Self-Regulatory Organizations; Boston Stock Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Extend the $1 Strike Pilot Program for an Additional Year, 26188-26190 [E7-8733]
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26188
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 88 / Tuesday, May 8, 2007 / Notices
exchange.7 In particular, the
Commission finds that the proposed
rule change is consistent with the
requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the
Act,8 which requires, among other
things, that the rules of the Exchange be
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.
The Commission believes that the
quote assist feature should help to
ensure that eligible customer limit
orders are displayed within the required
time period. The Commission notes that
the Exchange represents that it will
continue to conduct surveillance to
ensure that specialists comply with
their obligation to execute or book all
eligible limit orders within the time
period prescribed by Exchange rules,
and that excessive reliance upon the
quote assist feature will be reviewed by
the Exchange as a possible violation of
the Rule.
The Exchange has requested that the
Commission approve the proposed rule
change prior to the thirtieth day after
publication of notice of the filing in the
Federal Register. The Commission
believes that granting accelerated
approval will allow the Exchange to
continue to operate the Pilot Program
without interruption. Accordingly, the
Commission finds good cause, pursuant
to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,9 for
approving the proposal prior to the
thirtieth day after publication of the
notice of the filing thereof in the
Federal Register.
V. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,10 that the
proposed rule change (SR–Amex–2007–
41) is hereby approved on an
accelerated basis.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated
authority.11
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7–8734 Filed 5–7–07; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
7 In
approving the proposed rule, the Commission
has considered the rule’s impact on efficiency,
competition and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C.
78c(f).
8 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
9 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
10 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
11 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–55684; File No. SR–BSE–
2007–17]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Boston
Stock Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing
and Immediate Effectiveness of
Proposed Rule Change To Extend the
$1 Strike Pilot Program for an
Additional Year
April 30, 2007.
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 25,
2007, the Boston Stock Exchange, Inc.
(‘‘BSE’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
change as described in Items I, II, and
III below, which Items have been
substantially prepared by BSE. The
Exchange has filed the proposal as a
‘‘non-controversial’’ rule change
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the
Act 3 and Rule 19b–4(f)(6) thereunder,4
which renders it effective upon filing
with the Commission. The Commission
is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change
from interested persons.
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 its $1 strike pilot
program (‘‘Pilot Program’’) for an
additional year until June 5, 2008. The
text of the proposed rule change is
available at BSE, the Commission’s
Public Reference Room, and https://
www.bostonstock.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, BSE
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. BSE has prepared
summaries, set forth in Sections A, B,
and C below, of the most significant
aspects of such statements.
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
4 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
2 17
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A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
The purpose of the proposed rule
change is to extend the Pilot Program 5
under the Rules of the Boston Options
Exchange (‘‘BOX’’) for an additional
year. The Pilot Program allows the
Boston Options Exchange Regulation
(‘‘BOXR’’), the department of BSE with
the delegated regulatory authority over
BOX, to list options on a pilot basis on
up to five selected underlying equities
trading below $20 at $1 strike price
intervals and to list $1 strike prices on
any equity option included in the $1
strike price pilot program of any other
options exchange until June 5, 2007.
The proposed rule change retains the
text of Supplementary Material .02 to
Section 6 of Chapter IV of the BOX
Rules, as currently established on a pilot
basis, and seeks to extend the operation
of the Pilot Program for another year
until June 5, 2008.
Chapter IV, Section 6 of the BOX
Rules establishes guidelines regarding
the addition of options series for trading
on BOX. Under the Pilot Program, in
order to be eligible for selection into the
Pilot Program, the underlying stock
must close below $20 on its primary
market on the previous trading day. If
selected for the Pilot Program, BOXR
may list strike prices at $1 intervals
from $3 to $20, but no $1 strike price
may be listed that is greater than $5
from the underlying stock’s closing
price on its primary market on the
previous day. BOXR also may list $1
strikes on any other options class
designated by another options exchange
that employs a similar pilot program
under its rules. BOXR may not list longterm option series (‘‘LEAPS’’) at $1
strike price intervals for any class
selected for the Pilot Program. BOXR
also is restricted from listing any series
that would result in strike prices being
$0.50 apart.
