[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20736-20738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8807]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-64233; File No. SR-NYSEAmex-011-24]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Amending NYSE Amex 
Equities Rule 128, Clearly Erroneous Executions, To Extend the 
Effective Date of the Pilot Until the Earlier of August 11, 2011 or the 
Date on Which a Limit Up/Limit Down Mechanism To Address Extraordinary 
Market Volatility, if Adopted, Applies

April 7, 2011.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (the ``Act'') \2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby 
given that on March 31, 2011, NYSE Amex LLC (the ``Exchange'' or ``NYSE 
Amex'') 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 self-regulatory 
organization. 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
    \3\ 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 NYSE Amex Equities Rule 128, which 
governs clearly erroneous executions, to extend the effective date of 
the pilot by which portions of such Rule operate until the earlier of 
August 11, 2011 or the date on which a limit up/limit down mechanism to 
address extraordinary market volatility, if adopted, applies. The text 
of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange, the 
Commission's Public Reference Room, the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov, and http://www.nyse.com.

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 self-regulatory organization 
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 those 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,

[[Page 20737]]

of the most significant parts of such statements.

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

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend NYSE Amex Equities Rule 128, which 
governs clearly erroneous executions, to extend the effective date of 
the pilot by which portions of such Rule operate, until the earlier of 
August 11, 2011 or the date on which a limit up/limit down mechanism to 
address extraordinary market volatility, if adopted, applies. The pilot 
is currently scheduled to expire on April 11, 2011.\4\
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    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62886 (September 10, 
2010), 75 FR 56613 (September 16, 2010) (SR-NYSEAmex-2010-60). See 
also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63480 (December 9, 2010), 
75 FR 78333 (December 15, 2010) (SR-NYSEAmex-2010-116).
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    On September 10, 2010, the Commission approved, on a pilot basis, 
market-wide amendments to exchanges' rules for clearly erroneous 
executions to set forth clearer standards and curtail discretion with 
respect to breaking erroneous trades. In connection with this pilot 
initiative, the Exchange amended NYSE Amex Equities Rule 128(c), 
(e)(2), (f), and (g). The amendments provide for uniform treatment of 
clearly erroneous execution reviews (1) in Multi-Stock Events \5\ 
involving twenty or more securities, and (2) in the event transactions 
occur that result in the issuance of an individual security trading 
pause by the primary market and subsequent transactions that occur 
before the trading pause is in effect on the Exchange.\6\ The 
amendments also eliminated appeals of certain rulings made in 
conjunction with other exchanges with respect to clearly erroneous 
transactions and limited the Exchange's discretion to deviate from 
Numerical Guidelines set forth in the Rule in the event of system 
disruptions or malfunctions.
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    \5\ Terms not defined herein are defined in NYSE Amex Equities 
Rule 128.
    \6\ Separately, the Exchange has proposed extend the effective 
date of the trading pause pilot under NYSE Amex Equities Rule 80C, 
which requires to the Exchange to pause trading in an individual 
security listed on the Exchange if the price moves by 10% as 
compared to prices of that security in the preceding five-minute 
period during a trading day. See SR-NYSEAmex-2011-23.
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    If the pilot were not extended, the prior versions of paragraphs 
(c), (e)(2), (f), and (g) of NYSE Amex Equities Rule 128 would be in 
effect, and the NYSE Amex would have different rules than other 
exchanges and greater discretion in connection with breaking clearly 
erroneous transactions. The Exchange proposes to extend the pilot 
amendments to NYSE Amex Equities Rule 128 until the earlier of August 
11, 2011 or the date on which a limit up/limit down mechanism to 
address extraordinary market volatility, if adopted, applies in order 
to maintain uniform rules across markets and allow the pilot to 
continue to operate without interruption during the same period that 
the Rule 80C trading pause rule pilot is also in effect. Extension of 
the pilot would permit the Exchange, other national securities 
exchanges and the Commission to further assess the effect of the pilot 
on the marketplace, including whether additional measures should be 
added, whether the parameters of the rule should be modified or whether 
other initiatives should be adopted in lieu of the current pilot.
2. Statutory Basis
    The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) \7\ of the 
Act, in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) \8\ in 
particular in that it 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 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. More specifically, the NYSE Amex believes that the 
extension of the pilot would help assure that the determination of 
whether a clearly erroneous trade has occurred will be based on clear 
and objective criteria, and that the resolution of the incident will 
occur promptly through a transparent process. The proposed rule changes 
would also help assure consistent results in handling erroneous trades 
across the U.S. markets, thus furthering fair and orderly markets, the 
protection of investors and the public interest.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \8\ 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 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

    No written comments were solicited or received with respect to 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, it has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \9\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\10\ The Exchange 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.\11\ 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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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \10\ 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 the Exchange has satisfied 
this requirement.
    \11\ 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,

[[Page 20738]]

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-NYSEAmex-2011-24 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-NYSEAmex-2011-24. 
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 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 
publicly available. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-
NYSEAmex-2011-24 and should be submitted on or before May 4, 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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Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-8807 Filed 4-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P