Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade Shares of the Following Under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200: ProShares Short DJ-UBS Natural Gas, ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas and ProShares UltraShort DJ-UBS Natural Gas, 52037-52040 [2011-21175]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 161 / Friday, August 19, 2011 / Notices
addition, with respect to any Fund’s
holdings of futures contracts traded on
exchanges, not more than 10% of the
weight of such futures contracts in the
aggregate shall consist of components
whose principal trading market is not a
member of the Intermarket Surveillance
Group or is a market with which the
Exchange does not have a
comprehensive surveillance sharing
agreement.
(4) Prior to the commencement of
trading, the Exchange will inform its
ETP Holders of the suitability
requirements of NYSE Arca Equities
Rule 9.2(a) in an Information Bulletin.
Specifically, ETP Holders will be
reminded in the Information Bulletin
that, in recommending transactions in
the Shares, they must have a reasonable
basis to believe that (a) the
recommendation is suitable for a
customer given reasonable inquiry
concerning the customer’s investment
objectives, financial situation, needs,
and any other information known by
such member, and (b) the customer can
evaluate the special characteristics, and
is able to bear the financial risks, of an
investment in the Shares. In connection
with the suitability obligation, the
Information Bulletin will also provide
that members must make reasonable
efforts to obtain the following
information: (i) The customer’s financial
status; (ii) the customer’s tax status; (iii)
the customer’s investment objectives;
and (iv) such other information used or
considered to be reasonable by such
member or registered representative in
making recommendations to the
customer. In addition, the Information
Bulletin will reference the FINRA
Regulatory Notices regarding sales
practice and customer margin
requirements implemented by FINRA,
applicable to FINRA members, with
respect to leveraged ETFs (which
include the Shares) and options on
leveraged ETFs.17 ETP Holders that
carry customer accounts will be
required to follow the FINRA guidance
set forth in these notices.
(5) Prior to the commencement of
trading, the Exchange also will inform
its ETP Holders in an Information
Bulletin of the special characteristics
and risks associated with trading the
Shares. Specifically, the Information
Bulletin will discuss the following:
(a) The risks involved in trading the
Shares during the Opening and Late
Trading Sessions when an updated
IOPV will not be calculated or publicly
disseminated; (b) the procedures for
17 See FINRA Regulatory Notices 09–31 (June
2009), 09–53 (August 2009) and 09–65 (November
2009) (‘‘FINRA Regulatory Notices’’).
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purchases and redemptions of Shares in
Creation Baskets and Redemption
Baskets (and that Shares are not
individually redeemable); (c) NYSE
Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a), which
imposes a duty of due diligence on its
ETP Holders to learn the essential facts
relating to every customer prior to
trading the Shares; (d) the requirement
that ETP Holders deliver a prospectus to
investors purchasing newly issued
Shares prior to or concurrently with the
confirmation of a transaction; and (e)
trading information.18
(6) The Funds must be in compliance
with NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.3 and
Rule 10A–3 under the Act.19
(7) A minimum of 100,000 Shares for
each Fund will be outstanding as of the
start of trading on the Exchange.
This approval order is based on the
Exchange’s representations.20
For the foregoing reasons, the
Commission finds that the proposed
rule change is consistent with Section
6(b)(5) of the Act 21 and the rules and
regulations thereunder applicable to a
national securities exchange.
IV. Conclusion
It is therfore ordered, pursuant to
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,22 that the
proposed rule change (SR–NYSEArca–
2011–23) be, and it hereby is, approved.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.23
Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–21173 Filed 8–18–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
18 As noted above, the Information Bulletin will
further advise ETP Holders that FINRA has
implemented increased customer margin
requirements applicable to leveraged ETFs (which
include the Shares) and options on leveraged ETFs,
as discussed in the FINRA Regulatory Notices. See
supra, note 17.
19 17 CFR 240.10A–3.
20 The Commission notes that it does not regulate
the market for futures in which the Fund plans to
take positions, which is the responsibility of the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (‘‘CFTC’’).
The CFTC has the authority to set limits on the
positions that any person may take in futures. These
limits may be directly set by the CFTC or by the
markets on which the futures are traded. The
Commission has no role in establishing position
limits on futures, even though such limits could
impact an exchange-traded product that is under
the jurisdiction of the Commission.
21 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
22 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
23 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
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52037
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–65136; File No. SR–
NYSEArca–2011–24]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE
Arca, Inc.; Order Approving a
Proposed Rule Change To List and
Trade Shares of the Following Under
NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200:
ProShares Short DJ–UBS Natural Gas,
ProShares Ultra DJ–UBS Natural Gas
and ProShares UltraShort DJ–UBS
Natural Gas
August 15, 2011.
I. Introduction
On April 28, 2011, NYSE Arca, Inc.
(‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘NYSE Arca’’) 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 shares of the
ProShares Short DJ–UBS Natural Gas,
ProShares Ultra DJ–UBS Natural Gas,
and ProShares UltraShort DJ–UBS
Natural Gas under NYSE Arca Equities
Rule 8.200. The proposed rule change
was published for comment in the
Federal Register on May 17, 2011.3 The
Commission received no comments on
the proposal. On July 1, 2011, the
Exchange submitted a request to extend
the Commission’s action date for the
proposed rule change to August 15,
2011. This order grants approval of the
proposed rule change.
II. Description of the Proposed Rule
Change
The Exchange proposes to list and
trade shares (‘‘Shares’’) of the ProShares
Short DJ–UBS Natural Gas, ProShares
Ultra DJ–UBS Natural Gas, and
ProShares UltraShort DJ–UBS Natural
Gas (each a ‘‘Fund’’ and, collectively,
‘‘Funds’’) 4 pursuant to NYSE Arca
Equities Rule 8.200, Commentary .02,
which permits the trading of Trust
Issued Receipts either by listing or
pursuant to unlisted trading privileges.5
1 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64464
(May 11, 2011), 76 FR 28483 (‘‘Notice’’).
