[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 240 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77684-77686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31441]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-76600; File No. SR-NYSEMKT-2015-101]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE MKT LLC; Notice of Filing and 
Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating to NYSE MKT 
Trades Market Data Product Offering

December 9, 2015.
    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 November 24, 2015, NYSE MKT LLC (``NYSE MKT'' or the ``Exchange'') 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or 
``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 amend the NYSE MKT Trades market data 
product offering. 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 those 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 parts of such 
statements.

[[Page 77685]]

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

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend the NYSE MKT Trades market data feed 
product offering.
    NYSE MKT Trades is an NYSE MKT-only last-sale market data feed. 
NYSE MKT Trades currently allows vendors, broker-dealers and others to 
make available on a real-time basis the same last sale information that 
the Exchange reports under the Consolidated Tape Association (``CTA'') 
Plan for inclusion in the CTA Plan's consolidated data streams. 
Specifically, the NYSE MKT Trades feed includes, for each security 
traded on the Exchange, the real-time last sale price, time and size 
information and bid/ask quotations at the time of each sale and a stock 
summary message. The stock summary message updates every minute and 
includes NYSE MKT's opening price, high price, low price, closing 
price, and cumulative volume for the security.\3\
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    \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 62187 (May 27, 
2010), 75 FR 31500 (June 3, 2010) (SR-NYSEAmex-2010-35), 70065 (July 
30, 2013), 78 FR 47450 (Aug. 5, 2013) (SR-NYSEMKT-2013-64) and 69273 
(April 2, 2013), 78 FR 20969 (April 8, 2013) (SR-NYSEMKT-2013-30).
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    The Exchange proposes to remove the bid/ask information from the 
NYSE MKT Trades feed, thereby focusing the NYSE MKT Trades feed on NYSE 
MKT last sale information. This change would streamline the NYSE MKT 
Trades content, as well as align NYSE MKT Trades content with that of 
last sale data feeds offered by other exchanges.\4\ The NYSE MKT BBO 
data feed includes, and would continue to include, the best bids and 
offers for all securities that are traded on the Exchange for which 
NYSE MKT reports quotes under the Consolidated Quotation (``CQ'') Plan 
for inclusion in the CQ Plan's consolidated quotation information data 
stream.\5\ The Exchange would continue to make NYSE MKT last sale 
information available through NYSE MKT Trades immediately after it 
provides last sale information to the processor under the CTA Plan.
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    \4\ See NASDAQ Rule 7039 (Nasdaq Last Sale) and BATS Rule 
11.22(g) (BATS Last Sale).
    \5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 72326 (June 5, 
2014), 79 FR 33605 (June 11, 2014) (SR-NYSEMKT-2014-49).
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    The Exchange expects to offer both the current NYSE MKT Trades data 
product and the proposed NYSE MKT Trades data product for a limited 
transition period. After the transition period, the Exchange would stop 
offering the current NYSE MKT Trades data product and offer only the 
NYSE MKT Trades data product proposed in this filing. The Exchange 
would announce the transition dates in advance. There would be no 
change to the fees for NYSE MKT Trades in connection with the proposed 
changes.
2. Statutory Basis
    The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) \6\ of the 
Act, in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) \7\ of 
the Act, in particular, in that it 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 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, and it is not designed to permit unfair discrimination 
among customers, brokers, or dealers.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The Exchange believes that modifying the NYSE MKT Trades product to 
remove the bid/ask information it currently includes and to provide 
only NYSE MKT last sale information would streamline the product and 
clarify the purpose and use for each of the NYSE MKT proprietary market 
data products. NYSE MKT Trades' content, as proposed, would be 
consistent with that of last sale data feeds offered by other 
exchanges, which similarly offer last sale market data products that do 
not include bid and offer information.\8\
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    \8\ See supra note 4.
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    In addition, the proposal would not permit unfair discrimination 
because the product would be available to all of the Exchange's market 
data vendors and customers on an equivalent basis.
    In adopting Regulation NMS, the Commission granted self-regulatory 
organizations and broker-dealers increased authority and flexibility to 
offer new and unique market data to consumers of such data. It was 
believed that this authority would expand the amount of data available 
to users and consumers of such data and also spur innovation and 
competition for the provision of market data. The Exchange believes 
that the data product modification proposed herein, focusing the NYSE 
MKT Trades feed on last sale data by removing the bid/ask data, is 
precisely the sort of market data product enhancement that the 
Commission envisioned when it adopted Regulation NMS. The Commission 
concluded that Regulation NMS--by lessening regulation of the market in 
proprietary data--would itself further the Act's goals of facilitating 
efficiency and competition:
    [E]fficiency is promoted when broker-dealers who do not need the 
data beyond the prices, sizes, market center identifications of the 
NBBO and consolidated last sale information are not required to 
receive (and pay for) such data. The Commission also believes that 
efficiency is promoted when broker-dealers may choose to receive 
(and pay for) additional market data based on their own internal 
analysis of the need for such data.\9\
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    \9\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 51808 (June 9, 
2005), 70 FR 37496 (June 29, 2005) (File No. S7-10-04).
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    By removing ``unnecessary regulatory restrictions'' on the ability 
of exchanges to sell their own data, Regulation NMS advanced the goals 
of the Act and the principles reflected in its legislative history.
    The Exchange further notes that the existence of alternatives to 
the Exchange's products, including real-time consolidated data, free 
delayed consolidated data, and proprietary data from other sources, 
ensures that the Exchange is not unreasonably discriminatory because 
vendors and subscribers can elect these alternatives. In addition, the 
proposal would not permit unfair discrimination because the modified 
product would be available to all of the Exchange's vendors and 
customers on an equivalent basis.

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. The market for proprietary 
data products is currently competitive and inherently contestable 
because there is fierce competition for the inputs necessary to the 
creation of proprietary data. Numerous exchanges compete with each 
other for listings, trades, and market data itself, providing virtually 
limitless opportunities for entrepreneurs who wish to produce and 
distribute their own market data. This proprietary data is produced by 
each individual exchange, as well as other entities (such as 
internalizing broker-dealers and various forms of alternative trading 
systems, including dark pools and electronic communication networks), 
in a vigorously competitive market. It is common for market 
participants to further and exploit this competition by sending their 
order flow and transaction

[[Page 77686]]

reports to multiple markets, rather than providing them all to a single 
market.

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 \10\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\11\ 
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 and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.
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    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) 
requires a self-regulatory organization to give the Commission 
written notice of its 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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    At any time within 60 days of the filing of such 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 under 
Section 19(b)(2)(B) \12\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed 
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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    \12\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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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-NYSEMKT-2015-101 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Brent J. Fields, 
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEMKT-2015-101. 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 offices 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-NYSEMKT-2015-
101, and should be submitted on or before January 5, 2016.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
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    \13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-31441 Filed 12-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P