Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Relating to the Listing and Trading of Shares of the U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index Fund Under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3), 64160-64167 [2012-25599]

Download as PDF 64160 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, as noted above, investors will have ready access to information regarding the Fund’s portfolio holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, and quotation and last-sale information for the Shares. B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement on Burden on Competition The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the proposed rule change. 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 (i) as the Commission may designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which 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. IV. Solicitation of Comments Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Electronic Comments All submissions should refer to File Number SR–NYSEArca–2012–108. 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 20549–1090, on official business days between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the NYSE’s principal office and on its Internet Web site at www.nyse.com. 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–NYSEArca–2012–108 and should be submitted on or before November 8, 2012. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.28 Kevin M. O’Neill, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2012–25598 Filed 10–17–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–68044; File No. SR– NYSEArca–2012–109] • Use the Commission’s Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/ rules/sro.shtml); or • Send an email to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File Number SR–NYSEArca–2012–108 on the subject line. Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Relating to the Listing and Trading of Shares of the U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index Fund Under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) Paper Comments October 12, 2012. • Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090. VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’ or ‘‘Exchange Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 28 17 1 15 PO 00000 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). Frm 00066 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 thereunder,2 notice is hereby given that, on September 27, 2012, NYSE Arca, Inc. (‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘NYSE Arca’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange proposes to list and trade shares of the following issue under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) (‘‘Investment Company Units’’): the U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index Fund. The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange’s Web site at www.nyse.com, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission’s Public Reference Room. II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization 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 those statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such statements. A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and the Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change 1. Purpose The Exchange proposes to list and trade shares (‘‘Shares’’) of the U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index Fund (‘‘Fund’’) under Commentary .01 to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3), which governs the listing and trading of Investment Company Units.3 The Shares will be issued by the ALPS ETF Trust 2 17 CFR 240.19b–4. Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3)(A) provides that an Investment Company Unit is a security that represents an interest in a registered investment company that holds securities comprising, or otherwise based on or representing an interest in, an index or portfolio of securities (or holds securities in another registered investment company that holds securities comprising, or otherwise based on or representing an interest in, an index or portfolio of securities). 3 NYSE E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES (‘‘Trust’’).4 ALPS Advisors, Inc. will be the Fund’s investment adviser (‘‘Adviser’’), and Rich Investment Solutions, LLC will be the Fund’s investment sub-adviser (‘‘SubAdviser’’).5 The Bank of New York Mellon (‘‘BNY’’) will serve as custodian, fund accounting agent, and transfer agent for the Fund. ALPS Distributors, Inc. will be the Fund’s distributor (‘‘Distributor’’). The Adviser is affiliated with a broker-dealer and will implement and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding the Fund’s portfolio. The SubAdviser is not affiliated with a brokerdealer. In the event (a) the Sub-Adviser becomes newly affiliated with a brokerdealer, or (b) any new adviser or subadviser becomes affiliated with a brokerdealer, it will implement and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic information regarding the Fund’s portfolio. NYSE Arca will be the ‘‘Index Provider’’ for the Fund. NYSE Arca is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or the 4 The Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–1) (‘‘1940 Act’’). On May 3, 2012, the Trust filed with the Commission an amendment to its registration statement on Form N–1A under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a), and under the 1940 Act relating to the Fund (File Nos. 333–148826 and 811–22175) (‘‘Registration Statement’’). The description of the operation of the Trust and the Fund herein is based, in part, on the Registration Statement. In addition, the Commission has issued an order granting certain exemptive relief to the Trust under the 1940 Act. See Investment Company Act Release No. 28262 (May 1, 2008) (File No. 812– 13430) (‘‘Exemptive Order’’). 5 An investment adviser to an open-end fund is required to be registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (‘‘Advisers Act’’). As a result, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser and their related personnel are subject to the provisions of Rule 204A–1 under the Advisers Act relating to codes of ethics. This Rule requires investment advisers to adopt a code of ethics that reflects the fiduciary nature of the relationship to clients as well as compliance with other applicable securities laws. Accordingly, procedures designed to prevent the communication and misuse of non-public information by an investment adviser must be consistent with Rule 204A–1 under the Advisers Act. In addition, Rule 206(4)–7 under the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for an investment adviser to provide investment advice to clients unless such investment adviser has (i) adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation, by the investment adviser and its supervised persons, of the Advisers Act and the Commission rules adopted thereunder; (ii) implemented, at a minimum, an annual review regarding the adequacy of the policies and procedures established pursuant to subparagraph (i) above and the effectiveness of their implementation; and (iii) designated an individual (who is a supervised person) responsible for administering the policies and procedures adopted under subparagraph (i) above. VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 Distributor. NYSE Arca is affiliated with a broker-dealer and will implement a fire wall and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding the Index. Description of the Fund According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before the Fund’s fees and expenses, of the NYSE Arca U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index (‘‘Index’’). The Index measures the return of a hypothetical portfolio consisting of U.S. exchange traded put options which have been sold on each of 20 stocks and a cash position calculated as described below. The 20 stocks on which options are sold (‘‘written’’) are those 20 stocks from a selection of the largest capitalized (over $5 billion in market capitalization) stocks which also have listed options and which have the highest volatility, as determined by the Index Provider. The Sub-Adviser will seek a correlation over time of 0.95 or better between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Index. A figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation. Index Methodology and Construction According to the Registration Statement, the Index consists of at least twenty components (‘‘Index Components’’), selected in accordance with NYSE Arca’s rules-based methodology for the Index. In selecting the stocks underlying the Index Components, the Index Provider begins with the universe of all U.S. exchangelisted stocks, and then screens for those stocks that meet the following criteria: (1) Minimum market capitalization of at least $5 billion; (2) minimum trading volume of at least 50 million shares during the preceding 6 months; (3) minimum average daily trading volume of one million shares during the preceding 6 months; (4) minimum average daily trading value of at least $10 million during the preceding 6 months; (5) share price of $10 or higher; (6) the availability of U.S. exchangelisted options.6 The Index is reconstituted/rebalanced every two months (i.e., six times a year). Stocks meeting the above criteria are then sorted in descending order based upon the two month implied volatility as measured on Bloomberg using the field labeled 6 Terms relating to the Trust, the Fund, and the Shares referred to, but not defined, herein are defined in the Registration Statement. PO 00000 Frm 00067 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 64161 2M_PUT_IMP_VOL_50DELTA_DFLT, which is derived from at the money listed put options on each of such stocks.7 The 20 stocks with the highest volatility are selected for inclusion. The industry sector of each stock is also noted, and the Index will not allow more than 10 of the 20 stocks to be from any one industry sector. Each listed put option included in the Index will be an ‘‘American-style’’ option (i.e., an option which can be exercised at the strike price at any time prior to its expiration) and have a 60day term. The strike price (i.e., the price at which a put option can be exercised) of each put option included in the Index must be as close as possible to 85% of the closing price of the option’s underlying stock price as of the beginning of each 60-day period.8 The listed put options included in the Index can be exercised at any time prior to their expiration, but the Index will reflect the value of each such option throughout the 60-day period as if the option is not exercised until its expiration. Each such option will automatically be deemed exercised on its expiration date if its underlying stock price is below its strike price. If the stock underlying the put option closes below the option’s strike price, a cash settlement payment in an amount equal to the difference between the strike price and the closing price of the stock is deemed to be made and the Index value is correspondingly reduced. If the underlying stock does not close below its strike price, then the option expires worthless and the entire amount of the premium payment is retained within the Index.9 The Registration Statement provides the following example. Suppose a stock ‘‘ABC’’ trades at $50 per share at the start of the 60 day period, and a listed put option with a term of 60 days was sold with a strike price of $42.50 per share for a premium of $2 per share: Settlement at or above the strike price: If at the end of 60 days the ABC stock closed at or above the strike price of $42.50, then the option would expire 7 The Adviser represents that Bloomberg defines implied volatility as Delta Ivol, which is volatility as expressed in delta. Delta values range from 0 to 100, with 50 delta as the theoretical at-the-money strike. A delta of less than 50 is considered out-ofthe-money, while a delta of greater than 50 is considered in-the-money. 