[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17860-17862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07313]



[[Page 17860]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-102918; File No. SR-PEARL-2025-17]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; MIAX PEARL, LLC; Notice of Filing 
and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Amend Exchange 
Rule 2625 To Introduce a New Data Product Known as the U.S. Equity 
Short Volume & Trades Report

April 23, 2025.
    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 April 14, 2025, MIAX PEARL, LLC (``MIAX Pearl'' or 
``Exchange''),\3\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ All references to ``MIAX Pearl'' in this filing are to MIAX 
Pearl Equities, the equities trading facility of MIAX PEARL, LLC. 
See Exchange Rule 1901.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to amend Exchange Rule 2625 to introduce a 
new data product to be known as the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades 
Report.
    The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's 
website at https://www.miaxglobal.com/markets/us-equities/pearl-equities/rule-filings, at MIAX Pearl's principal office, 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, MIAX Pearl 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. MIAX Pearl 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
    The Exchange proposes to amend Exchange Rule 2625 to adopt a new 
subparagraph 2625(b)(1)(i) in order to introduce a new data product to 
be known as the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report. A description 
of market data products offered by the Exchange is provided in Exchange 
Rule 2625 and proposed Exchange Rule 2625(b)(1)(i) provides that the 
U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report is a report that will contain 
both an end-of-day short volume report and an end-of-month report that 
provides a record of all short sale transactions for the month. The 
Exchange's proposed U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report is 
substantively similar to the same-named reports offered by Cboe BZX 
Exchange, Inc. (``BZX Equities''), Cboe EDGX Exchange, Inc. (``EDGX 
Equities''), Cboe BYX Exchange, Inc. (``BYX Equities''), and Cboe EDGA 
Exchange, Inc. (``EDGA Equities'').\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See BZX Equities Rule 11.22(f); BYX Equities Rule 11.22(f); 
EDGX Equities Rule 13.8(h); and EDGA Equities Rule 13.8(h).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The proposed end-of-day report (``EOD Report'') included within the 
U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report will summarize certain equity 
trading activity on the Exchange, including trade date,\5\ total trade 
volume,\6\ sell short trade volume,\7\ and sell short exempt trade 
volume,\8\ by symbol.\9\ The proposed end-of-month report (``EOM 
Report'') included in the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report will 
provide a record of all short sale transactions for the month, 
including trade date and time (in nanoseconds),\10\ trade size,\11\ 
trade price,\12\ and type of short sale execution,\13\ by symbol and 
exchange.\14\ The U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report will be 
available for purchase to both Equity Members \15\ as well as non-
Members.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ ``Trade date'' is the date of trading activity in yyyy-mm-dd 
format. This is the same format as is currently provided in the Cboe 
family of exchanges' reports. See Cboe U.S. Equity Short Volume & 
Trades Report Product Specifications, v1.0, available at https://datashop.cboe.com/documents/CboeEquityShortVol_Trades_Spec.pdf (last 
visited April 2, 2025) (``Cboe Short Sale Report Spec'').
    \6\ ``Total trade volume'' is the total number of shares 
transacted. This data point is included in the Cboe family of 
exchanges' reports. See id.
    \7\ ``Sell short trade volume'' is the total number of shares 
sold short. This data point is included in the Cboe family of 
exchanges' reports. See id.
    \8\ ``Sell short exempt trade volume'' is the total number of 
shares sold short classified as exempt. This data point is included 
in the Cboe family of exchanges' reports. See id.
    \9\ ``Symbol'' refers to the MIAX Pearl Equities formatted 
symbol in which the trading activity occurred. See https://www.miaxglobal.com/markets/us-equities/pearl-equities/listings.
    \10\ ``Trade date and time'' is the date and time of trading 
activity in yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss:mmm:nnnnnn (nanoseconds) ET format. 
This data point is substantively similar to the trade date and time 
data point included in the Cboe family of exchanges' reports, except 
that the Cboe family of exchanges' reports are in microseconds. See 
Cboe Short Sale Report Spec, supra note 5.
    \11\ ``Trade size'' is the number of shares transacted. This 
data point is included in the Cboe family of exchanges' reports. See 
id.
    \12\ ``Trade price'' is the price at which shares were 
transacted. This data point is included in the Cboe family of 
exchanges' reports. See id.
    \13\ ``Short sale type'' is a data field that will indicate 
whether the transaction was a short sale or short sale exempt 
transaction. A short sale transaction is a transaction in which a 
seller sells a security which the seller does not own, or the seller 
has borrowed for its own account. See 17 CFR 242.200. A short sale 
exempt transaction is a short sale transaction that is exempt from 
the short sale price test restrictions of Regulation SHO Rule 201. 
See 17 CFR 242.201(c). This data point is included in the Cboe 
family of exchanges' reports. See id.
    \14\ ``Exchange'' is the market identifier (H = PEARL).
    \15\ The term ``Equity Member'' is a Member authorized by the 
Exchange to transact business on MIAX Pearl Equities. See Exchange 
Rule 1901.
    \16\ The Exchange intends to submit a separate filing to 
establish fees for the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As noted herein, the data fields proposed to be included in the 
proposed EOD Report and EOM Report are substantively similar to the 
data fields included by BZX Equities, BYX Equities, EDGX Equities and 
EDGA Equities in their reports of the same name.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ See supra note 5. See also, e.g., Securities Exchange Act 
Release No. 97304 (April 13, 2023), 88 FR 24246 (April 19, 2023) 
(SR-CboeBZX-2023-024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Both the EOD Report and EOM Report will be included in the cost of 
the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report and will be available for 
purchase by both Equity Members and non-Members on an annual or monthly 
subscription basis. At this time, the Exchange does not propose to 
offer historical data in the EOD Report and EOM Report.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ The Exchange notes that this differs from the Cboe family 
of exchanges' reports, which currently offer historical data. See 
fee schedules for BZX Equities, BYX Equities, EDGX Equities, and 
EDGA Equities, available at https://www.cboe.com/us/equities/membership/pricing/ (last visited April 3, 2025) (providing users 
the ability to purchase historical US Equity Short Volume & Trades 
Report data on a per month basis).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange anticipates that a wide variety of market participants 
will purchase the proposed U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report, 
including, but not limited to, active equity trading firms and academic

