[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 836-837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00471]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-84959; File No. SR-MRX-2018-41]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Nasdaq MRX, LLC; Notice of Filing
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Extend the Penny
Pilot Program
December 26, 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 December 21, 2018, Nasdaq MRX, LLC (``MRX'' or ``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 its rules to extend a pilot program
to quote and to trade certain options classes in penny increments
(``Penny Pilot Program'' or ``Penny Pilot'').
The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's
website at http://nasdaqmrx.cchwallstreet.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 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
Under the Penny Pilot Program, the minimum price variation for all
participating options classes, except for the Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking
Stock (``QQQQ''), the SPDR S&P 500 Exchange Traded Fund (``SPY'') and
the iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (``IWM''), is $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 IWM are quoted in $0.01
increments for all options series. The Penny Pilot Program is currently
scheduled to expire on December 31, 2018.\3\ The Exchange proposes to
extend the Penny Pilot Program through June 30, 2019, and to provide a
revised date for adding replacement issues to the Penny Pilot Program.
The Exchange proposes that any Penny Pilot Program issues that have
been delisted may be replaced on the second trading day following
January 1, 2019. The replacement issues will be selected based on
trading activity for the most recent six month period excluding the
month immediately preceding the replacement (i.e., beginning June 1,
2018, and ending November 30, 2018). This filing does not propose any
substantive changes to the Penny Pilot Program: All classes currently
participating will remain the same and all minimum increments will
remain unchanged. The Exchange believes the benefits to public
customers and other market participants who will be able to express
their true prices to buy and sell options have been demonstrated to
outweigh any increase in quote traffic.
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\3\ See Exchange Act Release No. 83534 (June 28, 2018), 83 FR
31213 (July 3, 2018) (SR-MRX-2018-22).
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Lastly, the Exchange proposes a non-substantive change in
Supplementary Material .01 to Rule 710 to update ``Market Information
Circulars'' to ``Options Trader Alerts'' to reflect current
practice.\4\
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\4\ Today, the Exchange specifies which options trade in the
Penny Pilot Program, and in what increments, in Options Trader
Alerts distributed to Members.
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2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent
with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder that are applicable to a national securities exchange, and,
in particular, with the requirements of Section 6(b) of the Act.\5\
Specifically, the proposed rule change is consistent with Section
6(b)(5) of the Act,\6\ because it is designed to promote just and
equitable principles of trade, remove impediments to and perfect the
mechanisms of a free and open market and a national market system and,
in general, to protect investors and the public interest. In
particular, the proposed rule change, which extends the Penny Pilot
Program for an additional six months, will enable public customers and
other market participants to express their true prices to buy and sell
options to the benefit of all market participants. Furthermore, the
Exchange's proposal to update ``Market Information Circulars'' to
``Options Trader Alerts'' in Supplementary Material .01 to Rule 710
will bring greater transparency to the Exchange's Rulebook to the
benefit of all market participants.
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\5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
\6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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[[Page 837]]
B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
In accordance with Section 6(b)(8) of the Act,\7\ the Exchange does
not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on
intermarket or intramarket competition that is not necessary or
appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. Specifically,
the Exchange believes that, by extending the expiration of the Penny
Pilot Program, the proposed rule change will allow for further analysis
of the Penny Pilot Program and a determination of how the Penny Pilot
Program should be structured in the future. In doing so, the proposed
rule change will also serve to promote regulatory clarity and
consistency, thereby reducing burdens on the marketplace and
facilitating investor protection.
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\7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(8).
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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
The Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \8\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \9\ thereunder. 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 after the date of the filing, 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 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \10\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6)
\11\ thereunder.
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\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\11\ 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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A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \12\ normally
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of filing.
However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\13\ 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.\14\ Accordingly, the
Commission designates the proposed rule change as operative upon filing
with the Commission.\15\
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\12\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\13\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
\14\ See Securities Exchange Release No. 61061 (November 24,
2009), 74 FR 62857 (December 1, 2009) (SR-NYSEArca-2009-44).
\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-MRX-2018-41 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-MRX-2018-41. 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 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, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC
20549-1090 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.
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-MRX-2018-41
and should be submitted on or before February 21, 2019.
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,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-00471 Filed 1-30-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P