[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 72 (Thursday, April 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21086-21087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9050]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-64287; File No. SR-NYSE-2011-15]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; 
Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change to NYSE Rule 1401 To Modify 
the Initial Trading Market Value for Debt Securities

April 8, 2011.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(the ``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given 
that, on April 1, 2011, the New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'' or 
the ``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

    The Exchange proposes to amend NYSE Rule 1401 to modify the initial 
trading market value requirements for Debt Securities from $10,000,000 
to $5,000,000. The text of the proposed rule change is available at the 
Exchange, the Commission's Public Reference Room, and http://www.nyse.com, and on the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov.

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, 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
    The NYSE proposes to amend NYSE Rule 1401 to modify the initial 
trading market value requirements for Debt Securities from $10,000,000 
to $5,000,000.
    NYSE Rule 1400 and 1401 set forth requirements for trading Debt 
Securities. The term ``Debt Securities'' includes any unlisted note, 
bond, debenture or evidence of indebtedness that is: (1) Statutorily 
exempt from the registration requirements of Section 12(b) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act''), or (2) eligible to be 
traded under a Commission exemptive order.\3\ Currently, NYSE Rule 1401 
requires that Debt Securities traded on the NYSE must have an 
outstanding aggregate market value or principal amount of no less than 
$10,000,000 on the date that trading commences.
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    \3\ See NYSE Rule 1401 and Securities Exchange Act Release No. 
54766 (November 16, 2006), 71 FR 67657 (November 22, 2006). Under 
the exemptive order, among other things, the issuer of the debt 
security must have at least one class of common or preferred equity 
security listed on the Exchange. Further, for purposes of NYSE Rule 
1400(2), the term Debt Securities includes only securities that, if 
they were to be listed on the NYSE, would be listed under Sections 
102.03 or 103.05 of the NYSE's Listed Company Manual, except that 
such securities do not include any security that is defined as an 
``equity security'' under Section 3(a)(11) of the Act. The term Debt 
Securities also does not include a security that, if listed on the 
NYSE, would have been listed under Sections 703.19 or 703.21 of the 
NYSE's Listed Company Manual. See NYSE Rule 1400.
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    The Exchange proposes to reduce the required initial outstanding 
aggregate market value to $5,000,000. There are numerous corporate 
retail note programs offered by well-known issuers whose equity 
securities are listed on the Exchange, such as General Electric, DOW 
Chemical, Goldman Sachs and Caterpillar, that involve issuances of 
$5,000,000 or more but less than $10,000,000 in principal.\4\ However, 
such issuances may not be traded on the NYSE under current NYSE Rule 
1401. The Exchange believes that setting the minimum initial aggregate 
market value at $5,000,000 would expand the number of Debt Securities 
that could be traded on the Exchange's platform, thereby

[[Page 21087]]

offering investors in such securities greater transparency and choice 
with respect to secondary market trading.
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    \4\ Examples of debt securities issuances in the $5-10 million 
range include GE 4.85 8/15/14 CUSIP 36966RHE9, DOW 5.35 6/15/2013 
CUSIP 26054LEG4; GS 5.50 5/15/2019 CUSIP 38141E6C8; CAT 5.85 2/15/
2028 CUSIP 14912HJP6.
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2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act''),\5\ in 
general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\6\ 
in particular, in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent and 
manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and 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. The Exchange 
believes the proposed rule changes are consistent with these principles 
in that they seek to expand the number of Debt Securities that can be 
traded on the NYSE, thereby benefiting investors with increased 
transparency and choice with respect to secondary market trading.
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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 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

    Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register or within such longer period (i) as the Commission may 
designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to 
be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to 
which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:
    (A) By order approve or disapprove such proposed rule change, or
    (B) Institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule 
change should be 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-NYSE-2011-15 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-NYSE-2011-15. 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 available publicly. All 
submissions should refer to File No. SR-NYSE-2011-15 and should be 
submitted on or before May 5, 2011.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\7\
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    \7\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-9050 Filed 4-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P