Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed Income Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change to Expand the One-Pot Cross-Margining Program With New York Portfolio Clearing, LLC to Certain “Market Professionals”, 20445-20451 [2012-8042]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices
basis for the financial statements that
would be filed pursuant to section 30 of
the Act. Under the requested relief,
Applicant will provide to its members:
(i) Annual audited financial statements
prepared in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles and rule
1–02(d) of Regulation S–X; and (ii)
unaudited quarterly financial statements
prepared in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles.
5. Applicant contends that the
following factors, among others, are
appropriate grounds for the requested
relief, particularly in view of the
provisions of the Act that will apply to
Applicant: (i) Sunwest Investors who
were eligible to receive interests in
Applicant, their counsel, investment
bankers and other advisors, as well as
the District Court and its appointed
mediators, were active participants in
designing and determining Applicant’s
structure; (ii) Applicant will continue to
be subject to the jurisdiction of the
District Court; (iii) transferability of
Applicant’s securities is severely
restricted; 13 (iv) Applicant has a limited
life and will liquidate upon the
liquidation of Blackstone LLC; and (v)
Applicant will not be engaged in the
business of investing, reinvesting or
trading in securities, and the only
securities that Applicant may hold are
its interests in Blackstone LLC and
Temporary Investments pending
distributions to Applicant’s members or
disbursements in payment of
Applicant’s obligations.
6. Accordingly, Applicant believes
that the issuance of the order pursuant
to sections 6(c) and 6(e) is appropriate
in the public interest, and consistent
with the protection of investors and the
purposes fairly intended by the policy
and provisions of the Act.
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Applicant’s Conditions
Applicant agrees that any order of the
Commission granting the requested
relief will be subject to the following
conditions:
1. Applicant will not own or hold
securities other than: (a) Interests in
Blackstone LLC and (b) Temporary
Investments.
2. Applicant will not offer additional
securities to its members, except in
connection with capital requests from
Blackstone LLC or to pay its expenses.
3. If Applicant sells additional
securities, such securities would be sold
at a price equal to or greater than the net
asset value of the securities at the time
of the offering.
13 Among
other restrictions, Applicant states that
it will limit transfers to transfers among members
or affiliates of members.
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4. Applicant’s governing documents
will not be amended to permit
Applicant’s securities to be freely
tradable.
5. Applicant will provide to its
members: (a) Quarterly unaudited
financial statements prepared in
accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles and (b) annual
audited financial statements prepared in
accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles and rule 1–02(d)
of Regulation S–X.
6. Applicant will be exempt until the
earlier of August 5, 2015 or such time
as Applicant no longer meets the
definition of an investment company
under the Act.
7. Applicant will not hold itself out as
an investment company.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Investment Management, under delegated
authority.
Kevin M. O’Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–8061 Filed 4–3–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[File No. 500–1]
eMax Worldwide, Inc.; Order of
Suspension of Trading
April 2, 2012.
It appears to the Securities and
Exchange Commission that the public
interest and the protection of investors
require a suspension of trading in the
securities of eMax Worldwide, Inc. (CIK:
0000830519) because there is a lack of
current and accurate information
concerning its securities. eMax
Worldwide, Inc. has failed to make
periodic filings with the Commission
and has more than 300 shareholders of
record. eMax Worldwide, Inc. is quoted
on OTC Markets Group Inc. under the
ticker EMXC.
The Commission is of the opinion that
the public interest and the protection of
investors require a suspension of trading
in the securities of eMax Worldwide,
Inc. Therefore, it is ordered, pursuant to
Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, that trading in the
securities of eMax Worldwide, Inc. is
suspended for the period from 9:30 a.m.
EDT on April 2, 2012, through 11:59
p.m. EDT on April 16, 2012.
By the Commission.
Jill M. Peterson,
Assistant Secretary.
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
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Frm 00093
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–66679; File No. SR–FICC–
2012–03]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed
Income Clearing Corporation; Notice of
Filing of Proposed Rule Change to
Expand the One-Pot Cross-Margining
Program With New York Portfolio
Clearing, LLC to Certain ‘‘Market
Professionals’’
March 29, 2012.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder 2
notice is hereby given that on March 20,
2012, the Fixed Income Clearing
Corporation (‘‘FICC’’) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(‘‘Commission’’) the proposed change as
described in Items I and II below, which
Items have been prepared primarily by
FICC. The Commission is publishing
this notice to solicit comments on the
proposed change from interested
persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The proposed rule change consists of
modifications to certain rules of the
Government Securities Division
(‘‘GSD’’) of the Fixed Income Clearing
Corporation (‘‘FICC’’).
II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
In its filing with the Commission,
FICC included statements concerning
the purpose of and basis for the
proposed rule change and discussed any
comments it received on the proposed
rule change. The text of these statements
may be examined at the places specified
in Item IV below. FICC has prepared
summaries, set forth in sections (A), (B),
and (C) below, of the most significant
aspects of these statements.3
(A) Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
FICC is proposing to expand its
existing one-pot cross-margining
program with New York Portfolio
1 15
[FR Doc. 2012–8165 Filed 4–2–12; 11:15 am]
Sfmt 4703
20445
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 The Commission has modified the text of the
summaries prepared by FICC.
2 17
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices
Clearing, LLC (‘‘NYPC’’) 4 (‘‘Proprietary
Cross-Margining Program’’) to include
eligible positions held by GSD Netting
Members and NYPC Clearing Members
for certain ‘‘market professionals.’’ 5
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Overview
In its present form, the Proprietary
Cross-Margining Program is limited to
cross-margining of proprietary accounts.
Specifically, from NYPC’s perspective,
only a member’s proprietary or ‘‘house’’
account is eligible for cross-margining;
from GSD’s perspective, all accounts
maintained by GSD for its Netting
Members are deemed proprietary.6 The
proposed rule filing expands the
Proprietary Cross-Margining Program to
non-proprietary accounts carried by
participating GSD Netting Members on
behalf of ‘‘Market Professionals’’
(‘‘Market Professional Cross-Margining
Program’’). The proposed rule change
defines ‘‘Market Professional’’ as an
4 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34–
63986 (February 28, 2011), 76 FR 12144 (March 4,
2011).
5 The NYPC–FICC ‘‘market professional’’ crossmargining program aims to closely replicate the
Options Clearing Corporation (‘‘OCC’’)-Chicago
Mercantile Exchange (‘‘CME’’) cross-margining
program, which was first approved in 1989
(Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34–27296
(September 26, 1989), 54 FR 41195 (October 5,
1989)) and was expanded in 1991 to include market
professionals (Securities Exchange Act Release No.
34–29991 (November 26, 1991), 56 FR 61458
(December 3, 1991)). Since that time, the
Commission has approved several similar ‘‘market
professional’’ cross-margining programs, including
most recently in 2008. They include: OCCIntermarket Clearing Corporation (‘‘ICC’’) Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 34–30041 (December 5,
1991), 56 FR 68424 (December 12, 1991); OCC–ICC–
CME Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34–32534
(June 28, 1993), 58 FR 36234 (July 6, 1993); OCCBoard of Trade Clearing Corporation Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 34–32681 (July 27, 1993),
58 FR 41302 (August 3, 1993) ; OCC-Kansas City
Board of Trade Clearing Corporation (‘‘KCBOT’’)
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34–32708
(August 2, 1993), 58 FR 42586 (August 10, 1993);
OCC–ICC–Commodity Clearing Corporation
(‘‘CCC’’) Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34–
33272 (December 2, 1993), 58 FR 64997 (December
10, 1993); OCC–ICC, OCC–ICC–CME, OCC–KCBOT
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34–36819
(February 7, 1996), 61 FR 5594 (February 13, 1996);
OCC–CME–Securities Exchange Act Release No.
34–38584 (May 8, 1997), 62 FR 26602 (May 14,
1997); and OCC–ICE Clear U.S. Securities Exchange
Act Release No. 34–57118 (January 9, 2008), 73 FR
2970 (January 16, 2008).
6 The GSD does not have segregated accounts for
Netting Members’ customers. In contrast, NYPC
currently maintains both proprietary and segregated
customer accounts for its Clearing Members in
compliance with applicable Commodity Futures
Exchange Commission (‘‘CFTC’’) regulations. Only
NYPC Clearing Members’ proprietary accounts at
NYPC are eligible for participation in the
Proprietary Cross-Margining Program. The present
proposal would introduce a third type of account
at NYPC that NYPC Clearing Members may
maintain, i.e., the Market Professional account. The
present proposal also introduces a second type of
account at GSD, i.e., the Market Professional
account.
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15:28 Apr 03, 2012
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entity, other than a ‘‘non-customer,’’ 7
that is a member of a designated
contract market and that actively trades
for its own account products that are
eligible under the cross-margining
agreement between FICC and NYPC
(‘‘FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement’’) 8 for cross-margining
(‘‘Eligible Products’’).9 Positions and
collateral held for Market Professionals
will be maintained in accounts that are
distinct from both proprietary crossmargining accounts and non-crossmargining accounts.10
As with the current Proprietary CrossMargining Program, the proposed
Market Professional Cross-Margining
Program would be available to GSD
Netting Members that carry accounts of
Market Professionals and that are also
clearing members of NYPC (individually
a ‘‘Joint Member’’) or that have an
affiliate that is a clearing member of
NYPC (individually an ‘‘Affiliated
Member’’). Members do not have to be
participating in the Proprietary CrossMargining Program in order to
participate in the proposed Market
Professional Cross-Margining Program
(or vice versa).
The proposed rule change necessitates
revisions to the FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement, which are
described in detail below. Additional
participant agreements have been added
as appendices to the FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement for this purpose.
7 Consistent with previously approved market
professional cross-margining programs, FICC’s rules
define the term ‘‘Non-Customer’’ to mean GSD
Netting Members and other persons whose accounts
with GSD Netting Members would not be the
accounts of ‘‘customers’’ within the meaning of SEC
Rules 8c–1 and 15c2–1.