8 The Adviser represents that a specific percentage cannot be indicated because options are listed by an exchange in pre-defined increments (i.e., 1, 1.5, or 2 increments) around the market price of the stock, rounded to the nearest dollar. 9 The Adviser anticipates that it may take approximately three business days (i.e., each day the New York Stock Exchange (‘‘NYSE’’) is open) for additions and deletions to the Index to be reflected in the portfolio composition of the Fund. E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 64162 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices worthless and the Index’s value would reflect the retention of the $2 per share premium. The Index’s value thus would be increased by $2 per share on the ABC option position. Settlement below the strike price: If at the end of 60 days, ABC closed at $35, then the option would automatically be deemed exercised on its expiration date. The Index’s value would change as if the Index had been put (i.e., would buy) ABC at the strike price of $42.50 and would sell ABC immediately at the closing price of $35. As a result, the Index’s value would be reduced by $7.50 per share. However, the Index’s value would also reflect the retention of the $2 per share premium, so the net loss to the Index’s value would be $5.50 per share on the ABC option position. The Index’s value is equal to the value of the options positions comprising the Index plus a cash position. The options positions are equally weighted in the Index and the Fund’s portfolio; that is, 1/20th of the net asset value (‘‘NAV’’) of Shares of the Fund will be invested in each option position at the beginning of the applicable 60-day period. The cash position starts at a base of 1,000. The cash position is increased by option premiums generated by the option positions comprising the Index and interest on the cash position at an annual rate equal to the three month Treasury-bill (‘‘T-Bill’’) rate. The cash position is decreased by cash settlement on options which finish in the money (i.e., where the closing price of the underlying stock at the end of the 60day period is below the strike price). The cash position is also decreased by a deemed cash distribution paid following each 60-day period, currently targeted at the rate of 1.5% of the value of the Index. However, if the option premiums generated during the period are less than 1.5%, the deemed distribution will be reduced by the amount of the shortfall. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Primary Investments The Fund under normal circumstances 10 will invest at least 80% of its total assets in component securities that comprise the Index (i.e., the Fund’s option positions) and in TBills. The Fund will seek to track the performance of the Index by selling 10 The term ‘‘under normal circumstances’’ includes, but is not limited to, the absence of extreme volatility or trading halts in the equities or options markets or the financial markets generally; operational issues causing dissemination of inaccurate market information; or force majeure type events such as systems failure, natural or manmade disaster, act of God, armed conflict, act of terrorism, riot or labor disruption, or any similar intervening circumstance. VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 listed 60-day put options in proportion to their weightings in the Index. By selling an option, the Fund will receive premiums from the buyer of the option, which will increase the Fund’s return if the option is not exercised and thus expires worthless. However, if the option’s underlying stock declines below the strike price, the option will finish in-the-money and the Fund will be required to buy the underlying stock at the strike price, effectively paying the buyer the difference between the strike price and the closing price. Therefore, by writing a put option, the Fund will be exposed to the amount by which the price of the underlying stock is less than the strike price. As the seller of a listed put option, the Fund will incur an obligation to buy the underlying instrument from the purchaser of the option at the option’s strike price, upon exercise by the option purchaser. If a listed put option sold by the Fund is exercised prior to the end of a 60-day period, the Fund will buy the underlying stock at the time of exercise and at the strike price, and will hold the stock until the end of the 60-day period. Each put option sold by the Fund will be covered through investments in three month T-Bills at least equal to the Fund’s maximum liability under the option (i.e., the strike price). Every 60 days, the options included within the Index are exercised or expire and new option positions are established, and the Fund will enter into new option positions accordingly and sell any underlying stocks it owns as a result of the Fund’s prior option positions having been exercised. This 60-day cycle likely will cause the Fund to have frequent and substantial portfolio turnover.11 Secondary Investment Strategies The Fund may invest its remaining assets in money market instruments,12 11 If the Fund receives additional inflows (and issues more Shares accordingly in large numbers known as ‘‘Creation Units,’’ as further described below under ‘‘Creation of Shares’’) during a 60-day period, the Fund will sell additional listed put options which will be exercised or expire at the end of such 60-day period. Conversely, if the Fund redeems Shares in Creation Unit size during a 60day period, the Fund will terminate the appropriate portion of the options it has sold accordingly. 12 The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) shortterm obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (‘‘CDs’’), fixed time deposits, and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase ‘‘Prime-1’’ by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or ‘‘A¥1+’’ or ‘‘A¥1’’ by Standard & Poor’s or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; and (iv) money market mutual funds. CDs PO 00000 Frm 00068 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 including repurchase agreements 13 or other funds which invest exclusively in money market instruments, convertible securities, and structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index). Furthermore, the Fund may invest in one or more financial instruments, including but not limited to futures contracts, swap agreements 14 and forward contracts, and options on securities (other than options in which the Fund principally will invest), indices and futures contracts.15 Swaps, options (other than options in which the Fund principally will invest), and futures contracts 16 may be used by the are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions. The Fund will not invest in money market instruments as part of a temporary defensive strategy to protect against potential stock market declines. 13 Repurchase agreements are agreements pursuant to which securities are acquired by the Fund from a third party with the understanding that they will be repurchased by the seller at a fixed price on an agreed date. These agreements may be made with respect to any of the portfolio securities in which the Fund is authorized to invest. Repurchase agreements may be characterized as loans secured by the underlying securities. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with (i) member banks of the Federal Reserve System having total assets in excess of $500 million and (ii) securities dealers (‘‘Qualified Institutions’’). The Adviser will monitor the continued creditworthiness of Qualified Institutions. The Fund also may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date, and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. 14 Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party (‘‘Counterparty’’) based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index, or asset. In return, the Counterparty agrees to make periodic payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index, or asset. Swap agreements will usually be done on a net basis, the Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account at the Trust’s custodian bank. 15 As an example of the use of such financial instruments, the Fund may use total return swaps on one or more Index Components in order to achieve exposures that are similar to those of the Index. 16 The Fund may utilize U.S. listed exchangetraded futures. According to the Registration Statement, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has eliminated limitations on futures trading by certain regulated entities, including registered investment companies, and consequently registered investment companies may engage in E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to the Index and in managing cash flows.17 The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in investments not included in its Index, but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, there may be instances in which the Adviser may choose to purchase (or sell) securities not in the Index which the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for one or more Index Components in seeking to replicate, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Index. The Fund may borrow money from a bank up to a limit of 10% of the value of its assets, but only for temporary or emergency purposes. The Fund may not invest 25% of its total assets in the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries (excluding the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities). Nonetheless, to the extent the Fund’s Index is concentrated in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund’s investments will exceed this 25% limitation to the extent that it is necessary to gain exposure to Index Components to track its Index.18 The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds). Under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s investment in investment companies is limited to, subject to certain exceptions, (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company, and (iii) 10% of the Fund’s total assets of investment companies in the aggregate.19 The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in unlimited futures transactions and options thereon provided that the investment adviser to the company claims an exclusion from regulation as a commodity pool operator. In connection with its management of the Trust, the Adviser has claimed such an exclusion from registration as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1) (‘‘CEA’’). Therefore, it is not subject to the registration and regulatory requirements of the CEA, and there are no limitations on the extent to which the Fund may engage in non-hedging transactions involving futures and options thereon, except as set forth in the Registration Statement. 