Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC and NYSE Alternext US LLC (n/k/a NYSE Amex LLC); Order Granting Approval of Proposed Rule Changes Amending Rule 123C to Provide the Exchanges with the Ability to Temporarily Suspend Certain Requirements Relating to the Closing of Securities on the Exchange, 18009-18012 [E9-8878]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 74 / Monday, April 20, 2009 / Notices
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 FINRA. 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–FINRA–2009–018 and
should be submitted on or before May
11, 2009.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.9
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–8877 Filed 4–17–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–59755; File Nos. SR–NYSE–
2009–18 and SR–NYSEAltr–2009–15]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New
York Stock Exchange LLC and NYSE
Alternext US LLC (n/k/a NYSE Amex
LLC); Order Granting Approval of
Proposed Rule Changes Amending
Rule 123C to Provide the Exchanges
with the Ability to Temporarily
Suspend Certain Requirements
Relating to the Closing of Securities on
the Exchange
rmajette on PRODPC74 with NOTICES
April 13, 2009.
I. Introduction
On February 19, 2009, the New York
Stock Exchange LLC (‘‘NYSE’’) filed
with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’), pursuant
9 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
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15:02 Apr 17, 2009
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to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule
19b–4 thereunder,2 a proposed rule
change to amend NYSE Rule 123C to
provide the Exchange with the ability to
temporarily suspend certain NYSE
requirements relating to the closing of
securities at the Exchange. On February
20, 2009, NYSE Alternext US LLC
(n/k/a NYSE Amex LLC) (‘‘NYSE
Amex’’ and, with NYSE, each an
‘‘Exchange’’ and collectively, the
‘‘Exchanges’’) filed with the
Commission, pursuant to Section
19(b)(1) of the Act 3 and Rule 19b–4
thereunder,4 a substantively identical
proposed rule change to amend NYSE
Amex Equities Rule 123C. The proposed
rule changes were published for
comment in the Federal Register on
March 10, 2009.5 The Commission
received no comments regarding the
proposals. This order approves the
proposed rule changes, as amended.
II. Description of the Proposal
A. NYSE’s October 2, 2008 Amendments
to Rule 48
On October 2, 2008, NYSE filed for
immediate effectiveness to amend NYSE
Rule 48 to provide NYSE with the
ability to suspend certain rules at the
close when extremely high market
volatility could negatively affect the
ability to ensure a fair and orderly
close.6 NYSE amended Rule 48 on a
temporary basis in order to respond
swiftly to market conditions at that
time. The Rule 48 amendments are
scheduled to end on April 30, 2009.7
On December 1, 2008, NYSE Amex
(then known as NYSE Alternext US
LLC) relocated its equities trading to
facilities located at NYSE’s main trading
floor at 11 Wall Street, New York, New
York (the ‘‘Equities Relocation’’). NYSE
Amex’s equity trading systems and the
facilities at 11 Wall Street are operated
by NYSE on behalf of NYSE Amex. In
connection with the Equities Relocation,
NYSE Amex adopted NYSE Rules 1–
1004, subject to such changes as
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
4 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
5 See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 59489
(March 3, 2009), 74 FR 10330 (SR–NYSE–2009–18)
and 59488 (March 3, 2009), 74 FR 10334 (SR–
NYSEAltr–2009–15) (each a ‘‘Notice’’ and
collectively, the ‘‘Notices’’).
6 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 58743
(October 7, 2008), 73 FR 60742 (October 14, 2008)
(SR–NYSE–2008–102) (referred to herein as
‘‘NYSE’s October 2, 2008 filing’’).
7 Rule 48.10. See also Securities Exchange Act
Release Nos. 59168 (December 29, 2008), 74 FR 483
(January 6, 2009) (SR–NYSE–2008–139) and 59666
(March 31, 2009), 74 FR 15792 (April 7, 2009) (SR–
NYSE–2009–35).
2 17
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18009
necessary to apply the rules to NYSE
Amex, to govern trading on the NYSE
Alternext Trading System beginning on
December 1, 2008.8 In particular, among
the rules adopted in substantively
identical form were the rules at issue in
this proposal—most notably, NYSE
Rules 48, 52, and 123C.
The temporary provisions of Rule 48
provide that a qualified Exchange officer
could declare an extreme market
volatility condition before the
scheduled close of trading in cases
where the Exchange noted volatility
during the day’s trading session and
evidence of significant order imbalances
at the close.9 A declaration of extreme
market volatility at the close under Rule
48 permits each Exchange to
temporarily suspend Rule 52 (Hours of
Operation) to allow the DMM to solicit
and enter into Exchange systems
additional orders in order to offset any
imbalance in a security at the close.10
Rule 48 requires that any additional
interest be represented manually on the
Floor by an Exchange Floor broker.11 A
declaration of extreme market volatility
at the close also permits each Exchange
to temporarily suspend NYSE Rules
123C(1) and (2) (Market on the Close
Policy and Expiration Policy) in order to
allow cancellation or reduction of
market-at-the-close (‘‘MOC’’) and limitat-the-close (‘‘LOC’’) orders after 3:50
p.m. if such orders are the result of a
legitimate error and would cause
significant price dislocation at the close,
among other requirements.12 Each
Exchange is required to make a
reasonable effort to consult with
Commission staff before declaring an
extreme market volatility condition and
granting a suspension of NYSE rules or
procedures.13
The Exchanges now propose to adopt
the amendments to Rule 48 on a
permanent basis by deleting these
provisions from Rule 48 and moving
them to Rule 123C. As part of the
amendments to Rule 123C, the
Exchanges further propose modifying
the terms of the temporary suspensions
by permitting the Exchange to invoke
such relief on a security-by-security
basis without first declaring a Floorwide extreme market volatility
condition and codifying certain
8 See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 58705
(October 1, 2008), 73 FR 58995 (October 8, 2008)
(SR–Amex–2008–63) and 59022 (November 26,
2008), 73 FR 73683 (December 3, 2008) (SR–
NYSEALTR–2008–10).