8 The FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement
was approved by the Commission as part of FICC’s
Rule Filing No. SR–FICC–2010–09. See note 4,
supra.
9 As defined in the FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement, the term ‘‘Eligible Products’’ includes
U.S. Government securities, securities of U.S.
federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored
enterprises, financing products and certain
mortgage-backed securities cleared by FICC, and
futures contracts and options on futures contracts,
including U.S. dollar-denominated interest rate and
fixed income futures contracts and options on
futures contracts, cleared by NYPC. Formal
inclusion of options on futures in the program will
be the subject of a separate rule filing with the
Commission.
10 As described above, GSD Netting Members who
wish to participate in the Market Professional
Cross-Margining Program will need to open an
additional account for their Market Professionals.
Likewise, NYPC Clearing Members wishing to
participate in the program will need to open an
additional account for their Market Professionals,
which will be required to be separate and distinct
from both their proprietary and segregated customer
accounts.
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Segregation and Liquidation
Considerations
The proposed Market Professional
Cross-Margining Program addresses
concerns regarding segregation and
liquidation procedures under the
Commodity Exchange Act (‘‘CEA’’),11
Title 11 of the United States Code
(‘‘Bankruptcy Code’’) 12 and the
Securities Investor Protection Act
(‘‘SIPA’’).13 The CEA requires that the
property of customers must be
segregated from the proprietary property
of a futures commission merchant.
Because Market Professionals are
considered ‘‘customers’’ under CFTC
regulations, the cross-margined
positions of the Market Professionals
and all property related thereto must be
segregated from the cross-margined
positions and property of the GSD
Netting Member that carries their
accounts.
Under the proposed rule filing, each
GSD Netting Member electing to
participate in the Market Professional
Cross-Margining Program must execute
a Cross-Margining Participant
Agreement for Market Professional
Accounts (see Appendix C and
Appendix D of the proposed Amended
and Restated FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement) and must
establish a separate cross-margining
account for the benefit of Market
Professionals for whom it carries crossmargined positions (‘‘Market
Professional Cross-Margining
Account’’). GSD Netting Members and
NYPC Clearing Members who establish
Market Professional Cross-Margining
Accounts must also obtain the consent
of each Market Professional whose
cross-margined positions are carried in
such account to the commingling of the
Market Professional’s assets with those
of other electing Market Professionals of
the same GSD Netting Member and
NYPC Clearing Member (or permitted
margin affiliate at NYPC); provided,
however, that consistent with the
requirements of CFTC Regulation
39.13(g)(8)(i) (gross margin for customer
accounts), the positions of a Market
Professional cleared by FICC will only
be cross-margined with the derivatives
positions of the same Market
Professional cleared by NYPC.
Moreover, because Section 4d(a)(2) of
the CEA prohibits commingling futures
and securities in the absence of a CFTC
rule, regulation or order to the contrary,
it will be necessary for NYPC to obtain
from the CFTC an order stating that
11 7
U.S.C. 1–27f as amended.
U.S.C. 101–1532 as amended.
13 15 U.S.C. 78aaa–78lll as amended.
12 11
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emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices
Eligible Products that are cleared by
FICC and property received by a
participating GSD Netting Member to
margin, guarantee, or secure trades or
positions in or accruing as a result of
such Eligible Products may be
commingled in a Market Professional
Cross-Margining Account with Eligible
Products cleared by NYPC and with
property received by a participating
NYPC Clearing Member to margin,
guarantee, or secure trades or positions
in or accruing as a result of such Eligible
Products that would otherwise be
required by the CFTC to be segregated
under the CEA.
FICC has established procedures to
facilitate the segregation of the funds
and securities deposited or received by
GSD Netting Members regarding their
Market Professional cross-margining
activity. For example, each GSD Netting
Member must establish separate bank
accounts for the purpose of making
daily funds-only settlement of its
proprietary cross-margining activity and
for the purpose of making daily fundsonly settlement of its Market
Professional cross-margining activity. In
addition, FICC and NYPC will establish
and use separate bank accounts for
paying and collecting cash margin and
funds-only settlement amounts resulting
from members’ proprietary crossmargining activities and for paying and
collecting such amounts resulting from
members’ market professional crossmargining activity. FICC will not permit
the netting of obligations arising out of
a GSD Netting Member’s proprietary
cross-margining activity with those
arising out of its Market Professional
cross-margining activity.
FICC has also taken steps to assure the
segregation of securities that are
deposited with FICC or its agents to
satisfy Clearing Fund requirements in
Market Professional Cross-Margining
Accounts and proprietary crossmargining accounts. For example, FICC
and NYPC will establish and use
separate custody accounts to hold
securities deposited as margin by
members for proprietary crossmargining activity and to hold securities
deposited as margin by members for
Market Professional cross-margining
activity.
FICC’s proposal also addresses the
potential for conflict between SIPA,
Subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the
Bankruptcy Code,14 and corresponding
CFTC bankruptcy regulations,15 in the
event of the liquidation and distribution
of the property and funds of a GSD
Netting Member that is a registered
14 11
15 17
U.S.C. 761–767.
CFR part 190.
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broker-dealer.16 To establish uniform
results in the event of the bankruptcy or
liquidation of a broker-dealer GSD
Netting Member under SIPA, FICC will
require each Netting Member that
chooses to participate in the Market
Professional Cross-Margining Program
to require that the GSD Netting
Member’s participating Market
Professionals agree that in the event of
the bankruptcy or liquidation of the
GSD Netting Member carrying its crossmargined positions, the Market
Professional will subordinate its crossmargining related claims to the claims
of the firm’s non-cross-margining
customers.17 Similarly, each
participating Market Professional must
acknowledge that all of the assets
carried in a GSD Netting Member’s
Market Professional Cross-Margining
Account on the Market Professional’s
behalf will not be deemed ‘‘customer
property’’ for purposes of SIPA or give
rise to any claim thereunder. This
means that in the event of a GSD Netting
Member bankruptcy, all claims to assets
in cross-margining accounts will be
determined under Subchapter IV of
chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code and
applicable CFTC regulations. FICC
believes these measures reduce the
possibility that assets in a GSD Netting
Member’s Market Professional CrossMargining Account will be subject to
two conflicting schemes of distribution.
In the event of a default of a member
that chooses to participate in the Market
Professional Cross-Margining Program,
FICC and NYPC will follow the
remedies outlined in the FICC–NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement to liquidate
or transfer the proprietary and Market
Professional Cross-Margining Accounts.
Any deficit in the Market Professional
Cross-Margining Account would, absent
a deficit in any NYPC segregated
16 Some Market Professionals could be deemed to
be ‘‘customers’’ under SIPA and Exchange Act Rule
15c3–3. Consistent with previously approved crossmargining programs, however, Market Professionals
will be required to agree to subordinate their
claims, in the event of the bankruptcy of a GSD
Netting Member or an NYPC member, to the claims
of other customers. See Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 34–29991 (November 26, 1991), 56 FR
61458 (December 3, 1991) n.23.
17 Under SIPA, SIPC satisfies the claims of
‘‘customers’’ against insolvent broker-dealers up to
predetermined limits. 15 U.S.C. 78fff–3. Under
SIPA, however, the term ‘‘customer’’ does not
include any person to the extent that such person
has a claim for cash or securities which, by
agreement, is subordinated to the claims of any or
all creditors of the debtor. 15 U.S.C. 78lll(2)(C)(ii).
Because a Market Professional will be required to
subordinate its cross-margin related claims against
a GSD Netting Member to those of the GSD Netting
Member’s non-cross-margining customers, it will
not fall within the protections afforded by SIPA.
See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34–29991
(November 26, 1991), 56 FR 61458 (December 3,
1991) n.24.
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Sfmt 4703
20447
customer account of the defaulting
member, be offset against any credit in
any proprietary cross-margining account
of the defaulting member. Non-crossmargining accounts at NYPC would be
liquidated or transferred pursuant to
NYPC procedures as they exist today.
FICC and NYPC will not offset a credit
in a Market Professional CrossMargining Account with a deficit in a
proprietary cross-margin account or
with any other account FICC or NYPC
maintains for the defaulting member.
Thus, any surplus in the Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account
will be returned to the member or its
representative.
In the event of a member bankruptcy,
the Bankruptcy Code exempts FICC and
NYPC from the automatic stay and
permits FICC and NYPC to liquidate any
assets held for the insolvent member 18
and offset those assets against the
member’s liabilities.19 Assets of the
member held in the Market Professional
Cross-Margining Account will only be
set-off against related Market
Professional cross-margining liabilities.
Any assets remaining after such a set-off
will be transferred to the bankruptcy
trustee for administration and
distribution.20
If a member becomes insolvent, the
Securities Investor Protection
Corporation (‘‘SIPC’’) may and probably
will file for a protective decree under
SIPA.21 SIPC will then appoint a trustee
charged with liquidating the bankrupt
estate, consistent with SIPA. Under
SIPA, the trustee must, to the extent not
inconsistent with SIPA, administer the
assets of the member held as a
commodity broker in accordance with
the Bankruptcy Code’s commodity
broker liquidation requirements and
applicable CFTC regulations.22 Even if
SIPC does not exercise its power to seek
appointment of a trustee and SIPA does
not apply to the liquidation, a Market
Professional’s claims to assets in the
Market Professional Cross-Margining
Account will be determined in
accordance with the Bankruptcy Code’s
commodity broker liquidation scheme
18 11
19 11
U.S.C. 555, 556, 560, and 561.
U.S.C. 362(b)(6), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), and
561.
20 In the situation where an Affiliated Member
becomes insolvent, assets in the Market
Professional Cross-Margin Accounts of FICC and
NYPC will be set-off by FICC and NYPC against
related liabilities in such accounts.
21 11 U.S.C. § 742.
