINRA has designated 
the proposed rule change as constituting a ``non-controversial'' rule 
change under paragraph (f)(6) of Rule 19b-4 under the Act,\3\ which 
renders the proposal effective upon receipt of this filing by the 
Commission. 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\ 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

    FINRA is proposing to amend FINRA Rule 11892 (Clearly Erroneous 
Transactions in Exchange-Listed Securities) to extend the effective 
date of the pilot, which is currently scheduled to expire on April 11, 
2011 until the earlier of August 11, 2011 or the date on which a limit 
up/down mechanism to address extraordinary market volatility, if 
adopted, applies to the pilot securities.
    The text of the proposed rule change is available on FINRA's Web 
site at http://www.finra.org, at the principal office of FINRA 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, FINRA 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. FINRA 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
    FINRA proposes to amend FINRA Rule 11892.02 to extend the effective 
date of the amendments set forth in File No. SR-FINRA-2010-032 (the 
``pilot''), which are currently scheduled to expire on April 11, 2011, 
until the earlier of August 11, 2011 or the date on which a limit up/
down mechanism to address extraordinary market volatility, if adopted, 
applies to the pilot securities.
    The pilot was drafted in consultation with other self-regulatory 
organizations (``SROs'') and Commission staff to provide for uniform 
treatment: (1) Of clearly erroneous execution reviews in Multi-Stock 
Events involving twenty or more securities; and (2) in the event 
transactions occur that result in the issuance of an individual stock 
trading pause by the primary listing market and subsequent transactions 
that occur before the trading pause is in effect for transactions 
otherwise than on an exchange. FINRA also implemented additional 
changes to the Rule as part of the pilot that reduce the ability of 
FINRA to deviate from the objective standards set forth in the Rule.\4\
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    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62885 (September 10, 
2010), 75 FR 56641 (September 16, 2010) (Order Approving File No. 
SR-FINRA-2010-032).
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    The extension proposed herein would allow the pilot to continue to 
operate without interruption while FINRA and the other SROs further 
assess whether the pilot should be adopted permanently or whether other 
initiatives should be adopted in lieu of the current pilot.
    FINRA has filed the proposed rule change for immediate 
effectiveness and has requested that the SEC waive the requirement that 
the proposed rule change not become operative for 30 days after the 
date of the filing, such that the pilot can continue to operate without 
interruption for the benefit of the marketplace and the investing 
public.
2. Statutory Basis
    FINRA believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the 
provisions of Section 15A(b)(6) of the Act,\5\ which requires, among 
other things, that

[[Page 20783]]

FINRA rules must be designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative 
acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade 
and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. FINRA 
believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the clearly 
erroneous rules of other SROs and will promote the goal of transparency 
and uniformity across markets concerning reviews of potentially clearly 
erroneous executions in various contexts. Further, FINRA believes that 
the proposed changes enhance the objectivity of decisions made by FINRA 
with respect to clearly erroneous executions.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78o-3(b)(6).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    FINRA 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.

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, it has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \6\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\7\ FINRA has asked the Commission to waive the 
30-day operative delay so that the proposal may become operative 
immediately upon filing. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-
day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and 
the public interest because such waiver will allow the pilot program to 
continue uninterrupted and help ensure uniformity among the national 
securities exchanges and FINRA with respect to the treatment of clearly 
erroneous transactions.\8\ Accordingly, the Commission waives the 30-
day operative delay requirement and designates the proposed rule change 
as operative upon filing with the Commission.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii). In addition, Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) requires that a self-regulatory organization 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 filing of the 
proposed rule change, or such shorter time as designated by the 
Commission. The Commission notes that FINRA has satisfied this 
requirement.
    \8\ 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-FINRA-2011-014 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-FINRA-2011-014. 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 such filing also will be 
available for inspection and copying at the principal office of FINRA. 
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 publicly 
available. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-FINRA-2011-
014 and should be submitted on or before May 4, 2011.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\9\
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    \9\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-8799 Filed 4-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P