9 Rule 48(c)(1)(A).
10 Rule 48(b)(2)(A).
11 Rule 48(b)(2)(A)(ii).
12 Rule 48(b)(2)(B).
13 Rule 48(c)(2).
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practices for the entry of orders after 4
p.m.
B. Proposed Amendments to Rule 123C
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1. Modification of the Requirements for
Temporary Suspensions
As noted above, the amendments to
Rule 48 were adopted by NYSE as an
emergency measure to respond to the
extreme market volatility that the
markets experienced in September and
October 2008. Under current Rule 48,
each Exchange must first declare a
Floor-wide extreme market volatility
condition before it can consider, on a
security-by-security basis, whether to
temporarily suspend either Rule 52 or
Rule 123C(1) or (2). The Exchanges
stated in their respective Notices that
they believe the requirement to declare
a Floor-wide extreme market volatility
condition before 4 p.m. could hamper
their ability to invoke the temporary
suspensions when they are needed
most—for example, when during normal
market conditions that would not
otherwise warrant a Rule 48 condition
at the close, Exchange systems receive
in the seconds before the close a large
market order in a security that by itself
creates the type of extreme imbalance
that would merit a temporary
suspension of Rule 52. The Exchanges
therefore believe that the ability to
temporarily suspend rules at the close
should be available on a security-bysecurity basis as part of Rule 123C,
which governs the closing process at the
Exchange.14 The Exchanges therefore
propose deleting the extreme market
volatility at the close condition from
Rule 48 and returning Rule 48 to a form
substantively identical to the form of
NYSE Rule 48 prior to NYSE’s October
2, 2008 filing amending that rule.
2. Temporary Suspension of Rule 52
Proposed Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) would
permanently establish the temporary
provisions of Rule 48(b)(2)(A) that give
each Exchange the ability to temporarily
suspend Rule 52 for the sole purpose of
allowing the entry of orders after 4 p.m.
to offset an extreme order imbalance at
the close. The Exchanges propose to
adopt without change the language of
Rule 48(b)(2)(A)(i) and (iii) (proposed as
Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(i) and (v))
concerning, respectively, the purpose of
soliciting orders after 4 p.m. and the use
of a ‘‘designated Exchange database’’ 15
on an ‘‘as of’’ basis following execution
of an order.
The Exchanges propose to codify in
Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(ii) the requirement
14 See
proposed Rule 123C(8)(c).
the Notices, the Exchanges refer to FESC as
the relevant ‘‘designated Exchange database.’’
15 In
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15:02 Apr 17, 2009
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that when soliciting orders to offset an
imbalance in a security that may exist
after 4 p.m., such interest will be
solicited from off-Floor participants
directly and via their Floor broker
representatives. Such solicitation
requests shall be transmitted
electronically both off-Floor and onFloor and shall include, at a minimum,
information about the security symbol,
the imbalance amount and side, the last
sale price, and an order acceptance cutoff time (which in no event may be later
than 4:30 p.m.). The Exchanges also
propose adding conditions on the type
of order that may be entered in response
to a solicitation request. As proposed in
Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(iii), any offsetting
interest received in response to a
solicitation request must be a limit order
priced no worse than the last sale and
must be irrevocable.
The Exchanges propose to maintain in
Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(iii) that any offsetting
interest must be represented by a Floor
broker. As noted in the NYSE’s October
2, 2008 filing to amend Rule 48,
Exchange systems do not have the
capability to receive electronic interest
after 4:00 p.m. The Exchanges stated in
their respective Notices that the time
and cost necessary to reconfigure
Exchange systems to electronically
accept orders after 4 p.m. for this
limited purpose would far outweigh any
benefit that may accrue from such
technology changes. In any event, the
Exchanges believe that more
information is necessary before they
undertake to implement any such
technology change. The Exchanges
therefore propose that six months after
the approval of this proposed rule
change, the Exchanges will provide the
Commission with information regarding
how many times a Rule 52 temporary
suspension under proposed Rule
123C(8)(a)(1) has been invoked. At that
time, the Exchanges and the
Commission can make a more informed
decision of whether the benefit in
accepting orders electronically after 4
p.m. outweighs the costs associated
with making such changes. To provide
both the Exchange and the Commission
with time to evaluate the proposed rule,
the Exchange proposes that Rule
123C(8)(a)(1) be approved on a Pilot
basis, to end six months after the date
of this order.
The Exchanges also propose to add to
the rule certain parameters regarding the
timing of the closing of a security when
such offsetting interest is solicited. As
proposed in Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(iv), in
such circumstances, the DMM should
close the security the earlier of the order
acceptance cut-off time or the time that
the imbalance is paired off at or
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reasonably contiguous to the last sale
price.16 This provision is intended to
require the DMM to arrange for a fair
and orderly close that is as close to 4
p.m. as possible, notwithstanding the
fact that the Exchange seeks additional
offsetting interest after 4 p.m. Finally,
the Exchanges propose that any
offsetting interest entered after 4 p.m.,
but before the DMM closes the security,
would trade on parity.17
3. Temporary Suspensions Under Rule
123C(1) and (2)
The Exchanges propose to adopt
permanently the provisions of Rule
48(b)(2)(B) as proposed Rule
123C(8)(a)(2), without any change.
