[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2593-2595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-773]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-66133; File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2011-105]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change Amending NYSE 
Amex Equities Rule 80C, Which Provides for Trading Pauses in Individual 
Securities Due to Extraordinary Market Volatility, To Extend the 
Effective Date of The Pilot Until July 31, 2012

January 11, 2012.
    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 December 28, 2011, NYSE Amex LLC (the ``Exchange'' or ``NYSE 
Amex'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``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 Amex Equities Rule 80C, which 
provides for trading pauses in individual securities due to 
extraordinary market volatility, to extend the effective date of the 
pilot by which such rule operates from the current scheduled expiration 
date of January 31, 2012, until July 31, 2012. The text of the proposed 
rule change is available at the Exchange, the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, and 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 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.

[[Page 2594]]

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 80C, which 
provides for trading pauses in individual securities due to 
extraordinary market volatility, to extend the effective date of the 
pilot by which such rule operates from the current scheduled expiration 
date of January 31, 2012,\3\ until July 31, 2012.
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    \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65089 (August 10, 
2011), 76 FR 50791 (August 16, 2011) (SR-NYSEAmex-2011-57).
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    NYSE Amex Equities Rule 80C requires the Exchange to pause trading 
in an individual security listed on the Exchange if the price moves by 
a specified percentage as compared to prices of that security in the 
preceding five-minute period during a trading day, which period is 
defined as a ``Trading Pause.'' The pilot was developed and implemented 
as a market-wide initiative by the Exchange and other national 
securities exchanges in consultation with the Commission staff and is 
currently applicable to all NMS stocks and specified exchange-traded 
products.\4\
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    \4\ The Exchange notes that the other national securities 
exchanges and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority have 
adopted the pilot in substantially similar form. See Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 62252 (June 10, 2010), 75 FR 34186 (June 
16, 2010) (File Nos. SR-BATS-2010-014; SR-EDGA-2010-01; SR-EDGX-
2010-01; SR-BX-2010-037; SR-ISE-2010-48; SR-NYSE-2010-39; SR-
NYSEAmex-2010-46; SR-NYSEArca-2010-41; SR-NASDAQ-2010-061; SR-CHX-
2010-10; SR-NSX-2010-05; and SR-CBOE-2010-047) and Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 62251 (June 10, 2010), 75 FR 34183 (June 
16, 2010) (SR-FINRA-2010-025). See also Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 62884 (September 10, 2010), 75 FR 56618 (September 16, 
2010) (File Nos. SR-BATS-2010-018; SR-BX-2010-044; SR-CBOE-2010-065; 
SR-CHX-2010-14; SR-EDGA-2010-05; SR-EDGX-2010-05; SR-ISE-2010-66; 
SR-NASDAQ-2010-079; SR-NYSE-2010-49; SR-NYSEAmex-2010-63; SR-
NYSEArca-2010-61; and SR-NSX-2010-08 and Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 62883 (September 10, 2010), 75 FR 56608 (September 16, 
2010) (SR-FINRA-2010-033). See also Securities Exchange Act Release 
No. 63501 (December 9, 2010), 75 FR 78307 (December 15, 2010) (SR-
NYSEAmex-2010-117). A proposal to, among other things, expand the 
pilot to include all NMS stocks not already included therein was 
implemented on August 8, 2011. See Securities Exchange Act Release 
No. 64735 (June 23, 2011), 76 FR 38243 (June 29, 2011) (File Nos. 
SR-BATS-2011-016; SR-BYX-2011-011; SR-BX-2011-025; SR-CBOE-2011-049; 
SR-CHX-2011-09; SR-EDGA-2011-15; SR-EDGX-2011-14; SR-FINRA-2011-023; 
SR-ISE-2011-028; SR-NASDAQ-2011-067; SR-NYSE-2011-21; SR-NYSEAmex-
2011-32; SR-NYSEArca-2011-26; SR-NSX-2011-06; and SR-Phlx-2011-64).
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    The extension proposed herein would allow the pilot to continue to 
operate without interruption while the Exchange, other national 
securities exchanges and the Commission further assess the effect of 
the pilot on the marketplace or whether other initiatives should be 
adopted in lieu of the current pilot.
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 that the change proposed herein meets these requirements in 
that it promotes uniformity across markets concerning decisions to 
pause trading in a security when there are significant price movements. 
Additionally, extension of the pilot until July 31, 2012 would allow 
the pilot to continue to operate without interruption while the 
Exchange and the Commission further assess the effect of the pilot on 
the marketplace or whether other initiatives should be adopted in lieu 
of the current pilot.
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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

    The Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \7\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\8\ 
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\9\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\10\
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \10\ 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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    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-NYSEAmex-2011-105 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-NYSEAmex-2011-105. 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

[[Page 2595]]

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-NYSEAmex-2011-105 and should be submitted on or before 
February 8, 2012.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\11\
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    \11\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-773 Filed 1-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P