Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of Proposed Rule Change To Amend Sections 703.22 and 802.01D of the Exchange's Listed Company Manual Regarding the Listing and Trading of Index-Linked Securities, 47107-47109 [E7-16555]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 22, 2007 / Notices
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–ISE–2007–69 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.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
All submissions should refer to File No.
SR–ISE–2007–69. 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, 100 F Street, NE., Washington,
DC 20549, on official business days
between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Copies of such filing will also be
available for inspection and copying at
the principal office of ISE. 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–ISE–2007–69 and should be
submitted on or before September 12,
2007.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated
authority.17
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7–16527 Filed 8–21–07; 8:45 am]
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
most significant aspects of such
statements.
[Release No. 34–56271; File No. SR–NYSE–
2007–74]
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New
York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of
Filing and Order Granting Accelerated
Approval of Proposed Rule Change To
Amend Sections 703.22 and 802.01D of
the Exchange’s Listed Company
Manual Regarding the Listing and
Trading of Index-Linked Securities
August 16, 2007.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) 1 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’),2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3
notice is hereby given that on August 3,
2007, New York Stock Exchange LLC
(‘‘NYSE’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
changes 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 changes
from interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to amend
Section 703.22 of its Listed Company
Manual (‘‘Manual’’) to permit the listing
of securities that do not meet the one
million unit initial distribution
requirement but are redeemable on at
least a weekly basis at the option of the
holders. The filing also amends Section
802.01D of the Manual to apply the
continued listing standards under the
heading ‘‘Specialized Securities’’ to
securities listed under Section 703.22.
The text of the proposed rule change
is available at the Exchange, the
Commission’s Public Reference Room,
and https://www.nyse.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
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 III below. The
NYSE has prepared summaries, set forth
in Sections A, B and C below, of the
BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
U.S.C. 78a.
3 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
2 15
17 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
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1. Purpose
The Exchange proposes to amend
Section 703.22 of the Manual to permit
the listing of securities that do not meet
the one million unit initial distribution
requirement but are redeemable on at
least a weekly basis at the option of the
holders. Section 703.22 is the
Exchange’s generic listing standards for
equity index-linked securities (‘‘Equity
Index-Linked Securities’’), commoditylinked securities (‘‘Commodity-Linked
Securities’’), and currency-linked
securities (‘‘Currency-Linked
Securities’’ and, together with Equity
Index-Linked Securities and
Commodity-Linked Securities, ‘‘IndexLinked Securities’’).
Section 703.22 of the Manual
currently exempts a new listing of
Index-Linked Securities from the
otherwise applicable requirement that
the issue have 400 holders upon listing,
but only if the issue provides for the
redemption of securities at the option of
the holders on at least a weekly basis.
The Exchange believes that, where there
is such a weekly redemption right, the
same justification exists for an
exemption from the requirement to have
one million units issued at the time of
listing as applies to the 400 holder
requirement. The Exchange believes that
a weekly redemption right will ensure a
strong correlation between the market
price of the Index-Linked Securities and
the performance of the underlying
index, as holders will be unlikely to sell
their securities for less than their
redemption value if they have a weekly
right to be redeemed for their full value.
In addition, in the case of those IndexLinked Securities with a weekly
redemption feature that are currently
listed, as well as all of those that are
currently proposed to be listed, the
issuer has the ability to issue new
Index-Linked Securities from time to
time at the indicative value at the time
of such sale. This provides a ready
supply of new Index-Linked Securities,
thereby lessening the possibility that the
market price of such securities will be
affected by a scarcity of available IndexLinked Securities for sale. The Exchange
believes that it also assists in
maintaining a strong correlation
between the market price and the
indicative value, as investors will be
unlikely to pay more than the indicative
value in the open market if they can
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jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
47108
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 22, 2007 / Notices
acquire Index-Linked Securities from
the issuer at that price.
The Exchange states that the ability to
list Index-Linked Securities with these
characteristics without any minimum
number of holders is important to the
successful listing of such securities.
