Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange, LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change and Amendment No. 1 Thereto Relating to Rule 70 (Bids and Offers) and Rule 104 (Dealings by Specialists), 57622-57624 [E7-19908]
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57622
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 10, 2007 / Notices
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–56599; File No. SR–NYSE–
2007–93]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New
York Stock Exchange, LLC; Notice of
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of
a Proposed Rule Change and
Amendment No. 1 Thereto Relating to
Rule 70 (Bids and Offers) and Rule 104
(Dealings by Specialists)
October 2, 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
September 28, 2007, the New York
Stock Exchange, LLC (‘‘NYSE’’ or
‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission
(‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
change as described in Items I and II
below, which Items have been
substantially prepared by the Exchange.
On October 2, 2007, the Exchange filed
Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule
change.3 The Commission is publishing
this notice to solicit comments on the
proposed rule change, as amended, from
interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange is proposing to amend
Exchange Rule 70 (Bids and Offers) and
Exchange Rule 104 (Dealings by
Specialists) to reduce the requirement
that a Floor broker and a specialist,
respectively, post 1,000 shares of
displayed liquidity at the Exchange best
bid or offer in order to use the reserve
function. The text of the proposed rule
change is available on the NYSE’s Web
site (https://www.nyse.com), at the
NYSE, and at the Commission’s Public
Reference Room.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
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. 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.
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 Amendment No. 1 replaces and supersedes the
original filing in its entirety.
2 17
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17:08 Oct 09, 2007
Jkt 214001
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
The Exchange seeks to amend
Exchange Rules 70.20 and 104(d) to
reduce the requirement that a Floor
broker and a specialist, respectively,
post 1,000 shares of displayed liquidity
at the Exchange best bid or offer in order
to use the reserve function.
a. Current Ability to Use Reserve
Function
Currently, Floor brokers’ interest is
represented electronically by including
these orders in a separate file (‘‘Floor
broker agency interest file’’) within the
Exchange’s Display Book system.4 Floor
brokers are permitted to place the
liquidity representing customer orders
at or outside the best bid or offer on the
Exchange (‘‘Exchange BBO’’). Similarly,
specialists have the ability to place in a
separate file (‘‘specialist interest file’’)
within the Display Book system their
dealer interest at prices at or outside the
Exchange BBO. Pursuant to Exchange
Rules 70.20 and 104(d), some of the
interest in either of these files that is at
the Exchange BBO may, at the choice of
the Floor broker or specialist, be nondisplayed interest. That is, the Floor
broker or specialist may decide to hold
additional interest in ‘‘reserve’’ and not
have it be part of the published bid or
offer. Reserve interest is eligible to
participate in automatic executions on
the Exchange after displayed interest on
that side of the market trades. Reserve
Floor broker interest and specialist
interest participate on parity with each
other when trading with contra-side
interest.
Exchange Rules 70.20 and 104(d)
further provide that Floor brokers and
specialists, respectively, must display a
minimum of 1,000 shares of interest at
the Exchange BBO on the same side of
the market in order to maintain
undisplayed reserve interest at that
price. For example, if a Floor broker or
specialist were to choose to have nondisplayed interest in their files at the
Exchange bid, 1,000 shares must be
4 The Display Book system is an order
management and execution facility. The Display
Book system receives and displays orders to the
specialists, contains the Book, and provides a
mechanism to execute and report transactions and
publish the results to the Consolidated Tape. The
Display Book system is connected to a number of
other Exchange systems for the purposes of
comparison, surveillance, and reporting
information to customers and other market data and
national market systems.
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made part of the disseminated bid.5
Both Rule 70.20 and Rule 104(d) require
that, if an execution occurs that does not
exhaust displayed Floor broker or
specialist interest at the Exchange BBO,
the displayed interest would
automatically be replenished from any
reserve interest so that at least 1,000
shares (or whatever amount remains if
less than 1,000 shares) would be
displayed.
b. Reduction of Minimum Display
Requirement
The Exchange is proposing to reduce
the minimum display requirement that
Floor brokers and specialists must meet
to one round-lot (for most stocks, 100
shares) in order to have non-displayed
interest in the Exchange market. The
ability to have reserve interest was
designed, in part, to allow Floor brokers
flexibility to determine the best way in
which to represent customer orders,
especially larger customer orders. One
way in which they can do this is to
decide what portion of customer interest
should be displayed based on the Floor
broker’s sense of the market in a
particular security. The reserve gives
customers the advantage of both auction
market and automatic execution
capability, without the risk of missing
the market.
