[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 53 (Monday, March 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15277-15279]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05821]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-91334; File No. SR-BX-2021-005]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Nasdaq BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Amend Rule 4703 
Regarding Reserve Orders

March 16, 2021.
    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 March 4, 2021, Nasdaq BX, Inc. (``BX'' or ``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

    The Exchange proposes to amend Rule 4703, as described further 
below. The text of the proposed rule change is available on the 
Exchange's website at https://listingcenter.nasdaq.com/rulebook/bx/rules, 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
    The Exchange proposes to amend Rule 4703(h), which describes Orders 
with ``Reserve Size,'' \3\ to clarify its existing practice relating to 
replenishments of such Orders. As set forth in Rule 4703(h), ``Reserve 
Size'' is an Order Attribute that permits a Participant to stipulate 
that an Order Type that is Displayed may have its displayed size 
replenished from additional non-displayed size.\4\
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    \3\ Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-79290 (November 10, 
2016), 81 FR 81184 (November 17, 2016) (SR-BX-2016-046).
    \4\ An Order with Reserve Size may be referred to as a ``Reserve 
Order.''
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    The Exchange established the Reserve Orders with the intention that 
it would always act as a provider of liquidity upon replenishment. 
Indeed, this is what participants have come to expect from the 
operation of Reserve Orders.
    In late 2016, however, a rule filing introduced a rare circumstance 
where a Reserve Order, upon replenishment of its Displayed Order 
component, theoretically could become a liquidity remover under the 
existing Exchange Rules. Based upon the taker-maker model of the 
Exchange, this rare circumstances only occurs in securities priced less 
than $1.
    An example of the rare theoretical circumstance is as follows. 
Order 1 is a Price to Comply Order to buy at $0.95 resting on the 
Exchange book with 100 shares displayed and 3,000 shares in reserve 
(for a total order size of 3,100 shares). Order 2 is an Order to sell 
100 shares at $0.95, which executes against the 100 displayed shares 
from Order 1 upon entry. Order 3 is a Post Only order to sell 1,000 
shares at $0.95 that is

[[Page 15278]]