Issuers issuing these types of IndexLinked Securities generally do not
intend to do so by way of an
underwritten offering. Rather, the
distribution arrangement is analogous to
that of an exchange traded fund
issuance, in that the issue is launched
without any significant distribution
event and the float increases over time
as investors purchase additional
securities from the issuer at the then
indicative value. Investors will
generally seek to purchase the securities
at a point when the underlying index is
at a level that they perceive as providing
an attractive growth opportunity. In the
context of such a distribution
arrangement, it is difficult for an issuer
to guarantee its ability to sell a specific
number of units on the listing date.
However, the Exchange believes that
this difficulty in ensuring the sale of one
million units on the listing date is not
indicative of a likely long-term lack of
liquidity in the securities or, for the
reasons set forth in the prior paragraph,
of a difficulty in establishing a pricing
equilibrium in the securities or a
successful two-sided market.
The Exchange also proposes to amend
Section 802.01D of the Manual to apply
the continued listing standards under
the heading ‘‘Specialized Securities’’ to
securities listed under Section 703.22.
These continued listing standards
require that the securities be delisted
when:
• The number of publicly-held
securities is less than 100,000.
• The number of holders is less than
100.
• The aggregate market value of
securities outstanding is less than
$1,000,000.
• For specialized securities that are
debt, the issuer is not able to meet its
obligations on such debt.
The Exchange proposes to exempt
from the 100 holders requirement IndexLinked Securities that are redeemable at
the option of the holder on at least a
weekly basis. The Exchange believes
this exemption is appropriate because
the securities in question are not subject
to any minimum holder requirement at
the time of initial listing.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the
proposed rule change is consistent with
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16:26 Aug 21, 2007
Jkt 211001
Section 6(b) of the Act,4 in general, and
furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5)
of the Act,5 in particular in that it is
designed 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.
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 that is not
necessary or appropriate in 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
Written comments were neither
solicited nor received.
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, 100 F Street, NE., Washington,
DC 20549, on official business days
between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
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; 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 number
SR–NYSE–2007–74 and should be
submitted by September 12, 2007.
IV. Commission’s Findings and Order
Granting Accelerated Approval of the
Proposed Rule Change
III. Solicitation of Comments
After careful consideration, the
Commission finds that the proposed
Interested persons are invited to
rule change is consistent with the
submit written data, views and
requirements of the Act and the rules
arguments concerning the foregoing,
and regulations thereunder applicable to
including whether the proposed rule
a national securities exchange 6 and, in
change is consistent with the Act.
particular, the requirements of Section 6
Comments may be submitted by any of
of the Act.7 Specifically, the
the following methods:
Commission finds that the proposed
Electronic Comments
rule change is consistent with Section
• Use the Commission’s Internet
6(b)(5) of the Act,8 which requires,
comment form (https://www.sec.gov/
among other things, that the rules of a
rules/sro.shtml); or
national securities exchange be
• Send e-mail to ruledesigned to promote just and equitable
comments@sec.gov. Please include File
principles of trade, to foster cooperation
Number SR–NYSE–2007–74 on the
and coordination with persons engaged
subject line.
in regulating, clearing, settling,
processing information with respect to,
Paper Comments
and facilitating transactions in
• Send paper comments in triplicate
securities, to remove impediments to
to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary,
and perfect the mechanism of a free and
Securities and Exchange Commission,
open market and a national market
100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC
system, and, in general, to protect
20549–1090.
investors and the public interest.
The Commission believes that this
All submissions should refer to File
proposal should benefit investors by
Number SR–NYSE–2007–74. This file
providing an exception to the minimum
number should be included on the
subject line if e-mail is used. To help the public distribution requirements for
Index-Linked Securities with a weekly
Commission process and review your
redemption right. The Commission
comments more efficiently, please use
only one method. The Commission will believes that the market price of Indexpost all comments on the Commission’s Linked Securities with a weekly
redemption right should exhibit a strong
Internet Web site (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the
6 In approving this proposed rule change, the
submission, all subsequent
Commission has considered the proposed rule’s
amendments, all written statements
impact on efficiency, competition, and capital
formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
7 15 U.S.C. 78f.
8 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
4 15
U.S.C. 78f(b).
