[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22574-22576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09819]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-80647; File No. SR-CHX-2017-07]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc.; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change 
To Modify the Date of Appendix B Web Site Data Publication Pursuant to 
the Regulation NMS Plan To Implement a Tick Size Pilot Program

May 10, 2017.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 \2\ thereunder, notice is hereby given 
that on April 28, 2017, the Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc. (``CHX'' or 
the ``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

    CHX proposes to amend Article 20, Rule 13(b) of the Rules of the 
Exchange (``CHX Rules'') to modify the date of Appendix B Web site data 
publication pursuant to the Regulation NMS Plan to Implement a Tick 
Size Pilot Program (``Plan'').
    The text of this proposed rule change is available on the 
Exchange's Web site at (www.chx.com) and in 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 CHX included statements 
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule changes 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 CHX 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
    Article 20, Rule 13(b) (Compliance with Data Collection 
Requirements) \3\ implements the data collection and Web site 
publication requirements of the Plan.\4\ Paragraph .08 of Article 20, 
Rule 13(b) currently provides, among other things, that with respect to 
data for the Pre-Pilot Period \5\ and the Pilot Period, the Exchange 
shall make certain Appendix C data available to FINRA for aggregation 
and publication on the FINRA Web site pursuant to FINRA Rules and the 
Exchange will publish Appendix B data on the Exchange Web site, which 
shall commence on April 28, 2017.\6\ The Exchange is proposing to 
further delay the Web site publication of Appendix B data until August 
31, 2017 to permit additional time to consider a methodology to 
mitigate concerns raised in connection with the publication of Appendix 
B data.\7\
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    \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80227 (March 13, 
2017), 82 FR 14263 (March 17, 2017) (SR-CHX-2017-05); see also 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 79538 (December 13, 2016), 81 FR 
91979 (December 19, 2016) (SR-CHX-2016-21); see also Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 77469 (March 29, 2016), 81 FR 19275 (April 
4, 2016) (SR-CHX-2016-02).
    \4\ The Plan Participants filed the Plan to comply with an order 
issued by the Commission on June 24, 2014. See Letter from Brendon 
J. Weiss, Vice President, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., to 
Secretary, Commission, dated August 25, 2014 (``SRO Tick Size Plan 
Proposal''). See Securities Exchange Act Release No 72460 (June 24, 
2014), 79 FR 36840 (June 30, 2014); see also Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 74892 (May 6, 2015), 80 FR 27513 (May 13, 2015).
    \5\ Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms have the 
meaning ascribed to them in CHX Article 20, Rule 13.
    \6\ See Exchange Act Release No. 80227 (March 13, 2017), 82 FR 
14263 (March 17, 2017) (SR-CHX-2017-05). See also Letter from David 
S. Shillman, Associate Director, Division of Trading and Markets, 
Commission, to Robert L.D. Colby, Executive Vice President and Chief 
Legal Officer, FINRA, dated February 28, 2017.
    \7\ On March 3, 2017, FINRA filed a proposed rule change to 
implement an anonymous, grouped masking methodology for Appendix 
B.I, B.II. and B.IV. data. The comment period ended on April 5, 
2017, and the Commission received three comment letters. See 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80193 (March 9, 2017) 82 FR 
13901 (March 15, 2017). FINRA and the Exchange also submitted an 
exemptive request to the SEC, which, if granted, would permit FINRA 
to, among other things, publish on its Web site Appendix B.I., B.II. 
and B.IV. data for over-the-counter activity with respect to Trading 
Centers for which FINRA or the Exchange is the designated examining 
authority, in a manner consistent with FINRA's proposed anonymous, 
grouped masking methodology. See Letter from Marcia E. Asquith, 
Executive Vice President, Board and External Relations, FINRA, to 
Robert W. Errett, Deputy Secretary, SEC, dated March 2, 2017.
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    Pursuant to this proposed amendment, the Exchange would publish the 
required Appendix B data for the Pre-Pilot Period through April 30, 
2017 by August 31, 2017. Thereafter, Appendix B data for a given month 
would be published within 120 calendar days following month end.\8\ 
Thus, for example, Appendix B data for May 2017 would be made available 
on the Exchange Web site by September 28, 2017, and data for the month 
of June 2017 would be made available on the FINRA [sic] Web site by 
October 28, 2017.
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    \8\ FINRA, on behalf of the Participants, is submitting an 
exemptive request to the SEC in connection with the instant filing.
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    As noted in Item 2 of this filing, the Exchange has filed the 
proposed rule change for immediate effectiveness. The operative date of 
the proposed rule change will be the date of filing.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Act \9\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act \10\ in particular, in that it is designed to 
promote just and equitable principles of