17 Swaps, options (other than options in which the Fund principally will invest), and futures contracts will not be included in the Fund’s investment, under normal market circumstances, of at least 80% of its total assets in component securities that comprise the Index and in T-Bills, as described above. 18 See Form N–1A, Item 9. The Commission has taken the position that a fund is concentrated if it invests more than 25% of the value of its total assets in any one industry. See, e.g., Investment Company Act Release No. 9011 (October 30, 1975), 40 FR 54241 (November 21, 1975). 19 15 U.S.C. 80a–12(d). VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are held in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with Commission staff guidance.20 The Fund intends to qualify for and to elect to be treated as a separate regulated investment company (‘‘RIC’’) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.21 As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gain it distributes to its shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, a company must annually distribute at least 90% of its net investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest, and net capital gains) and meet several other requirements relating to the nature of its income and the diversification of its assets. If the Fund fails to qualify for any taxable year as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and such distributions generally will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. The Fund’s investments will be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and will not be used to 20 The Commission has stated that long-standing Commission guidelines have required open-end funds to hold no more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid securities and other illiquid assets. See Investment Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008), 73 FR 14618 (March 18, 2008), footnote 34. See also Investment Company Act Release No. 5847 (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31, 1970) (Statement Regarding ‘‘Restricted Securities’’); Investment Company Act Release No. 18612 (March 12, 1992), 57 FR 9828 (March 20, 1992) (Revisions of Guidelines to Form N–1A). A fund’s portfolio security is illiquid if it cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value ascribed to it by the fund. See Investment Company Act Release No. 14983 (March 12, 1986), 51 FR 9773 (March 21, 1986) (adopting amendments to Rule 2a–7 under the 1940 Act); Investment Company Act Release No. 17452 (April 23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30, 1990) (adopting Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933). 21 26 U.S.C. 851. PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 64163 enhance leverage. The Fund will not invest in non-U.S. equity securities. Pricing Fund Shares The NAV per Share for the Fund will be determined once daily as of the close of the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (‘‘E.T.’’), each day the NYSE is open for trading. NAV per Share will be determined by dividing the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities, cash, and other assets (including accrued interest), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses), by the total number of Shares outstanding. The Fund’s listed put options, as well as equity securities held by the Fund, if any, will be valued at the last reported sale price on the principal exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on the day the securities are being valued or, if there are no sales, at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices. Debt securities will be valued at the mean between the last available bid and asked prices for such securities or, if such prices are not available, at prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality, and type. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available, including restricted securities, will be valued by a method that the Fund’s Board of Trustees believes accurately reflects fair value. Securities will be valued at fair value when market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, such as when a security’s value or meaningful portion of the Fund’s portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant event. Such events may include a natural disaster, an economic event like a bankruptcy filing, a trading halt in a security, an unscheduled early market close, or a substantial fluctuation in domestic and foreign markets that has occurred between the close of the principal exchange and the NYSE. In such a case, the value for a security is likely to be different from the last quoted market price. In addition, due to the subjective and variable nature of fair market value pricing, it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be materially different from the value realized upon such asset’s sale. Creation of Shares The Trust will issue and sell Shares of the Fund only in Creation Units of 100,000 Shares each on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at its NAV next determined after receipt, on any business day, of an order in proper form. Creation Units of the Fund generally will be sold for cash only, calculated based on the NAV per E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 64164 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Share multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit (‘‘Deposit Cash’’), plus a transaction fee. The Custodian, through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (‘‘NSCC’’), will make available on each business day, prior to the opening of business on NYSE Arca (currently 9:30 a.m. E.T.), the amount of the Deposit Cash to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit of the Fund. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a ‘‘Participating Party,’’ i.e., a brokerdealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (‘‘Clearing Process’’); or (ii) a Depository Trust Company (‘‘DTC’’) participant, and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units. A Participating Party and DTC participant are collectively referred to as an ‘‘Authorized Participant.’’ All orders to create Creation Units, whether through a Participating Party or a DTC participant, must be received by the Distributor no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. E.T.) in each case on the date such order is placed in order for creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. Redemption of Shares Fund Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at the NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through BNY and only on a business day. The Fund will not redeem Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. With respect to the Fund, BNY, through the NSCC, will make available prior to the opening of business on NYSE Arca (currently 9:30 a.m. E.T.) on each business day, the amount of cash that will be paid (subject to possible amendment or correction) in respect of redemption requests received in proper form on that day (‘‘Redemption Cash’’). The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally will consist of the Redemption Cash, as announced on the business day of the request for redemption received in proper form, less a redemption transaction fee. Initial and Continued Listing The Shares will conform to the initial and continued listing criteria under NYSE Arca Equities Rules 5.2(j)(3) and 5.5(g)(2), except that the Index is VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 comprised of U.S. exchange-listed options based on ‘‘US Component Stocks’’ 22 rather than US Component Stocks themselves. The Exchange represents that, for initial and/or continued listing, the Fund will be in compliance with Rule 10A–3 under the Exchange Act,23 as provided by NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.3. A minimum of 100,000 Shares will be outstanding at the commencement of trading on the Exchange. The Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV will be calculated daily and made available to all market participants at the same time. Availability of Information The Fund’s Web site (www.alpsetfs.com), which will be publicly available prior to the public offering of Shares, will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund that may be downloaded. The Fund’s Web site will include additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Fund, (1) daily trading volume, the prior business day’s reported closing price, NAV and midpoint of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV (‘‘Bid/Ask Price’’),24 and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters.25 On a daily basis, the Adviser will disclose for each portfolio security and other financial instrument of the Fund the following information: ticker symbol (if applicable), name of security and financial instrument, number of securities or dollar value of securities and financial instruments held in the portfolio, and percentage weighting of the security and financial instrument in 22 NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) defines the term ‘‘US Component Stock’’ to mean an equity security that is registered under Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act or an American Depositary Receipt, the underlying equity security of which is registered under Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act. 23 17 CFR 240.10A–3. 24 The Bid/Ask Price of Shares of the Fund will be determined using the mid-point of the highest bid and the lowest offer on the Exchange as of the time of calculation of the Fund’s NAV. The records relating to Bid/Ask Prices will be retained by the Fund and its service providers. 