[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48748-48750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19257]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-70111; File No. SR-BX-2013-043]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Modify 
BX's Rule Governing Modification of Orders in the Event of an Issuer 
Corporate Action Related to a Dividend, Payment or Distribution

August 5, 2013.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (``Act'') \2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby given 
that, on July 22, 2013, NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (``BX'' or ``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\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
    \3\ 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 modify BX's rule governing modification of 
orders in the event of an issuer corporate action related to a 
dividend, payment or distribution.
    The text of the proposed rule change is provided in Exhibit 5.\4\ 
The text of the proposed rule change is also available on the 
Exchange's Web site at http://nasdaqomxbx.cchwallstreet.com, at the 
principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission's Public 
Reference Room.
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    \4\ The Commission notes that Exhibit 5 is attached to the 
filing, not to this Notice.
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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.

[[Page 48749]]

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

1. Purpose
    BX Rule 4761 addresses the treatment of quotes/orders in securities 
that are the subject of issuer corporate actions related to a dividend, 
payment or distribution. The rule applies to any trading interest that 
is carried on the BX Equities Market book overnight.\5\ BX adopted the 
rule through a recent proposed rule change.\6\ The rule provides that 
in the event of any corporate action related to a dividend, payment or 
distribution, BX will cancel open quotes/orders on the ex-date of the 
action. The cancellation occurs immediately prior to the opening of 
trading at 4 [sic] a.m. on the ex-date of the corporate action, and the 
member receives a cancellation notice, so that it can, if it desired, 
reenter the order at the commencement of trading on the ex-date.
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    \5\ BX notes that the use of such good-till-cancelled trading 
interest is not prevalent and that the majority of quotes/orders 
expire by their terms at the end of regular market hours.
    \6\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 69456 (April 25, 2013), 
78 FR 25510 (May 1, 2013) (SR-BX-2013-031).
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    BX is now proposing to implement limited, optional functionality to 
allow open orders to be adjusted, rather than cancelled. The change is 
responsive to member input indicating that such functionality may 
assist with order management with respect to cash dividends and forward 
splits, the most common type of corporate action.\7\ Under the 
proposal, a member may designate that all orders with a time-in-force 
of good-till-cancelled that are entered through one or more order entry 
ports specified by the member will be processed in the manner specified 
below.\8\
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    \7\ For other corporate actions, open orders will be cancelled, 
regardless of the port through which they were entered.
    \8\ The member may opt for this processing on a port-by-port 
basis, but not an order-by-order basis. Thus, the new provisions 
providing for order adjustment will apply to all good-till-cancelled 
orders entered through a port that has been specified by the member 
for such processing.
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    (1) Cash Dividend. If an issuer is paying a cash dividend, the 
price of an order to buy will be reduced by the amount of the sum of 
all dividends payable, rounded up to the nearest whole cent; provided, 
however, that there will be no adjustment if the sum of all dividends 
is less than $0.01. For example, if the sum of all dividends is $0.381, 
the price of the order will be reduced by $0.39. An order to sell will 
be retained but will receive no price adjustment.
    (2) Forward Stock Split. If an issuer is implementing a forward 
stock split (i.e., a stock split in which shares outstanding are 
exchanged for a larger number of shares), the order will be cancelled 
if its size is less than one round lot. If the order's size is greater 
than one round lot, (i) the size of the order will be multiplied by the 
ratio of post-split shares to pre-split shares, with the result rounded 
downward to the nearest whole share, and (ii) the price of the order 
will be multiplied by the ratio of pre-split shares to post-split 
shares, with the result rounded down to the nearest whole penny in the 
case of orders to buy and rounded up to the nearest whole penny in the 
case of orders to sell. For example, if a member has entered a good-
till-cancelled order to buy 375 shares at $10.95 and the issuer 
implemented a split under which each share would be exchanged for 2.25 
shares, the size of the order would be adjusted to 843 shares (375 x 
2.25/1 = 843.75, rounded down to 843) and the price of the order would 
be adjusted to $4.86 ($10.95 x 1/2.25 = $4.8667, rounded down to 
$4.86). An order to sell at the same price and size would be adjusted 
to 843 shares with a price of $4.87.
    (3) Combination of Cash Dividend and Forward Stock Split. If an 
issuer is implementing a cash dividend and a forward stock split on the 
same date, the adjustments described above will both be applied, in the 
order described in the notice of the corporate actions received by 
BX.\9\
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    \9\ BX receives notice of corporate actions from the listing 
exchange for the security.
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    All of the foregoing changes will be affected immediately prior to 
the opening of the System at 7:00 a.m. on the ex-date of the applicable 
corporate action. Open orders that are retained will be re-entered by 