4 See Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 dated May
28, 2010 (File No. 333–163511) and Post-Effective
Amendment No. 4 dated April 13, 2011 (File No.
333–163511) to the Funds’ Registration Statement
on Form S–3 (‘‘Registration Statements’’).
5 Commentary .02 to NYSE Arca Equities Rule
8.200 applies to Trust Issued Receipts that invest
in ‘‘Financial Instruments.’’ The term ‘‘Financial
Instruments,’’ as defined in Commentary .02(b)(4) to
NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200, means any
combination of investments, including cash;
securities; options on securities and indices; futures
2 17
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Each of the Funds is a series of the
ProShares Trust II (‘‘Trust’’), a Delaware
statutory trust. ProShare Capital
Management LLC (‘‘Sponsor’’) is the
Trust’s Sponsor, and Wilmington Trust
Company is the Trust’s trustee. Brown
Brothers Harriman & Co.
(‘‘Administrator’’) serves as the
administrator, custodian, and transfer
agent of the Funds. SEI Investments
Distribution Co. serves as distributor of
the Shares.
The Funds seek daily investment
results (before fees and expenses) that
correspond to the inverse (opposite) of
the daily performance, a multiple of the
daily performance, or an inverse
multiple of the daily performance of the
Dow Jones-UBS Natural Gas Sub-Index,
the benchmark index for each of the
Funds (‘‘Benchmark’’ or ‘‘Index’’). The
Index, which is comprised of New York
Mercantile Exchange (‘‘NYMEX’’)
Natural Gas futures contracts (‘‘Natural
Gas Futures Contracts’’), is intended to
reflect the performance of natural gas as
measured by the performance of Natural
Gas Futures Contracts, including roll
costs, without regard to income earned
on cash positions. The Index rolls (or
sells its existing position prior to
settlement while purchasing a new
position further from settlement) the
component Natural Gas Futures
Contracts every other month. The roll
for each Index component occurs over a
period of five NYMEX business days.
Each Fund will seek to achieve its
respective investment objective by
investing under normal market
conditions in Natural Gas Futures
Contracts. In the event position
accountability rules are reached with
respect to Natural Gas Futures
Contracts, the Sponsor may, in its
commercially reasonable judgment,
cause the Funds to obtain exposure
through swaps referencing the Index or
particular Natural Gas Futures
Contracts, or invest in other futures
contracts or swaps not based on the
particular Natural Gas Futures Contracts
if such instruments tend to exhibit
trading prices or returns that correlate
with the Index or any Natural Gas
Futures Contract and will further the
investment objective of such Fund.6
Each Fund may also invest in swaps if
the market for a specific futures contract
experiences emergencies (e.g., natural
disaster, terrorist attack, or an act of
God) or disruptions (e.g., a trading halt
or a flash crash) that would prevent
contracts; options on futures contracts; forward
contracts; equity caps, collars and floors; and swap
agreements.
6 To the extent practicable, the Funds will invest
in swaps cleared through the facilities of a
centralized clearing house.
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such Fund from obtaining the
appropriate amount of investment
exposure to the affected Natural Gas
Futures Contracts directly or to other
futures contracts.7 In addition, each
Fund may invest in cash, cash
equivalents, and/or U.S. Treasury
Securities or other high credit quality
short-term fixed-income or similar
securities (such as shares of money
market funds, bank deposits, bank
money market accounts, certain
variable-rate demand notes, and
repurchase agreements collateralized by
government securities) that will serve as
collateral for any futures contracts or
swap agreements held by the Funds.
The Sponsor expects the Funds to
have a statistical correlation 8 over time
of ¥0.95 or better (for ProShares Short
DJ–UBS Natural Gas and ProShares
UltraShort DJ–UBS Natural Gas) and
+0.95 or better (for ProShares Ultra DJ–
UBS Natural Gas) when correlating the
daily return of a Fund’s NAV against the
daily return of its relevant Benchmark.
If ProShares Short DJ–UBS Natural
Gas is successful in meeting its
objective, its value on a given day
(before fees and expenses) should gain
approximately as much on a percentage
basis as its Benchmark when the
Benchmark falls on a given day.
Conversely, its value on a given day
(before fees and expenses) should lose
approximately as much on a percentage
basis as the Benchmark when the
Benchmark rises on a given day. If the
ProShares Ultra DJ–UBS Natural Gas
Fund is successful in meeting its
objective, its value (before fees and
expenses) should gain approximately
twice as much on a percentage basis as
the Benchmark when it rises on a given
day. Conversely, its value (before fees
and expenses) should lose
approximately twice as much on a
percentage basis as the Benchmark
when it declines on a given day. If the
ProShares UltraShort DJ–UBS Natural
Gas Fund is successful in meeting its
objective, its value (before fees and
expenses) should gain approximately
twice as much on a percentage basis as
the Benchmark when it declines on a
7 The Sponsor will also attempt to mitigate the
Funds’ credit risk by transacting only with large,
well-capitalized institutions using measures
designed to determine the creditworthiness of a
counterparty. The Sponsor will take various steps
to limit counterparty credit risk.
8 Correlation is the strength of the relationship
between (1) the change in a Fund’s net asset value
(‘‘NAV’’) and (2) the change in the underlying Index
or Benchmark. The statistical measure of correlation
is known as the ‘‘correlation coefficient.’’ A
correlation coefficient of +1 indicates a perfect
positive correlation while a value of ¥1 indicates
a perfect negative (inverse) correlation. A value of
zero would mean that there is no correlation
between the two variables.