22 15 U.S.C. 78fff–1(b) states in part: ‘‘To the
extent consistent with the provisions of this chapter
or as otherwise ordered by the court, a trustee shall
be subject to the same duties as a trustee in a case
under chapter 7 of Title 11, including, if the debtor
is a commodity broker, as defined under section
101 of such title, the duties specified in subchapter
IV of such chapter 7’’.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices
contained in Subchapter IV of chapter 7
and applicable CFTC regulations.
Generally, applicable sections of the
Bankruptcy Code and CFTC regulations
provide for the trustee to distribute
‘‘customer property’’ 23 pro rata among
‘‘customers’’ 24 according to account
class and generally give priority to
customer claims over all others, except
those dealing with the administration of
the bankrupt estate.25 Also, assuming
the trustee does not transfer customer
accounts to another firm and determines
to liquidate customer accounts, the
trustee will distribute customer property
to the claimants.26 If there is a shortfall
in the Market Professional CrossMargining Account and there is no
shortfall or a lesser shortfall in the noncross-margining customer account,
Market Professionals will have a claim
against the Market Professional CrossMargining Account and will be able to
claim against the non-cross-margining
customer account only after all noncross-margining customer claims have
been satisfied. If the shortfall in the noncross-margining customer account is
equal to or greater than the shortfall in
the Market Professional Cross-Margining
Account, the two accounts will be
combined and Market Professionals and
non-cross-margining customers will
share on a pro rata basis.27
Proposed Changes to the FICC–NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement
In addition to certain technical
corrections and conforming changes, the
FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement would be substantively
amended as described below in order to
incorporate the proposed Market
Professional Cross-Margining Program.
Capitalized terms used in this section
have the meanings given to them in the
FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement.
Recitals
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
The Recitals to the FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement would be
amended to describe the proposed
expansion of the existing FICC–NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement to provide
for the cross-margining of the accounts
of Market Professionals, and also to
reflect the fact that the current FICC–
NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement was
executed on March 4, 2011, after receipt
23 As defined in 11 U.S.C. 761(10) and 17 CFR
190.01(n).
24 As defined in 11 U.S.C. 761(9).
25 11 U.S.C. 766(h); see 17 CFR 190.08.
26 See generally 11 U.S.C.§ 766 and 17 CFR
190.08.
27 See 17 CFR part 190, Appendix B (Framework
1).
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of the necessary regulatory approvals by
FICC and NYPC.
Section 1. Definitions
Section 1(f) (Available Assets) and
Section 1(tt) (Margin)
The ‘‘Available Assets’’ definition
would be amended to include as assets
available in the event of a default any
margin posted to the Defaulting
Member’s Proprietary Cross-Margining
Account, as well as any margin posted
to the Defaulting Member’s Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account.
The ‘‘Margin’’ definition would be
similarly amended to include original
margin, option premiums and other
margin collateral held by or for the
account of FICC or NYPC to secure the
obligations of a Cross-Margining
Participant’s Proprietary CrossMargining Account and/or its Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account.
The ‘‘Available Assets’’ definition
would be further amended to clarify
that, consistent with the distributional
convention established in Appendix B
to Part 190 of the CFTC’s Regulations,
the NYPC Guaranty Fund deposits of a
Defaulting Member would first be
applied to any deficit in the Customer
Funds Account of the Defaulting
Member carried by NYPC, and then,
after any such deficit has been
completely satisfied, to any CrossMargin Loss in the Defaulting Member’s
Market Professional Cross-Margining
Account carried by NYPC, and then
finally to any Cross-Margin Loss in the
Defaulting Member’s Proprietary CrossMargining Account carried by NYPC.
Section 1(t) (Cross-Margin Gain) and
Section 1(u) (Cross-Margin Loss)
For ease of reference and to facilitate
understanding of the loss allocation
mechanism in the event of the
liquidation of the cross-margined
positions carried for a Defaulting
Member by FICC and NYPC, the
definitions of Cross-Margin Gain and
Cross-Margin Loss would become a new
subsection (b) of Section 7 of the FICC–
NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement
(Suspension and Liquidation of CrossMargining Participant).
Section 1(y) (Customer Funds Account)
The term ‘‘Segregated Funds
Account’’ in the existing FICC–NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement would be
replaced by the term ‘‘Customer Funds
Account’’ and modified in order to
clearly distinguish non-cross-margining
‘‘customer’’ accounts established by
NYPC from both Market Professional
Cross-Margining Accounts and
Proprietary Cross-Margining Accounts.
PO 00000
Frm 00096
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Section 1(ww) (Market Professional)
As described above, consistent with
previously approved cross-margining
programs, the term ‘‘Market
Professional’’ would be defined as an
entity, other than a ‘‘Non-Customer’’
(described below), that is a member of
a designated contract market and that
actively trades for its own account
Eligible Products that are eligible for
cross-margining under the FICC–NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement.
Section 1(bbb) (Non-Customer)
As described above, ‘‘Non-Customers’’
would be excluded from the definition
of a Market Professional. With respect to
a GSD Netting Member, the term ‘‘NonCustomer’’ would be defined as such
GSD Netting Member or other person
whose account with such GSD Netting
Member would not be the account of a
‘‘customer’’ within the meaning of SEC
Rules 8c–1 and 15c2–1.
Section 1(sss) (Securities Custody
Account) and 1(uuu) (Settlement
Account)
For ease of reference, the term ‘‘CrossMargining Securities Account’’ would
be replaced with the term ‘‘Securities
Custody Account’’ and would be
expanded to include a custody account
to hold Margin in the form of securities
deposited by a Cross-Margining
Participant in respect of a Proprietary
Cross-Margining Account or a Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account.
Similarly, the definition of ‘‘Settlement
Account’’ would be expanded to
include a bank account established to
hold cash Margin deposited by a CrossMargining Participant in respect of a
Proprietary Cross-Margining Account or
a Market Professional Cross-Margining
Account.
Section 2. Participation
Section 2(a) would be amended and
Section 2(b) and 2(c) would be added in
order to accommodate the additional
documentation required to establish a
Set of Market Professional CrossMargining Accounts by either a Joint
Clearing Member or by a Clearing
Member and its Cross-Margining
Affiliate.
Section 5. Forms of Margin; Holding
Margin
Section 5(b) would be amended to
reflect the fact that separate Settlement
Accounts and Securities Custody
Accounts would be maintained for
proprietary and Market Professional
cross-margining activity.
Section 5(c) would be amended to
allow FICC and NYPC to hold cash and
securities posted with respect to cross-
E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM
04APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices
margining activity in either separate
accounts or, consistent with previously
approved cross-margining programs,
joint accounts titled in the names of
FICC and NYPC.
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Section 7. Suspension and Liquidation
of Cross-Margining Participant
Section 7(a) would be amended to
clarify that the positions and Margin of
a Defaulting Member may be liquidated
or transferred to one or more nondefaulting Clearing Members. A new
Section 7(b) would be added to define
‘‘Cross-Margin Gain’’ and ‘‘Cross-Margin
Loss,’’ as described above. New Section
7(b) would also make clear that in
calculating its Cross-Margin Gain (or
Cross-Margin Loss) or Net Gain (or Net
Loss) FICC and NYPC would be
required to make separate calculations
with respect to the Defaulting Member’s
Proprietary Cross-Margining Account
and its Market Professional CrossMargining Account.
Section 7(g) would be amended to
provide that to the extent that pursuant
to the loss allocation prescribed in
Section 7, both FICC and NYPC owe
payments to each other, i.e., one
clearing organization owes a payment
with respect to the Proprietary CrossMargining Account of a Defaulting
Member and the other owes a payment
with respect to the Defaulting Member’s
Market Professional Cross-Margining
Account, those two payments may be
netted and setoff against each other.
Proposed Changes to Clearing Member
Agreements
The FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement is solely between FICC and
NYPC. Members of FICC and of NYPC
that wish to participate in the CrossMargining Program must become party
to a Clearing Member Cross-Margining
Agreement which, among other things,
reflects the Clearing Member’s
agreement to be bound by the Rules
applicable to cross-margining and to the
provisions of the FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement (‘‘Clearing
Member Agreements’’). Capitalized
terms used in this section have the
meanings given to them in the proposed
Clearing Member Agreements.
The current FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement includes two
forms of Clearing Member Agreement—
one for joint Clearing Members (i.e.,
entities that are members of both FICC
and NYPC), the other for Clearing
Members that are Affiliates of each other
(i.e., a Clearing Member of either FICC
or NYPC that directly or indirectly
controls, is controlled by, or under
common control with a Clearing
Member of the other Clearing
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15:28 Apr 03, 2012
Jkt 226001
Organization). Those agreements, which
are set forth as Appendix A and
Appendix B to the FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement, would be
renamed as Clearing Member CrossMargining Agreement (Joint Clearing
Member—Proprietary Accounts) and
Clearing Member Cross-Margining
Agreement (Affiliated Clearing
Members—Proprietary Accounts), and
references in those agreements to a
‘‘Member’’ would be replaced with
references to a ‘‘Clearing Member’’ for
consistency with the terminology used
in the FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement.
The Clearing Member Agreements for
Proprietary Accounts are proposed to be
further modified to make clear that a Set
of Proprietary Cross-Margining
Accounts would be combined and
treated as a single account for purposes
of calculating Margin. This change is
reflective of the current practice of the
Clearing Organizations pursuant to the
Cross-Margining Agreement and is
proposed to be set out solely for
purposes of clarity.
The Clearing Member Agreements
would additionally be modified to
reflect the practice of the Clearing
Organizations regarding the use of
Clearing Data (as that term is defined in
the Clearing Member Cross-Margining
Agreements). Specifically, the Clearing
Member Agreements would be modified
to provide that Clearing Data may only
be disclosed (i) to an Affiliated Clearing
Member, where applicable, (ii) in
accordance with the provisions of
Section 10 of the Cross-Margining
Agreement, and (iii) in aggregated form,
provided that such aggregated Clearing
Data does not identify of the Clearing
Member or Affiliated Clearing Members,
as applicable, as the source thereof.