The Exchanges believe that, for
specialists, the reserve function allows
the possibility of more liquidity at the
best bid or offer price and facilitation of
single-price executions on behalf of
customers.
The Exchange has found that the
current display requirement may be
acting as a hindrance to the utilization
of Floor broker agency interest and
specialist interest file reserve
functionality. For many stocks traded on
the Exchange, 1,000 shares would be a
sizeable order or would represent a
sizeable position commitment for a
specialist based on the trading
characteristics of the stock. In less active
securities, there would be no ability to
use the reserve functionality since there
would not be a sufficient volume of
shares available beyond the current
minimum display requirement.
This can have a compounding effect
of inhibiting trading that could take
place if reserves could be available for
executions beyond the displayed
5 Specialists were originally required to have
2,000 shares of displayed interest at the Exchange
BBO in order to have non-displayed reserve
interest. However, on June 30, 2006, the
Commission approved a proposed rule change
submitted by the Exchange to conform the
minimum display to that for Floor brokers. See
Securities Act Release No. 54086 (June 30, 2006),
71 FR 38953 (July 10, 2006) (SR–NYSE–2006–24).
E:\FR\FM\10OCN1.SGM
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rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 10, 2007 / Notices
quotation. In addition, the Exchange is
aware that concerns associated with
possible signaling of interest have arisen
in connection with the display
requirement. The Exchange states that,
as trade and quote sizes have declined
on the Exchange,6 analysis of displayed
amounts or the absence of a displayed
amount can signal that there is no
reserve available and inform a trader or
an algorithm that order size can be
limited at a particular price point.
Additional interest may then be priced
at higher or lower prices, creating more
volatility.
The Exchange believes that the
reduction of the minimum display
requirement will not have a detrimental
impact on trading or quoting on the
Exchange. There remains an incentive
for displaying interest, versus nondisplay of interest, in that displayed
interest has priority in execution over
non-displayed interest. Reduction of the
display requirement will also allow
Floor brokers and specialists the
flexibility to align their strategies more
closely to the trading characteristics of
individual stocks and the market in
general without an imposed minimum
of 1,000 shares.
The Exchange is retaining the ability
to automatically replenish the displayed
amount of interest at the Exchange BBO
when trades reduce or exhaust such
displayed interest. As is currently the
case today, the displayed quantity will
be replenished based on the initial
instructions from the Floor broker or
specialist. For example, assume a Floor
broker or specialist had originally
placed 2,000 shares in reserve and had
given instructions to maintain 500
shares as a displayed amount in the
quote. If an execution takes place which
reduces the displayed amount to 200
shares, 300 shares would be shifted
from the reserve to replenish the
displayed amount. If the reserve
quantity is less than the amount to be
displayed, the remainder of the reserve
interest will be displayed in full. In the
aforementioned example, if only 200
shares of the original reserve interest
remains, then the displayed quantity
will be replenished by the final 200
shares, bringing the total displayed
amount to 400 shares. In this way, Floor
brokers and specialists will have the
flexibility to replenish liquidity that is
in keeping with the market need at the
specific time and at that price point.
Moreover, if Floor brokers and
specialists are able to display liquidity
6 The average size of quotes on the Exchange has
declined from 2,146 shares to 1,231 shares in the
period from November 2006 to August 2007.
Average execution size has declined from 334
shares to 254 shares during the same period.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:08 Oct 09, 2007
Jkt 214001
in keeping with the current trading
characteristics of the security, then there
is more incentive for them to use the
reserve function and thus provide
additional liquidity to the market.
The Exchange further believes that the
reduction of the display requirement to
use the reserve function will not
adversely impact current quoted size.
The Exchange understands that
specialists have not been using reserves
to any great extent and, thus, the
reduction of the minimum display
requirement will not have any impact
on the displayed quotes representing
specialist interest.
Lastly, the Exchange is not aware of
any other domestic securities market
that has a minimum display
requirement for the use of its reserve
function on the same scale as that
currently required by the NYSE, yet
many of these markets have sizeable
displayed liquidity.7
2. Statutory Basis
The basis under the Act for this
proposed rule change is the requirement
under Section 6(b)(5) 8 that the
Exchange have rules that are 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
proposed rule change also is designed to
support the principles of Section
11A(a)(1) 9 in that it seeks to assure
economically efficient execution of
securities transactions, make it
practicable for brokers to execute
investors’ orders in the best market and
provide an opportunity for investors’
orders to be executed without the
participation of a dealer.
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.
7 For example, American Stock Exchange
(‘‘Amex’’) Rule 131(s)–AEMI (Types of Orders)
defines a reserve order and allows the visible size
of the reserve to be ‘‘* * * not less than one
lot* * *’’. See also The NASDAQ Stock Market
LLC (‘‘Nasdaq’’) Rule 4751(e)(3) (defining ‘‘nondisplayed order’’).