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given day. Conversely, its value (before
fees and expenses) should lose
approximately twice as much on a
percentage basis as the Benchmark
when it rises on a given day.
For each dollar invested in the Funds,
each Fund will seek the requisite
exposure in Natural Gas Futures
Contracts to pursue its respective
investment objective. The Funds’
investment techniques may involve a
small investment relative to the amount
of investment exposure assumed and
may result in losses exceeding the
amounts invested. Such techniques,
particularly when used to create
leverage, may expose the Funds to
potentially dramatic changes (losses or
gains) in the value of their investments
and imperfect correlation between the
value of the investments and the
security or index. The Sponsor does not
intend to invest directly in any
commodity.
The Exchange represents that the
Funds will be subject to the criteria in
NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200 and
Commentary .02 thereto for the initial
and continued listing of the Shares. The
Exchange further represents that, for the
initial and continued listing of the
Shares, the Funds will be in compliance
with NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.3 and
Rule 10A–3 under the Act 9 and a
minimum of 100,000 Shares for each
Fund will be outstanding as of the start
of trading on the Exchange.
Additional details regarding the Trust,
Shares, trading policies of the Fund,
creations and redemptions of the
Shares, Natural Gas Futures Contracts,
investment risks, Benchmark
performance, NAV calculation, the
dissemination and availability of
information about the underlying assets,
trading halts, applicable trading rules,
surveillance, and the Information
Bulletin, among other things, can be
found in the Notice and/or the
Registration Statements, as applicable.10
III. Discussion and Commission’s
Findings
After careful review, the Commission
finds that the proposed rule change to
list and trade the Shares of the Funds is
consistent with the requirements of
Section 6 of the Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder applicable to a
national securities exchange.11 In
particular, the Commission finds that
the proposed rule change is consistent
9 17
CFR 240.10A–3.
Notice and Registration Statements, supra
notes 3 and 4, respectively.
11 In approving this proposed rule change, the
Commission notes that it has considered the
proposed rule’s impact on efficiency, competition,
and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
10 See
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with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5)
of the Act,12 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
facilitating transactions in securities, to
remove impediments to and perfect the
mechanism of a free and open market
and a national market system, and, in
general, to protect investors and the
public interest. The Commission notes
that the Funds and the Shares must
comply with the requirements of NYSE
Arca Equities Rule 8.200 and
Commentary .02 thereto to be listed and
traded on the Exchange. The
Commission finds that the proposal to
list and trade the Shares on the
Exchange is consistent with Section
11A(a)(1)(C)(iii) of the Act,13 which sets
forth Congress’s finding that it is in the
public interest and appropriate for the
protection of investors and the
maintenance of fair and orderly markets
to assure the availability to brokers,
dealers, and investors of information
with respect to quotations for, and
transactions in, securities. Quotation
and last-sale information for the Shares
will be available via the Consolidated
Tape Association high-speed line, and
the Index level will be disseminated by
one or more major market data vendors
and will be updated at least every 15
seconds during the NYSE Arca Core
Trading Session, except for that period
after the end of the NYMEX Natural Gas
pit trading session at 2:30 p.m. Eastern
Time (‘‘E.T.’’), at which point the Index
value will be static.14 In addition, the
Indicative Fund Value (‘‘IFV’’) for each
Fund will be disseminated on a perShare basis by one or more major market
data vendors at least every 15 seconds
during the NYSE Arca Core Trading
Session.15 The NAV for the Funds’
12 15
U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
U.S.C. 78k–1(a)(1)(C)(iii).
14 The daily closing Index level and the
percentage change in the daily closing Index level
will be publicly available on various websites, e.g.,
https://www.bloomberg.com, and data regarding the
Index will also be available from the Dow Jones &
Company, Inc. to subscribers. In addition, data will
be available for the Natural Gas Futures Contracts
in the Index and for other futures contracts from
those futures exchanges that list and trade futures
contracts on such commodity. Several independent
data vendors also package and disseminate data in
various value-added formats (including vendors
displaying both Index constituents and Index levels
and vendors displaying Index levels only).
15 The value of a Share may be influenced by nonconcurrent trading hours between NYSE Arca and
NYMEX when the Shares are traded on NYSE Arca
after normal trading hours of NYMEX. The IFV will
be updated during the NYSE Arca Core Trading
Session when Natural Gas Futures Contracts held
by the Funds are traded. However, a static IFV will
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13 15
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Jkt 223001
Shares will be calculated by the
Administrator once a day and will be
disseminated daily to all market
participants at 2:30 p.m. E.T. Each
Fund’s total portfolio composition will
be disclosed on the Funds’ Web site or
another relevant Web site as determined
by the Trust and/or the Exchange. The
Trust will provide Web site disclosure
of portfolio holdings daily and will
include, as applicable, the names and
notional value (in U.S. dollars) of
Natural Gas Futures Contracts and swap
agreements, if any, cash equivalents and
amount of cash held in the portfolio of
each Fund. The intra-day, closing, and
settlement prices of the futures contracts
held by the Funds are available from
NYMEX, automated quotation systems,
published or other public sources, or
on-line information services such as
Bloomberg or Reuters. In addition, the
Web site for the Funds and/or the
Exchange will contain the prospectus
and additional data relating to NAV and
other applicable quantitative
information.