25 Under accounting procedures to be followed by the Fund, trades made on the prior business day (‘‘T’’) will be booked and reflected in NAV on the current business day (‘‘T+1’’). Accordingly, the Fund will be able to disclose at the beginning of the business day the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at the end of the business day. PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the portfolio. The Fund’s portfolio holdings, including information regarding its option positions, will be disclosed each day on the Fund’s Web site. The Web site information will be publicly available at no charge. An ‘‘Intraday Indicative Value’’ (‘‘IIV’’) of Shares of the Fund will be calculated and widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors every fifteen seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session of 9:30 a.m. E.T. to 4:00 p.m. E.T.26 The Exchange will calculate the IIV by dividing the ‘‘Estimated Fund Value’’ (as defined below) as of the time of the calculation by the total number of outstanding Shares. ‘‘Estimated Fund Value’’ is the sum of the estimated amount of cash held in the Fund’s portfolio, the estimated amount of accrued interest owing to the Fund, and the estimated value of the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio, minus the estimated amount of liabilities. The IIV will be calculated based on the same portfolio holdings disclosed on the Fund’s Web site. The dissemination of the IIV will allow investors to determine the value of the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and to provide a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day. The IIV should not be viewed as a ‘‘real-time’’ update of the NAV per Share of the Fund because it may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which will be computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. Investors can also obtain the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information (‘‘SAI’’), the Fund’s Shareholder Reports, and its Form N–CSR and Form N–SAR, filed twice a year. The Trust’s SAI and Shareholder Reports are available free upon request from the Trust, and those documents and the Form N–CSR and Form N–SAR may be viewed on-screen or downloaded from the Commission’s Web site at www.sec.gov. Information regarding market price and trading volume of the Shares will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers’ computer screens and other electronic services. Information regarding the previous day’s closing price and trading volume information for the Shares will be published daily in the financial section of newspapers. Quotation and last-sale information for the Shares will be available via the CTA high-speed line. The value of the Index 26 Currently, it is the Exchange’s understanding that several major market data vendors display and/ or make widely available IIVs taken from the Consolidated Tape Association (‘‘CTA’’) or other data feeds. E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES will be published by one or more major market data vendors every 15 seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session. Pricing information for the Index Components is available from the U.S. options exchanges on which such components are listed and traded. A list of the Index Components, with percentage weightings, will be available on the Exchange’s Web site. Additional information regarding the Trust and the Shares, including investment strategies, risks, creation and redemption procedures, fees, portfolio holdings disclosure policies, distributions, and taxes is included in the Registration Statement. Suitability Currently, NYSE Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a) (Diligence as to Accounts) provides that an Equity Trading Permit (‘‘ETP’’) Holder, before recommending a transaction in any security, must have reasonable grounds to believe that the recommendation is suitable for the customer based on any facts disclosed by the customer as to its other security holdings and as to its financial situation and needs. Further, the rule provides, with a limited exception, that prior to the execution of a transaction recommended to a non-institutional customer, the ETP Holder must make reasonable efforts to obtain information concerning the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and any other information that such ETP Holder believes would be useful to make a recommendation. Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its ETP Holders of the suitability requirements of NYSE Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a) in an Information Bulletin (‘‘Bulletin’’). Specifically, ETP Holders will be reminded in the Bulletin that, in recommending transactions in these securities, they must have a reasonable basis to believe that (1) the recommendation is suitable for a customer given reasonable inquiry concerning the customer’s investment objectives, financial situation, needs, and any other information known by such member, and (2) the customer can evaluate the special characteristics, and is able to bear the financial risks, of an investment in the Shares. In connection with the suitability obligation, the Bulletin will also provide that members must make reasonable efforts to obtain the following information: (1) The customer’s financial status; (2) the customer’s tax status; (3) the customer’s investment objectives; and (4) such other information used or considered to be reasonable by such member or VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 registered representative in making recommendations to the customer. As described above, the Fund will seek to track the performance of the Index by selling listed 60-day put options in proportion to their weightings in the Index. If the option’s underlying stock declines below the strike price, the option will finish inthe-money and the Fund will be required to buy the underlying stock at the strike price, effectively paying the buyer the difference between the strike price and the closing price. Therefore, by writing a put option, the Fund is exposed to the amount by which the price of the underlying stock is less than the strike price. FINRA has issued a regulatory notice relating to sales practice procedures applicable to recommendations to customers by FINRA members of reverse convertibles, as described in FINRA Regulatory Notice 10–09 (February 2010) (‘‘FINRA Regulatory Notice’’).27 While the Fund will not invest in reverse convertibles, the Fund’s options strategies may raise issues similar to those raised in the FINRA Regulatory Notice. Therefore, the Bulletin will state that ETP Holders that carry customer accounts should follow the FINRA Regulatory Notice with respect to suitability. As disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Fund is designed for investors who seek to obtain income through selling put options on select equity securities which the Index Provider determines to have the highest volatility. Because of the high volatility of the stocks underlying the put options sold by the Fund, it is possible that the value of such stocks will decline in sufficient magnitude to trigger the exercise of the put options and cause a loss which may outweigh the income from selling such put options. Accordingly, the Fund should be considered a speculative trading instrument and is not necessarily appropriate for investors who seek to avoid or minimize their exposure to stock market volatility. The Exchange’s Bulletin regarding the Fund, described below, will provide information regarding the suitability of an investment in the Shares, as stated in the Registration Statement. Trading Halts With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider all relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or suspend trading in the Shares of 27 The Exchange notes that NASD Rule 2310 relating to suitability, referenced in the FINRA Regulatory Notice, has been superseded by FINRA Rule 2111. See FINRA Regulatory Notice 12–25 (May 2012). PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 64165 the Fund.28 Trading in Shares of the Fund will be halted if the circuit breaker parameters in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.12 have been reached. Trading also may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable. These may include: (1) The extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or financial instruments comprising the portfolio of the Fund; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present. If the IIV, the Index value, or the value of the Index Components is not available or is not being disseminated as required, the Exchange may halt trading during the day in which the disruption occurs; if the interruption persists past the day in which it occurred, the Exchange will halt trading no later than the beginning of the trading day following the interruption. The Exchange will obtain a representation from the Fund that the NAV for the Fund will be calculated daily and will be made available to all market participants at the same time. Under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.34(a)(5), if the Exchange becomes aware that the NAV for the Fund is not being disseminated to all market participants at the same time, it will halt trading in the Shares until such time as the NAV is available to all market participants. Trading Rules The Exchange deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus rendering trading in the Shares subject to the Exchange’s existing rules governing the trading of equity securities. Shares will trade on the NYSE Arca Marketplace from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. E.T. in accordance with NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.34 (Opening, Core, and Late Trading Sessions). The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.6, Commentary .03, the minimum price variation (‘‘MPV’’) for quoting and entry of orders in equity securities traded on the NYSE Arca Marketplace is $0.01, with the exception of securities that are priced less than $1.00 for which the MPV for order entry is $0.0001. Surveillance The Exchange intends to utilize its existing surveillance procedures applicable to derivative products (which 28 See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.12, Commentary .04. E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 64166 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES include Investment Company Units) to monitor trading in the Shares. The Exchange represents that these procedures are adequate to properly monitor Exchange trading of the Shares in all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws. The Exchange’s current trading surveillance focuses on detecting securities trading outside their normal patterns. When such situations are detected, surveillance analysis follows and investigations are opened, where appropriate, to review the behavior of all relevant parties for all