Therefore, each Exchange would
continue to have the ability to
temporarily suspend, on a security-bysecurity basis, the Rule 123C(1) and (2)
requirements that MOC and LOC orders
cannot be cancelled or reduced after
3:50 p.m. for MOC and LOC orders that
are the result of a legitimate error and
would cause significant price
dislocation at the close.
4. Parameters for Obtaining Temporary
Rule Suspensions
The Exchanges propose codifying the
practices concerning how a temporary
suspension under proposed Rule
123C(8)(a) would be invoked and who
should be involved. As proposed in
Rule 123C(8)(b), only the DMM assigned
to a particular security may request a
temporary suspension under proposed
section 8(a) of the Rule. The Exchanges
argued in their respective Notices that
because the DMM is responsible for
facilitating the close of trading in its
registered securities, the DMM is in the
unique position to know whether he or
she would need additional interest to
ensure a fair or orderly close.
To ensure that such temporary
suspensions are not invoked
indiscriminately, the Exchanges propose
that any such determination, as well as
any entry or cancellation of orders or
closing of a security under proposed
Rule 123C(8)(a), must be approved by
16 A ‘‘reasonably contiguous to the last sale price’’
means a price point that is within cents of the last
sale price, and would be a price point that during
a regular closing auction would not be considered
a dislocating closing price as compared to the last
sale price. See Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(iv).
17 The Exchange notes that all MOC and
marketable LOC orders entered before 4 p.m. that
otherwise would have participated in the close will
continue to participate in the close. Because the
MOC/LOC imbalance dictates the closing price (see
Rule 123C(3)), any additional interest solicited after
4 p.m. under proposed Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) is simply
to ensure that the existing imbalance of MOC and
marketable LOC orders can be filled at a price that
does not cause a significant price dislocation from
the last sale price.
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either an Executive Floor Governor or a
qualified NYSE Euronext employee, as
defined in Rule 46(b)(v). The Exchange
also proposes requiring that any
temporary suspensions under proposed
Rule 123C(8)(a) should be under the
supervision of a qualified Exchange
Officer, as defined in Rule 48(d). To
assist the DMM and Exchange officials,
proposed Rule 123C(8)(b) identifies a
number of factors that may be
considered when making such a
determination. Such factors include, but
are not limited to, when the order(s) that
impacted the imbalance were entered
into Exchange systems or orally
represented to the DMM; the impact of
such order(s) on the closing price of the
security; the volatility of the security
during the trading session; and the
ability of the DMM to commit capital to
dampen the price dislocation.
rmajette on PRODPC74 with NOTICES
C. Proposed Amendment to Rule
48(c)(2)
In addition to the above-described
amendments, the Exchanges also
propose to amend Rule 48(c)(2), which
concerns the method by which each
Exchange notifies Commission staff
when it declares a Rule 48 extreme
market volatility condition.
The current rule provides that the
qualified Exchange officer will make a
reasonable effort to consult with
Commission staff before declaring an
extreme market volatility condition and
granting a suspension of the Exchange’s
rules or procedures. In the event that the
qualified Exchange officer cannot reach
the Commission staff, the qualified
Exchange officer will, as promptly as
practicable in the circumstances, inform
the Commission staff of such
declaration.
Given the limited relief that can be
granted during a Rule 48 condition—
certain Floor Official approvals are
suspended and mandatory indications
can be suspended—the Exchanges
argued in their respective Notices that
the requirement to consult with
Commission staff before declaring an
extreme market volatility condition
imposes an undue burden on regulatory
resources. Accordingly, the Exchanges
propose to amend Rule 48(c)(2) to delete
the requirement that the qualified
Exchange officer undertake reasonable
efforts to consult with Commission staff
before declaring an extreme market
volatility condition. As required by the
rule, each Exchange will continue to
inform the Commission staff, as
promptly as practicable under the
circumstances, when it has declared a
Rule 48 extreme market volatility
condition.
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III. Commission’s Findings and Order
Granting Approval of the Proposed
Rule Change
After careful review, the Commission
finds that the proposed rule changes are
consistent with the requirements of the
Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder applicable to a national
securities exchange.18 In particular, the
Commission finds that the proposed
rule changes are consistent with Section
6(b)(5) of the Act 19 in that they 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 Exchanges propose to eliminate
the requirement that an Exchange first
declare a Floor-wide extreme market
volatility condition before it can
consider, on a security-by-security basis,
whether to temporarily suspend either
Rule 52 or Rule 123C(1) or (2). The
Commission notes that an extreme order
imbalance at the close may be the result
of Floor-wide volatility, but may also be
a result of isolated volatility in a
particular security, or of a single large
order received close to the scheduled
close. Therefore, the Commission agrees
that the requirement that a Floor-wide
extreme market volatility condition
precede the invocation of temporary
suspensions pursuant to Rule 128(c)(8)
could hamper the Exchanges’ ability to
use Rule 128(c)(8) to help ensure a fair
and orderly close in a specific security.
The Exchanges propose to make
permanent and move to Rule
123C(8)(a)(1) the temporary provisions
permitting the Exchanges to suspend
Rule 52, regarding hours of operation, to
permit DMMs to solicit and enter orders
into Exchange systems after the
scheduled close in order to offset an
extreme order imbalance. As described
above, because Exchange systems are
not configured to accept orders
electronically after 4 p.m., any offsetting
interest submitted by Exchange
members in response to a solicitation for
offsetting interest are required by Rule
123C(8)(a)(iii) to be represented by a
Floor broker.