8 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
9 15 U.S.C. 78k–l(a)(1).
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57623
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 written comments on the
proposed rule change.
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 Act 10 and Rule 19b–
4(f)(6) thereunder.11
A proposed rule change filed
pursuant to Rule 19b–4(f)(6) under the
Act 12 normally does not become
operative for 30 days after the date of its
filing. However, Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii) 13
permits the Commission to designate a
shorter time if such action is consistent
with the protection of investors and the
public interest. The NYSE has requested
that the Commission waive the 30-day
operative delay. The Commission
believes that waiving the 30-day
operative delay is consistent with the
protection of investors and the public
interest because NYSE’s proposed
minimum display requirement for
reserve orders is similar to the
minimum display requirement of
another exchange.14 For these reasons,
the Commission designates that the
proposed rule change become operative
on October 2, 2007, the date the
Exchange filed Amendment No. 1.15
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
10 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6). Pursuant to Rule 19b–
4(f)(6)(iii) under the 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.
12 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
13 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii).
14 See Amex Rule 131(s)–AEMI. See also Nasdaq
Rule 4751(e)(3).
15 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 17
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 10, 2007 / Notices
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.16
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
Number SR–NYSE–2007–93 on the
subject line.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
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–2007–93. 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 the filing also will be available for
inspection and copying at the principal
office of the Exchange. All comments
received will be posted without change;
the Commission does not edit personal
identifying information from
submissions. You should submit only
information that you wish to make
16 For
purposes of calculating the 60-day period
within which the Commission may summarily
abrogate the proposed rule change, the Commission
considers the period to commence on October 2,
2007, the date on which the Exchange filed
Amendment No. 1.
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17:08 Oct 09, 2007
Jkt 214001
available publicly. All submissions
should refer to File Number SR–NYSE–
2007–93 and should be submitted on or
before October 31, 2007.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated
authority.17
Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7–19908 Filed 10–9–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
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
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–56607; File No. SR–NYSE–
2007–91]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New
York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of
Proposed Rule Change To Waive the
Fee Charged to Member Organizations
for the Approval of Pre-Qualified
Substitutes
October 3, 2007.
The Exchange proposes to waive for
the remainder of 2007, with retroactive
effect from September 1, 2007, the
$5,000 fee payable by a member
organization in connection with the
approval of a pre-qualified substitute
employee.3 A pre-qualified substitute
employee is an employee of a member
organization who has been approved to
work on the Exchange trading floor and
can be assigned to work on the trading
floor at any time that the member
organization has a trading license
available for use.
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
September 28, 2007, the New York
Stock Exchange LLC (‘‘Exchange’’ or
‘‘NYSE’’) 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 the
Exchange. The Commission is
publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change
from interested persons.
2. Statutory Basis
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to waive for
the remainder of 2007, with retroactive
effect from September 1, 2007, the
$5,000 fee payable by a member
organization in connection with the
approval of a pre-qualified substitute
employee. The text of the proposed rule
change is available at NYSE, the
Commission’s Public Reference Room,
and https://www.nyse.com.
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.
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. The text of
17 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
1 15
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Sfmt 4703
The Exchange believes that the
proposed rule change is consistent with
the objectives of Section 6 of the Act 4
in general and furthers the objectives of
Section 6(b)(4) of the Act 5 in particular,
in that it is designed to provide for the
equitable allocation of reasonable dues,
fees, and other charges among its
members and other persons using its
facilities.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Burden on Competition
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 foregoing proposed rule change
has become effective upon filing
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the
3 The fee will continue to be in effect for approval
of new members. Telephone conversation between
John Carey, Assistant General Counsel, NYSE, and
Nathan Saunders, Special Counsel, Division of
Market Regulation, Exchange, on October 3, 2007.
4 15 U.S.C. 78f.
5 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57622-57624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19908]
[[Page 57622]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-56599; File No. SR-NYSE-2007-93]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange, LLC;
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change
and Amendment No. 1 Thereto Relating to Rule 70 (Bids and Offers) and
Rule 104 (Dealings by Specialists)
October 2, 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 September 28, 2007, the New York Stock Exchange, LLC (``NYSE'' or
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and
II below, which Items have been substantially prepared by the Exchange.