The Commission further believes that
the proposal to list and trade the Shares
is reasonably designed to promote fair
disclosure of information that may be
necessary to price the Shares
appropriately and to prevent trading
when a reasonable degree of
transparency cannot be assured. If the
Exchange becomes aware that the NAV
with respect to the Shares is not
disseminated to all market participants
at the same time, it will halt trading in
the Shares until such time as the NAV
is available to all market participants.16
Further, the Exchange represents that it
may halt trading during the day in
which an interruption to the
dissemination of the Index value, IFV,
or the value of the underlying futures
contracts occurs. If the interruption to
the dissemination of the Index value,
IFV, or the value of the underlying
futures contracts persists past the
trading day in which it occurred, the
Exchange will halt trading no later than
the beginning of the trading day
following the interruption. In addition,
the Web site disclosure of the portfolio
composition of each Fund will occur at
the same time as the disclosure by the
Sponsor of the portfolio composition to
Authorized Participants so that all
market participants are provided
portfolio composition information at the
be disseminated between the close of trading of
Natural Gas Futures Contracts and the close of the
NYSE Arca Core Trading Session.
16 The Exchange will obtain a representation
(prior to listing the Shares of the Funds) from the
Trust that the NAV per Share will be calculated
daily and made available to all market participants
at the same time.
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52039
same time. Therefore, the same portfolio
information will be provided on the
public Web site as well as in electronic
files provided to Authorized
Participants. Accordingly, each investor
will have access to the current portfolio
composition of each Fund through the
Funds’ Web site and/or at the
Exchange’s Web site. The Exchange may
halt trading in the Shares if trading is
not occurring in the underlying futures
contracts or if other unusual conditions
or circumstances detrimental to the
maintenance of a fair and orderly
market are present.17 In addition, the
Exchange represents that certain parties
involved with the sponsoring and/or
maintenance of the Index will be subject
to restrictions on the use or disclosure
of any material non-public information
relating to changes to the composition
and/or the calculation of the Index.18
Lastly, the trading of the Shares will be
subject to NYSE Arca Equities Rule
8.200, Commentary .02(e), which sets
forth certain restrictions on ETP
Holders 19 acting as registered Market
Makers 20 in Trust Issued Receipts to
facilitate surveillance.
The Exchange has represented that
the Shares are deemed to be equity
17 With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may
consider other relevant factors in exercising its
discretion to halt or suspend trading in the Shares
of the Funds. Trading in the Shares of the Funds
will be subject to halts caused by extraordinary
market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s circuit
breaker rules in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.12.
Trading also may be halted because of market
conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the
Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable.
18 UBS Securities LLC, a co-sponsor of the Index,
is a registered broker-dealer and has represented to
the Exchange that it will: (1) Implement and
maintain procedures reasonably designed to
prevent the use and dissemination by its relevant
personnel of material non-public information
relating to changes in the composition or method
of computation or calculation of the Index; and (2)
periodically review the requirements of such
procedures as they relate to certain of its personnel
directly responsible for such changes. CME Group
Index Services LLC, another co-sponsor of the
Index, is not engaged in the business of trading in
commodities or securities. CME Group Inc., which,
together with its subsidiaries, operates derivatives
exchanges, maintains a Code of Conduct applicable
to all personnel that prohibits disclosure of any
confidential information obtained during the course
of one’s employment and the use or disclosure of
any material non-public information relating to
changes to the composition of the Index or changes
to the Index methodology in violation of applicable
laws, rules or regulations. Dow Jones & Company,
Inc. also maintains a Code of Conduct applicable to
all personnel that prohibits disclosure of any
confidential information relating to changes to the
composition of the Index or changes to the Index
methodology obtained during the course of one’s
employment and the use of any material non-public
information in violation of applicable laws, rules or
regulations.
19 See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 1.1(n) (defining
ETP Holder).
20 See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 1.1(u) (defining
Market Maker).
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jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
securities, thus rendering trading in the
Shares subject to the Exchange’s
existing rules governing the trading of
equity securities. In support of this
proposal, the Exchange has made
representations, including:
(1) The Funds will be subject to the
criteria in NYSE Arca Equities Rule
8.200 and Commentary .02 thereto for
initial and continued listing of the
Shares.
(2) The Exchange has appropriate
rules to facilitate transactions in the
Shares during all trading sessions.
(3) The Exchange’s surveillance
procedures are adequate to properly
monitor Exchange trading of the Shares
in all trading sessions and to deter and
detect violations of Exchange rules and
applicable federal securities laws.
(4) Prior to the commencement of
trading, the Exchange will inform its
ETP Holders of the suitability
requirements of NYSE Arca Equities
Rule 9.2(a) in an Information Bulletin.
Specifically, ETP Holders will be
reminded in the Information Bulletin
that, in recommending transactions in
the Shares, they must have a reasonable
basis to believe that (a) the
recommendation is suitable for a
customer given reasonable inquiry
concerning the customer’s investment
objectives, financial situation, needs,
and any other information known by
such member, and (b) the customer can
evaluate the special characteristics, and
is able to bear the financial risks, of an
investment in the Shares. In connection
with the suitability obligation, the
Information Bulletin will also provide
that members must make reasonable
efforts to obtain the following
information: (i) The customer’s financial
status; (ii) the customer’s tax status; (iii)
the customer’s investment objectives;
and (iv) such other information used or
considered to be reasonable by such
member or registered representative in
making recommendations to the
customer.21 Further, the Exchange’s
Information Bulletin regarding the
Funds will provide information
regarding the suitability of an
investment in the Shares, as stated in
the Registration Statements.
(5) With respect to the Funds’ futures
contracts traded on exchanges, not more
than 10% of the weight of such futures
21 FINRA has implemented increased sales
practice and customer margin requirements for
FINRA members applicable to leveraged ETFs
(which include the Shares) and options on
leveraged ETFs, as described in FINRA Regulatory
Notices 09–31 (June 2009), 09–53 (August 2009)
and 09–65 (November 2009) (‘‘FINRA Regulatory
Notices’’). The Exchange represents that ETP
Holders that carry customer accounts will be
required to follow the FINRA guidance set forth in
these notices.