The termination provisions of the
Clearing Member Agreements for
Proprietary Accounts would also be
modified to make clear that the required
acknowledgment of a Clearing Member’s
termination of the Agreement will be
given by the Clearing Organizations
promptly after the two Business Day
notice period required by the Clearing
Member Agreements. The termination
provisions would additionally be
modified to make explicit that a
Clearing Member’s continuing
obligations under the Clearing Member
Agreements and the Cross-Margining
Agreement survive the termination of
the Clearing Member Agreement only to
the extent those obligations arose prior
to such termination.
Finally, the Clearing Member CrossMargining Agreement (Affiliated
Clearing Members—Proprietary
Accounts) is proposed to be amended to
PO 00000
Frm 00097
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
20449
include a waiver of the Clearing
Members’ and the Clearing
Organizations’ right to jury trial in any
dispute arising in connection with that
agreement. A comparable provision
already is included in the Clearing
Member Cross-Margining Agreement
(Joint Clearing Member—Proprietary
Accounts). The remaining revisions to
the Clearing Member Agreements for
Proprietary Accounts are nonsubstantive or conforming.
While it is anticipated that some
Clearing Members will elect to
participate in cross-margining for their
Proprietary Accounts and also act as
Clearing Member for Market
Professionals, a Clearing Member could
elect to act in only one of those
capacities. The Clearing Member
Agreements in Appendices A and B to
the FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement, therefore, would be
complemented by a Clearing Member
Cross-Margining Agreement (Joint
Clearing Member—Market Professional
Accounts) and Clearing Member CrossMargining Agreement (Affiliated
Clearing Members—Market Professional
Accounts), respectively, and a Clearing
Member that elected to maintain a Set
of Proprietary Cross-Margining
Accounts and a Set of Market
Professional Cross-Margining Accounts
would be required to enter into Clearing
Member Cross-Margining Agreements
for both its Proprietary Accounts and for
its Market Professional Accounts.
The proposed Clearing Member
Agreements for Market Professional
Accounts (Appendices C and D to the
FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement) are based upon the Clearing
Member Agreements for Proprietary
Accounts, but have been modified as
appropriate. For example, the Clearing
Member Agreements for Market
Professional Accounts would make
explicit that the Set of Market
Professional Cross-Margining Accounts
that would be established by the
Clearing Organizations for a Clearing
Member are to be limited to transactions
and positions established by Market
Professionals who have signed a Market
Professional Agreement for CrossMargining in the form set forth as
Exhibit A to Appendices C and D,
respectively.28
28 Similar to the Clearing Member Agreements for
Proprietary Accounts, the Clearing Member
Agreements for Market Professional Accounts
would require the Clearing Member to pledge, for
itself and for each Market Professional on whose
behalf positions are carried in a Set of Market
Professional Cross-Margining Accounts, the
positions and Margin in the Set of Market
Professional Cross-Margining Accounts. Consistent
therewith and with the Clearing Member
E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM
Continued
04APN1
20450
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices
The Market Professional Agreements
are derived from the form of Market
Professional’s Agreement for CrossMargining that has previously been
approved by the Commission.29 The
FICC–NYPC Market Professional
Agreements differ from the forms of
agreement that have previously been
approved in that they would be
modified to reference the Eligible
Products that are available for crossmargining under the FICC–NYPC CrossMargining Agreement. The FICC–NYPC
Market Professional Agreements
additionally would be modified to
reference the definitions of the term
‘‘Market Professional’’ that would be set
forth in the Rules of FICC and NYPC,
and to require a Market Professional to
represent and warrant that it does, in
fact, qualify as such. Moreover, the
FICC–NYPC Market Professional
Agreements would be amended to
provide that, consistent with the
requirements of CFTC Regulation
39.13(g)(8)(i) (gross margin for customer
accounts), the positions of a Market
Professional cleared by FICC will only
be cross-margined with the derivatives
positions of the same Market
Professional cleared by NYPC. The only
other substantive change from the form
of agreement previously approved by
the Commission would be the
elimination of a provision that would
have conditioned the effectiveness of
the Market Professional Agreements on
the receipt of all necessary approvals by
the Commission and the CFTC. FICC
believes that a provision of this nature
is unnecessary, given that FICC and
NYPC will not permit Clearing Members
to enter into Market Professional
Agreements until all necessary
regulatory approvals have been
obtained.
Proposed FICC Rule Changes
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
In addition to the proposed changes to
the FICC–NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement, FICC is proposing the
following GSD rule changes to effectuate
the Market Professional Cross-Margining
Program. Capitalized terms used in this
Agreements for Proprietary Accounts, the Clearing
Member Agreements for Market Professional
Accounts would include representations and
warranties by the Clearing Member to the effect that
it has the power to grant the foregoing security
interest and that it is the sole owner of or otherwise
has the right to transfer collateral to the Clearing
Organizations.
29 See Exhibits 5F and 5G to Release No. 34–
57118 (January 9, 2008) (Options Clearing
Corporation—ICE Clear US market professional
cross-margining); see also Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 34–29991(November 26, 1991), 56 FR
61458 (December 3, 1991) (Options Clearing
Corporation—Chicago Mercantile Exchange market
professional cross-margining).
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:28 Apr 03, 2012
Jkt 226001
section have the meanings given to them
in the GSD Rules.
Rule 1 (Definitions)
New definitions are being added for
the following terms: ‘‘Market
Professional,’’ ‘‘Market Professional
Agreement for Cross-Margining,’’
‘‘Market Professional Cross-Margining
Account,’’ ‘‘Non-Customer,’’ ‘‘NYPC
Market Professional Account,’’ and
‘‘NYPC Proprietary Account’’ (which
retains the current definition of ‘‘NYPC
Account’’). ‘‘NYPC Account,’’ an
existing term, is now proposed to be
amended to encompass the two new
terms of ‘‘NYPC Market Professional
Account’’ and ‘‘NYPC Proprietary
Account.’’ In addition, changes are
proposed to the following definitions to
reference the concepts associated with
the Market Professional Cross-Margining
Program: ‘‘Account,’’ ‘‘Cross-Margining
Affiliate,’’ ‘‘Cross-Margining
Agreement’’ and ‘‘Margin Portfolio.’’ A
technical change is being proposed to
the definition of ‘‘Cross-Margining
Payment.’’
Rule 3 (On-Going Membership
Requirements)
FICC is proposing to amend Section
11 of Rule 3, which covers additional
accounts requested by Members, to
provide for the opening of market
professional accounts and to make clear
that such accounts must meet the
requirements of the Cross-Margining
Agreement and the GSD Rules (as with
all other accounts carried by FICC for its
Members).
Rule 4 (Clearing Fund and Loss
Allocation)
FICC is proposing to amend Section
1b and Section 2 of Rule 4 to provide
that the market professional account
will have its own Clearing Fund
calculations separate from the main
account of the Netting Member, and that
the rules applicable to the Clearing
Fund calculations and the requirements
of the Required Fund Deposit also apply
Clearing Fund calculations and
Required Fund Deposits associated with
the market professional accounts.
Rule 13 (Funds-Only Settlement)
FICC is proposing to amend Section 1
and Section 5a to provide that fundsonly settlement amounts will be
calculated separately for the member’s
market professional account and that
net-net funds only credits/debits will
also apply to the market professional
accounts of a Member (or its permitted
margin affiliate) across FICC and NYPC,
as is the case currently with the
proprietary accounts.
PO 00000
Frm 00098
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Rule 22A (Procedures for When the
Corporation Ceases To Act)
FICC is proposing to amend Section 2
of Rule 22A to provide that a liquidation
gain in a Netting Member’s proprietary
account will be used to offset any
resulting liquidation loss in such
Member’s Market Professional CrossMargining Account.
Rule 29 (Release of Clearing Data)
FICC is proposing to amend Rule 29
to make clear that a Member’s Clearing
Data will be released to a futures
clearing organization (FCO) with which
FICC has a Cross-Margining
Arrangement and that such data will
include data regarding the Member’s
market professional customers.
Rule 43 (Cross-Margining
Arrangements)
FICC is proposing to amend Rule 43
to provide for the requirement for
Netting Members who wish to
participate in the Market Professional
Cross-Margining Program to execute the
appropriate participation agreements
which are appended to the FICC–NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement as
discussed above.
FICC believes the proposed change is
consistent with Section 17A of the Act
and the rules and regulations
thereunder because it will facilitate the
establishment of linked or coordinated
facilities for clearance and settlement of
transactions in securities and contracts
of sale for future delivery by providing
for the cross-margining of members’
Market Professionals’ positions held at
FICC and NYPC.
(B) Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Burden on Competition
FICC does not believe that the
proposed rule change would impose any
burden on competition.
(C) Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Comments on the
Proposed Rule Change Received From
Members, Participants or Others
Written comments relating to the
proposed rule change have not yet been
solicited or received. FICC will notify
the Commission of any written
comments received by FICC.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the
Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
Within 45 days of the date of
publication of this notice in the Federal
Register or within such longer period
up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may
designate if it finds such longer period
to be appropriate and publishes its
reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which
E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM
04APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 4, 2012 / Notices
the self-regulatory organization
consents, the Commission will:
(A) By order approve or disapprove
the proposed rule change or
(B) Institute proceedings to determine
whether the proposed rule change
should be disapproved.
Electronic Comments
• Use the Commissions Internet
comment form (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml) or Send an email to
rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include
File Number SR–FICC–2012–03 on the
subject line.
emcdonald on DSK29S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Paper Comments
• Send paper comments in triplicate
to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary,
Securities and Exchange Commission,
100 F Street NE., Washington, DC
20549–1090.
