[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47144-47146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19289]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-67565; File No. SR-NYSEArca-2012-78]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Amending NYSE Arca 
Equities Rule 7.11, Which Provides for Trading Pauses in Individual 
Securities Due to Extraordinary Market Volatility, To Extend the 
Effective Date of the Pilot Until February 4, 2013

August 1, 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 July 19, 2012, NYSE Arca, Inc. (the ``Exchange'' or ``NYSE 
Arca'') 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 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\ 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 Arca Equities Rule 7.11, 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 July 31, 2012, until February 4, 2013. The text of the proposed 
rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at www.nyse.com, at 
the principal office of the Exchange, 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 these statements may be examined at the places specified in 
Item IV below. The self-regulatory organization has prepared summaries, 
set forth in Sections A, B and C below, of the most significant aspects 
of such statements.

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

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.11, 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 July 31, 2012,\3\ until February 4, 2012.
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    \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 66132 (January 11, 
2012), 77 FR 2577 (January 18, 2012) (SR-NYSEArca-2011-99).
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    NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.11 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. 63496 (December 9, 2010), 75 FR 78285 (December 15, 2010) (SR-
NYSEArca-2010-114). 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

[[Page 47145]]

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.\5\
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    \5\ This proposed extension would also permit the pilot to 
operate until the National Market System Plan to Address 
Extraordinary Market Volatility is implemented, which will occur on 
February 4, 2013. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 67091 (May 
31, 2012), 77 FR 33498 (June 6, 2012) (File No. 4-631) (Order 
Approving, on a Pilot Basis, the National Market System Plan To 
Address Extraordinary Market Volatility by BATS Exchange, Inc., BATS 
Y-Exchange, Inc., Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated, 
Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc., EDGA Exchange, Inc., EDGX Exchange, 
Inc., Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., NASDAQ OMX BX, 
Inc., NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC, The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, National 
Stock Exchange, Inc., New York Stock Exchange LLC, NYSE MKT LLC, and 
NYSE Arca, Inc).
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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''),\6\ in 
general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\7\ 
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, 
which promotes just and equitable principles of trade and removes 
impediments to, and perfects the mechanism of, a free and open market 
and a national market system. Additionally, extension of the pilot 
until February 4, 2013 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, which 
contributes to the protection of investors and the public interest. 
Finally, the proposed rule change would permit the pilot to operate 
until the National Market System Plan to Address Extraordinary Market 
Volatility is implemented, which will occur on February 4, 2013.\8\
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \8\ See supra note 6.
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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 \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, as 
it will allow the pilot program to continue uninterrupted, thereby 
avoiding the investor confusion that could result from a temporary 
interruption in the pilot program. For this reason, the Commission 
designates the proposed rule change to be operative upon filing.\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-NYSEArca-2012-78 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-NYSEArca-2012-78. 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 Commissions 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. Copies of such filing also will 
be available for inspection and

[[Page 47146]]

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 Number SR-NYSEArca-2012-78 and should be submitted 
by August 28, 2012.

    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. 2012-19289 Filed 8-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P