relevant trading violations. The Exchange may obtain information via the Intermarket Surveillance Group (‘‘ISG’’) from other exchanges that are members of ISG, including all U.S. options exchanges on which Index Components are listed and traded.29 In addition, the Exchange also has a general policy prohibiting the distribution of material, non-public information by its employees. Information Bulletin Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its ETP Holders in the Bulletin of the special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Bulletin will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases and redemptions of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not individually redeemable); (2) NYSE Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a), which imposes a duty of due diligence on its ETP Holders to learn the essential facts relating to every customer prior to trading the Shares; (3) the risks involved in trading the Shares during the Opening and Late Trading Sessions when an updated IIV will not be calculated or publicly disseminated; (4) how information regarding the IIV is disseminated; (5) the requirement that ETP Holders deliver a prospectus to investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or concurrently with the confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading information. In addition, the Bulletin will reference that the Fund is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Registration Statement. The Bulletin will discuss any exemptive, no-action, and interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the Exchange Act. The Bulletin will also 29 For a list of the current members of ISG, see www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all components of the portfolio for the Fund may trade on markets that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 disclose that the NAV for the Shares will be calculated after 4:00 p.m. E.T. each trading day. 2. Statutory Basis The basis under the Exchange Act for this proposed rule change is the requirement under Section 6(b)(5) 30 that an exchange have rules that are designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices in that the Shares will be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the initial and continued listing criteria in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3). The Exchange has in place surveillance procedures that are adequate to properly monitor trading in the Shares in all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws. The Adviser is affiliated with a broker-dealer and will implement and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding the Index. The Sub-Adviser is not affiliated with a broker-dealer. NYSE Arca is affiliated with a brokerdealer and will implement and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic information regarding the Index. In selecting the stocks underlying the Index Components, the Index Provider begins with the universe of all U.S. exchange-listed stocks, and then screens for those stocks that meet the following criteria: (1) Minimum market capitalization of at least $5 billion; (2) minimum trading volume of at least 50 million shares during the preceding 6 months; (3) minimum average daily trading volume of one million shares during the preceding 6 months; (4) minimum average daily trading value of at least $10 million during the preceding 6 months; (5) share price of $10 or higher; (6) the availability of U.S. exchange-listed options. The put options which the Fund will sell will be listed on a national securities exchange. The Exchange may obtain information via ISG from other exchanges that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. If the IIV, the Index value, or the value of the Index Components is 30 15 PO 00000 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5). Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 not available or is not being disseminated as required, the Exchange may halt trading during the day in which the disruption occurs; if the interruption persists past the day in which it occurred, the Exchange will halt trading no later than the beginning of the trading day following the interruption. The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The Fund’s investments will be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and will not be used to enhance leverage. The Fund will not invest in non-U.S. equity securities. The Fund’s portfolio holdings, including information regarding its option positions, will be disclosed each day on its Web site. Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its ETP Holders in an Information Bulletin of the special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. The Information Bulletin will state that ETP Holders that carry customer accounts should follow the FINRA Regulatory Notice with respect to suitability. The proposed rule change is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade and to protect investors and the public interest in that the Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV will be made available to all market participants at the same time. In addition, a large amount of information will be publicly available regarding the Fund and the Shares, thereby promoting market transparency. Quotation and last-sale information for the Shares will be available via the CTA high-speed line. The value of the Index will be published by one or more major market data vendors every 15 seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session. In addition, the IIV will be widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds during the Core Trading Session. The Fund’s Web site will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund that may be downloaded. The Fund’s Web site will include additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Fund, (1) daily trading volume, the prior business day’s reported closing price, NAV and mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV, and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters. On a daily E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / Notices basis, the Adviser will disclose for each portfolio security and other financial instrument of the Fund the following information: ticker symbol (if applicable), name of security and financial instrument, number of shares or dollar value of securities and financial instruments held in the portfolio, and percentage weighting of the security and financial instrument in the portfolio. The Fund’s portfolio holdings, including information regarding its option positions, will be disclosed each day on the Fund’s Web site. The Web site information will be publicly available at no charge. A list of the Index Components, with percentage weightings, will be available on the Exchange’s Web site. The proposed rule change is designed to perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest in that it will facilitate the listing and trading of an additional type of issue of Investment Company Units that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace. As noted above, the Exchange has in place surveillance procedures relating to trading in the Shares and may obtain information via ISG from other exchanges that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, as noted above, investors will have ready access to information regarding the Fund’s holdings, the IIV, and quotation and last-sale information for the Shares. B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement on Burden on Competition The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the proposed rule change. 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 (i) as the Commission may designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which the self-regulatory VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:15 Oct 17, 2012 Jkt 229001 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. IV. Solicitation of Comments Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: Electronic Comments • Use the Commission’s Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/ rules/sro.shtml); or • Send an email to rulecomments@sec.gov. Please include File Number SR–NYSEArca–2012–109 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–NYSEArca–2012–109. 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 20549–1090, on official business days between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the NYSE’s principal office and on its Internet Web site at www.nyse.com. 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 PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 64167 Number SR–NYSEArca–2012–109 and should be submitted on or before November 8, 2012. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.31 Kevin M. O’Neill, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2012–25599 Filed 10–17–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–68042; File No. SR– NASDAQ–2012–117] Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change With Respect to INAV Pegged Orders for ETFs October 12, 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 October 2, 2012, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (‘‘NASDAQ’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been substantially prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change NASDAQ proposes to amend Rule 4751(f)(4) to include a new Intraday Net Asset Value (‘‘INAV’’) Pegged Order for Exchange-Traded Funds (‘‘ETFs’’) where the component stocks underlying the ETFs are U.S. Component Stocks as defined by Rule 5705(a)(1)(C) and 5705(b)(1)(D)—hereafter defined as ‘‘U.S. Component Stock ETFs.’’ The text of the proposed rule change is set forth below. Proposed new text is in italics and deleted text is in brackets. 4751. Definitions The following definitions apply to the Rule 4600 and 4750 Series for the trading of securities listed on Nasdaq or a national securities exchange other than Nasdaq. (a)–(e) No change. (f) The term ‘‘Order Type’’ shall mean the unique processing prescribed for 31 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). 2 17 CFR 240.19b–4. 1 15 E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1

Agencies

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64160-64167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25599]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-68044; File No. SR-NYSEArca-2012-109]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing 
of Proposed Rule Change Relating to the Listing and Trading of Shares 
of the U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index Fund Under NYSE Arca 
Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3)

October 12, 2012.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act'' or ``Exchange Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice 
is hereby given that, on September 27, 2012, NYSE Arca, Inc. 