All submissions should refer to File
Number SR–FICC–2012–03. This file
number should be included on the
subject line if email is used. To help the
Commission process and review your
comments more efficiently, please use
only one method. The Commission will
post all comments on the Commission’s
Internet Web site (https://www.sec.gov/
rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the
submission, all subsequent
amendments, all written statements
with respect to the proposed rule
change that are filed with the
Commission, and all written
communications relating to the
proposed rule change between the
Commission and any person, other than
those that may be withheld from the
public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
available for Web site viewing and
printing in the Commission’s Public
Reference Section, 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 FICC
and on FICC’s Web site at https://
www.dtcc.com/downloads/legal/
rule_filings/2012/ficc/
SR_FICC_2012_03.pdf. 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–FICC–
2012–03 and should be submitted on or
before April 25, 2012.
For the Commission by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.30
Kevin M. O’Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–8042 Filed 4–3–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–66680; File Nos. SR–BATS–
2011–038; SR–BYX–2011–025; SR–BX–
2011–068; SR–CBOE–2011–087; SR–C2–
2011–024; SR–CHX–2011–30; SR–EDGA–
2011–31; SR–EDGX–2011–30; SR–FINRA–
2011–054; SR–ISE–2011–61; SR–NASDAQ–
2011–131; SR–NSX–2011–11; SR–NYSE–
2011–48; SR–NYSEAmex–2011–73; SR–
NYSEArca–2011–68; SR–Phlx–2011–129]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS
Exchange, Inc.; BATS Y–Exchange,
Inc.; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Chicago
Board Options Exchange,
Incorporated; C2 Options Exchange,
Incorporated; Chicago Stock
Exchange, Inc.; EDGA Exchange, Inc.;
EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.;
International Securities Exchange LLC;
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; New
York Stock Exchange LLC; NYSE
Amex LLC; NYSE Arca, Inc.; National
Stock Exchange, Inc.; NASDAX OMX
PHLX LLC; Notice of Designation of
Longer Period for Commission Action
on Proceedings To Determine Whether
To Disapprove Proposed Rule
Changes Relating to Trading Halts Due
to Extraordinary Market Volatility
March 29, 2012.
On September 27, 2011, each of BATS
Exchange, Inc. (‘‘BATS’’), BATS Y–
Exchange, Inc. (‘‘BYX’’), NASDAQ OMX
BX, Inc. (‘‘BX’’), Chicago Board Options
Exchange, Incorporated (‘‘CBOE’’), C2
Options Exchange, Incorporated (‘‘C2’’),
Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc. (‘‘CHX’’),
EDGA Exchange, Inc. (‘‘EDGA’’), EDGX
Exchange, Inc. (‘‘EDGX’’), Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
(‘‘FINRA’’), International Securities
Exchange LLC (‘‘ISE’’), The NASDAQ
Stock Market LLC (‘‘Nasdaq’’), National
Stock Exchange, Inc. (‘‘NSX’’), New
York Stock Exchange LLC (‘‘NYSE’’),
NYSE Amex LLC (‘‘NYSE Amex’’),
NYSE Arca, Inc. (‘‘NYSE Arca’’), and
NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC (‘‘Phlx’’)
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 proposed rule
changes (the ‘‘SRO Proposals’’) to
1 15
30 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:28 Apr 03, 2012
2 17
Jkt 226001
PO 00000
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
Frm 00099
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
20451
amend certain of their respective rules
relating to trading halts due to
extraordinary market volatility. The
SRO Proposals were published for
comment in the Federal Register on
October 4, 2011.3 The Commission
received seven comment letters on the
SRO Proposals.4
On November 17, 2011, the
Commission extended the time period
in which to either approve the SRO
Proposals, disapprove the SRO
Proposals, or to institute proceedings to
determine whether to disapprove the
SRO Proposals, to December 30, 2011.5
On December 28, 2011, the Commission
instituted proceedings to determine
whether to approve or disapprove the
SRO Proposals.6 The Commission
thereafter received an additional three
comment letters on the SRO Proposals.7
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act 8 provides
that, after initiating disapproval
proceedings, the Commission shall issue
an order approving or disapproving the
3 See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 65437
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61466; 65428
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61435; 65429
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61432; 65433
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61453; 65438
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61447; 65426
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61460; 65431
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61425; 65440
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61444; 65430
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61429; 65425
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61438; 65435
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61416 ; 65436
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61450; 65427
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61457; 65432
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61422; 65439
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61463; 65434
(September 28, 2011), 76 FR 61419 (collectively, the
‘‘Notices’’).
4 See Letter to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary,
Commission, from Ann L. Vlcek, Managing Director
and Associate General Counsel, the Securities
Industry and Financial Markets Association, dated
October 27, 2011; Letter to Commission, from James
J. Angel, Ph.D., CFA, Associate Professor of
Finance, Georgetown University, McDonough
School of Business, dated October 25, 2011; Letter
to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Commission,
from Craig S. Donohue, CME Group, Inc., dated
October 25, 2011; Letter to Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary, Commission, from Commissioner Bart
Chilton, Commodity Futures Trading Commission,
dated October 25, 2011; Letter to Elizabeth M.
Murphy, Secretary, Commission, from Richard H.
Baker, President and CEO, Managed Funds
Association, dated October 25, 2011; Letter from
Suzanne H. Shatto, dated October 20, 2011; Letter
from Mark Roszak, dated October 4, 2011.
5 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65770
(November 17, 2011), 76 FR 72492 (November 23,
2011).
6 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 66065
(December 28, 2011), 77 FR 316 (January 4, 2012)
(‘‘Order Instituting Proceedings’’).
7 See letters to Elizabeth Murphy, Secretary,
Commission, from Timothy Quast, Managing
Director, ModernIR, dated January 20, 2012; Craig
S. Donohue, Chief Executive Officer, CME Group,
Inc., dated January 25, 2012, and Ann L. Vlcek,
Managing Director and Associate General Counsel,
the Securities Industry and Financial Markets
Association, dated February 7, 2012.
8 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
E:\FR\FM\04APN1.SGM
04APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20445-20451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8042]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-66679; File No. SR-FICC-2012-03]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed Income Clearing Corporation;
Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change to Expand the One-Pot Cross-
Margining Program With New York Portfolio Clearing, LLC to Certain
``Market Professionals''
March 29, 2012.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder \2\ notice is hereby given that
on March 20, 2012, the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (``FICC'')
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the
proposed change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have
been prepared primarily by FICC. The Commission is publishing this
notice to solicit comments on the proposed change from interested
persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change
The proposed rule change consists of modifications to certain rules
of the Government Securities Division (``GSD'') of the Fixed Income
Clearing Corporation (``FICC'').
II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, FICC included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in
Item IV below. FICC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections (A),
(B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of these
statements.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Commission has modified the text of the summaries
prepared by FICC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
FICC is proposing to expand its existing one-pot cross-margining
program with New York Portfolio
[[Page 20446]]
Clearing, LLC (``NYPC'') \4\ (``Proprietary Cross-Margining Program'')
to include eligible positions held by GSD Netting Members and NYPC
Clearing Members for certain ``market professionals.'' \5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-63986 (February
28, 2011), 76 FR 12144 (March 4, 2011).
\5\ The NYPC-FICC ``market professional'' cross-margining
program aims to closely replicate the Options Clearing Corporation
(``OCC'')-Chicago Mercantile Exchange (``CME'') cross-margining
program, which was first approved in 1989 (Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 34-27296 (September 26, 1989), 54 FR 41195 (October 5,
1989)) and was expanded in 1991 to include market professionals
(Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-29991 (November 26, 1991),
56 FR 61458 (December 3, 1991)). Since that time, the Commission has
approved several similar ``market professional'' cross-margining
programs, including most recently in 2008. They include: OCC-
Intermarket Clearing Corporation (``ICC'') Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 34-30041 (December 5, 1991), 56 FR 68424 (December 12,
1991); OCC-ICC-CME Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-32534
(June 28, 1993), 58 FR 36234 (July 6, 1993); OCC-Board of Trade
Clearing Corporation Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-32681
(July 27, 1993), 58 FR 41302 (August 3, 1993) ; OCC-Kansas City
Board of Trade Clearing Corporation (``KCBOT'') Securities Exchange
Act Release No. 34-32708 (August 2, 1993), 58 FR 42586 (August 10,
1993); OCC-ICC-Commodity Clearing Corporation (``CCC'') Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 34-33272 (December 2, 1993), 58 FR 64997
(December 10, 1993); OCC-ICC, OCC-ICC-CME, OCC-KCBOT Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 34-36819 (February 7, 1996), 61 FR 5594
(February 13, 1996); OCC-CME-Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-
38584 (May 8, 1997), 62 FR 26602 (May 14, 1997); and OCC-ICE Clear
U.S. Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-57118 (January 9, 2008),
73 FR 2970 (January 16, 2008).
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Overview
In its present form, the Proprietary Cross-Margining Program is
limited to cross-margining of proprietary accounts. Specifically, from
NYPC's perspective, only a member's proprietary or ``house'' account is
eligible for cross-margining; from GSD's perspective, all accounts
maintained by GSD for its Netting Members are deemed proprietary.\6\
The proposed rule filing expands the Proprietary Cross-Margining
Program to non-proprietary accounts carried by participating GSD
Netting Members on behalf of ``Market Professionals'' (``Market
Professional Cross-Margining Program''). The proposed rule change
defines ``Market Professional'' as an entity, other than a ``non-
customer,'' \7\ that is a member of a designated contract market and
that actively trades for its own account products that are eligible
under the cross-margining agreement between FICC and NYPC (``FICC-NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement'') \8\ for cross-margining (``Eligible
Products'').\9\ Positions and collateral held for Market Professionals
will be maintained in accounts that are distinct from both proprietary
cross-margining accounts and non-cross-margining accounts.\10\
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\6\ The GSD does not have segregated accounts for Netting
Members' customers. In contrast, NYPC currently maintains both
proprietary and segregated customer accounts for its Clearing
Members in compliance with applicable Commodity Futures Exchange
Commission (``CFTC'') regulations. Only NYPC Clearing Members'
proprietary accounts at NYPC are eligible for participation in the
Proprietary Cross-Margining Program. The present proposal would
introduce a third type of account at NYPC that NYPC Clearing Members
may maintain, i.e., the Market Professional account. The present
proposal also introduces a second type of account at GSD, i.e., the
Market Professional account.