5 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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E:\FR\FM\22AUN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 22, 2007 / Notices
correlation to the performance of the
relevant underlying index, since holders
of such securities will be unlikely to sell
them for less than their redemption
value if they have a weekly right to be
redeemed for their full value. The
Commission believes that this exception
is reasonable and should allow for the
listing and trading of certain IndexLinked Securities that would otherwise
not be able to be listed and traded on
the Exchange.
The Commission further finds that the
Exchange’s proposal to amend Section
802.01D of the Manual to apply the
continued listing standards under the
heading ‘‘Specialized Securities’’ to
securities listed under Section 703.22
will clarify the applicable continued
listing criteria for Index-Linked
Securities. Moreover, the Commission
believes that the proposed exemption
for Index-Linked Securities that are
redeemable at the option of the holder
on at least a weekly basis from an
ongoing distribution requirement is
consistent with the rationale underlying
the exemption from the initial listing
standards in Section 703.22 of the
Manual.
The Commission finds good cause for
approving the proposed rule change
prior to the 30th day after the date of
publication of the notice of filing thereof
in the Federal Register. The
Commission does not believe that
NYSE’s proposal raises any novel
regulatory issues and, therefore, that
good cause exists for approving the
filing on an expedited basis. Therefore,
accelerating approval of this proposal
should benefit investors by creating,
without undue delay, additional
competition in the market for such
securities.
Therefore, the Commission finds good
cause, consistent with Section 19(b)(2)
of the Act,9 to approve the proposed
rule change on an accelerated basis.
V. Conclusion
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,10 that the
proposed rule change (SR–NYSE–2007–
74) be, and it hereby is, 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. E7–16555 Filed 8–21–07; 8:45 am]
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–56270; File No. SR–
NYSEArca–2007–74]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
NYSEArca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and
Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed
Rule Change Amending Rule 7.34(e)
and Clarifying Certain Customer
Disclosures Relating to ETF Trading
August 15, 2007.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on August
13, 2007, NYSE Arca, Inc. (the
‘‘NYSEArca’’ or the ‘‘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
NYSEArca. The Exchange has filed the
proposed rule change as one
constituting a stated policy, practice, or
interpretation with respect to the
meaning, administration, or
enforcement of an existing rule under
Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act 3 and
Rule 19b–4(f)(1) thereunder,4 which
renders the proposal 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, through its wholly
owned subsidiary, NYSE Arca Equities,
Inc. (‘‘NYSE Arca Equities’’ or
‘‘Corporation’’), proposes to amend
NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.34(e) (the
‘‘Rule’’). The changes described in this
rule proposal clarify the customer
disclosures ETP Holders must make to
non-ETP Holders. The text of the
proposed rule change is available at the
Exchange, the Commission’s Public
Reference Room, and https://
www.nysearca.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
Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of, and basis for,
the proposed rule change and discussed
any comments it received on the
BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
4 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(1).
9 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
10 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
11 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:26 Aug 21, 2007
2 17
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47109
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
Pursuant to the Rule, ETP Holders
may not accept orders from Non-ETP
Holders for execution in the Opening or
Late Trading Sessions without first
disclosing certain risks. To facilitate
extended hours trading and enhance
customer disclosures, the Exchange
proposes to require ETP Holders to
disclose to their Non-ETP Holder
customers an additional risk associated
with extended trading hours in
exchange-traded funds (‘‘ETFs’’).5
Specifically, the Exchange proposes to
amend NYSE Arca Equities Rule
7.34(e)(3) and 7.34(e)(3)(7) by
addressing the risk associated with the
lack of calculation or dissemination of
the underlying index value or Intraday
Indicative Value (‘‘IIV’’). For ETFs, an
updated underlying index value or IIV
may not be calculated or publicly
disseminated in extended trading hours.