The Pilot Program was initially
proposed in reaction to the general
decrease in stock prices and the
proliferation of stocks trading below
$20, including some of the most widely
held and actively traded equity
securities listed on the New York Stock
5 BSE implemented the Pilot Program in February
2004 and extended it three times through June 5,
2007. See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos.
49292 (February 20, 2004), 69 FR 8993 (February
26, 2004) (SR–BSE–2004–01) (establishing the Pilot
Program); 49806 (June 4, 2004), 69 FR 32640 (June
10, 2004) (SR–BSE–2004–22); 51778 (June 2, 2005),
70 FR 33562 (June 8, 2005) (SR–BSE–2005–18); and
53855 (May 24, 2006), 71 FR 30973 (May 31, 2006)
(SR–BSE–2006–19).
E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 88 / Tuesday, May 8, 2007 / Notices
Exchange, the American Stock
Exchange, and Nasdaq. BSE notes that
many of these stocks are still trading
below $20, including, for example,
Oracle, Micron Technology, EMC Corp,
and Motorola.
When a stock underlying an option
trades at a lower price, it requires a
larger percentage gain in the price of the
stock for an option to become in-themoney. For example, if a stock trades at
$10, an investor that wants to purchase
a slightly out-of-the-money call option
would have to buy the $12.50 call. At
these levels, the stock price would need
to increase by 25% to reach in-themoney status. BSE notes that a 25% or
higher gain in the price of the
underlying stock is especially large
given the lessened degree of volatility
that recently has accompanied many
stocks and options. According to BSE,
listing additional strike prices on these
classes has allowed BOX Participants to
provide their customers with greater
trading flexibility in achieving their
investment strategies. In further support
of this proposed rule change, the
Exchange submitted to the Commission
a Pilot Program Report, attached as
Exhibit 3 to the filing, offering detailed
data from and analysis of the Pilot
Program.
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2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the data
demonstrates that there is sufficient
investor interest and demand to extend
the Pilot Program for another year,
without adversely affecting systems
capacity. The proposed rule change is
designed to provide investors with
greater trading opportunities, and the
flexibility and ability to more closely
tailor their investment strategies and
decisions to the movement of the
underlying security. Accordingly, the
Exchange believes that the proposal is
consistent with the requirements of
Section 6(b) of the Act,6 in general, and
of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,7 in
particular, in that it is designed 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.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that
the proposed rule change will impose
6 15
7 15
U.S.C. 78f(b).
U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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15:36 May 07, 2007
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any burden on competition not
necessary or appropriate in the
furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
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
Because the foregoing rule change
does not: (1) Significantly affect the
protection of investors or the public
interest; (2) impose any significant
burden on competition; and (3) become
operative for 30 days from the date of
this filing, or such shorter time as the
Commission may designate, it has
become effective pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 8 and Rule 19b–
4(f)(6) thereunder.910
At any time within 60 days of the
filing of the proposed rule change, the
Commission may summarily abrogate
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,
8 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6). Rule 19b–4(f)(6) also
requires the self-regulatory organization to give the
Commission 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. BSE has satisfied the five-day prefiling requirement. In the event that BSE proposes
to: (1) Extend the Pilot Program beyond June 5,
2008; (2) expand the number of options eligible for
inclusion in the Pilot Program; or (3) seek
permanent approval of the Pilot Program, BSE will
submit a Pilot Program report to the Commission
along with the filing of its proposal to extend,
expand, or seek permanent approval of the Pilot
Program. BSE will file any proposal to expand or
seek permanent approval of the Pilot Program and
the Pilot Program report with the Commission at
least 60 days prior to the expiration of the Pilot
Program. The Pilot Program report will cover the
entire time the Pilot Program was in effect and will
include: (1) Data and written analysis on the open
interest and trading volume for options (at all strike
price intervals) selected for the Pilot Program; (2)
delisted options series (for all strike price intervals)
for all options selected for the Pilot Program; (3) an
assessment of the appropriateness of $1 strike price
intervals for the options BSE selected for the Pilot
Program; (4) an assessment of the impact of the
Pilot Program on the capacity of BSE’s, the Options
Price Reporting Authority’s, and vendors’
automated systems; (5) any capacity problems or
other problems that arose during the operation of
the Pilot Program and how BSE addressed them; (6)
any complaints that BSE received during the
operation of the Pilot Program and how BSE
addressed them; and (7) any additional information
that would help to assess the operation of the Pilot
Program.