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contracts in the aggregate shall consist
of components whose principal trading
market is not a member of the
Intermarket Surveillance Group or is a
market with which the Exchange does
not have a comprehensive surveillance
sharing agreement.
(6) Prior to the commencement of
trading, the Exchange will inform its
ETP Holders in an Information Bulletin
of the special characteristics and risks
associated with trading the Shares.
Specifically, the Information Bulletin
will discuss the following: (a) The risks
involved in trading the Shares during
the Opening and Late Trading Sessions
when an updated IFV will not be
calculated or publicly disseminated; (b)
the procedures for purchases and
redemptions of Shares in creation
baskets and redemption baskets (and
that Shares are not individually
redeemable); (c) NYSE Arca Equities
Rule 9.2(a), which imposes a duty of
due diligence on its ETP Holders to
learn the essential facts relating to every
customer prior to trading the Shares; (d)
how information regarding the IFV is
disseminated; (e) a static IFV will be
disseminated between the close of
trading of Natural Gas Futures Contracts
on NYMEX and the close of the NYSE
Arca Core Trading Session; (f) the
requirement that ETP Holders deliver a
prospectus to investors purchasing
newly issued Shares prior to or
concurrently with the confirmation of a
transaction; and (g) trading information.
In addition, the Information Bulletin
will reference the FINRA Regulatory
Notices regarding sales practice and
customer margin requirements for
FINRA members applicable to leveraged
products.
(7) A minimum of 100,000 Shares will
be outstanding as of the start of trading
on the Exchange.
(8) For the initial and continued
listing of the Shares, the Funds will be
in compliance with NYSE Arca Equities
Rule 5.3 and Rule 10A–3 under the Act.
This approval order is based on the
Exchange’s representations.22
For the foregoing reasons, the
Commission finds that the proposed
rule change is consistent with Section
6(b)(5) of the Act 23 and the rules and
22 The Commission notes that it does not regulate
the market for futures in which the Fund plans to
take positions, which is the responsibility of the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (‘‘CFTC’’).
The CFTC has the authority to set limits on the
positions that any person may take in futures. These
limits may be directly set by the CFTC or by the
markets on which the futures are traded. The
Commission has no role in establishing position
limits on futures, even though such limits could
impact an exchange-traded product that is under
the jurisdiction of the Commission.
23 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
PO 00000
Frm 00109
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
regulations thereunder applicable to a
national securities exchange.
IV. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,24 that the
proposed rule change (SR–NYSEArca–
2011–24) be, and it hereby is, approved.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.25
Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–21175 Filed 8–18–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–65137; File No. SR–FINRA–
2011–040]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc.; Notice of Filing and
Order Granting Accelerated Approval
of Proposed Rule Change To Amend
the Supplementary Material to FINRA
Rule 1230(b)(6) (Operations
Professional)
August 15, 2011.
On August 12, 2011, Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
(‘‘FINRA’’) filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (‘‘SEC’’ or
‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
change as described in Items I and II
below, which Items have been
substantially prepared by FINRA. The
Commission is publishing this notice
and order to solicit comment on the
proposed rule change and approve the
proposed rule change on an accelerated
basis.
I. Description of Proposed Rule Change
FINRA is proposing to amend the
supplementary material to FINRA Rule
1230(b)(6) (Operations Professional),
FINRA Rule 1230.06 (Scope of
Operations Professional Requirement),
to clarify the application of the
Operations Professional requirements to
employees of a foreign broker-dealer
whose activities, relating to certain
transactions in foreign securities on
behalf of a member’s customers, as
further detailed herein, are limited to
facilitating the clearance and settlement
of such transactions.
The text of the proposed rule change
is available on FINRA’s Web site at
https://www.finra.org, at the principal
office of FINRA and at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room.
24 15
25 17
E:\FR\FM\19AUN1.SGM
U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
19AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 161 (Friday, August 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52037-52040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21175]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-65136; File No. SR-NYSEArca-2011-24]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Order Approving a
Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade Shares of the Following Under
NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200: ProShares Short DJ-UBS Natural Gas,
ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas and ProShares UltraShort DJ-UBS
Natural Gas
August 15, 2011.
I. Introduction
On April 28, 2011, NYSE Arca, Inc. (``Exchange'' or ``NYSE Arca'')
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 shares of the ProShares Short DJ-UBS Natural Gas,
ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas, and ProShares UltraShort DJ-UBS
Natural Gas under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200. The proposed rule
change was published for comment in the Federal Register on May 17,
2011.\3\ The Commission received no comments on the proposal. On July
1, 2011, the Exchange submitted a request to extend the Commission's
action date for the proposed rule change to August 15, 2011. This order
grants approval of the proposed rule change.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64464 (May 11,
2011), 76 FR 28483 (``Notice'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Description of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to list and trade shares (``Shares'') of the
ProShares Short DJ-UBS Natural Gas, ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas,
and ProShares UltraShort DJ-UBS Natural Gas (each a ``Fund'' and,
collectively, ``Funds'') \4\ pursuant to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200,
Commentary .02, which permits the trading of Trust Issued Receipts
either by listing or pursuant to unlisted trading privileges.\5\
[[Page 52038]]
Each of the Funds is a series of the ProShares Trust II (``Trust''), a
Delaware statutory trust. ProShare Capital Management LLC (``Sponsor'')
is the Trust's Sponsor, and Wilmington Trust Company is the Trust's
trustee. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (``Administrator'') serves as
the administrator, custodian, and transfer agent of the Funds. SEI
Investments Distribution Co. serves as distributor of the Shares.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ See Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 dated May 28, 2010 (File
No. 333-163511) and Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 dated April 13,
2011 (File No. 333-163511) to the Funds' Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (``Registration Statements'').
