[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10228-10229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03274]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-68860; File No. SR-CBOE-2013-015]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, 
Incorporated; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a 
Proposed Rule Change To Amend the Fees Schedule

February 7, 2013.
    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 January 30, 2013, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated 
(the ``Exchange'' or ``CBOE'') filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (the ``Commission'') the 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 the 
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to amend its Fees Schedule. The text of the 
proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site (http://www.cboe.com/AboutCBOE/CBOELegalRegulatoryHome.aspx), at the Exchange's 
Office of the Secretary, and at the Commission.

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 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange is proposing to eliminate the customer transaction fee 
for XSP index options. Currently, the Exchange has a $0.18 customer 
transaction fee per contract for all index products, with some 
exceptions.\3\ The Exchange is proposing to eliminate those customer 
transaction fees for transactions in XSP index options. Eliminating the 
customer transaction fee for XSP index options will allow Trading 
Permit Holders who engage in XSP options trading the opportunity to pay 
lower fees for such transactions and provide greater incentives for 
customers to trade XSP index options. Thus, the proposed changes to the 
customer XSP options transaction fees are designed to attract greater 
customer order flow to the Exchange. This would bring greater liquidity 
to the market, which benefits all market participants.
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    \3\ See Exchange Fee Schedule which outlines exceptions from 
this transaction fee. (http://www.cboe.com/publish/feeschedule/CBOEFeeSchedule.pdf ).
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    The propose changes are to take effect on February 1, 2013.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with 
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act'') and the rules and 
regulations thereunder applicable to the Exchange and, in particular, 
the requirements of Section 6(b) of the Act.\4\ Specifically, the 
Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 
6(b)(4) of the Act,\5\ which provides that Exchange rules may provide 
for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees, and other 
charges among its

[[Page 10229]]

Trading Permit Holders and other persons using its facilities.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
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    In particular, the proposed change is reasonable because it will 
allow TPHs who engage in XSP options trading the opportunity to pay 
lower fees for such transactions. The proposed changes to the customer 
XSP options transaction fees are equitable and not unfairly 
discriminatory because they are designed to attract greater customer 
order flow to the Exchange. This would bring greater liquidity to the 
market, which benefits all market participants.

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

    CBOE 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. The Exchange does not believe 
that the proposed changes to customer XSP options transaction fees will 
cause any unnecessary burden on intramarket competition because, while 
customers are assessed different, and often lower, fee rates than other 
market participants, this is a common practice within the options 
marketplace, and customers often do not have the sophisticated trading 
algorithms and systems that other market participants often possess. 
Further, to the extent that any change in intramarket competition may 
result from the proposed changes to customer XSP options transaction 
fees, such possible change is justifiable and offset because the 
changes to such fees are designed to attract greater customer order 
flow to the Exchange. This would bring greater liquidity to the market, 
which benefits all market participants. The Exchange does not believe 
that the proposed changes to customer XSP options transaction fees will 
cause any unnecessary burden on intermarket competition because the 
changes are minimal and apply to a single index on the Exchange. The 
Exchange also notes that it operates in a highly-competitive market in 
which market participants can readily direct order flow to competing 
venues if they deem fee levels at a particular venue to be excessive. 
The proposed rule change reflects a competitive pricing structure 
designed to incent market participants to direct their order flow to 
the Exchange, and the Exchange believes that such structure will help 
the Exchange remain competitive with those fees and rebates assessed by 
other venues.

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 
proposed rule change.

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) of the Act \6\ and paragraph (f) of Rule 19b-4 \7\ 
thereunder. 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.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f).
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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-CBOE-2013-015 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-CBOE-2013-015. 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 Number SR-CBOE-2013-015, and should be 
submitted on or before March 6, 2013.

    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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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-03274 Filed 2-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P