The Exchanges have argued in their
respective Notices that requiring Floor
brokers to represent offsetting interest
does not unfairly discriminate against
any market participants. The Exchanges
state that the requirement to use a Floor
18 In approving these proposed rule changes, the
Commission notes that it has considered the
proposed rules’ impact on efficiency, competition,
and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
19 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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18011
broker, who would be acting only as an
agent, does not deny anyone access to
trading at the Exchange. And while the
Commission notes that submitting order
through a Floor broker might be more
costly for some members than directly
entering the offsetting interest orders
electronically, the Exchanges assert that
the Exchange customers that would
typically respond to a solicitation
request are sophisticated market
participants who likely already have, or
could easily arrange for, a relationship
with a Floor broker to represent orders
on their behalf, and that furthermore
such customers have the wherewithal to
enter into arrangements with Floor
brokers that are financially competitive
with entering orders directly into
Exchange systems, e.g., via reduced
commissions or pass through of Floor
broker rebates.
The Exchanges also state that, though
it would be possible to reconfigure
Exchange systems to accept orders
electronically after 4 p.m., to do so
would be costly, and that the benefit to
such a reconfiguration would be
limited, since the temporary suspension
of Rule 52 to attract offsetting interest is
intended to be used for extreme, and
likely rare, circumstances where there
exists such a large imbalance at the
close that the DMM could not close the
security without significant price
dislocation.20 While the elimination of
the Floor-wide declaration of an
extreme market volatility condition as a
prerequisite for suspending Rule 52 may
increase the likelihood of Rule 52
suspensions on the Exchange, the
Commission notes that other elements
of Rule 128(c)(8), such as Executive
Floor Governor oversight, are designed
to restrict suspension of Rule 52 to
situations where it is necessary to
maintain a fair and orderly market.
The Commission notes that the
Exchanges have proposed to implement
Rule 128(c)(a)(1) for a six-month pilot
period, and have agreed to provide to
the Commission information regarding
how many times a Rule 52 temporary
suspension under proposed Rule
123C(8)(a)(1) has been invoked during
such period. Such information should
assist the Commission in making a
determination as to whether the
requirement that only Floor brokers may
represent offsetting interest is
20 For example, NYSE reports that, in the period
from October 2, 2008, when the Exchange adopted
the amendments to Rule 48, to February 19, 2009,
when NYSE filed their proposed rule change, NYSE
invoked Rule 48 (i.e., declared a floor-wide extreme
market condition) at the close eight times. However,
because the DMM does not know what the actual
imbalance will be until 4 p.m., during that time
NYSE solicited offsetting interest for only one
security on one such trading day.
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appropriate. Thus, the Commission
approves Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) on a Pilot
basis, to end six months after the date
of this order.
The Commission finds the proposal to
permanently establish the provisions
allowing for temporary suspension of
Rule 123C’s restriction on canceling or
reducing market-at-the-close and limitat-the-close orders to be consistent with
the Act. The Exchanges’ ability to
suspend these restrictions is narrowly
drawn—it would only affect MOC or
LOC orders that are both clearly
erroneous and would cause a significant
dislocation in the closing price—in
order to ensure its use will be consistent
with the removal of impediments to,
and perfection of the mechanism of, free
and open markets on the Exchanges.
Similarly, the requirement for overview
by an Executive Floor Governor or
qualified NYSE Euronext employee
should help to ensure that only in
extreme situations involving significant
price dislocation at the close are the
provisions of Rule 128(C)(8) employed.
Finally, given that the Exchanges
anticipate their uses of Rule 123C(8) to
suspend Exchange rules will be
infrequent and, moreover, given the
quick decisions required in many cases
where an extreme market condition is
declared, the Commission accepts the
Exchanges’ assertion that requiring the
Exchange to notify Commission staff in
advance may be unduly burdensome.
Accordingly, the Commission finds the
proposed amendment to Rule 48(c)(2),
requiring each Exchange to notify
Commission staff of the declaration of
an extreme market condition as soon as
practicable after the fact, to be
consistent with the Act.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.22
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–8878 Filed 4–17–09; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 8010–01–P
U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
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Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE
Arca, Inc.; Order Granting Accelerated
Approval of a Proposed Rule Change
Relating to the Listing and Trading of
the Safety First Trust Certificates
Linked to the S&P 500® Index
April 10, 2009.
On March 6, 2009, NYSE Arca, Inc.
(‘‘NYSE Arca’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’), through
its wholly owned subsidiary, NYSE
Arca Equities, Inc. (‘‘NYSE Arca
Equities’’), filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’)
pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2 a
proposed rule change to list and trade
the Safety First Trust Series 2009–1,
Principal-Protected Trust Certificates
Linked to the S&P 500® Index
(‘‘Certificates’’).3 The proposed rule
change was published in the Federal
Register on March 19, 2009.4 The
Commission received no comments on
the proposal. This order approves the
proposed rule change on an accelerated
basis.
I. Description of the Proposal
NYSE Arca proposes to list and trade
the Certificates under NYSE Arca
Equities Rule 5.2(j)(7), which governs
the listing of Trust Certificates.5 The
Certificates are preferred securities of
Safety First Trust Series 2009–1
(‘‘Trust’’) and will mature on a specified
date in 2014 (‘‘Maturity Date’’).
Investors will receive at maturity for
each certificate held intact an amount in
cash equal to $10 plus a ‘‘Supplemental
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 See Registration Statement, Safety First Trust
Series 2009–1, dated October 31, 2008 (Nos. 333–
154914, 154914–08, and 154914–11); Registration
Statement for Safety First Trust Series 2009–1,
dated February 18, 2009 (Nos. 333–157386 and
333–157386–01) (collectively, ‘‘Registration
Statement’’).
4 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 59562
(March 12, 2009), 74 FR 11794 (‘‘Notice’’).