\7\ Consistent with previously approved market professional
cross-margining programs, FICC's rules define the term ``Non-
Customer'' to mean GSD Netting Members and other persons whose
accounts with GSD Netting Members would not be the accounts of
``customers'' within the meaning of SEC Rules 8c-1 and 15c2-1.
\8\ The FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement was approved by the
Commission as part of FICC's Rule Filing No. SR-FICC-2010-09. See
note 4, supra.
\9\ As defined in the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement, the
term ``Eligible Products'' includes U.S. Government securities,
securities of U.S. federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored
enterprises, financing products and certain mortgage-backed
securities cleared by FICC, and futures contracts and options on
futures contracts, including U.S. dollar-denominated interest rate
and fixed income futures contracts and options on futures contracts,
cleared by NYPC. Formal inclusion of options on futures in the
program will be the subject of a separate rule filing with the
Commission.
\10\ As described above, GSD Netting Members who wish to
participate in the Market Professional Cross-Margining Program will
need to open an additional account for their Market Professionals.
Likewise, NYPC Clearing Members wishing to participate in the
program will need to open an additional account for their Market
Professionals, which will be required to be separate and distinct
from both their proprietary and segregated customer accounts.
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As with the current Proprietary Cross-Margining Program, the
proposed Market Professional Cross-Margining Program would be available
to GSD Netting Members that carry accounts of Market Professionals and
that are also clearing members of NYPC (individually a ``Joint
Member'') or that have an affiliate that is a clearing member of NYPC
(individually an ``Affiliated Member''). Members do not have to be
participating in the Proprietary Cross-Margining Program in order to
participate in the proposed Market Professional Cross-Margining Program
(or vice versa).
The proposed rule change necessitates revisions to the FICC-NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement, which are described in detail below.
Additional participant agreements have been added as appendices to the
FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement for this purpose.
Segregation and Liquidation Considerations
The proposed Market Professional Cross-Margining Program addresses
concerns regarding segregation and liquidation procedures under the
Commodity Exchange Act (``CEA''),\11\ Title 11 of the United States
Code (``Bankruptcy Code'') \12\ and the Securities Investor Protection
Act (``SIPA'').\13\ The CEA requires that the property of customers
must be segregated from the proprietary property of a futures
commission merchant. Because Market Professionals are considered
``customers'' under CFTC regulations, the cross-margined positions of
the Market Professionals and all property related thereto must be
segregated from the cross-margined positions and property of the GSD
Netting Member that carries their accounts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ 7 U.S.C. 1-27f as amended.
\12\ 11 U.S.C. 101-1532 as amended.
\13\ 15 U.S.C. 78aaa-78lll as amended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under the proposed rule filing, each GSD Netting Member electing to
participate in the Market Professional Cross-Margining Program must
execute a Cross-Margining Participant Agreement for Market Professional
Accounts (see Appendix C and Appendix D of the proposed Amended and
Restated FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement) and must establish a
separate cross-margining account for the benefit of Market
Professionals for whom it carries cross-margined positions (``Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account''). GSD Netting Members and NYPC
Clearing Members who establish Market Professional Cross-Margining
Accounts must also obtain the consent of each Market Professional whose
cross-margined positions are carried in such account to the commingling
of the Market Professional's assets with those of other electing Market
Professionals of the same GSD Netting Member and NYPC Clearing Member
(or permitted margin affiliate at NYPC); provided, however, that
consistent with the requirements of CFTC Regulation 39.13(g)(8)(i)
(gross margin for customer accounts), the positions of a Market
Professional cleared by FICC will only be cross-margined with the
derivatives positions of the same Market Professional cleared by NYPC.
Moreover, because Section 4d(a)(2) of the CEA prohibits commingling
futures and securities in the absence of a CFTC rule, regulation or
order to the contrary, it will be necessary for NYPC to obtain from the
CFTC an order stating that
[[Page 20447]]
Eligible Products that are cleared by FICC and property received by a
participating GSD Netting Member to margin, guarantee, or secure trades
or positions in or accruing as a result of such Eligible Products may
be commingled in a Market Professional Cross-Margining Account with
Eligible Products cleared by NYPC and with property received by a
participating NYPC Clearing Member to margin, guarantee, or secure
trades or positions in or accruing as a result of such Eligible
Products that would otherwise be required by the CFTC to be segregated
under the CEA.
FICC has established procedures to facilitate the segregation of
the funds and securities deposited or received by GSD Netting Members
regarding their Market Professional cross-margining activity. For
example, each GSD Netting Member must establish separate bank accounts
for the purpose of making daily funds-only settlement of its
proprietary cross-margining activity and for the purpose of making
daily funds-only settlement of its Market Professional cross-margining
activity. In addition, FICC and NYPC will establish and use separate
bank accounts for paying and collecting cash margin and funds-only
settlement amounts resulting from members' proprietary cross-margining
activities and for paying and collecting such amounts resulting from
members' market professional cross-margining activity. FICC will not
permit the netting of obligations arising out of a GSD Netting Member's
proprietary cross-margining activity with those arising out of its
Market Professional cross-margining activity.
FICC has also taken steps to assure the segregation of securities
that are deposited with FICC or its agents to satisfy Clearing Fund
requirements in Market Professional Cross-Margining Accounts and
proprietary cross-margining accounts. For example, FICC and NYPC will
establish and use separate custody accounts to hold securities
deposited as margin by members for proprietary cross-margining activity
and to hold securities deposited as margin by members for Market
Professional cross-margining activity.
FICC's proposal also addresses the potential for conflict between
SIPA, Subchapter IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code,\14\ and
corresponding CFTC bankruptcy regulations,\15\ in the event of the
liquidation and distribution of the property and funds of a GSD Netting
Member that is a registered broker-dealer.\16\ To establish uniform
results in the event of the bankruptcy or liquidation of a broker-
dealer GSD Netting Member under SIPA, FICC will require each Netting
Member that chooses to participate in the Market Professional Cross-
Margining Program to require that the GSD Netting Member's
participating Market Professionals agree that in the event of the
bankruptcy or liquidation of the GSD Netting Member carrying its cross-
margined positions, the Market Professional will subordinate its cross-
margining related claims to the claims of the firm's non-cross-
margining customers.\17\ Similarly, each participating Market
Professional must acknowledge that all of the assets carried in a GSD
Netting Member's Market Professional Cross-Margining Account on the
Market Professional's behalf will not be deemed ``customer property''
for purposes of SIPA or give rise to any claim thereunder. This means
that in the event of a GSD Netting Member bankruptcy, all claims to
assets in cross-margining accounts will be determined under Subchapter
IV of chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code and applicable CFTC regulations.
FICC believes these measures reduce the possibility that assets in a
GSD Netting Member's Market Professional Cross-Margining Account will
be subject to two conflicting schemes of distribution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ 11 U.S.C. 761-767.
\15\ 17 CFR part 190.
\16\ Some Market Professionals could be deemed to be
``customers'' under SIPA and Exchange Act Rule 15c3-3. Consistent
with previously approved cross-margining programs, however, Market
Professionals will be required to agree to subordinate their claims,
in the event of the bankruptcy of a GSD Netting Member or an NYPC
member, to the claims of other customers. See Securities Exchange
Act Release No. 34-29991 (November 26, 1991), 56 FR 61458 (December
3, 1991) n.23.
\17\ Under SIPA, SIPC satisfies the claims of ``customers''
against insolvent broker-dealers up to predetermined limits. 15
U.S.C. 78fff-3. Under SIPA, however, the term ``customer'' does not
include any person to the extent that such person has a claim for
cash or securities which, by agreement, is subordinated to the
claims of any or all creditors of the debtor. 15 U.S.C.
78lll(2)(C)(ii). Because a Market Professional will be required to
subordinate its cross-margin related claims against a GSD Netting
Member to those of the GSD Netting Member's non-cross-margining
customers, it will not fall within the protections afforded by SIPA.
See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 34-29991 (November 26,
1991), 56 FR 61458 (December 3, 1991) n.24.
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In the event of a default of a member that chooses to participate
in the Market Professional Cross-Margining Program, FICC and NYPC will
follow the remedies outlined in the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement
to liquidate or transfer the proprietary and Market Professional Cross-
Margining Accounts. Any deficit in the Market Professional Cross-
Margining Account would, absent a deficit in any NYPC segregated
customer account of the defaulting member, be offset against any credit
in any proprietary cross-margining account of the defaulting member.
Non-cross-margining accounts at NYPC would be liquidated or transferred
pursuant to NYPC procedures as they exist today. FICC and NYPC will not
offset a credit in a Market Professional Cross-Margining Account with a
deficit in a proprietary cross-margin account or with any other account
FICC or NYPC maintains for the defaulting member. Thus, any surplus in
the Market Professional Cross-Margining Account will be returned to the
member or its representative.
In the event of a member bankruptcy, the Bankruptcy Code exempts
FICC and NYPC from the automatic stay and permits FICC and NYPC to
liquidate any assets held for the insolvent member \18\ and offset
those assets against the member's liabilities.\19\ Assets of the member
held in the Market Professional Cross-Margining Account will only be
set-off against related Market Professional cross-margining
liabilities. Any assets remaining after such a set-off will be
transferred to the bankruptcy trustee for administration and
distribution.\20\
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\18\ 11 U.S.C. 555, 556, 560, and 561.