[[Page 17861]]

institutions. For example, the Exchange notes that academic 
institutions may utilize the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report 
data and as a result promote research and studies of the equities 
industry to the benefit of all market participants. The Exchange 
further believes the proposed U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report 
may provide helpful trading information regarding investor sentiment 
that may allow market participants to make more informed trading 
decisions and may be used to create and test trading models and 
analytical strategies and provide comprehensive insight into trading on 
the Exchange. The proposed U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report is 
a completely voluntary product, in that the Exchange is not required by 
any rule or regulation to make this data available and that potential 
subscribers may purchase it only if they voluntarily choose to do so.
    The Exchange also proposes to amend the heading of Exchange Rule 
2625 to now be ``Proprietary Data Products and Reports''. The Exchange 
proposes to add two subheadings under Rule 2625, which are ``(a) 
Proprietary Market Data Products'' and ``(b) Reports''. The currently 
available data products provided by the Exchange are Depth of Market 
Feed, Top of Market Feed, and Historical Data, which would fall under 
proposed Exchange Rule 2625(a). Subparagraphs (a)-(c) of Exchange Rule 
2625 will be renumbered as (a)(1)(i)-(a)(1)(iii). The proposed U.S. 
Equity Short Volume & Trades Report would fall under proposed 
subparagraph (b)(1)(i) of Exchange Rule 2625. The purpose of these 
changes is to provide consistency and clarity in the Exchange's 
Rulebook regarding available market data products and reports.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with 
the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to the 
Exchange and, in particular, the requirements of Section 6(b) of the 
Act.\19\ Specifically, the Exchange believes the proposed rule change 
is consistent with the Section 6(b)(5) \20\ requirements that the rules 
of an exchange be 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 regulating, 
clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and 
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. 
Additionally, the Exchange believes the proposed rule change is 
consistent with the Section 6(b)(5) \21\ requirement that the rules of 
an exchange not be designed to permit unfair discrimination between 
customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \20\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
    \21\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In adopting Regulation NMS, the Commission granted self-regulatory 
organizations (``SROs'') and broker-dealers increased authority and 
flexibility to offer new and unique market data to the public. It was 
believed that this authority would expand the amount of data available 
to consumers, and also spur innovation and competition for the 
provision of market data. The Exchange believes that the proposed U.S. 
Equity Short Volume & Trades Report would further broaden the 
availability of U.S. equity market data to investors consistent with 
the principles of Regulation NMS. The proposal also promotes increased 
transparency through the dissemination of short volume and short sale 
execution data. The proposed rule change would benefit investors by 
providing access to the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades data, which 
may promote better informed trading, as well as research and studies of 
the equities industry.
    Moreover, as noted above, the Cboe family of exchanges offer 
substantively similar reports on a daily and monthly basis via a short 
sale file.\22\ The Cboe reports provide data that is substantively 
similar to the offering proposed by the Exchange. The proposed EOD 
Report that will be offered as one component of the U.S. Equity Short 
Volume & Trades Report will contain trade date, total trade volume, 
sell short trade volume, and sell short exempt trade volume by symbol, 
which is substantially similar to the Cboe family of exchanges' daily 
short volume product offerings.\23\ The proposed EOM Report that will 
be offered as the second component of the U.S. Equity Short Volume & 
Trades Report will contain date, time, size, price, short sale type, 
market center, and symbol, which is nearly identical to the data fields 
found within the Cboe family of exchanges' monthly short volume 
reports.\24\ As stated previously, the Exchange's EOM Report is nearly 
identical to the Cboe family of exchanges' monthly reports in that the 
Exchange will offer substantively similar data fields. Accordingly, the 
proposed U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report does not provide a 
unique or novel data offering, but rather offers data points consistent 
with other data products already available and utilized by market 
participants today.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ See supra note 5.
    \23\ See supra notes 6, 7, 8 and 9.
    \24\ See supra notes 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange believes the proposed changes to the headings and 
subparagraphs in Exchange Rule 2625 will promote just and equitable 
principles of trade and remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism 
of a free and open market and a national market system because the 
proposed rule changes will provide greater clarity to Equity Members 
and the public regarding the Exchange's Rulebook regarding available 
market data products and reports.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposal will impose any 
burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in 
furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
Intramarket Competition
    The Exchange believes the proposed rule change does not impose any 
burden on intramarket competition that is not necessary or appropriate 
in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. Rather, the Exchange 
believes that the proposal will promote fair competition among the 
national securities exchanges by permitting the Exchange to offer a 
data product that provides substantially the same data offered by other 
equities exchanges.\25\ The Exchange's proposed U.S. Equity Short 
Volume & Trades Report will contain both an EOD Report and an EOM 
Report, both of which are nearly identical to the Cboe family of 
exchanges' data product offerings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ See supra note 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Intermarket Competition
    Additionally, the Exchange believes the proposed rule change does 
not impose any burden on intermarket competition that is not necessary 
or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The U.S. 
Equity Short Volume & Trades Report will be available equally to Equity 
Members and non-Members. Market participants are not required to 
purchase the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report, and the Exchange 
is not required to make the U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report 
available. Rather, the Exchange is voluntarily making the U.S. Equity 
Short Volume & Trades Report available, as requested by customers,