On October 2, 2007, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed
rule change.\3\ The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change, as amended, from interested
persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ Amendment No. 1 replaces and supersedes the original filing
in its entirety.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange is proposing to amend Exchange Rule 70 (Bids and
Offers) and Exchange Rule 104 (Dealings by Specialists) to reduce the
requirement that a Floor broker and a specialist, respectively, post
1,000 shares of displayed liquidity at the Exchange best bid or offer
in order to use the reserve function. The text of the proposed rule
change is available on the NYSE's Web site (https://www.nyse.com), at
the NYSE, 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. The
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in
Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in
Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such
statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
1. Purpose
The Exchange seeks to amend Exchange Rules 70.20 and 104(d) to
reduce the requirement that a Floor broker and a specialist,
respectively, post 1,000 shares of displayed liquidity at the Exchange
best bid or offer in order to use the reserve function.
a. Current Ability to Use Reserve Function
Currently, Floor brokers' interest is represented electronically by
including these orders in a separate file (``Floor broker agency
interest file'') within the Exchange's Display Book system.\4\ Floor
brokers are permitted to place the liquidity representing customer
orders at or outside the best bid or offer on the Exchange (``Exchange
BBO''). Similarly, specialists have the ability to place in a separate
file (``specialist interest file'') within the Display Book system
their dealer interest at prices at or outside the Exchange BBO.
Pursuant to Exchange Rules 70.20 and 104(d), some of the interest in
either of these files that is at the Exchange BBO may, at the choice of
the Floor broker or specialist, be non-displayed interest. That is, the
Floor broker or specialist may decide to hold additional interest in
``reserve'' and not have it be part of the published bid or offer.
Reserve interest is eligible to participate in automatic executions on
the Exchange after displayed interest on that side of the market
trades. Reserve Floor broker interest and specialist interest
participate on parity with each other when trading with contra-side
interest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The Display Book[supreg] system is an order management and
execution facility. The Display Book system receives and displays
orders to the specialists, contains the Book, and provides a
mechanism to execute and report transactions and publish the results
to the Consolidated Tape. The Display Book system is connected to a
number of other Exchange systems for the purposes of comparison,
surveillance, and reporting information to customers and other
market data and national market systems.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exchange Rules 70.20 and 104(d) further provide that Floor brokers
and specialists, respectively, must display a minimum of 1,000 shares
of interest at the Exchange BBO on the same side of the market in order
to maintain undisplayed reserve interest at that price. For example, if
a Floor broker or specialist were to choose to have non-displayed
interest in their files at the Exchange bid, 1,000 shares must be made
part of the disseminated bid.\5\ Both Rule 70.20 and Rule 104(d)
require that, if an execution occurs that does not exhaust displayed
Floor broker or specialist interest at the Exchange BBO, the displayed
interest would automatically be replenished from any reserve interest
so that at least 1,000 shares (or whatever amount remains if less than
1,000 shares) would be displayed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Specialists were originally required to have 2,000 shares of
displayed interest at the Exchange BBO in order to have non-
displayed reserve interest. However, on June 30, 2006, the
Commission approved a proposed rule change submitted by the Exchange
to conform the minimum display to that for Floor brokers. See
Securities Act Release No. 54086 (June 30, 2006), 71 FR 38953 (July
10, 2006) (SR-NYSE-2006-24).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
b. Reduction of Minimum Display Requirement
The Exchange is proposing to reduce the minimum display requirement
that Floor brokers and specialists must meet to one round-lot (for most
stocks, 100 shares) in order to have non-displayed interest in the
Exchange market. The ability to have reserve interest was designed, in
part, to allow Floor brokers flexibility to determine the best way in
which to represent customer orders, especially larger customer orders.
One way in which they can do this is to decide what portion of customer
interest should be displayed based on the Floor broker's sense of the
market in a particular security. The reserve gives customers the
advantage of both auction market and automatic execution capability,
without the risk of missing the market.
The Exchanges believe that, for specialists, the reserve function
allows the possibility of more liquidity at the best bid or offer price
and facilitation of single-price executions on behalf of customers.
The Exchange has found that the current display requirement may be
acting as a hindrance to the utilization of Floor broker agency
interest and specialist interest file reserve functionality. For many
stocks traded on the Exchange, 1,000 shares would be a sizeable order
or would represent a sizeable position commitment for a specialist
based on the trading characteristics of the stock. In less active
securities, there would be no ability to use the reserve functionality
since there would not be a sufficient volume of shares available beyond
the current minimum display requirement.