entered and posts to the Book before Order 1 has been replenished. 
Following the rules of the Post Only Order Type, Order 3 does not 
execute against the non-displayed interest resting at $0.95, but 
instead posts at the locking price. Therefore, upon replenishment, the 
new 100 shares of Order 1 would lock Order 3 at $0.95. As directed by 
the rule governing Price to Comply Orders,\5\ Order 1 would execute 
against Order 3 at $0.95 as a liquidity taker.
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    \5\ Pursuant to Rule 4702(b)(1)(A), a ``Price to Comply Order'' 
is an Order Type designed to comply with Rule 610(d) under 
Regulation NMS by avoiding the display of quotations that lock or 
cross any Protected Quotation in a System Security during Market 
Hours. The Price to Comply Order is also designed to provide 
potential price improvement. When a Price to Comply Order is 
entered, the Price to Comply Order will be executed against 
previously posted Orders on the Exchange Book that are priced equal 
to or better than the price of the Price to Comply Order, up to the 
full amount of such previously posted Orders, unless such executions 
would trade through a Protected Quotation.
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    The Exchange did not account for this scenario when drafting its 
rules. In fact, the Exchange does not presently handle this scenario as 
described above. Instead, upon replenishment, the Exchange reprices the 
new displayed Price to Comply Order such that it does not execute 
against Order 3 as a liquidity taker.
    However, the Exchange now proposes to eliminate any unintended 
inconsistency as to how it handles this scenario and make clear in its 
Rules that a Reserve Order is an adder of liquidity after posting on 
the Exchange Book in all circumstances. Specifically, the Exchange 
proposes to amend the Rule to state that if the new Displayed Order 
would lock an Order that posted to the Exchange Book before 
replenishment can occur, the Displayed Order will post at the locking 
price if the resting Order is Non-Display or will be repriced, ranked, 
and displayed at one minimum price increment lower (higher) than the 
locking price if the resting order to sell (buy) is 
Displayed.6 7
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    \6\ The Exchange notes that a Reserve Order that does not 
execute fully upon initial order entry will behave in the same 
manner as described in this Proposal if the Displayed portion of the 
Reserve Order would lock a resting Order upon entry.
    \7\ If a Displayed Order posts to the Exchange Book and locks a 
resting Non-Displayed Order with the Trade Now attribute enabled, 
then consistent with the definition of Trade Now, as set forth in 
Rule 4703(l), the Trade Now functionality would apply and the Non-
Displayed Order would be able to execute against the locking 
Displayed Order as a liquidity taker. If a locked Non-Displayed 
Order does not have the Trade Now attribute enabled, then new 
incoming orders will be eligible to execute against the Displayed 
Order.
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    Again, in the above example, the proposed rule will prevent Order 1 
from becoming a liquidity remover because upon replenishment, the new 
Displayed Order will not attempt to execute against Order 3, but 
instead it will post to the Exchange Book and display at a price of 
$0.9499, while the remaining 2,900 non-display shares in reserve will 
remain posted at $0.95.
    By posting new Displayed Orders without attempting to execute, the 
Displayed Order will avoid removing liquidity upon replenishment.\8\
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    \8\ The Exchange proposes to correct a non-substantive 
typographical error in the existing rule text by removing the word 
``the'' from the following sentence: ``For example, if a Price to 
Comply Order with Reserve Size . . . and the 150 shares . . . .''
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    The Exchange notes that the Commission has approved a similar rule 
change that its sister exchange, the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC 
(``Nasdaq''), submitted late last year.\9\ The Exchange's proposal will 
harmonize the Exchange's Reserve Order Attribute rule with that of 
Nasdaq, except that the circumstance that the Exchange's proposal is 
designed to address applies only to securities priced less than $1.
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    \9\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-91109 (February 
11, 2021), 86 FR 10141 (February 18, 2021) (SR-NASDAQ-2020-090).
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2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 
6(b) of the Act,\10\ in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 
6(b)(5) of the Act,\11\ in particular, in that it is designed to 
promote just and equitable principles of trade, 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.
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    \10\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \11\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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    The proposed rule change is consistent with the Act because it will 
help ensure that the Exchange's Rule governing Reserve Orders will be 
consistent with the original intention of the Exchange and the 
expectation of participants that such Orders, after posting on the 
Exchange Book, will always be liquidity providers and not liquidity 
takers. It would also ensure that the Exchange's Order Types operate 
the same way during a race condition as they do during normal 
conditions. The proposal would eliminate any ambiguity under the 
existing rules as to whether a Reserve Order would take liquidity when 
a locking order posts to the Exchange book prior to the Reserve Order 
completing its replenishment (or prior to the Displayed portion of a 
Reserve Order posting to the Exchange Book for the first time). Thus, 
the proposal would ensure that the Exchange's Rules are transparent and 
clear about how the System processes Reserve Orders.
    Finally, the proposal is consistent with the Act because it would 
correct a non-substantive typographical error in the Rule text, which 
will improve its readability and clarity, to the benefit of the public 
and investors.

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. Again, Exchange intends for the 
proposed rule change to only eliminate an inconsistency as to how it 
handles a rare circumstance that causes the System to process Reserve 
Orders in an unintended manner. The Exchange does not anticipate this 
proposal will have any impact on competition whatsoever.

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 \12\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6) thereunder.\13\
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    \12\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \13\ 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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    A proposed rule change filed pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the 
Act \14\ normally does not become operative for 30 days after the date 
of its filing. However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \15\ permits the 
Commission to designate a shorter time if such action is consistent 
with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange 
has requested that the Commission waive the 30-day operative delay. 
Waiver of the operative delay would allow the

[[Page 15279]]

Exchange to immediately amend its Reserve Order rule to account for 
scenarios that may occur today and harmonize its Reserve Order rule 
with that of Nasdaq.\16\ The Commission believes that waiver of the 30-
day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and 
the public interest. Accordingly, the Commission hereby waives the 
operative delay and designates the proposed rule change operative upon 
filing.\17\
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    \14\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \15\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \16\ See supra note 9. According to the Exchange, given its 
taker-maker model, the circumstance that the proposal is designed to 
address applies only to securities priced less than $1.
    \17\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, 
the Commission also 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 change 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-BX-2021-005 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-BX-2021-005. 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, 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-BX-2021-005 and should be submitted on 
or before April 12, 2021.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\18\
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    \18\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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J. Matthew DeLesDernier,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-05821 Filed 3-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P