[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 125 (Thursday, June 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30471-30473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13887]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-83500; File No. SR-BOX-2018-23]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; BOX Options Exchange LLC; Notice 
of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To 
Amend Rule 7260 by Extending the Penny Pilot Program Through December 
31, 2018

June 22, 2018.
    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 June 18, 2018, BOX Options Exchange LLC (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 self-regulatory organization. The Commission 
is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule 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 Rule 7260 by extending the Penny 
Pilot Program through December 31, 2018. The text of the proposed rule 
change is available from the principal office of the Exchange, at the 
Commission's Public Reference Room and also on the Exchange's internet 
website at http://boxoptions.com.

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 self-regulatory organization 
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 self-regulatory organization 
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 proposes to extend the effective time period of the 
Penny Pilot Program that is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 
2018, until December 31, 2018.\3\ The Penny Pilot Program permits 
certain classes to be quoted in penny increments. The minimum price 
variation for all classes included in the Penny Pilot Program, except 
for PowerShares QQQ Trust (``QQQQ'')[supreg], SPDR S&P 500 Exchange 
Traded Funds (``SPY''), and iShares Russell 2000 Index Funds (``IWM''), 
will continue to be $0.01 for all quotations in options series that are 
quoted at less than $3 per contract and $0.05 for all quotations in 
options series that are quoted at $3 per contract or greater. QQQQ, 
SPY, and

[[Page 30472]]

IWM will continue to be quoted in $0.01 increments for all options 
series.
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    \3\ The Penny Pilot Program has been in effect on the Exchange 
since its inception in May 2012. See Securities Exchange Act Release 
Nos. 66871 (April 27, 2012), 77 FR 26323 (May 3, 2012) (File No. 10-
206, In the Matter of the Application of BOX Options Exchange LLC 
for Registration as a National Securities Exchange Findings, 
Opinion, and Order of the Commission), 67328 (June 29, 2012), 77 FR 
40123 (July 6, 2012) (SR-BOX-2012-007), 68425 (December 13, 2012), 
77 FR 75234 (December 19, 2013) (SR-BOX-2012-021), 69789 (June 18, 
2013), 78 FR 37854 (June 24, 2013) (SR-BOX-2013-31), 71056 (December 
12, 2013), 78 FR 76691 (December 18, 2013) (SR-BOX-2013-56), 72348 
(June 9, 2014), 79 FR 33976 (June 13, 2014) (SR-BOX-2014-17), 73822 
(December 11, 2014), 79 FR 75606 (December 18, 2014) (SR-BOX-2014-
29), 75295 (June 25, 2015), 80 FR 37690 (July 1, 2015)(SR-BOX-2015-
23), 78172 (June 28, 2016), 81 FR 43325 (July 1, 2016)(SR-BOX-2016-
24), 79429 (November 30, 2016), 81 FR 87991 (December 6, 2016)(SR-
BOX-2016-55); 80828 (May 31, 2017), 82 FR 26175 (June 6, 2017) (SR-
BOX-2017-18) and 82353 (December 19, 2017), 82 FR 61087 (December 
26, 2017). The extension of the effective date and the revision of 
the date to replace issues that have been delisted are the only 
changes to the Penny Pilot Program being proposed at this time.
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    The Exchange may replace, on a semi-annual basis, any Pilot Program 
classes that have been delisted on the second trading day following 
July 1, 2018. The Exchange notes that the replacement classes will be 
selected based on trading activity for the six month period beginning 
December 1, 2017 and ending May 31, 2018 for the July 2018 
replacements. The Exchange will employ the same parameters to 
prospective replacement classes as approved and applicable under the 
Pilot Program, including excluding high-priced underlying securities. 
The Exchange will distribute a Regulatory Circular notifying 
Participants which replacement classes shall be included in the Penny 
Pilot Program.
    BOX is specifically authorized to act jointly with the other 
options exchanges participating in the Pilot Program in identifying any 
replacement class.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposal is consistent with the 
requirements of Section 6(b) of the Act,\4\ in general, and Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act,\5\ 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, and to 
remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open 
market and a national market system, and, in general protect investors 
and the public interest.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    In particular, the proposed rule change, which extends the Penny 
Pilot until December 31, 2018 and changes the dates for replacing Penny 
Pilot issues that were delisted to the second trading day following 
July 1, 2018, will enable public customers and other market 
participants to express their true prices to buy and sell options for 
the benefit of all market participants. This is consistent with the 
Act.

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 not necessary or appropriate in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act. To the contrary, this proposal 
is pro-competitive because it allows Penny Pilot issues to continue 
trading on the Exchange. Moreover, the Exchange believes that the 
proposed rule change will allow for further analysis of the Pilot and a 
determination of how the Pilot should be structured in the future; and 
will serve to promote regulatory clarity and consistency, thereby 
reducing burdens on the marketplace and facilitating investor 
protection. The Pilot is an industry wide initiative supported by all 
other option exchanges. The Exchange believes that extending the Pilot 
will allow for continued competition between market participants on the 
Exchange trading similar products as their counterparts on other 
exchanges, while at the same time allowing the Exchange to continue to 
compete for order flow with other exchanges in option issues trading as 
part of the Pilot.

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

    The Exchange has 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 Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \6\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\7\ 
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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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
    \7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \8\ normally 
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the 
filing.\9\ However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\10\ 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. The 
Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is 
consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest 
because doing so will allow the Pilot Program to continue without 
interruption in a manner that is consistent with the Commission's prior 
approval of the extension and expansion of the Pilot Program and will 
allow the Exchange and the Commission additional time to analyze the 
impact of the Pilot Program.\11\ Accordingly, the Commission designates 
the proposed rule change as operative upon filing with the 
Commission.\12\
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    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \9\ 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 the 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 pre-filing requirement.
    \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \11\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61061 (November 24, 
2009), 74 FR 62857 (December 1, 2009) (SR-NYSEArca-2009-44).
    \12\ 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 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) \13\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed 
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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    \13\ 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-BOX-2018-23 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-BOX-2018-23. This file

[[Page 30473]]

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 website (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 website viewing and printing in 
the Commission's Public Reference Room, on official business days 
between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., located at 100 F Street 
NE, Washington, DC 20549. 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. Persons submitting 
comments are cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal 
identifying information from comment submissions. You should submit 
only information that you wish to make available publicly. All 
submissions should refer to File Number SR-BOX-2018-23 and should be 
submitted on or before July 19, 2018.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\14\
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    \14\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-13887 Filed 6-27-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P