the System (as adjusted above) immediately prior to the opening of the 
System, such that they will retain time priority over new orders 
entered at or after 7:00 a.m.\10\
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    \10\ To the extent that multiple good-till-cancelled orders in a 
particular security are adjusted and re-entered, such orders may not 
retain the same time priority vis-[agrave]-vis one another that they 
had on the preceding day. Rather, because such orders will be 
entered simultaneously through multiple order entry ports, their 
relative priority will be a function of the duration of system 
processing associated with each individual order.
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    BX is also amending the language that describes corporate actions 
to which Rule 4761 applies to clarify and expand the scope of the rule. 
Currently, the rule refers to ``issuer corporate actions related to a 
dividend, payment or distribution''. BX proposes to add to the rule 
language that would make it clear that the term ``dividend'' 
encompasses dividends payable in stock, securities, or both, and that 
the term distribution has been interpreted to include forward or 
reverse stock splits.\11\ In addition, BX is adding language to the 
rule to include symbol changes and changes in the primary listing venue 
of a stock, which have not previously been covered by Rule 4761, within 
the scope of corporate actions resulting in the cancellation of good-
till-cancelled orders. BX believes that this change will assist market 
participants in managing their orders, because the receipt of a 
cancellation message will alert the member to the need to evaluate 
whether to reenter the cancelled order with a new symbol or in a 
different trading venue.\12\
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    \11\ Cf. Securities Exchange Act Release No. 54613 (October 17, 
2006), 71 FR 62325 (October 24, 2006) (SR-NASDAQ-2006-043) (similar 
NASDAQ rule adopting the phrase ``dividend, payment or 
distribution'' and including stock splits as an example of corporate 
actions covered by the rule).
    \12\ Notably, in some instances, such as a corporate spinoff, 
the old symbol may be immediately reused for a different security. 
Therefore, maintaining an order with that symbol on the book could 
result in the market participant maintaining an order in a stock in 
which it did not wish to maintain a trading interest. Also, to the 
extent that a market participant wishes to trade a security in its 
listing venue, the cancellation of its open order in the event of a 
change in listing venue will provide it with the opportunity to do 
so.
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2. Statutory Basis
    BX believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the 
provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\13\ in general, and with Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act \14\ in particular, in that the proposal is designed 
to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote 
just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and 
coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, 
processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions 
in securities, 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. Specifically, BX believes 
that the change, which is responsive to member input, will facilitate 
transactions in securities and perfect the mechanism of a free and open 
market by providing members with additional optional functionality that 
may assist them with order management with respect to cash dividends 
and forward splits, the most common type of corporate actions. The 
change will also facilitate transactions in securities and perfect the 
mechanism of a free and

[[Page 48750]]

open market by assisting market participants in managing their orders 
in the event of symbol changes and changes in listing venue, by 
cancelling open orders and thereby alerting members to the need to 
evaluate whether to reenter the cancelled order.
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    \13\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \14\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    BX 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. Specifically, by 
offering market participants additional options with regard to 
management of open orders, the change has the potential to enhance BX's 
competitiveness with respect to other trading venues, thereby promoting 
greater competition. Moreover, the change does not burden competition 
in that it does not restrict the ability of members to enter and update 
trading interest in BX.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed 
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

    No written comments were either solicited or received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    Because the foregoing 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 for 30 days from the date on which it was filed, or 
such shorter time as the Commission may designate, it has become 
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \15\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6) thereunder.\16\
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    \15\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \16\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6) 
requires a self-regulatory organization to give the Commission 
written notice of its intent to file 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: (i) 
Necessary or appropriate in the public interest; (ii) for the 
protection of investors; or (iii) 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 Number SR-BX-2013-043 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-BX-2013-043. 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 the 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-BX-2013-043 and should be 
submitted on or before August 30, 2013.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\17\
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    \17\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-19257 Filed 8-8-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P