5 Trust Certificates pay an amount at maturity
based upon the performance of an underlying index
or indexes of equity securities (‘‘Equity Index
Reference Asset’’); instruments that are direct
obligations of the issuing company, either
exercisable throughout their life (i.e., American
style) or exercisable only on their expiration date
(i.e., European style), entitling the holder to a cash
settlement in U.S. dollars to the extent that the
foreign or domestic index has declined below (for
a put warrant) or increased above (for a call
warrant) the pre-stated cash settlement value of the
index (‘‘Index Warrants’’); or a combination of two
or more Equity Index Reference Assets or Index
Warrants. See NYSE Arca Equities Rules 5.2(j)(7)(i)–
(iii).
2 17
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,21 that the
proposed rule changes, as amended
(SR–NYSE–2009–18 and SR–NYSEAltr–
2009–15) be, and they hereby are,
approved.
22 17
[Release No. 34–59747; File No. SR–
NYSEArca–2009–20]
1 15
IV. Conclusion
21 15
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
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Sfmt 4703
Distribution Amount,’’ which may be
positive or zero. The Supplemental
Distribution Amount will be based on
the percentage change of the value of
the S&P 500 Index (‘‘Index’’) during the
term of the Certificates. The
Supplemental Distribution Amount for
each Certificate will equal the product
of (a) $10, (b) the percentage change in
the value of the Index, and (c) the
Participation Rate, which is 90%–
100%,6 provided that the Supplemental
Distribution Amount will not be less
than zero.7 A holder of the Certificates
has an interest in two separate securities
of Citigroup Funding Inc., the issuer of
the Certificates: (1) Equity index
participation securities; and (2) equity
index warrants.
Additional information about the
Trust and the Certificates, including
without limitation, the Maturity Date,
valuation and pricing dates, equity
index participation securities, equity
index warrants, and risks can be found
in the Notice and the Registration
Statement.
II. Discussion and Commission’s
Findings
The Commission has carefully
reviewed the proposed rule change and
finds that it is consistent with the
requirements of Section 6 of the Act 8
and the rules and regulations
thereunder applicable to a national
securities exchange.9 In particular, the
Commission finds that the proposal is
consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the
Act,10 which requires, among other
things, that the Exchange’s rules be
designed to prevent fraudulent and
manipulative acts and practices, to
promote just and equitable principles of
trade, to foster cooperation and
coordination with persons engaged in
regulating, clearing, settling, processing
information with respect to, and
facilitating transaction 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.
The Commission finds that the
proposal to list and trade the Certificates
on the Exchange is consistent with
6 The Participation Rate will be determined at the
time of issuance of the Certificates.
7 The Trust payments will not be guaranteed
pursuant to a financial guaranty insurance policy.
See Commentary .10 to NYSE Arca Equities Rule
5.2(j)(7).
8 15 U.S.C. 78f.
9 In approving this proposed rule change, the
Commission has considered the proposed rule’s
impact on efficiency, competition, and capital
formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
10 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
E:\FR\FM\20APN1.SGM
20APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 74 (Monday, April 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18009-18012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8878]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-59755; File Nos. SR-NYSE-2009-18 and SR-NYSEAltr-2009-
15]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC and
NYSE Alternext US LLC (n/k/a NYSE Amex LLC); Order Granting Approval of
Proposed Rule Changes Amending Rule 123C to Provide the Exchanges with
the Ability to Temporarily Suspend Certain Requirements Relating to the
Closing of Securities on the Exchange
April 13, 2009.
I. Introduction
On February 19, 2009, the New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'')
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission''),
pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ a proposed rule change to
amend NYSE Rule 123C to provide the Exchange with the ability to
temporarily suspend certain NYSE requirements relating to the closing
of securities at the Exchange. On February 20, 2009, NYSE Alternext US
LLC (n/k/a NYSE Amex LLC) (``NYSE Amex'' and, with NYSE, each an
``Exchange'' and collectively, the ``Exchanges'') filed with the
Commission, pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-4
thereunder,\4\ a substantively identical proposed rule change to amend
NYSE Amex Equities Rule 123C. The proposed rule changes were published
for comment in the Federal Register on March 10, 2009.\5\ The
Commission received no comments regarding the proposals. This order
approves the proposed rule changes, as amended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 59489 (March 3,
2009), 74 FR 10330 (SR-NYSE-2009-18) and 59488 (March 3, 2009), 74
FR 10334 (SR-NYSEAltr-2009-15) (each a ``Notice'' and collectively,
the ``Notices'').
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II. Description of the Proposal
A. NYSE's October 2, 2008 Amendments to Rule 48
On October 2, 2008, NYSE filed for immediate effectiveness to amend
NYSE Rule 48 to provide NYSE with the ability to suspend certain rules
at the close when extremely high market volatility could negatively
affect the ability to ensure a fair and orderly close.\6\ NYSE amended
Rule 48 on a temporary basis in order to respond swiftly to market
conditions at that time. The Rule 48 amendments are scheduled to end on
April 30, 2009.\7\
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\6\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 58743 (October 7,
2008), 73 FR 60742 (October 14, 2008) (SR-NYSE-2008-102) (referred
to herein as ``NYSE's October 2, 2008 filing'').
\7\ Rule 48.10. See also Securities Exchange Act Release Nos.