(``Exchange'' or ``NYSE Arca'') filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in 
Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the 
Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments 
on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to list and trade shares of the following 
issue under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) (``Investment Company 
Units''): the U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index Fund. The 
text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web 
site at www.nyse.com, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at 
the Commission's Public Reference Room.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization 
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 those statements may be examined at 
the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared 
summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most 
significant parts of such statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and the 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to list and trade shares (``Shares'') of the 
U.S. Equity High Volatility Put Write Index Fund (``Fund'') under 
Commentary .01 to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3), which governs the 
listing and trading of Investment Company Units.\3\ The Shares will be 
issued by the ALPS ETF Trust

[[Page 64161]]

(``Trust'').\4\ ALPS Advisors, Inc. will be the Fund's investment 
adviser (``Adviser''), and Rich Investment Solutions, LLC will be the 
Fund's investment sub-adviser (``Sub-Adviser'').\5\ The Bank of New 
York Mellon (``BNY'') will serve as custodian, fund accounting agent, 
and transfer agent for the Fund. ALPS Distributors, Inc. will be the 
Fund's distributor (``Distributor'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3)(A) provides that an 
Investment Company Unit is a security that represents an interest in 
a registered investment company that holds securities comprising, or 
otherwise based on or representing an interest in, an index or 
portfolio of securities (or holds securities in another registered 
investment company that holds securities comprising, or otherwise 
based on or representing an interest in, an index or portfolio of 
securities).
    \4\ The Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 
1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1) (``1940 Act''). On May 3, 2012, the Trust 
filed with the Commission an amendment to its registration statement 
on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a), and 
under the 1940 Act relating to the Fund (File Nos. 333-148826 and 
811-22175) (``Registration Statement''). The description of the 
operation of the Trust and the Fund herein is based, in part, on the 
Registration Statement. In addition, the Commission has issued an 
order granting certain exemptive relief to the Trust under the 1940 
Act. See Investment Company Act Release No. 28262 (May 1, 2008) 
(File No. 812-13430) (``Exemptive Order'').
    \5\ An investment adviser to an open-end fund is required to be 
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (``Advisers 
Act''). As a result, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser and their related 
personnel are subject to the provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the 
Advisers Act relating to codes of ethics. This Rule requires 
investment advisers to adopt a code of ethics that reflects the 
fiduciary nature of the relationship to clients as well as 
compliance with other applicable securities laws. Accordingly, 
procedures designed to prevent the communication and misuse of non-
public information by an investment adviser must be consistent with 
Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act. In addition, Rule 206(4)-7 under 
the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for an investment adviser to 
provide investment advice to clients unless such investment adviser 
has (i) adopted and implemented written policies and procedures 
reasonably designed to prevent violation, by the investment adviser 
and its supervised persons, of the Advisers Act and the Commission 
rules adopted thereunder; (ii) implemented, at a minimum, an annual 
review regarding the adequacy of the policies and procedures 
established pursuant to subparagraph (i) above and the effectiveness 
of their implementation; and (iii) designated an individual (who is 
a supervised person) responsible for administering the policies and 
procedures adopted under subparagraph (i) above.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Adviser is affiliated with a broker-dealer and will implement 
and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination 
of material non-public information regarding the Fund's portfolio. The 
Sub-Adviser is not affiliated with a broker-dealer. In the event (a) 
the Sub-Adviser becomes newly affiliated with a broker-dealer, or (b) 
any new adviser or sub-adviser becomes affiliated with a broker-dealer, 
it will implement and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use 
and dissemination of material non-public information regarding the 
Fund's portfolio.
    NYSE Arca will be the ``Index Provider'' for the Fund. NYSE Arca is 
not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or the 
Distributor. NYSE Arca is affiliated with a broker-dealer and will 
implement a fire wall and maintain procedures designed to prevent the 
use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding the 
Index.
Description of the Fund
    According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek 
investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before 
the Fund's fees and expenses, of the NYSE Arca U.S. Equity High 
Volatility Put Write Index (``Index''). The Index measures the return 
of a hypothetical portfolio consisting of U.S. exchange traded put 
options which have been sold on each of 20 stocks and a cash position 
calculated as described below. The 20 stocks on which options are sold 
(``written'') are those 20 stocks from a selection of the largest 
capitalized (over $5 billion in market capitalization) stocks which 
also have listed options and which have the highest volatility, as 
determined by the Index Provider.
    The Sub-Adviser will seek a correlation over time of 0.95 or better 
between the Fund's performance and the performance of the Index. A 
figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation.
Index Methodology and Construction
    According to the Registration Statement, the Index consists of at 
least twenty components (``Index Components''), selected in accordance 
with NYSE Arca's rules-based methodology for the Index. In selecting 
the stocks underlying the Index Components, the Index Provider begins 
with the universe of all U.S. exchange-listed stocks, and then screens 
for those stocks that meet the following criteria: (1) Minimum market 
capitalization of at least $5 billion; (2) minimum trading volume of at 
least 50 million shares during the preceding 6 months; (3) minimum 
average daily trading volume of one million shares during the preceding 
6 months; (4) minimum average daily trading value of at least $10 
million during the preceding 6 months; (5) share price of $10 or 
higher; (6) the availability of U.S. exchange-listed options.\6\ The 
Index is reconstituted/rebalanced every two months (i.e., six times a 
year).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ Terms relating to the Trust, the Fund, and the Shares 
referred to, but not defined, herein are defined in the Registration 
Statement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Stocks meeting the above criteria are then sorted in descending 
order based upon the two month implied volatility as measured on 
Bloomberg using the field labeled 2M--PUT--IMP--VOL--50DELTA--DFLT, 
which is derived from at the money listed put options on each of such 
stocks.\7\ The 20 stocks with the highest volatility are selected for 
inclusion. The industry sector of each stock is also noted, and the 
Index will not allow more than 10 of the 20 stocks to be from any one 
industry sector.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ The Adviser represents that Bloomberg defines implied 
volatility as Delta Ivol, which is volatility as expressed in delta. 
Delta values range from 0 to 100, with 50 delta as the theoretical 
at-the-money strike. A delta of less than 50 is considered out-of-
the-money, while a delta of greater than 50 is considered in-the-
money.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Each listed put option included in the Index will be an ``American-
style'' option (i.e., an option which can be exercised at the strike 
price at any time prior to its expiration) and have a 60-day term. The 
strike price (i.e., the price at which a put option can be exercised) 
of each put option included in the Index must be as close as possible 
to 85% of the closing price of the option's underlying stock price as 
of the beginning of each 60-day period.\8\ The listed put options 
included in the Index can be exercised at any time prior to their 
expiration, but the Index will reflect the value of each such option 
throughout the 60-day period as if the option is not exercised until 
its expiration. Each such option will automatically be deemed exercised 
on its expiration date if its underlying stock price is below its 
strike price. If the stock underlying the put option closes below the 
option's strike price, a cash settlement payment in an amount equal to 
the difference between the strike price and the closing price of the 
stock is deemed to be made and the Index value is correspondingly 
reduced. If the underlying stock does not close below its strike price, 
then the option expires worthless and the entire amount of the premium 
payment is retained within the Index.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ The Adviser represents that a specific percentage cannot be 
indicated because options are listed by an exchange in pre-defined 
increments (i.e., 1, 1.5, or 2 increments) around the market price 
of the stock, rounded to the nearest dollar.