\5\ Commentary .02 to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200 applies to
Trust Issued Receipts that invest in ``Financial Instruments.'' The
term ``Financial Instruments,'' as defined in Commentary .02(b)(4)
to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200, means any combination of
investments, including cash; securities; options on securities and
indices; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; forward
contracts; equity caps, collars and floors; and swap agreements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Funds seek daily investment results (before fees and expenses)
that correspond to the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance, a
multiple of the daily performance, or an inverse multiple of the daily
performance of the Dow Jones-UBS Natural Gas Sub-Index, the benchmark
index for each of the Funds (``Benchmark'' or ``Index''). The Index,
which is comprised of New York Mercantile Exchange (``NYMEX'') Natural
Gas futures contracts (``Natural Gas Futures Contracts''), is intended
to reflect the performance of natural gas as measured by the
performance of Natural Gas Futures Contracts, including roll costs,
without regard to income earned on cash positions. The Index rolls (or
sells its existing position prior to settlement while purchasing a new
position further from settlement) the component Natural Gas Futures
Contracts every other month. The roll for each Index component occurs
over a period of five NYMEX business days.
Each Fund will seek to achieve its respective investment objective
by investing under normal market conditions in Natural Gas Futures
Contracts. In the event position accountability rules are reached with
respect to Natural Gas Futures Contracts, the Sponsor may, in its
commercially reasonable judgment, cause the Funds to obtain exposure
through swaps referencing the Index or particular Natural Gas Futures
Contracts, or invest in other futures contracts or swaps not based on
the particular Natural Gas Futures Contracts if such instruments tend
to exhibit trading prices or returns that correlate with the Index or
any Natural Gas Futures Contract and will further the investment
objective of such Fund.\6\ Each Fund may also invest in swaps if the
market for a specific futures contract experiences emergencies (e.g.,
natural disaster, terrorist attack, or an act of God) or disruptions
(e.g., a trading halt or a flash crash) that would prevent such Fund
from obtaining the appropriate amount of investment exposure to the
affected Natural Gas Futures Contracts directly or to other futures
contracts.\7\ In addition, each Fund may invest in cash, cash
equivalents, and/or U.S. Treasury Securities or other high credit
quality short-term fixed-income or similar securities (such as shares
of money market funds, bank deposits, bank money market accounts,
certain variable-rate demand notes, and repurchase agreements
collateralized by government securities) that will serve as collateral
for any futures contracts or swap agreements held by the Funds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ To the extent practicable, the Funds will invest in swaps
cleared through the facilities of a centralized clearing house.
\7\ The Sponsor will also attempt to mitigate the Funds' credit
risk by transacting only with large, well-capitalized institutions
using measures designed to determine the creditworthiness of a
counterparty. The Sponsor will take various steps to limit
counterparty credit risk.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sponsor expects the Funds to have a statistical correlation \8\
over time of -0.95 or better (for ProShares Short DJ-UBS Natural Gas
and ProShares UltraShort DJ-UBS Natural Gas) and +0.95 or better (for
ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas) when correlating the daily return
of a Fund's NAV against the daily return of its relevant Benchmark.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Correlation is the strength of the relationship between (1)
the change in a Fund's net asset value (``NAV'') and (2) the change
in the underlying Index or Benchmark. The statistical measure of
correlation is known as the ``correlation coefficient.'' A
correlation coefficient of +1 indicates a perfect positive
correlation while a value of -1 indicates a perfect negative
(inverse) correlation. A value of zero would mean that there is no
correlation between the two variables.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
If ProShares Short DJ-UBS Natural Gas is successful in meeting its
objective, its value on a given day (before fees and expenses) should
gain approximately as much on a percentage basis as its Benchmark when
the Benchmark falls on a given day. Conversely, its value on a given
day (before fees and expenses) should lose approximately as much on a
percentage basis as the Benchmark when the Benchmark rises on a given
day. If the ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas Fund is successful in
meeting its objective, its value (before fees and expenses) should gain
approximately twice as much on a percentage basis as the Benchmark when
it rises on a given day. Conversely, its value (before fees and
expenses) should lose approximately twice as much on a percentage basis
as the Benchmark when it declines on a given day. If the ProShares
UltraShort DJ-UBS Natural Gas Fund is successful in meeting its
objective, its value (before fees and expenses) should gain
approximately twice as much on a percentage basis as the Benchmark when
it declines on a given day. Conversely, its value (before fees and
expenses) should lose approximately twice as much on a percentage basis
as the Benchmark when it rises on a given day.
For each dollar invested in the Funds, each Fund will seek the
requisite exposure in Natural Gas Futures Contracts to pursue its
respective investment objective. The Funds' investment techniques may
involve a small investment relative to the amount of investment
exposure assumed and may result in losses exceeding the amounts
invested. Such techniques, particularly when used to create leverage,
may expose the Funds to potentially dramatic changes (losses or gains)
in the value of their investments and imperfect correlation between the
value of the investments and the security or index. The Sponsor does
not intend to invest directly in any commodity.