Since the underlying index value and
IIV are not calculated or widely
disseminated during the Opening and
Late Trading Sessions, an investor who
is unable to calculate implied values for
certain derivative securities products in
those sessions may be at a disadvantage
to market professionals. The Exchange
believes that requiring ETP Holders to
disclose this risk to Non-ETP Holders
will facilitate informed participation in
extended hours trading.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the
proposed rule change is consistent with
Section 6(b) of the Act 6 in general, and
furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5)
of the Act 7 in particular, because it is
designed to prevent fraudulent and
manipulative acts and practices, to
promote just and equitable principles of
trade, to foster cooperation and
5 ETFs include securities described in NYSE Arca
Equities Rules 5.1(b)(13), 5.2(j)(3), 5.2(j)(6), 8.100,
8.200, 8.201, 8.202, 8.203, 8.300, and 8.400, which
relate to Unit Investment Trusts, Investment
Company Units, Index-Linked Securities, Portfolio
Depositary Receipts, Trust Issued Receipts,
Commodity-Based Trust Shares, Currency Trust
Shares, Commodity Index Trust Shares, Partnership
Units, and Paired Trust Securities, respectively.
6 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
7 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
E:\FR\FM\22AUN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 22, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47107-47109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16555]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-56271; File No. SR-NYSE-2007-74]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC;
Notice of Filing and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of Proposed
Rule Change To Amend Sections 703.22 and 802.01D of the Exchange's
Listed Company Manual Regarding the Listing and Trading of Index-Linked
Securities
August 16, 2007.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (``Act''),\2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby given
that on August 3, 2007, New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'' or
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission'') the proposed rule changes 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 changes from interested persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
\3\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to amend Section 703.22 of its Listed Company
Manual (``Manual'') to permit the listing of securities that do not
meet the one million unit initial distribution requirement but are
redeemable on at least a weekly basis at the option of the holders. The
filing also amends Section 802.01D of the Manual to apply the continued
listing standards under the heading ``Specialized Securities'' to
securities listed under Section 703.22.
The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange,
the Commission's Public Reference Room, and https://www.nyse.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 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 III below. The NYSE 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 Section 703.22 of the Manual to
permit the listing of securities that do not meet the one million unit
initial distribution requirement but are redeemable on at least a
weekly basis at the option of the holders. Section 703.22 is the
Exchange's generic listing standards for equity index-linked securities
(``Equity Index-Linked Securities''), commodity-linked securities
(``Commodity-Linked Securities''), and currency-linked securities
(``Currency-Linked Securities'' and, together with Equity Index-Linked
Securities and Commodity-Linked Securities, ``Index-Linked
Securities'').
Section 703.22 of the Manual currently exempts a new listing of
Index-Linked Securities from the otherwise applicable requirement that
the issue have 400 holders upon listing, but only if the issue provides
for the redemption of securities at the option of the holders on at
least a weekly basis. The Exchange believes that, where there is such a
weekly redemption right, the same justification exists for an exemption
from the requirement to have one million units issued at the time of
listing as applies to the 400 holder requirement. The Exchange believes
that a weekly redemption right will ensure a strong correlation between
the market price of the Index-Linked Securities and the performance of
the underlying index, as holders will be unlikely to sell their
securities for less than their redemption value if they have a weekly
right to be redeemed for their full value. In addition, in the case of
those Index-Linked Securities with a weekly redemption feature that are
currently listed, as well as all of those that are currently proposed
to be listed, the issuer has the ability to issue new Index-Linked
Securities from time to time at the indicative value at the time of
such sale. This provides a ready supply of new Index-Linked Securities,
thereby lessening the possibility that the market price of such
securities will be affected by a scarcity of available Index-Linked
Securities for sale. The Exchange believes that it also assists in
maintaining a strong correlation between the market price and the
indicative value, as investors will be unlikely to pay more than the
indicative value in the open market if they can
[[Page 47108]]
acquire Index-Linked Securities from the issuer at that price.
The Exchange states that the ability to list Index-Linked
Securities with these characteristics without any minimum number of
holders is important to the successful listing of such securities.
Issuers issuing these types of Index-Linked Securities generally do not
intend to do so by way of an underwritten offering. Rather, the
distribution arrangement is analogous to that of an exchange traded
fund issuance, in that the issue is launched without any significant
distribution event and the float increases over time as investors
purchase additional securities from the issuer at the then indicative
value. Investors will generally seek to purchase the securities at a
point when the underlying index is at a level that they perceive as
providing an attractive growth opportunity. In the context of such a
distribution arrangement, it is difficult for an issuer to guarantee
its ability to sell a specific number of units on the listing date.