\19\ 11 U.S.C. 362(b)(6), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), and 561.
\20\ In the situation where an Affiliated Member becomes
insolvent, assets in the Market Professional Cross-Margin Accounts
of FICC and NYPC will be set-off by FICC and NYPC against related
liabilities in such accounts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
If a member becomes insolvent, the Securities Investor Protection
Corporation (``SIPC'') may and probably will file for a protective
decree under SIPA.\21\ SIPC will then appoint a trustee charged with
liquidating the bankrupt estate, consistent with SIPA. Under SIPA, the
trustee must, to the extent not inconsistent with SIPA, administer the
assets of the member held as a commodity broker in accordance with the
Bankruptcy Code's commodity broker liquidation requirements and
applicable CFTC regulations.\22\ Even if SIPC does not exercise its
power to seek appointment of a trustee and SIPA does not apply to the
liquidation, a Market Professional's claims to assets in the Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account will be determined in accordance
with the Bankruptcy Code's commodity broker liquidation scheme
[[Page 20448]]
contained in Subchapter IV of chapter 7 and applicable CFTC
regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\21\ 11 U.S.C. Sec. 742.
\22\ 15 U.S.C. 78fff-1(b) states in part: ``To the extent
consistent with the provisions of this chapter or as otherwise
ordered by the court, a trustee shall be subject to the same duties
as a trustee in a case under chapter 7 of Title 11, including, if
the debtor is a commodity broker, as defined under section 101 of
such title, the duties specified in subchapter IV of such chapter
7''.
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Generally, applicable sections of the Bankruptcy Code and CFTC
regulations provide for the trustee to distribute ``customer property''
\23\ pro rata among ``customers'' \24\ according to account class and
generally give priority to customer claims over all others, except
those dealing with the administration of the bankrupt estate.\25\ Also,
assuming the trustee does not transfer customer accounts to another
firm and determines to liquidate customer accounts, the trustee will
distribute customer property to the claimants.\26\ If there is a
shortfall in the Market Professional Cross-Margining Account and there
is no shortfall or a lesser shortfall in the non-cross-margining
customer account, Market Professionals will have a claim against the
Market Professional Cross-Margining Account and will be able to claim
against the non-cross-margining customer account only after all non-
cross-margining customer claims have been satisfied. If the shortfall
in the non-cross-margining customer account is equal to or greater than
the shortfall in the Market Professional Cross-Margining Account, the
two accounts will be combined and Market Professionals and non-cross-
margining customers will share on a pro rata basis.\27\
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\23\ As defined in 11 U.S.C. 761(10) and 17 CFR 190.01(n).
\24\ As defined in 11 U.S.C. 761(9).
\25\ 11 U.S.C. 766(h); see 17 CFR 190.08.
\26\ See generally 11 U.S.C.Sec. 766 and 17 CFR 190.08.
\27\ See 17 CFR part 190, Appendix B (Framework 1).
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Proposed Changes to the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement
In addition to certain technical corrections and conforming
changes, the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement would be substantively
amended as described below in order to incorporate the proposed Market
Professional Cross-Margining Program. Capitalized terms used in this
section have the meanings given to them in the FICC-NYPC Cross-
Margining Agreement.
Recitals
The Recitals to the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement would be
amended to describe the proposed expansion of the existing FICC-NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement to provide for the cross-margining of the
accounts of Market Professionals, and also to reflect the fact that the
current FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement was executed on March 4,
2011, after receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals by FICC and
NYPC.
Section 1. Definitions
Section 1(f) (Available Assets) and Section 1(tt) (Margin)
The ``Available Assets'' definition would be amended to include as
assets available in the event of a default any margin posted to the
Defaulting Member's Proprietary Cross-Margining Account, as well as any
margin posted to the Defaulting Member's Market Professional Cross-
Margining Account. The ``Margin'' definition would be similarly amended
to include original margin, option premiums and other margin collateral
held by or for the account of FICC or NYPC to secure the obligations of
a Cross-Margining Participant's Proprietary Cross-Margining Account
and/or its Market Professional Cross-Margining Account.
The ``Available Assets'' definition would be further amended to
clarify that, consistent with the distributional convention established
in Appendix B to Part 190 of the CFTC's Regulations, the NYPC Guaranty
Fund deposits of a Defaulting Member would first be applied to any
deficit in the Customer Funds Account of the Defaulting Member carried
by NYPC, and then, after any such deficit has been completely
satisfied, to any Cross-Margin Loss in the Defaulting Member's Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account carried by NYPC, and then finally
to any Cross-Margin Loss in the Defaulting Member's Proprietary Cross-
Margining Account carried by NYPC.
Section 1(t) (Cross-Margin Gain) and Section 1(u) (Cross-Margin Loss)
For ease of reference and to facilitate understanding of the loss
allocation mechanism in the event of the liquidation of the cross-
margined positions carried for a Defaulting Member by FICC and NYPC,
the definitions of Cross-Margin Gain and Cross-Margin Loss would become
a new subsection (b) of Section 7 of the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement (Suspension and Liquidation of Cross-Margining Participant).
Section 1(y) (Customer Funds Account)
The term ``Segregated Funds Account'' in the existing FICC-NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement would be replaced by the term ``Customer
Funds Account'' and modified in order to clearly distinguish non-cross-
margining ``customer'' accounts established by NYPC from both Market
Professional Cross-Margining Accounts and Proprietary Cross-Margining
Accounts.
Section 1(ww) (Market Professional)
As described above, consistent with previously approved cross-
margining programs, the term ``Market Professional'' would be defined
as an entity, other than a ``Non-Customer'' (described below), that is
a member of a designated contract market and that actively trades for
its own account Eligible Products that are eligible for cross-margining
under the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement.
Section 1(bbb) (Non-Customer)
As described above, ``Non-Customers'' would be excluded from the
definition of a Market Professional. With respect to a GSD Netting
Member, the term ``Non-Customer'' would be defined as such GSD Netting
Member or other person whose account with such GSD Netting Member would
not be the account of a ``customer'' within the meaning of SEC Rules
8c-1 and 15c2-1.
Section 1(sss) (Securities Custody Account) and 1(uuu) (Settlement
Account)
For ease of reference, the term ``Cross-Margining Securities
Account'' would be replaced with the term ``Securities Custody
Account'' and would be expanded to include a custody account to hold
Margin in the form of securities deposited by a Cross-Margining
Participant in respect of a Proprietary Cross-Margining Account or a
Market Professional Cross-Margining Account. Similarly, the definition
of ``Settlement Account'' would be expanded to include a bank account
established to hold cash Margin deposited by a Cross-Margining
Participant in respect of a Proprietary Cross-Margining Account or a
Market Professional Cross-Margining Account.
Section 2. Participation
Section 2(a) would be amended and Section 2(b) and 2(c) would be
added in order to accommodate the additional documentation required to
establish a Set of Market Professional Cross-Margining Accounts by
either a Joint Clearing Member or by a Clearing Member and its Cross-
Margining Affiliate.
Section 5. Forms of Margin; Holding Margin
Section 5(b) would be amended to reflect the fact that separate
Settlement Accounts and Securities Custody Accounts would be maintained
for proprietary and Market Professional cross-margining activity.
Section 5(c) would be amended to allow FICC and NYPC to hold cash
and securities posted with respect to cross-
[[Page 20449]]
margining activity in either separate accounts or, consistent with
previously approved cross-margining programs, joint accounts titled in
the names of FICC and NYPC.
Section 7. Suspension and Liquidation of Cross-Margining Participant
Section 7(a) would be amended to clarify that the positions and
Margin of a Defaulting Member may be liquidated or transferred to one
or more non-defaulting Clearing Members. A new Section 7(b) would be
added to define ``Cross-Margin Gain'' and ``Cross-Margin Loss,'' as
described above. New Section 7(b) would also make clear that in
calculating its Cross-Margin Gain (or Cross-Margin Loss) or Net Gain
(or Net Loss) FICC and NYPC would be required to make separate
calculations with respect to the Defaulting Member's Proprietary Cross-
Margining Account and its Market Professional Cross-Margining Account.
Section 7(g) would be amended to provide that to the extent that
pursuant to the loss allocation prescribed in Section 7, both FICC and
NYPC owe payments to each other, i.e., one clearing organization owes a
payment with respect to the Proprietary Cross-Margining Account of a
Defaulting Member and the other owes a payment with respect to the
Defaulting Member's Market Professional Cross-Margining Account, those
two payments may be netted and setoff against each other.
Proposed Changes to Clearing Member Agreements
The FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement is solely between FICC and
NYPC. Members of FICC and of NYPC that wish to participate in the
Cross-Margining Program must become party to a Clearing Member Cross-
Margining Agreement which, among other things, reflects the Clearing
Member's agreement to be bound by the Rules applicable to cross-
margining and to the provisions of the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement (``Clearing Member Agreements''). Capitalized terms used in
this section have the meanings given to them in the proposed Clearing
Member Agreements.
The current FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement includes two forms
of Clearing Member Agreement--one for joint Clearing Members (i.e.,
entities that are members of both FICC and NYPC), the other for
Clearing Members that are Affiliates of each other (i.e., a Clearing
Member of either FICC or NYPC that directly or indirectly controls, is
controlled by, or under common control with a Clearing Member of the
other Clearing Organization). Those agreements, which are set forth as
Appendix A and Appendix B to the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement,
would be renamed as Clearing Member Cross-Margining Agreement (Joint
Clearing Member--Proprietary Accounts) and Clearing Member Cross-
Margining Agreement (Affiliated Clearing Members--Proprietary
Accounts), and references in those agreements to a ``Member'' would be
replaced with references to a ``Clearing Member'' for consistency with
the terminology used in the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining Agreement.