59168 (December 29, 2008), 74 FR 483 (January 6, 2009) (SR-NYSE-
2008-139) and 59666 (March 31, 2009), 74 FR 15792 (April 7, 2009)
(SR-NYSE-2009-35).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On December 1, 2008, NYSE Amex (then known as NYSE Alternext US
LLC) relocated its equities trading to facilities located at NYSE's
main trading floor at 11 Wall Street, New York, New York (the
``Equities Relocation''). NYSE Amex's equity trading systems and the
facilities at 11 Wall Street are operated by NYSE on behalf of NYSE
Amex. In connection with the Equities Relocation, NYSE Amex adopted
NYSE Rules 1-1004, subject to such changes as necessary to apply the
rules to NYSE Amex, to govern trading on the NYSE Alternext Trading
System beginning on December 1, 2008.\8\ In particular, among the rules
adopted in substantively identical form were the rules at issue in this
proposal--most notably, NYSE Rules 48, 52, and 123C.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 58705 (October 1,
2008), 73 FR 58995 (October 8, 2008) (SR-Amex-2008-63) and 59022
(November 26, 2008), 73 FR 73683 (December 3, 2008) (SR-NYSEALTR-
2008-10).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The temporary provisions of Rule 48 provide that a qualified
Exchange officer could declare an extreme market volatility condition
before the scheduled close of trading in cases where the Exchange noted
volatility during the day's trading session and evidence of significant
order imbalances at the close.\9\ A declaration of extreme market
volatility at the close under Rule 48 permits each Exchange to
temporarily suspend Rule 52 (Hours of Operation) to allow the DMM to
solicit and enter into Exchange systems additional orders in order to
offset any imbalance in a security at the close.\10\ Rule 48 requires
that any additional interest be represented manually on the Floor by an
Exchange Floor broker.\11\ A declaration of extreme market volatility
at the close also permits each Exchange to temporarily suspend NYSE
Rules 123C(1) and (2) (Market on the Close Policy and Expiration
Policy) in order to allow cancellation or reduction of market-at-the-
close (``MOC'') and limit-at-the-close (``LOC'') orders after 3:50 p.m.
if such orders are the result of a legitimate error and would cause
significant price dislocation at the close, among other
requirements.\12\ Each Exchange is required to make a reasonable effort
to consult with Commission staff before declaring an extreme market
volatility condition and granting a suspension of NYSE rules or
procedures.\13\
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\9\ Rule 48(c)(1)(A).
\10\ Rule 48(b)(2)(A).
\11\ Rule 48(b)(2)(A)(ii).
\12\ Rule 48(b)(2)(B).
\13\ Rule 48(c)(2).
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The Exchanges now propose to adopt the amendments to Rule 48 on a
permanent basis by deleting these provisions from Rule 48 and moving
them to Rule 123C. As part of the amendments to Rule 123C, the
Exchanges further propose modifying the terms of the temporary
suspensions by permitting the Exchange to invoke such relief on a
security-by-security basis without first declaring a Floor-wide extreme
market volatility condition and codifying certain
[[Page 18010]]
practices for the entry of orders after 4 p.m.
B. Proposed Amendments to Rule 123C
1. Modification of the Requirements for Temporary Suspensions
As noted above, the amendments to Rule 48 were adopted by NYSE as
an emergency measure to respond to the extreme market volatility that
the markets experienced in September and October 2008. Under current
Rule 48, each Exchange must first declare a Floor-wide extreme market
volatility condition before it can consider, on a security-by-security
basis, whether to temporarily suspend either Rule 52 or Rule 123C(1) or
(2). The Exchanges stated in their respective Notices that they believe
the requirement to declare a Floor-wide extreme market volatility
condition before 4 p.m. could hamper their ability to invoke the
temporary suspensions when they are needed most--for example, when
during normal market conditions that would not otherwise warrant a Rule
48 condition at the close, Exchange systems receive in the seconds
before the close a large market order in a security that by itself
creates the type of extreme imbalance that would merit a temporary
suspension of Rule 52. The Exchanges therefore believe that the ability
to temporarily suspend rules at the close should be available on a
security-by-security basis as part of Rule 123C, which governs the
closing process at the Exchange.\14\ The Exchanges therefore propose
deleting the extreme market volatility at the close condition from Rule
48 and returning Rule 48 to a form substantively identical to the form
of NYSE Rule 48 prior to NYSE's October 2, 2008 filing amending that
rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ See proposed Rule 123C(8)(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Temporary Suspension of Rule 52
Proposed Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) would permanently establish the
temporary provisions of Rule 48(b)(2)(A) that give each Exchange the
ability to temporarily suspend Rule 52 for the sole purpose of allowing
the entry of orders after 4 p.m. to offset an extreme order imbalance
at the close. The Exchanges propose to adopt without change the
language of Rule 48(b)(2)(A)(i) and (iii) (proposed as Rule
123C(8)(a)(1)(i) and (v)) concerning, respectively, the purpose of
soliciting orders after 4 p.m. and the use of a ``designated Exchange
database'' \15\ on an ``as of'' basis following execution of an order.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ In the Notices, the Exchanges refer to FESC as the relevant
``designated Exchange database.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Exchanges propose to codify in Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(ii) the
requirement that when soliciting orders to offset an imbalance in a
security that may exist after 4 p.m., such interest will be solicited
from off-Floor participants directly and via their Floor broker
representatives. Such solicitation requests shall be transmitted
electronically both off-Floor and on-Floor and shall include, at a
minimum, information about the security symbol, the imbalance amount
and side, the last sale price, and an order acceptance cut-off time
(which in no event may be later than 4:30 p.m.). The Exchanges also
propose adding conditions on the type of order that may be entered in
response to a solicitation request. As proposed in Rule
123C(8)(a)(1)(iii), any offsetting interest received in response to a
solicitation request must be a limit order priced no worse than the
last sale and must be irrevocable.