This can have a compounding effect of inhibiting trading that could
take place if reserves could be available for executions beyond the
displayed
[[Page 57623]]
quotation. In addition, the Exchange is aware that concerns associated
with possible signaling of interest have arisen in connection with the
display requirement. The Exchange states that, as trade and quote sizes
have declined on the Exchange,\6\ analysis of displayed amounts or the
absence of a displayed amount can signal that there is no reserve
available and inform a trader or an algorithm that order size can be
limited at a particular price point. Additional interest may then be
priced at higher or lower prices, creating more volatility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ The average size of quotes on the Exchange has declined from
2,146 shares to 1,231 shares in the period from November 2006 to
August 2007. Average execution size has declined from 334 shares to
254 shares during the same period.
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The Exchange believes that the reduction of the minimum display
requirement will not have a detrimental impact on trading or quoting on
the Exchange. There remains an incentive for displaying interest,
versus non-display of interest, in that displayed interest has priority
in execution over non-displayed interest. Reduction of the display
requirement will also allow Floor brokers and specialists the
flexibility to align their strategies more closely to the trading
characteristics of individual stocks and the market in general without
an imposed minimum of 1,000 shares.
The Exchange is retaining the ability to automatically replenish
the displayed amount of interest at the Exchange BBO when trades reduce
or exhaust such displayed interest. As is currently the case today, the
displayed quantity will be replenished based on the initial
instructions from the Floor broker or specialist. For example, assume a
Floor broker or specialist had originally placed 2,000 shares in
reserve and had given instructions to maintain 500 shares as a
displayed amount in the quote. If an execution takes place which
reduces the displayed amount to 200 shares, 300 shares would be shifted
from the reserve to replenish the displayed amount. If the reserve
quantity is less than the amount to be displayed, the remainder of the
reserve interest will be displayed in full. In the aforementioned
example, if only 200 shares of the original reserve interest remains,
then the displayed quantity will be replenished by the final 200
shares, bringing the total displayed amount to 400 shares. In this way,
Floor brokers and specialists will have the flexibility to replenish
liquidity that is in keeping with the market need at the specific time
and at that price point. Moreover, if Floor brokers and specialists are
able to display liquidity in keeping with the current trading
characteristics of the security, then there is more incentive for them
to use the reserve function and thus provide additional liquidity to
the market.
The Exchange further believes that the reduction of the display
requirement to use the reserve function will not adversely impact
current quoted size. The Exchange understands that specialists have not
been using reserves to any great extent and, thus, the reduction of the
minimum display requirement will not have any impact on the displayed
quotes representing specialist interest.
Lastly, the Exchange is not aware of any other domestic securities
market that has a minimum display requirement for the use of its
reserve function on the same scale as that currently required by the
NYSE, yet many of these markets have sizeable displayed liquidity.\7\
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\7\ For example, American Stock Exchange (``Amex'') Rule 131(s)-
AEMI (Types of Orders) defines a reserve order and allows the
visible size of the reserve to be ``* * * not less than one lot* *
*''. See also The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq'') Rule
4751(e)(3) (defining ``non-displayed order'').
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2. Statutory Basis
The basis under the Act for this proposed rule change is the
requirement under Section 6(b)(5) \8\ that the Exchange have rules that
are 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 proposed rule change also is
designed to support the principles of Section 11A(a)(1) \9\ in that it
seeks to assure economically efficient execution of securities
transactions, make it practicable for brokers to execute investors'
orders in the best market and provide an opportunity for investors'
orders to be executed without the participation of a dealer.
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\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
\9\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-l(a)(1).
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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 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
The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on
the proposed rule change.
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 Act \10\ and
Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\11\
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\10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). Pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii)
under the 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.
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A proposed rule change filed pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6) under the
Act \12\ normally does not become operative for 30 days after the date
of its filing. However, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) \13\ permits the
Commission to designate a shorter time if such action is consistent
with the protection of investors and the public interest. The NYSE has
requested that the Commission waive the 30-day operative delay. The
Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is
consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest
because NYSE's proposed minimum display requirement for reserve orders
is similar to the minimum display requirement of another exchange.\14\
For these reasons, the Commission designates that the proposed rule
change become operative on October 2, 2007, the date the Exchange filed
Amendment No. 1.\15\
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\12\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\13\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
\14\ See Amex Rule 131(s)-AEMI. See also Nasdaq Rule 4751(e)(3).
\15\ 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).
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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
[[Page 57624]]
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.\16\
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\16\ For purposes of calculating the 60-day period within which
the Commission may summarily abrogate the proposed rule change, the
Commission considers the period to commence on October 2, 2007, the
date on which the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1.
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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 Number SR-NYSE-2007-93 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-2007-93. 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 the filing also
will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of
the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; 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-2007-93 and should be submitted on or before October 31, 2007.
For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation,
pursuant to delegated authority.\17\
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\17\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-19908 Filed 10-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
