Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Adjust the Earnings of Companies for Purposes of its Earnings Standard by Reversing the Income Statement Effects of Changes in Fair Value of Financial Instruments Extinguished at the Time of Listing on a Six Month Pilot Basis, 49033-49034 [E7-16837]
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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 165 (Monday, August 27, 2007)] [Notices] [Pages 49033-49034] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: E7-16837] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-56290; File No. SR-NYSE-2007-75] Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Adjust the Earnings of Companies for Purposes of its Earnings Standard by Reversing the Income Statement Effects of Changes in Fair Value of Financial Instruments Extinguished at the Time of Listing on a Six Month Pilot Basis August 20, 2007. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Exchange Act''),\2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby given that on August 13, 2007, New York Stock Exchange LLC (the ``NYSE'' or the ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission the proposed rule changes as described in Items I and II below, which items have been prepared by the Exchange. NYSE has designated the proposed rule change as constituting a ``non- controversial'' rule change under paragraph (f)(6) of Rule 19b-4,\4\ which renders the proposal effective upon receipt of this filing by 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78a. \3\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4. \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 the earnings standard of Section 102.01C(I) of the Exchange's Listed Company Manual (the ``Manual'') on a six-month pilot program basis. The amendment will enable the Exchange to adjust the earnings of companies by reversing the income statement effects for all periods of any changes in fair value of financial instruments classified as a liability recorded by the company in earnings, provided such financial instrument is either being redeemed with the proceeds of an offering occurring in conjunction with the listing or converted into or exercised for common stock of the company at the time of listing. The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site (https://www.nyse.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 change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The 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 the earnings standard of Section 102.01C(I) of the Manual on a six-month pilot program basis (the ``Pilot Program''). The amendment will enable the Exchange to adjust the earnings of companies listing in conjunction with an IPO by reversing the income statement effects for all periods of changes in fair value of financial instruments classified as a liability recorded by the company in earnings, provided such financial instrument is either being redeemed with the proceeds of an offering occurring in conjunction with the listing or converted into or exercised for common stock of the company at the time of listing. Nonpublic companies engaging in pre-IPO financings often raise capital through the sale of preferred stock and warrants to purchase preferred stock. Preferred stock and preferred stock warrants are also sometimes issued by pre-IPO companies to service providers in lieu of cash compensation. Typically, at the time of the company's IPO, the preferred stock is converted into common stock and the preferred stock warrants are automatically exercised and the underlying preferred stock is converted into common stock of the company. In some cases, companies may also redeem some or all of the outstanding preferred stock with a portion of the proceeds from the IPO. Some pre-IPO companies have determined that they must record in earnings changes in the fair value of certain financial instruments classified as liabilities. As the fair value of a pre-IPO company's equity often increases as the company gets closer to its IPO, many companies have had to record significant reductions in earnings associated with increases in the fair value of the preferred stock warrant liability. In certain cases, the impact on the company's earnings as reported under generally accepted accounting principles (``GAAP'') of the preferred stock liability causes otherwise qualified companies to fail to qualify under the Exchange's earnings standard. Under the Exchange's current rules, the Exchange cannot list these companies even though the preferred stock warrant liability will be extinguished at the time of the IPO by conversion into common stock or redemption out of the proceeds of the IPO. The Exchange believes that it is appropriate to exclude the effects of changes in fair value of a financial instrument classified as a liability from a company's earnings where the financial instrument is being retired at the time of a company's listing either out of the proceeds of a concurrent offering or by conversion into common stock at the time of listing. The Exchange believes that adjusting company earnings for charges arising out of the changes in fair value of financial instruments that are retired with the proceeds of an offering occurring in conjunction with the listing or converted into common stock at the time of listing is consistent with the adjustments that are currently permitted under Section 102.01C for a number of other nonrecurring charges to earnings that are included in net income as recorded under GAAP, such as the exclusion of impairment charges on [[Page 49034]] long-lived assets, the exclusion of gains and losses on sales of a subsidiary's or investee's stock and the exclusion of in-process purchased research and development charges. The Exchange also believes that this adjustment is reasonable given the purpose of the earnings standard, which is to determine the suitability for listing of companies on a forward-looking basis. 2. Statutory Basis The basis under the Exchange Act for this proposed rule change is the requirement under Section 6(b)(5) \5\ that an exchange have rules that are designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \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 Exchange 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. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action Because the proposed rule change: (i) Does not significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (ii) does not impose any significant burden on competition; and (iii) does not become operative for 30 days after the date of the filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate if consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest, the proposed rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Exchange Act \6\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\7\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). \7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). Pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) under the Exchange Act, the Exchange is required 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 the five-day pre-filing requirement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A proposed rule change filed pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the Exchange Act \8\ normally does not become operative for 30 days after the date of its filing. However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \9\ permits the Commission to designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has requested that the Commission waive the 30-day operative delay. The Commission hereby grants the request.\10\ The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest because the proposed rule change is consistent with other adjustments the Exchange makes when evaluating applicants on a forward-looking, post-IPO basis under the existing earnings standard in Section 102.01C(I) of the Listed Company Manual, and the proposal will take effect as a Pilot Program, allowing the Commission to evaluate the suitability of the proposal during the pilot period.\11\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). \9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii). \10\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f). \11\ Not later than 60 days prior to the expiration of the Pilot Program, the NYSE should provide the Commission with information regarding the nature of the adjustments that have been made to the financial statements of individual companies that have listed on the Exchange using the proposed rule change. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission may summarily abrogate the 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 Exchange 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 Exchange Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: Electronic CommentsUse 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-2007-75 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-2007-75. 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, 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 the NYSE. 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-2007-75 and should be submitted on or before September 17, 2007. For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.\12\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \12\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florence E. Harmon, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. E7-16837 Filed 8-24-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8010-01-P
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