[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 11, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40926-40927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16879]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-67355; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2012-079]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Modify NASDAQ's Fee Schedule Governing Order Routing

July 5, 2012.
    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 June 28, 2012, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``NASDAQ'' or the 
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') a proposed rule change as described in Items I, II and 
III 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

    NASDAQ proposes to modify NASDAQ's fee schedule governing order 
routing. NASDAQ will implement the proposed change on July 2, 2012. The 
text of the proposed rule change is available at http://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com, at NASDAQ's principal office, 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 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 III [sic] 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
    NASDAQ is making a minor modification to the schedule governing

[[Page 40927]]

fees for use of its routing services. Effective July 2, 2012, the 
NASDAQ OMX PSX (``PSX'') facility of NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC (``Phlx'') has 
reduced the fees that it charges for accessing liquidity.\3\ 
Accordingly, NASDAQ is making a conforming change to the fee that it 
charges for routing directed orders to PSX, reducing the charge from 
$0.0029 per share executed to $0.0005 per share executed.
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    \3\ See SR-Phlx-2012-87 (June 27, 2012).
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2. Statutory Basis
    NASDAQ believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with 
the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\4\ in general, and with 
Sections 6(b)(4) and (5) of the Act,\5\ in particular, in that it 
provides for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees and 
other charges among members and issuers and other persons using any 
facility or system which NASDAQ operates or controls, and is not 
designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, 
brokers or dealers. All similarly situated members are subject to the 
same fee structure, and access to NASDAQ is offered on fair and non-
discriminatory terms. The change is reasonable because the proposed fee 
for routing directed orders to PSX reflects the reduction in the fee 
that will be charged by PSX to NASDAQ with respect to such orders.\6\ 
The change is consistent with an equitable allocation of fees because 
it will bring the economic attributes of routing directed orders to PSX 
more in line with the cost of executing orders there. Finally, the 
change is not unfairly discriminatory because it solely applies to 
members that opt to route directed orders to PSX.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
    \6\ Depending on volume of routed orders in a month, NASDAQ will 
be charged either $0.0005 or $0 per share executed. In a 
circumstance where the charge was $0, NASDAQ believes that it is 
nevertheless appropriate to charge a markup above this cost to 
reflect the additional costs of offering routing services and the 
value of such services.
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    Finally, NASDAQ notes that it operates in a highly competitive 
market in which market participants can readily favor competing venues 
if they deem fee levels at a particular venue to be excessive. In such 
an environment, NASDAQ must continually adjust its fees to remain 
competitive with other exchanges and with alternative trading systems 
that have been exempted from compliance with the statutory standards 
applicable to exchanges. NASDAQ believes that the proposed rule change 
reflects this competitive environment because it is designed to ensure 
that the charges for use of the NASDAQ routing facility to route to PSX 
reflect a reduction in the cost of such routing.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    NASDAQ 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, as amended. Because the market 
for order execution is extremely competitive, members may readily opt 
to disfavor NASDAQ's routing services if they believe that alternatives 
offer them better value. The proposed change is designed to ensure that 
the charges for use of the NASDAQ routing facility to route to PSX 
reflect a reduction in the cost of such routing, thereby allowing it to 
remain competitive.

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

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act.\7\ 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. If the Commission takes such action, the Commission shall 
institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule should be 
approved or disapproved.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(a)(ii) [sic].
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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 Number SR-NASDAQ-2012-079 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-NASDAQ-2012-079. 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 
publicly available. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-
NASDAQ-2012-079, and should be submitted on or before August 1, 2012.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\8\
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    \8\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-16879 Filed 7-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P