[[Page 17862]]

and market participants may choose to receive (and, subject to filing 
by the Exchange, pay for) this data based on their own business needs. 
Potential purchasers may request the data at any time if they believe 
it to be valuable or may decline to purchase such data. Given the 
above, 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 does not believe that the proposed changes to the 
headings and subparagraphs in Exchange Rule 2625 will impose any burden 
on competition not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the 
purposes of the Act. Specifically, the Exchange believes the proposed 
changes will not impose any burden on intra-market because the rules of 
the Exchange apply to all Equity Members equally. The proposed rule 
changes to the headings and subparagraphs in Exchange Rule 2625 will 
have no impact on competition as they are not designed to address any 
competitive issue but rather are designed to provide added clarity to 
the Exchange's Rulebook.

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

    Written comments were neither solicited nor 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 \26\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \27\ 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 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 \28\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \29\ 
thereunder.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \27\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \28\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \29\ 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, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \30\ normally 
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the 
filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\31\ 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 proposed 
rule change may become operative immediately upon filing. The Exchange 
states that its proposed U.S. Equity Short Volume & Trades Report is 
nearly identical to the US Equity Short Volume & Trades Reports 
provided by the Cboe family of exchanges, and that introduction of its 
proposed report will promote competition among the national securities 
exchanges. For these reasons, and because the proposed rule change does 
not raise any novel legal or regulatory issues, the Commission believes 
that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the 
protection of investors and the public interest. Therefore, the 
Commission hereby waives the 30-day operative delay and designates the 
proposed rule change to be operative upon filing.\32\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
    \31\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
    \32\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, 
the Commission has also considered the proposed rule's impact on 
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 
78c(f).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an email to [email protected]. Please include 
file number SR-PEARL-2025-17 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-PEARL-2025-17. 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 (https://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 
a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. Do not 
include personal identifiable information in submissions; you should 
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. We 
may redact in part or withhold entirely from publication submitted 
material that is obscene or subject to copyright protection. All 
submissions should refer to file number SR-PEARL-2025-17 and should be 
submitted on or before May 20, 2025.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\33\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \33\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12), (59).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sherry R. Haywood,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-07313 Filed 4-28-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P