The Exchange represents that the Funds will be subject to the
criteria in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200 and Commentary .02 thereto
for the initial and continued listing of the Shares. The Exchange
further represents that, for the initial and continued listing of the
Shares, the Funds will be in compliance with NYSE Arca Equities Rule
5.3 and Rule 10A-3 under the Act \9\ and a minimum of 100,000 Shares
for each Fund will be outstanding as of the start of trading on the
Exchange.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ 17 CFR 240.10A-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional details regarding the Trust, Shares, trading policies of
the Fund, creations and redemptions of the Shares, Natural Gas Futures
Contracts, investment risks, Benchmark performance, NAV calculation,
the dissemination and availability of information about the underlying
assets, trading halts, applicable trading rules, surveillance, and the
Information Bulletin, among other things, can be found in the Notice
and/or the Registration Statements, as applicable.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ See Notice and Registration Statements, supra notes 3 and
4, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Discussion and Commission's Findings
After careful review, the Commission finds that the proposed rule
change to list and trade the Shares of the Funds is consistent with the
requirements of Section 6 of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder applicable to a national securities exchange.\11\ In
particular, the Commission finds that the proposed rule change is
consistent
[[Page 52039]]
with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\12\ 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 facilitating transactions in
securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a
free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to
protect investors and the public interest. The Commission notes that
the Funds and the Shares must comply with the requirements of NYSE Arca
Equities Rule 8.200 and Commentary .02 thereto to be listed and traded
on the Exchange. The Commission finds that the proposal to list and
trade the Shares on the Exchange is consistent with Section
11A(a)(1)(C)(iii) of the Act,\13\ which sets forth Congress's finding
that it is in the public interest and appropriate for the protection of
investors and the maintenance of fair and orderly markets to assure the
availability to brokers, dealers, and investors of information with
respect to quotations for, and transactions in, securities. Quotation
and last-sale information for the Shares will be available via the
Consolidated Tape Association high-speed line, and the Index level will
be disseminated by one or more major market data vendors and will be
updated at least every 15 seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading
Session, except for that period after the end of the NYMEX Natural Gas
pit trading session at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time (``E.T.''), at which
point the Index value will be static.\14\ In addition, the Indicative
Fund Value (``IFV'') for each Fund will be disseminated on a per-Share
basis by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15
seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session.\15\ The NAV for the
Funds' Shares will be calculated by the Administrator once a day and
will be disseminated daily to all market participants at 2:30 p.m. E.T.
Each Fund's total portfolio composition will be disclosed on the Funds'
Web site or another relevant Web site as determined by the Trust and/or
the Exchange. The Trust will provide Web site disclosure of portfolio
holdings daily and will include, as applicable, the names and notional
value (in U.S. dollars) of Natural Gas Futures Contracts and swap
agreements, if any, cash equivalents and amount of cash held in the
portfolio of each Fund. The intra-day, closing, and settlement prices
of the futures contracts held by the Funds are available from NYMEX,
automated quotation systems, published or other public sources, or on-
line information services such as Bloomberg or Reuters. In addition,
the Web site for the Funds and/or the Exchange will contain the
prospectus and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable
quantitative information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ In approving this proposed rule change, the Commission
notes that it has considered the proposed rule's impact on
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C.
78c(f).
\12\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
\13\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-1(a)(1)(C)(iii).
\14\ The daily closing Index level and the percentage change in
the daily closing Index level will be publicly available on various
websites, e.g., https://www.bloomberg.com, and data regarding the
Index will also be available from the Dow Jones & Company, Inc. to
subscribers. In addition, data will be available for the Natural Gas
Futures Contracts in the Index and for other futures contracts from
those futures exchanges that list and trade futures contracts on
such commodity. Several independent data vendors also package and
disseminate data in various value-added formats (including vendors
displaying both Index constituents and Index levels and vendors
displaying Index levels only).
\15\ The value of a Share may be influenced by non-concurrent
trading hours between NYSE Arca and NYMEX when the Shares are traded
on NYSE Arca after normal trading hours of NYMEX. The IFV will be
updated during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session when Natural Gas
Futures Contracts held by the Funds are traded. However, a static
IFV will be disseminated between the close of trading of Natural Gas
Futures Contracts and the close of the NYSE Arca Core Trading
Session.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Commission further believes that the proposal to list and trade
the Shares is reasonably designed to promote fair disclosure of
information that may be necessary to price the Shares appropriately and
to prevent trading when a reasonable degree of transparency cannot be
assured. If the Exchange becomes aware that the NAV with respect to the
Shares is not disseminated to all market participants at the same time,
it will halt trading in the Shares until such time as the NAV is
available to all market participants.\16\ Further, the Exchange
represents that it may halt trading during the day in which an
interruption to the dissemination of the Index value, IFV, or the value
of the underlying futures contracts occurs. If the interruption to the
dissemination of the Index value, IFV, or the value of the underlying
futures contracts persists past the trading day in which it occurred,
the Exchange will halt trading no later than the beginning of the
trading day following the interruption. In addition, the Web site
disclosure of the portfolio composition of each Fund will occur at the
same time as the disclosure by the Sponsor of the portfolio composition
to Authorized Participants so that all market participants are provided
portfolio composition information at the same time. Therefore, the same
portfolio information will be provided on the public Web site as well
as in electronic files provided to Authorized Participants.
Accordingly, each investor will have access to the current portfolio
composition of each Fund through the Funds' Web site and/or at the
Exchange's Web site. The Exchange may halt trading in the Shares if
trading is not occurring in the underlying futures contracts or if
other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the
maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present.\17\ In addition,
the Exchange represents that certain parties involved with the
sponsoring and/or maintenance of the Index will be subject to
restrictions on the use or disclosure of any material non-public
information relating to changes to the composition and/or the
calculation of the Index.\18\ Lastly, the trading of the Shares will be
subject to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.200, Commentary .02(e), which sets
forth certain restrictions on ETP Holders \19\ acting as registered
Market Makers \20\ in Trust Issued Receipts to facilitate surveillance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ The Exchange will obtain a representation (prior to listing
the Shares of the Funds) from the Trust that the NAV per Share will
be calculated daily and made available to all market participants at
the same time.
\17\ With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider
other relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or
suspend trading in the Shares of the Funds. Trading in the Shares of
the Funds will be subject to halts caused by extraordinary market
volatility pursuant to the Exchange's circuit breaker rules in NYSE
Arca Equities Rule 7.12. Trading also may be halted because of
market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange,
make trading in the Shares inadvisable.