The Exchanges propose to maintain in Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(iii) that
any offsetting interest must be represented by a Floor broker. As noted
in the NYSE's October 2, 2008 filing to amend Rule 48, Exchange systems
do not have the capability to receive electronic interest after 4:00
p.m. The Exchanges stated in their respective Notices that the time and
cost necessary to reconfigure Exchange systems to electronically accept
orders after 4 p.m. for this limited purpose would far outweigh any
benefit that may accrue from such technology changes. In any event, the
Exchanges believe that more information is necessary before they
undertake to implement any such technology change. The Exchanges
therefore propose that six months after the approval of this proposed
rule change, the Exchanges will provide the Commission with information
regarding how many times a Rule 52 temporary suspension under proposed
Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) has been invoked. At that time, the Exchanges and
the Commission can make a more informed decision of whether the benefit
in accepting orders electronically after 4 p.m. outweighs the costs
associated with making such changes. To provide both the Exchange and
the Commission with time to evaluate the proposed rule, the Exchange
proposes that Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) be approved on a Pilot basis, to end
six months after the date of this order.
The Exchanges also propose to add to the rule certain parameters
regarding the timing of the closing of a security when such offsetting
interest is solicited. As proposed in Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(iv), in such
circumstances, the DMM should close the security the earlier of the
order acceptance cut-off time or the time that the imbalance is paired
off at or reasonably contiguous to the last sale price.\16\ This
provision is intended to require the DMM to arrange for a fair and
orderly close that is as close to 4 p.m. as possible, notwithstanding
the fact that the Exchange seeks additional offsetting interest after 4
p.m. Finally, the Exchanges propose that any offsetting interest
entered after 4 p.m., but before the DMM closes the security, would
trade on parity.\17\
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\16\ A ``reasonably contiguous to the last sale price'' means a
price point that is within cents of the last sale price, and would
be a price point that during a regular closing auction would not be
considered a dislocating closing price as compared to the last sale
price. See Rule 123C(8)(a)(1)(iv).
\17\ The Exchange notes that all MOC and marketable LOC orders
entered before 4 p.m. that otherwise would have participated in the
close will continue to participate in the close. Because the MOC/LOC
imbalance dictates the closing price (see Rule 123C(3)), any
additional interest solicited after 4 p.m. under proposed Rule
123C(8)(a)(1) is simply to ensure that the existing imbalance of MOC
and marketable LOC orders can be filled at a price that does not
cause a significant price dislocation from the last sale price.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Temporary Suspensions Under Rule 123C(1) and (2)
The Exchanges propose to adopt permanently the provisions of Rule
48(b)(2)(B) as proposed Rule 123C(8)(a)(2), without any change.
Therefore, each Exchange would continue to have the ability to
temporarily suspend, on a security-by-security basis, the Rule 123C(1)
and (2) requirements that MOC and LOC orders cannot be cancelled or
reduced after 3:50 p.m. for MOC and LOC orders that are the result of a
legitimate error and would cause significant price dislocation at the
close.
4. Parameters for Obtaining Temporary Rule Suspensions
The Exchanges propose codifying the practices concerning how a
temporary suspension under proposed Rule 123C(8)(a) would be invoked
and who should be involved. As proposed in Rule 123C(8)(b), only the
DMM assigned to a particular security may request a temporary
suspension under proposed section 8(a) of the Rule. The Exchanges
argued in their respective Notices that because the DMM is responsible
for facilitating the close of trading in its registered securities, the
DMM is in the unique position to know whether he or she would need
additional interest to ensure a fair or orderly close.
To ensure that such temporary suspensions are not invoked
indiscriminately, the Exchanges propose that any such determination, as
well as any entry or cancellation of orders or closing of a security
under proposed Rule 123C(8)(a), must be approved by
[[Page 18011]]
either an Executive Floor Governor or a qualified NYSE Euronext
employee, as defined in Rule 46(b)(v). The Exchange also proposes
requiring that any temporary suspensions under proposed Rule 123C(8)(a)
should be under the supervision of a qualified Exchange Officer, as
defined in Rule 48(d). To assist the DMM and Exchange officials,
proposed Rule 123C(8)(b) identifies a number of factors that may be
considered when making such a determination. Such factors include, but
are not limited to, when the order(s) that impacted the imbalance were
entered into Exchange systems or orally represented to the DMM; the
impact of such order(s) on the closing price of the security; the
volatility of the security during the trading session; and the ability
of the DMM to commit capital to dampen the price dislocation.
C. Proposed Amendment to Rule 48(c)(2)
In addition to the above-described amendments, the Exchanges also
propose to amend Rule 48(c)(2), which concerns the method by which each
Exchange notifies Commission staff when it declares a Rule 48 extreme
market volatility condition.
The current rule provides that the qualified Exchange officer will
make a reasonable effort to consult with Commission staff before
declaring an extreme market volatility condition and granting a
suspension of the Exchange's rules or procedures. In the event that the
qualified Exchange officer cannot reach the Commission staff, the
qualified Exchange officer will, as promptly as practicable in the
circumstances, inform the Commission staff of such declaration.
Given the limited relief that can be granted during a Rule 48
condition--certain Floor Official approvals are suspended and mandatory
indications can be suspended--the Exchanges argued in their respective
Notices that the requirement to consult with Commission staff before
declaring an extreme market volatility condition imposes an undue
burden on regulatory resources. Accordingly, the Exchanges propose to
amend Rule 48(c)(2) to delete the requirement that the qualified
Exchange officer undertake reasonable efforts to consult with
Commission staff before declaring an extreme market volatility
condition. As required by the rule, each Exchange will continue to
inform the Commission staff, as promptly as practicable under the
circumstances, when it has declared a Rule 48 extreme market volatility
condition.