    \9\ The Adviser anticipates that it may take approximately three 
business days (i.e., each day the New York Stock Exchange (``NYSE'') 
is open) for additions and deletions to the Index to be reflected in 
the portfolio composition of the Fund.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Registration Statement provides the following example. Suppose 
a stock ``ABC'' trades at $50 per share at the start of the 60 day 
period, and a listed put option with a term of 60 days was sold with a 
strike price of $42.50 per share for a premium of $2 per share:
    Settlement at or above the strike price: If at the end of 60 days 
the ABC stock closed at or above the strike price of $42.50, then the 
option would expire

[[Page 64162]]

worthless and the Index's value would reflect the retention of the $2 
per share premium. The Index's value thus would be increased by $2 per 
share on the ABC option position.
    Settlement below the strike price: If at the end of 60 days, ABC 
closed at $35, then the option would automatically be deemed exercised 
on its expiration date. The Index's value would change as if the Index 
had been put (i.e., would buy) ABC at the strike price of $42.50 and 
would sell ABC immediately at the closing price of $35. As a result, 
the Index's value would be reduced by $7.50 per share. However, the 
Index's value would also reflect the retention of the $2 per share 
premium, so the net loss to the Index's value would be $5.50 per share 
on the ABC option position.
    The Index's value is equal to the value of the options positions 
comprising the Index plus a cash position. The options positions are 
equally weighted in the Index and the Fund's portfolio; that is, 1/20th 
of the net asset value (``NAV'') of Shares of the Fund will be invested 
in each option position at the beginning of the applicable 60-day 
period. The cash position starts at a base of 1,000. The cash position 
is increased by option premiums generated by the option positions 
comprising the Index and interest on the cash position at an annual 
rate equal to the three month Treasury-bill (``T-Bill'') rate. The cash 
position is decreased by cash settlement on options which finish in the 
money (i.e., where the closing price of the underlying stock at the end 
of the 60-day period is below the strike price). The cash position is 
also decreased by a deemed cash distribution paid following each 60-day 
period, currently targeted at the rate of 1.5% of the value of the 
Index. However, if the option premiums generated during the period are 
less than 1.5%, the deemed distribution will be reduced by the amount 
of the shortfall.
Primary Investments
    The Fund under normal circumstances \10\ will invest at least 80% 
of its total assets in component securities that comprise the Index 
(i.e., the Fund's option positions) and in T-Bills.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ The term ``under normal circumstances'' includes, but is 
not limited to, the absence of extreme volatility or trading halts 
in the equities or options markets or the financial markets 
generally; operational issues causing dissemination of inaccurate 
market information; or force majeure type events such as systems 
failure, natural or man-made disaster, act of God, armed conflict, 
act of terrorism, riot or labor disruption, or any similar 
intervening circumstance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund will seek to track the performance of the Index by selling 
listed 60-day put options in proportion to their weightings in the 
Index. By selling an option, the Fund will receive premiums from the 
buyer of the option, which will increase the Fund's return if the 
option is not exercised and thus expires worthless. However, if the 
option's underlying stock declines below the strike price, the option 
will finish in-the-money and the Fund will be required to buy the 
underlying stock at the strike price, effectively paying the buyer the 
difference between the strike price and the closing price. Therefore, 
by writing a put option, the Fund will be exposed to the amount by 
which the price of the underlying stock is less than the strike price. 
As the seller of a listed put option, the Fund will incur an obligation 
to buy the underlying instrument from the purchaser of the option at 
the option's strike price, upon exercise by the option purchaser. If a 
listed put option sold by the Fund is exercised prior to the end of a 
60-day period, the Fund will buy the underlying stock at the time of 
exercise and at the strike price, and will hold the stock until the end 
of the 60-day period.
    Each put option sold by the Fund will be covered through 
investments in three month T-Bills at least equal to the Fund's maximum 
liability under the option (i.e., the strike price).
    Every 60 days, the options included within the Index are exercised 
or expire and new option positions are established, and the Fund will 
enter into new option positions accordingly and sell any underlying 
stocks it owns as a result of the Fund's prior option positions having 
been exercised. This 60-day cycle likely will cause the Fund to have 
frequent and substantial portfolio turnover.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ If the Fund receives additional inflows (and issues more 
Shares accordingly in large numbers known as ``Creation Units,'' as 
further described below under ``Creation of Shares'') during a 60-
day period, the Fund will sell additional listed put options which 
will be exercised or expire at the end of such 60-day period. 
Conversely, if the Fund redeems Shares in Creation Unit size during 
a 60-day period, the Fund will terminate the appropriate portion of 
the options it has sold accordingly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Secondary Investment Strategies
    The Fund may invest its remaining assets in money market 
instruments,\12\ including repurchase agreements \13\ or other funds 
which invest exclusively in money market instruments, convertible 
securities, and structured notes (notes on which the amount of 
principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of 
one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular 
stock or stock index). Furthermore, the Fund may invest in one or more 
financial instruments, including but not limited to futures contracts, 
swap agreements \14\ and forward contracts, and options on securities 
(other than options in which the Fund principally will invest), indices 
and futures contracts.\15\ Swaps, options (other than options in which 
the Fund principally will invest), and futures contracts \16\ may be 
used by the

[[Page 64163]]

Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to the Index and in 
managing cash flows.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality 
money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity. 
The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term 
obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable 
certificates of deposit (``CDs''), fixed time deposits, and bankers' 
acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; 
(iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase ``Prime-1'' by 
Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or ``A-1+'' or ``A-1'' by Standard & 
Poor's or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the 
Adviser; and (iv) money market mutual funds. CDs are short-term 
negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-
negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified 
periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker's acceptances are 
time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in 
connection with international transactions. The Fund will not invest 
in money market instruments as part of a temporary defensive 
strategy to protect against potential stock market declines.
    \13\ Repurchase agreements are agreements pursuant to which 
securities are acquired by the Fund from a third party with the 
understanding that they will be repurchased by the seller at a fixed 
price on an agreed date. These agreements may be made with respect 
to any of the portfolio securities in which the Fund is authorized 
to invest. Repurchase agreements may be characterized as loans 
secured by the underlying securities. The Fund may enter into 
repurchase agreements with (i) member banks of the Federal Reserve 
System having total assets in excess of $500 million and (ii) 
securities dealers (``Qualified Institutions''). The Adviser will 
monitor the continued creditworthiness of Qualified Institutions. 
The Fund also may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which 
involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the 
securities at an agreed-upon price, date, and interest payment and 
have the characteristics of borrowing.
    \14\ Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one 
party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party 
(``Counterparty'') based on the change in market value or level of a 
specified rate, index, or asset. In return, the Counterparty agrees 
to make periodic payments to the first party based on the return of 
a different specified rate, index, or asset. Swap agreements will 
usually be done on a net basis, the Fund receiving or paying only 
the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if 
any, of the Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to 
each swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or 
highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to 
the accrued excess will be maintained in an account at the Trust's 
custodian bank.