\18\ UBS Securities LLC, a co-sponsor of the Index, is a
registered broker-dealer and has represented to the Exchange that it
will: (1) Implement and maintain procedures reasonably designed to
prevent the use and dissemination by its relevant personnel of
material non-public information relating to changes in the
composition or method of computation or calculation of the Index;
and (2) periodically review the requirements of such procedures as
they relate to certain of its personnel directly responsible for
such changes. CME Group Index Services LLC, another co-sponsor of
the Index, is not engaged in the business of trading in commodities
or securities. CME Group Inc., which, together with its
subsidiaries, operates derivatives exchanges, maintains a Code of
Conduct applicable to all personnel that prohibits disclosure of any
confidential information obtained during the course of one's
employment and the use or disclosure of any material non-public
information relating to changes to the composition of the Index or
changes to the Index methodology in violation of applicable laws,
rules or regulations. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. also maintains a
Code of Conduct applicable to all personnel that prohibits
disclosure of any confidential information relating to changes to
the composition of the Index or changes to the Index methodology
obtained during the course of one's employment and the use of any
material non-public information in violation of applicable laws,
rules or regulations.
\19\ See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 1.1(n) (defining ETP Holder).
\20\ See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 1.1(u) (defining Market Maker).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Exchange has represented that the Shares are deemed to be
equity
[[Page 52040]]
securities, thus rendering trading in the Shares subject to the
Exchange's existing rules governing the trading of equity securities.
In support of this proposal, the Exchange has made representations,
including:
(1) The Funds will be subject to the criteria in NYSE Arca Equities
Rule 8.200 and Commentary .02 thereto for initial and continued listing
of the Shares.
(2) The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions
in the Shares during all trading sessions.
(3) The Exchange's surveillance procedures are adequate to properly
monitor Exchange trading of the Shares in all trading sessions and to
deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal
securities laws.
(4) Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform
its ETP Holders of the suitability requirements of NYSE Arca Equities
Rule 9.2(a) in an Information Bulletin. Specifically, ETP Holders will
be reminded in the Information Bulletin that, in recommending
transactions in the Shares, they must have a reasonable basis to
believe that (a) the recommendation is suitable for a customer given
reasonable inquiry concerning the customer's investment objectives,
financial situation, needs, and any other information known by such
member, and (b) the customer can evaluate the special characteristics,
and is able to bear the financial risks, of an investment in the
Shares. In connection with the suitability obligation, the Information
Bulletin will also provide that members must make reasonable efforts to
obtain the following information: (i) The customer's financial status;
(ii) the customer's tax status; (iii) the customer's investment
objectives; and (iv) such other information used or considered to be
reasonable by such member or registered representative in making
recommendations to the customer.\21\ Further, the Exchange's
Information Bulletin regarding the Funds will provide information
regarding the suitability of an investment in the Shares, as stated in
the Registration Statements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\21\ FINRA has implemented increased sales practice and customer
margin requirements for FINRA members applicable to leveraged ETFs
(which include the Shares) and options on leveraged ETFs, as
described in FINRA Regulatory Notices 09-31 (June 2009), 09-53
(August 2009) and 09-65 (November 2009) (``FINRA Regulatory
Notices''). The Exchange represents that ETP Holders that carry
customer accounts will be required to follow the FINRA guidance set
forth in these notices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5) With respect to the Funds' futures contracts traded on
exchanges, not more than 10% of the weight of such futures contracts in
the aggregate shall consist of components whose principal trading
market is not a member of the Intermarket Surveillance Group or is a
market with which the Exchange does not have a comprehensive
surveillance sharing agreement.
(6) Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform
its ETP Holders in an Information Bulletin of the special
characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares.
Specifically, the Information Bulletin will discuss the following: (a)
The risks involved in trading the Shares during the Opening and Late
Trading Sessions when an updated IFV will not be calculated or publicly
disseminated; (b) the procedures for purchases and redemptions of
Shares in creation baskets and redemption baskets (and that Shares are
not individually redeemable); (c) NYSE Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a), which
imposes a duty of due diligence on its ETP Holders to learn the
essential facts relating to every customer prior to trading the Shares;
(d) how information regarding the IFV is disseminated; (e) a static IFV
will be disseminated between the close of trading of Natural Gas
Futures Contracts on NYMEX and the close of the NYSE Arca Core Trading
Session; (f) the requirement that ETP Holders deliver a prospectus to
investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or concurrently with
the confirmation of a transaction; and (g) trading information. In
addition, the Information Bulletin will reference the FINRA Regulatory
Notices regarding sales practice and customer margin requirements for
FINRA members applicable to leveraged products.
(7) A minimum of 100,000 Shares will be outstanding as of the start
of trading on the Exchange.
(8) For the initial and continued listing of the Shares, the Funds
will be in compliance with NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.3 and Rule 10A-3
under the Act.
This approval order is based on the Exchange's representations.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ The Commission notes that it does not regulate the market
for futures in which the Fund plans to take positions, which is the
responsibility of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
(``CFTC''). The CFTC has the authority to set limits on the
positions that any person may take in futures. These limits may be
directly set by the CFTC or by the markets on which the futures are
traded. The Commission has no role in establishing position limits
on futures, even though such limits could impact an exchange-traded
product that is under the jurisdiction of the Commission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the foregoing reasons, the Commission finds that the proposed
rule change is consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Act \23\ and the
rules and regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities
exchange.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\23\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the
Act,\24\ that the proposed rule change (SR-NYSEArca-2011-24) be, and it
hereby is, approved.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\24\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\25\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\25\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-21175 Filed 8-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P