III. Commission's Findings and Order Granting Approval of the Proposed
Rule Change
After careful review, the Commission finds that the proposed rule
changes are consistent with the requirements of the Act and the rules
and regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities
exchange.\18\ In particular, the Commission finds that the proposed
rule changes are consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Act \19\ in
that they 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.
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\18\ In approving these proposed rule changes, the Commission
notes that it has considered the proposed rules' impact on
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C.
78c(f).
\19\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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The Exchanges propose to eliminate the requirement that an Exchange
first declare a Floor-wide extreme market volatility condition before
it can consider, on a security-by-security basis, whether to
temporarily suspend either Rule 52 or Rule 123C(1) or (2). The
Commission notes that an extreme order imbalance at the close may be
the result of Floor-wide volatility, but may also be a result of
isolated volatility in a particular security, or of a single large
order received close to the scheduled close. Therefore, the Commission
agrees that the requirement that a Floor-wide extreme market volatility
condition precede the invocation of temporary suspensions pursuant to
Rule 128(c)(8) could hamper the Exchanges' ability to use Rule
128(c)(8) to help ensure a fair and orderly close in a specific
security.
The Exchanges propose to make permanent and move to Rule
123C(8)(a)(1) the temporary provisions permitting the Exchanges to
suspend Rule 52, regarding hours of operation, to permit DMMs to
solicit and enter orders into Exchange systems after the scheduled
close in order to offset an extreme order imbalance. As described
above, because Exchange systems are not configured to accept orders
electronically after 4 p.m., any offsetting interest submitted by
Exchange members in response to a solicitation for offsetting interest
are required by Rule 123C(8)(a)(iii) to be represented by a Floor
broker.
The Exchanges have argued in their respective Notices that
requiring Floor brokers to represent offsetting interest does not
unfairly discriminate against any market participants. The Exchanges
state that the requirement to use a Floor broker, who would be acting
only as an agent, does not deny anyone access to trading at the
Exchange. And while the Commission notes that submitting order through
a Floor broker might be more costly for some members than directly
entering the offsetting interest orders electronically, the Exchanges
assert that the Exchange customers that would typically respond to a
solicitation request are sophisticated market participants who likely
already have, or could easily arrange for, a relationship with a Floor
broker to represent orders on their behalf, and that furthermore such
customers have the wherewithal to enter into arrangements with Floor
brokers that are financially competitive with entering orders directly
into Exchange systems, e.g., via reduced commissions or pass through of
Floor broker rebates.
The Exchanges also state that, though it would be possible to
reconfigure Exchange systems to accept orders electronically after 4
p.m., to do so would be costly, and that the benefit to such a
reconfiguration would be limited, since the temporary suspension of
Rule 52 to attract offsetting interest is intended to be used for
extreme, and likely rare, circumstances where there exists such a large
imbalance at the close that the DMM could not close the security
without significant price dislocation.\20\ While the elimination of the
Floor-wide declaration of an extreme market volatility condition as a
prerequisite for suspending Rule 52 may increase the likelihood of Rule
52 suspensions on the Exchange, the Commission notes that other
elements of Rule 128(c)(8), such as Executive Floor Governor oversight,
are designed to restrict suspension of Rule 52 to situations where it
is necessary to maintain a fair and orderly market.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\20\ For example, NYSE reports that, in the period from October
2, 2008, when the Exchange adopted the amendments to Rule 48, to
February 19, 2009, when NYSE filed their proposed rule change, NYSE
invoked Rule 48 (i.e., declared a floor-wide extreme market
condition) at the close eight times. However, because the DMM does
not know what the actual imbalance will be until 4 p.m., during that
time NYSE solicited offsetting interest for only one security on one
such trading day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Commission notes that the Exchanges have proposed to implement
Rule 128(c)(a)(1) for a six-month pilot period, and have agreed to
provide to the Commission information regarding how many times a Rule
52 temporary suspension under proposed Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) has been
invoked during such period. Such information should assist the
Commission in making a determination as to whether the requirement that
only Floor brokers may represent offsetting interest is
[[Page 18012]]
appropriate. Thus, the Commission approves Rule 123C(8)(a)(1) on a
Pilot basis, to end six months after the date of this order.
The Commission finds the proposal to permanently establish the
provisions allowing for temporary suspension of Rule 123C's restriction
on canceling or reducing market-at-the-close and limit-at-the-close
orders to be consistent with the Act. The Exchanges' ability to suspend
these restrictions is narrowly drawn--it would only affect MOC or LOC
orders that are both clearly erroneous and would cause a significant
dislocation in the closing price--in order to ensure its use will be
consistent with the removal of impediments to, and perfection of the
mechanism of, free and open markets on the Exchanges. Similarly, the
requirement for overview by an Executive Floor Governor or qualified
NYSE Euronext employee should help to ensure that only in extreme
situations involving significant price dislocation at the close are the
provisions of Rule 128(C)(8) employed.
Finally, given that the Exchanges anticipate their uses of Rule
123C(8) to suspend Exchange rules will be infrequent and, moreover,
given the quick decisions required in many cases where an extreme
market condition is declared, the Commission accepts the Exchanges'
assertion that requiring the Exchange to notify Commission staff in
advance may be unduly burdensome. Accordingly, the Commission finds the
proposed amendment to Rule 48(c)(2), requiring each Exchange to notify
Commission staff of the declaration of an extreme market condition as
soon as practicable after the fact, to be consistent with the Act.
IV. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the
Act,\21\ that the proposed rule changes, as amended (SR-NYSE-2009-18
and SR-NYSEAltr-2009-15) be, and they hereby are, approved.
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\21\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-8878 Filed 4-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P