[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 230 (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74097-74099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30820]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-65825; File No. SR-C2-2011-036]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change 
Related to Trading Halts

November 23, 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 November 23, 2011, the C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated 
(``Exchange'' or ``C2'') 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 Exchange has designated the proposal as a ``non-
controversial'' proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\4\ 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \4\ 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

    The Exchange is proposing to make a conforming amendment to C2 Rule 
6.32, Trading Halts, as it relates to individual stock trading pauses 
in underlying stocks. The text of the proposed rule change is available 
on the Exchange's Web site (http://www.c2exchange.com/Legal/RuleFilings.aspx), at the Exchange's Office of the Secretary 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 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 the 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The individual stock trading pause pilot rule was developed in 
consultation with U.S. listing markets to provide for uniform market-
wide trading pause standards for certain underlying individual stocks 
that experience rapid price movement. In conjunction with the pilot, C2 
(and other options exchanges) adopted rules that provide that trading 
in the overlying options on an eligible stock would halt when the 
primary listing market for the underlying stock issues a trading pause.
    The underlying individual stock trading pause pilot was recently 
expanded to include all NMS stocks.\5\

[[Page 74098]]

However, it is currently being revised to exclude all rights and 
warrants.\6\ In light of the revision to the underlying individual 
stock trading pause pilot, C2 is proposing a conforming amendment to 
its Rule 6.32. Specifically, the Exchange is proposing to replace a 
reference to ``an underlying NMS stock'' with a conforming reference to 
``underlying eligible NMS stock'' and to define the term ``eligible NMS 
stocks'' to mean NMS stocks, other than rights and warrants.
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    \5\ The pilot list of stocks originally included all stocks in 
the S&P 500 Index, but it has been expanded over time to include all 
NMS stocks. See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 62884 
(September 10, 2010), 75 FR 56618 (September 16, 2010)(SR-CBOE-2010-
065)(order approving expansion of the individual stock trading pause 
pilot to include all stocks in the Russell 1000 index and a pilot 
list of Exchange Traded Products) and 64735 (June 23, 2011), 76 FR 
38243 (June 29, 2011)(SR-CBOE-2011-049)(order approving further 
expansion of the individual stock trading pause pilot to include all 
NMS stocks effective August 8, 2011).
    \6\ See, e.g., SR-CBOE-2011-111.
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2. Statutory Basis
    The statutory basis for the proposed rule change is Section 6(b)(5) 
of the Act,\7\ which requires the rules of an exchange 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 
proposed rule change also is designed to support the principles of 
Section 11A(a)(1) \8\ 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 change meets these 
requirements because it conforms the rule text to reflect the recent 
modification to underlying individual stock trading pause pilot to 
exclude all rights and warrants, which pilot promotes uniformity across 
markets concerning decisions to pause trading in a stock when there are 
significant price movements.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \8\ 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

    The Exchange neither solicited nor received comments on the 
proposal.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    The Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \9\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\10\ 
Because the 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 prior to 
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, the proposed rule change has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \11\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\12\
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \11\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \12\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) 
requires the Exchange to give the Commission written notice of the 
Exchange's 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 under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \13\ normally 
does not become operative for 30 days after the date of filing. 
However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \14\ the Commission may 
designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has asked 
the Commission to waive the 30-day operative delay so that the proposal 
may become operative immediately upon filing.
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    \13\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \14\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
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    The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is 
consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. 
Including rights and warrants in the pilot program which may trigger a 
circuit breaker and be subject to a trading pause, even while the 
underlying security continues to trade, provides little benefit and has 
the potential to create confusion among investors. Excluding rights and 
warrants from the pilot program should minimize investor confusion that 
could result from temporary trading pauses in these securities. For 
this reason, the Commission designates the proposed rule change as 
operative upon the date of this Notice.\15\
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    \15\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, 
the Commission has also 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 email to [email protected]. Please include 
File No. SR-C2-2011-036 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 No. SR-C2-2011-036. This file 
number should be included on the subject line if email 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

[[Page 74099]]

available publicly. All submissions should refer to File No. SR-C2-
2011-036 and should be submitted on or before December 21, 2011.

    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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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-30820 Filed 11-29-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P