[[Page 22575]]

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 are not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, 
issuers, brokers, or dealers.
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    \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The Plan is designed to allow the Commission, market participants, 
and the public to study and assess the impact of increment conventions 
on the liquidity and trading of the common stock of small-
capitalization companies. The Exchange believes that this proposal is 
consistent with the Act because it is in furtherance of the objectives 
of Section VII(A) of the Plan in that it is designed to provide the 
Exchange with additional time to consider a methodology to mitigate 
concerns raised in connection with the publication of Appendix B data.

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. The Exchange 
notes that the proposed rule change implements the provisions of the 
Plan.

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 \11\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6) thereunder.\12\
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    \11\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \12\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19(b)-4(f)(6) normally does 
not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the filing. 
However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii), the Commission may 
designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has filed 
the proposed rule change for immediate effectiveness and has requested 
that the Commission waive the requirement that the proposed rule change 
not become operative for 30 days after the date of the filing so that 
it may become operative on the date of filing.
    The Exchange notes that the proposed rule change is intended to 
mitigate confidentiality concerns raised in connection with Section 
VII(A) of the Plan, which provides that the data made publicly 
available will not identify the Trading Center that generated the data. 
The Exchange states that the additional time would allow consideration 
of a methodology to mitigate concerns related to the publication of 
Appendix B data.\13\
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    \13\ The Commission recently approved a FINRA proposal to 
implement an aggregated, anonymous grouped masking methodology for 
the publication of Appendix B data related to OTC trading activity. 
See Securities Exchange Release No. 80551, (April 28, 2017), 82 FR 
20948 (May 4, 2017). See also Letter from David S. Shillman, 
Associate Director, Division of Trading and Markets, Commission, to 
Marcia E. Asquith, Executive Vice President FINRA, dated April 28, 
2017.
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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 
because it will synchronize the timing for publication of Appendix B 
data for all Participants, which should enhance the consistency and 
usefulness of the data.\14\ Therefore, the Commission hereby waives the 
30-day operative delay and designates the proposed rule change to be 
operative on the date of filing.\15\
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    \14\ The Commission recently granted exemptive relief to the 
Participants delay the publication of their Appendix B data until 
August 31, 2017. See Letter from David S. Shillman, Associate 
Director, Division of Trading and Markets, Commission, to Jennifer 
Piorko Mitchell, Vice President and Deputy Corporate Secretary, 
FINRA, dated April 28, 2017. The Commission notes that other 
Participants have submitted proposed rule changes to delay the 
publication of Appendix B data until August 31, 2017. See e.g., SR-
BatsBYX-2017-10; SR-BatsBZX-2017-31; SR-BatsEDGA-2017-10; SR-
BatsEDGX-2017-19; SR-BX-2017-022; SR-FINRA-2017-010; SR-IEX-2017-12; 
SR-NASDAQ-2017-044; SR-Phlx-2017-33; SR-NYSE-2017-19; SR-NYSEArca-
2017-49; SR-NYSEMKT-2017-24.
    \15\ For purposes only of waiving the operative delay for this 
proposal, the Commission has 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. If the Commission 
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings to 
determine whether the proposed rule should be approved or disapproved.

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-CHX-2017-07 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

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

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-CHX-2017-07. 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-CHX-2017-07 and should be 
submitted on or before June 6, 2017.


[[Page 22576]]


    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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Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-09819 Filed 5-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P