10 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
9 17
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26189
or otherwise in furtherance of the
purposes of the Act.
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 e-mail to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File
No. SR–BSE–2007–17 on the subject
line.
Paper Comments
• Send paper comments in triplicate
to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary,
Securities and Exchange Commission,
Station Place, 100 F Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20549–1090.
All submissions should refer to File No.
SR–BSE–2007–17. This file number
should be included on the subject line
if e-mail 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 (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 inspection and copying in
the Commission’s Public Reference
Room. Copies of such filing will also be
available for inspection and copying at
the principal office of BSE. 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 No.
SR–BSE–2007–17 and should be
submitted on or before May 29, 2007.
E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM
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26190
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 88 / Tuesday, May 8, 2007 / Notices
For the Commission, by the Division of
Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated
authority.10
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7–8733 Filed 5–7–07; 8:45 am]
discussed any comments it received
regarding the proposal. 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.
BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
A. Self Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–55679; File No. SR–
NYSEArca–2007–35]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE
Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and
Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed
Rule Change Relating to Exchange
Fees and Charges
April 27, 2007.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) 1 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
‘‘Act’’) 2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3
notice is hereby given that on April 3,
2007, NYSE Arca, Inc. (the ‘‘Exchange’’),
through its wholly owned subsidiary,
NYSE Arca Equities, Inc. (‘‘NYSE Arca
Equities’’), 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 Exchange. The
Exchange has filed this proposal
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the
Act 4 and Rule 19b–4(f)(2) thereunder,5
which renders the proposed rule change
effective upon filing with the
Commission. The Commission is
publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change
from interested persons.
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
NYSE Arca is proposing to amend its
Schedule of Fees and Charges for
Exchange Services (‘‘Schedule’’). The
text of the proposed rule change is
available at https://www.nysearca.com, at
the Exchange’s Office of the Secretary,
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 changes and
10 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C.78s(b)(1).
2 15 U.S.C. 78a.
3 17 CFR 240.19b–4
4 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
5 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2).
1 15
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15:36 May 07, 2007
Jkt 211001
1. Purpose
The purpose of this filing is to amend
the existing NYSE Arca Rate Schedule
by revising or eliminating certain fees
and adding clarifying language to either
footnotes or explanatory text, associated
with certain fees. The Exchange also
proposes making minor technical
changes to the Schedule. A brief
description of each proposed change is
shown below.
OTP Trading Participant Rights
NYSE Arca Market Makers pay a fee
of $4,000 per month for each Options
Trading Permit (OTP) used. The fee is
presently capped at $16,000 per month,
which represents four OTPs. Pursuant to
NYSEArca Rule 6.35(d)(4), a Market
Maker with four OTPs is permitted to
trade all issues on the Exchange.
Because of this provision, there would
never be an occasion for a Market Maker
to need more than four OTPs, thereby
negating any need for a fee cap. As a
result, the Exchange proposes to
eliminate the $16,000 fee cap from the
Schedule.
LMM Options Issue Relinquishment Fee
This fee was initially implemented to
help offset the costs incurred by the
Exchange when a Lead Market Maker
(‘‘LMM’’) relinquished an allocated
option issue. Previously, the
relinquishment process involved
administrative and technological
changes, both of which were mostly
manual processes. Much of the process
has now been automated and the
associated cost has been significantly
reduced. Accordingly, the Exchange
proposes eliminating the Issue
Relinquishment Fee in its entirety.
DEA Fee
The Exchange charges a one time $75
registration fee, for new applicants,
when the Exchange also acts as the
Designated Examining Authority. This
fee helps to offset administrative
expenses involved in processing new
applications. Much of the processing is
now done over the NASD Central
Registration Depository (‘‘CRD’’).
Included in the fees that NASD collects
PO 00000
Frm 00120
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
on behalf of the Exchange, is a $55
assessment for new applicants. The
Exchange believes that these fees are
duplicitous and as such, will eliminate
the $75 one time registration fee.
Weekly Bulletin Subscription Fee
NYSE Arca distributes a Weekly
Bulletin (‘‘Bulletin’’) to OTP Holders
and OTP Firms in order to provide them
with regulatory bulletins, rule adoption
notices, and other official
communications. The Bulletin has been
available either electronically or via
U.S. Mail. To offset the cost of postage
and handling, the Exchange charges a
$200 per year subscription fee to anyone
electing to receive the Bulletin via
regular mail.