However, the Exchange believes that this difficulty in ensuring the
sale of one million units on the listing date is not indicative of a
likely long-term lack of liquidity in the securities or, for the
reasons set forth in the prior paragraph, of a difficulty in
establishing a pricing equilibrium in the securities or a successful
two-sided market.
The Exchange also proposes to amend Section 802.01D of the Manual
to apply the continued listing standards under the heading
``Specialized Securities'' to securities listed under Section 703.22.
These continued listing standards require that the securities be
delisted when:
The number of publicly-held securities is less than
100,000.
The number of holders is less than 100.
The aggregate market value of securities outstanding is
less than $1,000,000.
For specialized securities that are debt, the issuer is
not able to meet its obligations on such debt.
The Exchange proposes to exempt from the 100 holders requirement
Index-Linked Securities that are redeemable at the option of the holder
on at least a weekly basis. The Exchange believes this exemption is
appropriate because the securities in question are not subject to any
minimum holder requirement at the time of initial listing.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent
with Section 6(b) of the Act,\4\ in general, and furthers the
objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\5\ in particular in that it
is designed 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
\5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 that is not necessary or appropriate
in 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
Written comments were neither solicited nor received.
III. 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 e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include File
Number SR-NYSE-2007-74 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSE-2007-74. 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, 100 F Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10
a.m. and 3 p.m. 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; 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 number SR-NYSE-2007-74 and should be
submitted by September 12, 2007.
IV. Commission's Findings and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of
the Proposed Rule Change
After careful consideration, the Commission finds that the proposed
rule change is consistent with the requirements of the Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities
exchange \6\ and, in particular, the requirements of Section 6 of the
Act.\7\ Specifically, the Commission finds that the proposed rule
change is consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\8\ which
requires, among other things, that the rules of a national securities
exchange be designed 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.
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\6\ In approving this proposed rule change, the Commission has
considered the proposed rule's impact on efficiency, competition,
and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
\7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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The Commission believes that this proposal should benefit investors
by providing an exception to the minimum public distribution
requirements for Index-Linked Securities with a weekly redemption
right. The Commission believes that the market price of Index-Linked
Securities with a weekly redemption right should exhibit a strong
[[Page 47109]]
correlation to the performance of the relevant underlying index, since
holders of such securities will be unlikely to sell them for less than
their redemption value if they have a weekly right to be redeemed for
their full value. The Commission believes that this exception is
reasonable and should allow for the listing and trading of certain
Index-Linked Securities that would otherwise not be able to be listed
and traded on the Exchange.
The Commission further finds that the Exchange's proposal to amend
Section 802.01D of the Manual to apply the continued listing standards
under the heading ``Specialized Securities'' to securities listed under
Section 703.22 will clarify the applicable continued listing criteria
for Index-Linked Securities. Moreover, the Commission believes that the
proposed exemption for Index-Linked Securities that are redeemable at
the option of the holder on at least a weekly basis from an ongoing
distribution requirement is consistent with the rationale underlying
the exemption from the initial listing standards in Section 703.22 of
the Manual.
The Commission finds good cause for approving the proposed rule
change prior to the 30th day after the date of publication of the
notice of filing thereof in the Federal Register. The Commission does
not believe that NYSE's proposal raises any novel regulatory issues
and, therefore, that good cause exists for approving the filing on an
expedited basis. Therefore, accelerating approval of this proposal
should benefit investors by creating, without undue delay, additional
competition in the market for such securities.
Therefore, the Commission finds good cause, consistent with Section
19(b)(2) of the Act,\9\ to approve the proposed rule change on an
accelerated basis.
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\9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
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V. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the
Act,\10\ that the proposed rule change (SR-NYSE-2007-74) be, and it
hereby is, approved on an accelerated basis.
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\10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation,
pursuant to delegated authority.\11\
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
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\11\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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[FR Doc. E7-16555 Filed 8-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P