The Clearing Member Agreements for Proprietary Accounts are
proposed to be further modified to make clear that a Set of Proprietary
Cross-Margining Accounts would be combined and treated as a single
account for purposes of calculating Margin. This change is reflective
of the current practice of the Clearing Organizations pursuant to the
Cross-Margining Agreement and is proposed to be set out solely for
purposes of clarity.
The Clearing Member Agreements would additionally be modified to
reflect the practice of the Clearing Organizations regarding the use of
Clearing Data (as that term is defined in the Clearing Member Cross-
Margining Agreements). Specifically, the Clearing Member Agreements
would be modified to provide that Clearing Data may only be disclosed
(i) to an Affiliated Clearing Member, where applicable, (ii) in
accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of the Cross-Margining
Agreement, and (iii) in aggregated form, provided that such aggregated
Clearing Data does not identify of the Clearing Member or Affiliated
Clearing Members, as applicable, as the source thereof.
The termination provisions of the Clearing Member Agreements for
Proprietary Accounts would also be modified to make clear that the
required acknowledgment of a Clearing Member's termination of the
Agreement will be given by the Clearing Organizations promptly after
the two Business Day notice period required by the Clearing Member
Agreements. The termination provisions would additionally be modified
to make explicit that a Clearing Member's continuing obligations under
the Clearing Member Agreements and the Cross-Margining Agreement
survive the termination of the Clearing Member Agreement only to the
extent those obligations arose prior to such termination.
Finally, the Clearing Member Cross-Margining Agreement (Affiliated
Clearing Members--Proprietary Accounts) is proposed to be amended to
include a waiver of the Clearing Members' and the Clearing
Organizations' right to jury trial in any dispute arising in connection
with that agreement. A comparable provision already is included in the
Clearing Member Cross-Margining Agreement (Joint Clearing Member--
Proprietary Accounts). The remaining revisions to the Clearing Member
Agreements for Proprietary Accounts are non-substantive or conforming.
While it is anticipated that some Clearing Members will elect to
participate in cross-margining for their Proprietary Accounts and also
act as Clearing Member for Market Professionals, a Clearing Member
could elect to act in only one of those capacities. The Clearing Member
Agreements in Appendices A and B to the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement, therefore, would be complemented by a Clearing Member Cross-
Margining Agreement (Joint Clearing Member--Market Professional
Accounts) and Clearing Member Cross-Margining Agreement (Affiliated
Clearing Members--Market Professional Accounts), respectively, and a
Clearing Member that elected to maintain a Set of Proprietary Cross-
Margining Accounts and a Set of Market Professional Cross-Margining
Accounts would be required to enter into Clearing Member Cross-
Margining Agreements for both its Proprietary Accounts and for its
Market Professional Accounts.
The proposed Clearing Member Agreements for Market Professional
Accounts (Appendices C and D to the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement) are based upon the Clearing Member Agreements for
Proprietary Accounts, but have been modified as appropriate. For
example, the Clearing Member Agreements for Market Professional
Accounts would make explicit that the Set of Market Professional Cross-
Margining Accounts that would be established by the Clearing
Organizations for a Clearing Member are to be limited to transactions
and positions established by Market Professionals who have signed a
Market Professional Agreement for Cross-Margining in the form set forth
as Exhibit A to Appendices C and D, respectively.\28\
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\28\ Similar to the Clearing Member Agreements for Proprietary
Accounts, the Clearing Member Agreements for Market Professional
Accounts would require the Clearing Member to pledge, for itself and
for each Market Professional on whose behalf positions are carried
in a Set of Market Professional Cross-Margining Accounts, the
positions and Margin in the Set of Market Professional Cross-
Margining Accounts. Consistent therewith and with the Clearing
Member Agreements for Proprietary Accounts, the Clearing Member
Agreements for Market Professional Accounts would include
representations and warranties by the Clearing Member to the effect
that it has the power to grant the foregoing security interest and
that it is the sole owner of or otherwise has the right to transfer
collateral to the Clearing Organizations.
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[[Page 20450]]
The Market Professional Agreements are derived from the form of
Market Professional's Agreement for Cross-Margining that has previously
been approved by the Commission.\29\ The FICC-NYPC Market Professional
Agreements differ from the forms of agreement that have previously been
approved in that they would be modified to reference the Eligible
Products that are available for cross-margining under the FICC-NYPC
Cross-Margining Agreement. The FICC-NYPC Market Professional Agreements
additionally would be modified to reference the definitions of the term
``Market Professional'' that would be set forth in the Rules of FICC
and NYPC, and to require a Market Professional to represent and warrant
that it does, in fact, qualify as such. Moreover, the FICC-NYPC Market
Professional Agreements would be amended to provide that, consistent
with the requirements of CFTC Regulation 39.13(g)(8)(i) (gross margin
for customer accounts), the positions of a Market Professional cleared
by FICC will only be cross-margined with the derivatives positions of
the same Market Professional cleared by NYPC. The only other
substantive change from the form of agreement previously approved by
the Commission would be the elimination of a provision that would have
conditioned the effectiveness of the Market Professional Agreements on
the receipt of all necessary approvals by the Commission and the CFTC.
FICC believes that a provision of this nature is unnecessary, given
that FICC and NYPC will not permit Clearing Members to enter into
Market Professional Agreements until all necessary regulatory approvals
have been obtained.
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\29\ See Exhibits 5F and 5G to Release No. 34-57118 (January 9,
2008) (Options Clearing Corporation--ICE Clear US market
professional cross-margining); see also Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 34-29991(November 26, 1991), 56 FR 61458 (December 3,
1991) (Options Clearing Corporation--Chicago Mercantile Exchange
market professional cross-margining).
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Proposed FICC Rule Changes
In addition to the proposed changes to the FICC-NYPC Cross-
Margining Agreement, FICC is proposing the following GSD rule changes
to effectuate the Market Professional Cross-Margining Program.
Capitalized terms used in this section have the meanings given to them
in the GSD Rules.
Rule 1 (Definitions)
New definitions are being added for the following terms: ``Market
Professional,'' ``Market Professional Agreement for Cross-Margining,''
``Market Professional Cross-Margining Account,'' ``Non-Customer,''
``NYPC Market Professional Account,'' and ``NYPC Proprietary Account''
(which retains the current definition of ``NYPC Account''). ``NYPC
Account,'' an existing term, is now proposed to be amended to encompass
the two new terms of ``NYPC Market Professional Account'' and ``NYPC
Proprietary Account.'' In addition, changes are proposed to the
following definitions to reference the concepts associated with the
Market Professional Cross-Margining Program: ``Account,'' ``Cross-
Margining Affiliate,'' ``Cross-Margining Agreement'' and ``Margin
Portfolio.'' A technical change is being proposed to the definition of
``Cross-Margining Payment.''
Rule 3 (On-Going Membership Requirements)
FICC is proposing to amend Section 11 of Rule 3, which covers
additional accounts requested by Members, to provide for the opening of
market professional accounts and to make clear that such accounts must
meet the requirements of the Cross-Margining Agreement and the GSD
Rules (as with all other accounts carried by FICC for its Members).
Rule 4 (Clearing Fund and Loss Allocation)
FICC is proposing to amend Section 1b and Section 2 of Rule 4 to
provide that the market professional account will have its own Clearing
Fund calculations separate from the main account of the Netting Member,
and that the rules applicable to the Clearing Fund calculations and the
requirements of the Required Fund Deposit also apply Clearing Fund
calculations and Required Fund Deposits associated with the market
professional accounts.
Rule 13 (Funds-Only Settlement)
FICC is proposing to amend Section 1 and Section 5a to provide that
funds-only settlement amounts will be calculated separately for the
member's market professional account and that net-net funds only
credits/debits will also apply to the market professional accounts of a
Member (or its permitted margin affiliate) across FICC and NYPC, as is
the case currently with the proprietary accounts.
Rule 22A (Procedures for When the Corporation Ceases To Act)
FICC is proposing to amend Section 2 of Rule 22A to provide that a
liquidation gain in a Netting Member's proprietary account will be used
to offset any resulting liquidation loss in such Member's Market
Professional Cross-Margining Account.
Rule 29 (Release of Clearing Data)
FICC is proposing to amend Rule 29 to make clear that a Member's
Clearing Data will be released to a futures clearing organization (FCO)
with which FICC has a Cross-Margining Arrangement and that such data
will include data regarding the Member's market professional customers.
Rule 43 (Cross-Margining Arrangements)
FICC is proposing to amend Rule 43 to provide for the requirement
for Netting Members who wish to participate in the Market Professional
Cross-Margining Program to execute the appropriate participation
agreements which are appended to the FICC-NYPC Cross-Margining
Agreement as discussed above.
FICC believes the proposed change is consistent with Section 17A of
the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder because it will
facilitate the establishment of linked or coordinated facilities for
clearance and settlement of transactions in securities and contracts of
sale for future delivery by providing for the cross-margining of
members' Market Professionals' positions held at FICC and NYPC.
(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
FICC does not believe that the proposed rule change would impose
any burden on competition.
(C) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the
Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others
Written comments relating to the proposed rule change have not yet
been solicited or received. FICC will notify the Commission of any
written comments received by FICC.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the
Federal Register or within such longer period up to 90 days (i) as the
Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be
appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to
which
[[Page 20451]]
the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:
(A) By order approve or disapprove the proposed rule change or
(B) Institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule
change should be disapproved.
Electronic Comments
Use the Commissions Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml) or Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov.
Please include File Number SR-FICC-2012-03 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File Number SR-FICC-2012-03. This file
number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help
the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently,
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on
the Commission's Internet Web site (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all
written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are
filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to
the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other
than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and
printing in the Commission's Public Reference Section, 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 FICC and on FICC's
Web site at https://www.dtcc.com/downloads/legal/rule_filings/2012/ficc/SR_FICC_2012_03.pdf. 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-FICC-2012-03 and should be submitted on or before April
25, 2012.
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\30\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
For the Commission by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\30\
Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-8042 Filed 4-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P