NYSE Arca Rule 2.25 requires that
Each OTP Holder and OTP Firm must
maintain with NYSE Arca an electronic
mail account for communication with
the NYSE Arca. Presently, all OTP
Holders and OTP Firms receive the
Bulletin via e-mail subscriptions. As a
result, the Exchange will no longer offer
the option of receiving the Bulletin via
regular mail. Therefore, the Exchange
proposes eliminating the Subscription
Fee.
Transaction Fees
The Exchange proposes making minor
changes to the Order Types included in
the Transaction Fee section of the
Schedule.
Orders executed on behalf of
registered Broker Dealers (‘‘BD’’), or
Broker Dealer Firms, are presently
assessed the ‘‘BD rate.’’ In order to avoid
any misunderstanding and to clarify
that the ‘‘BD rate’’ is applicable to the
BD Firms as well as the BDs, the BD
Electronic rate and BD Manual rate will
now read ‘‘Broker Dealer & Firm
Electronic’’ and ‘‘Broker Dealer & Firm
Manual.’’
Presently, the ‘‘Firm rate’’ applies to
any transaction involving a proprietary
trading account of an OTP Firm that has
a customer of that OTP Firm on the
contra side of the transaction. This
explanation presently appears on the
Schedule as a footnote to the Firm fee.
This practice is generally referred to as
‘‘facilitating’’ an order. In order to better
explain that the ‘‘Firm rate’’ is only
applicable when a firm facilitates their
customer’s order, the Schedule will now
read ‘‘Firm Facilitation.’’
Marketing Charge—QQQQ
The Exchange assesses Market Makers
a Marketing Charge on certain
transactions. The Standard and Poor’s
Depository Receipts (QQQQ) carry a
$1.00 per contract charge. Marketing
Charges are not assessed on issues that
E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM
08MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26188-26190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8733]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-55684; File No. SR-BSE-2007-17]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Boston Stock Exchange, Inc.;
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To
Extend the $1 Strike Pilot Program for an Additional Year
April 30, 2007.
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 25, 2007, the Boston Stock Exchange, Inc. (``BSE'' or
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II,
and III below, which Items have been substantially prepared by BSE. The
Exchange has filed the proposal as a ``non-controversial'' rule change
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6)
thereunder,\4\ which renders it effective upon filing with the
Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 its $1 strike
pilot program (``Pilot Program'') for an additional year until June 5,
2008. The text of the proposed rule change is available at BSE, the
Commission's Public Reference Room, and https://www.bostonstock.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, BSE 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. BSE 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 purpose of the proposed rule change is to extend the Pilot
Program \5\ under the Rules of the Boston Options Exchange (``BOX'')
for an additional year. The Pilot Program allows the Boston Options
Exchange Regulation (``BOXR''), the department of BSE with the
delegated regulatory authority over BOX, to list options on a pilot
basis on up to five selected underlying equities trading below $20 at
$1 strike price intervals and to list $1 strike prices on any equity
option included in the $1 strike price pilot program of any other
options exchange until June 5, 2007. The proposed rule change retains
the text of Supplementary Material .02 to Section 6 of Chapter IV of
the BOX Rules, as currently established on a pilot basis, and seeks to
extend the operation of the Pilot Program for another year until June
5, 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ BSE implemented the Pilot Program in February 2004 and
extended it three times through June 5, 2007. See Securities
Exchange Act Release Nos. 49292 (February 20, 2004), 69 FR 8993
(February 26, 2004) (SR-BSE-2004-01) (establishing the Pilot
Program); 49806 (June 4, 2004), 69 FR 32640 (June 10, 2004) (SR-BSE-
2004-22); 51778 (June 2, 2005), 70 FR 33562 (June 8, 2005) (SR-BSE-
2005-18); and 53855 (May 24, 2006), 71 FR 30973 (May 31, 2006) (SR-
BSE-2006-19).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter IV, Section 6 of the BOX Rules establishes guidelines
regarding the addition of options series for trading on BOX. Under the
Pilot Program, in order to be eligible for selection into the Pilot
Program, the underlying stock must close below $20 on its primary
market on the previous trading day. If selected for the Pilot Program,
BOXR may list strike prices at $1 intervals from $3 to $20, but no $1
strike price may be listed that is greater than $5 from the underlying
stock's closing price on its primary market on the previous day. BOXR
also may list $1 strikes on any other options class designated by
another options exchange that employs a similar pilot program under its
rules. BOXR may not list long-term option series (``LEAPS''[supreg]) at
$1 strike price intervals for any class selected for the Pilot Program.
