[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47448-47450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19353]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-67571; File No. SR-BX-2012-055]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Extend 
the Pilot Period of the Trading Pause for NMS Stocks Other Than Rights 
and Warrants

August 2, 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 July 19, 2012, NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (``Exchange''), 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 extend the pilot period of the trading 
pause for individual NMS stocks other than rights and warrants, so that 
the pilot will now expire on February 4, 2013.
    The text of the proposed rule change is below. Proposed new 
language is in italics; proposed deletions are in brackets.
* * * * *

IM-4120-3. Circuit Breaker Securities Pilot

    The provisions of paragraph (a)(11) of this Rule shall be in 
effect during a pilot set to end on February 4, 2013 [July 31, 
2012]. During the pilot, the term ``Circuit Breaker Securities'' 
shall mean all NMS stocks except rights and warrants.
* * * * *

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 aspects of such 
statements.

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

1. Purpose
    On June 10, 2010, the Commission granted accelerated approval for a 
pilot period to end December 10, 2010, for a proposed rule change 
submitted by the Exchange, together with related rule changes of the 
BATS Exchange, Inc., Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated, 
Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc., EDGA Exchange, Inc., EDGX Exchange, Inc., 
International Securities Exchange LLC, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC 
(``NASDAQ''), New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE''), NYSE MKT LLC 
(``NYSE MKT'') (formerly, NYSE Amex LLC), NYSE Arca, Inc. (``NYSE 
Arca''), and National Stock Exchange, Inc. (collectively, the 
``Exchanges''), to pause trading during periods of extraordinary market 
volatility in S&P 500 stocks.\3\ The rules require the Listing Markets 
\4\ to issue five-minute trading pauses for individual securities for 
which they are the primary Listing Market if the transaction price of 
the security moves ten percent or more from a price in the preceding 
five-minute period. The Listing Markets are required to notify the 
other Exchanges and market participants of the imposition of a trading 
pause by immediately disseminating a special indicator over the 
consolidated tape. Under the rules, once the Listing Market issues a 
trading pause, the other Exchanges are required to pause trading in the 
security on their markets. On September 10, 2010, the

[[Page 47449]]

Commission approved the respective rule filings of the Exchanges to 
expand application of the pilot to the Russell 1000[supreg] Index and 
specified Exchange Traded Products.\5\ On December 7, 2010, the 
Exchange filed an immediately effective filing to extend the existing 
pilot program for four months, so that the pilot would expire on April 
11, 2011.\6\ On March 31, 2011, the Exchange filed an immediately 
effective filing to extend the pilot period an additional four months, 
so that the pilot would expire on August 11, 2011 or the date on which 
a limit up/limit down mechanism to address extraordinary market 
volatility, if adopted, applies.\7\ On June 23, 2011, the Commission 
approved the expansion of the pilot to all NMS stocks, but with 
different pause-triggering thresholds.\8\ On August 8, 2011, the 
Exchange filed an immediately effective filing that removed language 
from the rule that tied the expiration of the pilot to the adoption of 
a limit up/limit down mechanism to address extraordinary market 
volatility, and further extended the pilot period, so that the pilot 
would expire on January 31, 2012.\9\ On November 18, 2011, the Exchange 
filed an immediately effective filing that excluded rights and warrants 
from the pilot.\10\ On January 23, 2012, the Commission approved an 
extension of the pilot to July 31, 2012.\11\
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    \3\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62252 (June 10, 2010), 
75 FR 34186 (June 16, 2010) (SR-BX-2010-037).
    \4\ The term ``Listing Markets'' refers collectively to NYSE, 
NYSE MKT, NYSE Arca, and the Exchange.
    \5\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62884 (September 10, 
2010), 75 FR 56618 (September 16, 2010) (SR-BX-2010-044).
    \6\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63527 (December 10, 
2010), 75 FR 78781 (December 16, 2010) (SR-BX-2010-088).
    \7\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64176 (April 4, 2011), 
76 FR 19821 (April 8, 2011) (SR-BX-2011-018).
    \8\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64735 (June 23, 2011), 
76 FR 38243 (June 29, 2011) (SR-BX-2011-025, et al.).
    \9\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65093 (August 10, 2011), 
76 FR 50781 (August 16, 2011) (SR-BX-2011-055).
    \10\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65815 (November 23, 
2011), 76 FR 74109 (November 30, 2011) (SR-BX-2011-079).
    \11\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 66215 (January 23, 
2012), 77 FR 4387 (January 27, 2012) (SR-BX-2012-003).
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    On May 31, 2012, the Commission approved, on a pilot basis, the 
National Market System Plan to Address Extraordinary Market 
Volatility.\12\ This plan creates a market-wide limit up-limit down 
mechanism that is intended to address extraordinary market volatility 
in NMS Stocks, which will be implemented on February 4, 2013. Once 
implemented, the limit up/limit down mechanism to address extraordinary 
market volatility will render the current stock trading pause pilot 
duplicative and unnecessary. Accordingly, the Exchange is proposing to 
extend the single stock trading pause pilot so that it will now expire 
on February 4, 2013, when the limit up/limit down mechanism to address 
extraordinary market volatility is to be implemented.
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    \12\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 67091 (May 31, 2012), 
77 FR 33498 (June 6, 2012).
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    The Exchange believes that the pilot program has been successful in 
reducing the negative impacts of sudden, unanticipated price movements 
in the securities covered by the pilot. The Exchange also believes that 
an additional extension of the pilot is warranted so that it may 
continue to apply the circuit breaker to reduce the negative impacts of 
sudden, unanticipated price movements until it is replaced by the limit 
up/limit down mechanism.
2. Statutory Basis
    The statutory basis for the proposed rule change is Section 6(b)(5) 
of the Act,\13\ 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) \14\ 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 meets these requirements in 
that it promotes transparency and uniformity across markets concerning 
decisions to pause trading in a security when there are significant 
price movements. In addition, the Exchange believes extending the pilot 
to February 4, 2013 is consistent with the requirement to protect 
investors because it will permit the circuit breaker to continue to 
reduce the negative impacts of sudden, unanticipated price movements 
until it is replaced by the preferred limit up/limit down mechanism.
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    \13\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \14\ 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 
result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or 
appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act, as amended.

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 Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \15\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\16\ 
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 \17\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\18\
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    \15\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \16\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \17\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \18\ 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) \19\ normally 
does not become operative for 30 days after the date of filing. 
However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \20\ 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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    \19\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \20\ 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.\21\
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    \21\ 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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[[Page 47450]]

    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-BX-2012-055 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-BX-2012-055. 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 
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 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-BX-2012-055 and should be 
submitted on or before August 29, 2012.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\22\
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    \22\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-19353 Filed 8-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P