BOXR also is restricted from listing any series that would result in
strike prices being $0.50 apart.
The Pilot Program was initially proposed in reaction to the general
decrease in stock prices and the proliferation of stocks trading below
$20, including some of the most widely held and actively traded equity
securities listed on the New York Stock
[[Page 26189]]
Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, and Nasdaq. BSE notes that many
of these stocks are still trading below $20, including, for example,
Oracle, Micron Technology, EMC Corp, and Motorola.
When a stock underlying an option trades at a lower price, it
requires a larger percentage gain in the price of the stock for an
option to become in-the-money. For example, if a stock trades at $10,
an investor that wants to purchase a slightly out-of-the-money call
option would have to buy the $12.50 call. At these levels, the stock
price would need to increase by 25% to reach in-the-money status. BSE
notes that a 25% or higher gain in the price of the underlying stock is
especially large given the lessened degree of volatility that recently
has accompanied many stocks and options. According to BSE, listing
additional strike prices on these classes has allowed BOX Participants
to provide their customers with greater trading flexibility in
achieving their investment strategies. In further support of this
proposed rule change, the Exchange submitted to the Commission a Pilot
Program Report, attached as Exhibit 3 to the filing, offering detailed
data from and analysis of the Pilot Program.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the data demonstrates that there is
sufficient investor interest and demand to extend the Pilot Program for
another year, without adversely affecting systems capacity. The
proposed rule change is designed to provide investors with greater
trading opportunities, and the flexibility and ability to more closely
tailor their investment strategies and decisions to the movement of the
underlying security. Accordingly, the Exchange believes that the
proposal is consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b) of the
Act,\6\ in general, and of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\7\ in
particular, in that it is designed 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.
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\6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
\7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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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 the
furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
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
Because the foregoing rule change does not: (1) Significantly
affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (2) impose
any significant burden on competition; and (3) become operative for 30
days from the date of this filing, or such shorter time as the
Commission may designate, it has become effective pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \8\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\9\\10\
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\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). Rule 19b-4(f)(6) also requires the
self-regulatory organization to give the Commission 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. BSE
has satisfied the five-day pre-filing requirement. In the event that
BSE proposes to: (1) Extend the Pilot Program beyond June 5, 2008;
(2) expand the number of options eligible for inclusion in the Pilot
Program; or (3) seek permanent approval of the Pilot Program, BSE
will submit a Pilot Program report to the Commission along with the
filing of its proposal to extend, expand, or seek permanent approval
of the Pilot Program. BSE will file any proposal to expand or seek
permanent approval of the Pilot Program and the Pilot Program report
with the Commission at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the
Pilot Program. The Pilot Program report will cover the entire time
the Pilot Program was in effect and will include: (1) Data and
written analysis on the open interest and trading volume for options
(at all strike price intervals) selected for the Pilot Program; (2)
delisted options series (for all strike price intervals) for all
options selected for the Pilot Program; (3) an assessment of the
appropriateness of $1 strike price intervals for the options BSE
selected for the Pilot Program; (4) an assessment of the impact of
the Pilot Program on the capacity of BSE's, the Options Price
Reporting Authority's, and vendors' automated systems; (5) any
capacity problems or other problems that arose during the operation
of the Pilot Program and how BSE addressed them; (6) any complaints
that BSE received during the operation of the Pilot Program and how
BSE addressed them; and (7) any additional information that would
help to assess the operation of the Pilot Program.
\10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule
change, the Commission may summarily abrogate 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.
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 e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include
File No. SR-BSE-2007-17 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Station Place, 100 F
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File No. SR-BSE-2007-17. This file
number should be included on the subject line if e-mail 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 (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 inspection and
copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room. Copies of such
filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the
principal office of BSE. 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 No. SR-
BSE-2007-17 and should be submitted on or before May 29, 2007.
[[Page 26190]]
For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation,
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
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\10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-8733 Filed 5-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P