    \15\ As an example of the use of such financial instruments, the 
Fund may use total return swaps on one or more Index Components in 
order to achieve exposures that are similar to those of the Index.
    \16\ The Fund may utilize U.S. listed exchange-traded futures. 
According to the Registration Statement, the Commodity Futures 
Trading Commission has eliminated limitations on futures trading by 
certain regulated entities, including registered investment 
companies, and consequently registered investment companies may 
engage in unlimited futures transactions and options thereon 
provided that the investment adviser to the company claims an 
exclusion from regulation as a commodity pool operator. In 
connection with its management of the Trust, the Adviser has claimed 
such an exclusion from registration as a commodity pool operator 
under the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1) (``CEA''). Therefore, 
it is not subject to the registration and regulatory requirements of 
the CEA, and there are no limitations on the extent to which the 
Fund may engage in non-hedging transactions involving futures and 
options thereon, except as set forth in the Registration Statement.
    \17\ Swaps, options (other than options in which the Fund 
principally will invest), and futures contracts will not be included 
in the Fund's investment, under normal market circumstances, of at 
least 80% of its total assets in component securities that comprise 
the Index and in T-Bills, as described above.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in investments not 
included in its Index, but which the Adviser believes will help the 
Fund track the Index. For example, there may be instances in which the 
Adviser may choose to purchase (or sell) securities not in the Index 
which the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for one or 
more Index Components in seeking to replicate, before fees and 
expenses, the performance of the Index.
    The Fund may borrow money from a bank up to a limit of 10% of the 
value of its assets, but only for temporary or emergency purposes.
    The Fund may not invest 25% of its total assets in the securities 
of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same 
industry or group of industries (excluding the U.S. government or any 
of its agencies or instrumentalities). Nonetheless, to the extent the 
Fund's Index is concentrated in a particular industry or group of 
industries, the Fund's investments will exceed this 25% limitation to 
the extent that it is necessary to gain exposure to Index Components to 
track its Index.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ See Form N-1A, Item 9. The Commission has taken the 
position that a fund is concentrated if it invests more than 25% of 
the value of its total assets in any one industry. See, e.g., 
Investment Company Act Release No. 9011 (October 30, 1975), 40 FR 
54241 (November 21, 1975).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies 
(including money market funds). Under the 1940 Act, the Fund's 
investment in investment companies is limited to, subject to certain 
exceptions, (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one 
investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund's total assets with respect to 
any one investment company, and (iii) 10% of the Fund's total assets of 
investment companies in the aggregate.\19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ 15 U.S.C. 80a-12(d).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net 
assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). 
The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to 
determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level 
of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate 
steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in 
values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund's 
net assets are held in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include 
securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and 
other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in 
accordance with Commission staff guidance.\20\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ The Commission has stated that long-standing Commission 
guidelines have required open-end funds to hold no more than 15% of 
their net assets in illiquid securities and other illiquid assets. 
See Investment Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008), 73 FR 
14618 (March 18, 2008), footnote 34. See also Investment Company Act 
Release No. 5847 (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31, 1970) 
(Statement Regarding ``Restricted Securities''); Investment Company 
Act Release No. 18612 (March 12, 1992), 57 FR 9828 (March 20, 1992) 
(Revisions of Guidelines to Form N-1A). A fund's portfolio security 
is illiquid if it cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of 
business within seven days at approximately the value ascribed to it 
by the fund. See Investment Company Act Release No. 14983 (March 12, 
1986), 51 FR 9773 (March 21, 1986) (adopting amendments to Rule 2a-7 
under the 1940 Act); Investment Company Act Release No. 17452 (April 
23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30, 1990) (adopting Rule 144A under 
the Securities Act of 1933).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund intends to qualify for and to elect to be treated as a 
separate regulated investment company (``RIC'') under Subchapter M of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.\21\ As a RIC, the Fund 
will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its 
taxable investment income and capital gain it distributes to its 
shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, a company must 
annually distribute at least 90% of its net investment company taxable 
income (which includes dividends, interest, and net capital gains) and 
meet several other requirements relating to the nature of its income 
and the diversification of its assets. If the Fund fails to qualify for 
any taxable year as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to 
tax at regular corporate income tax rates without any deduction for 
distributions to shareholders, and such distributions generally will be 
taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividends to the extent of the 
Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ 26 U.S.C. 851.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Fund's investments will be consistent with the Fund's 
investment objective and will not be used to enhance leverage. The Fund 
will not invest in non-U.S. equity securities.
Pricing Fund Shares
    The NAV per Share for the Fund will be determined once daily as of 
the close of the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (``E.T.''), each 
day the NYSE is open for trading. NAV per Share will be determined by 
dividing the value of the Fund's portfolio securities, cash, and other 
assets (including accrued interest), less all liabilities (including 
accrued expenses), by the total number of Shares outstanding.
    The Fund's listed put options, as well as equity securities held by 
the Fund, if any, will be valued at the last reported sale price on the 
principal exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close 
of regular trading on the NYSE on the day the securities are being 
valued or, if there are no sales, at the mean of the most recent bid 
and ask prices. Debt securities will be valued at the mean between the 
last available bid and asked prices for such securities or, if such 
prices are not available, at prices for securities of comparable 
maturity, quality, and type. Securities for which market quotations are 
not readily available, including restricted securities, will be valued 
by a method that the Fund's Board of Trustees believes accurately 
reflects fair value. Securities will be valued at fair value when 
market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, 
such as when a security's value or meaningful portion of the Fund's 
portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant 
event. Such events may include a natural disaster, an economic event 
like a bankruptcy filing, a trading halt in a security, an unscheduled 
early market close, or a substantial fluctuation in domestic and 
foreign markets that has occurred between the close of the principal 
exchange and the NYSE. In such a case, the value for a security is 
likely to be different from the last quoted market price. In addition, 
due to the subjective and variable nature of fair market value pricing, 
it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be 
materially different from the value realized upon such asset's sale.
Creation of Shares
    The Trust will issue and sell Shares of the Fund only in Creation 
Units of 100,000 Shares each on a continuous basis through the 
Distributor, without a sales load, at its NAV next determined after 
receipt, on any business day, of an order in proper form. Creation 
Units of the Fund generally will be sold for cash only, calculated 
based on the NAV per

[[Page 64164]]

Share multiplied by the number of Shares representing a Creation Unit 
(``Deposit Cash''), plus a transaction fee.
    The Custodian, through the National Securities Clearing Corporation 
(``NSCC''), will make available on each business day, prior to the 
opening of business on NYSE Arca (currently 9:30 a.m. E.T.), the amount 
of the Deposit Cash to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit of 
the Fund.
    To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a 
Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a ``Participating 
Party,'' i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing 
process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC 
(``Clearing Process''); or (ii) a Depository Trust Company (``DTC'') 
participant, and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with 
the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation 
Units. A Participating Party and DTC participant are collectively 
referred to as an ``Authorized Participant.''
    All orders to create Creation Units, whether through a 
Participating Party or a DTC participant, must be received by the 
Distributor no later than the closing time of the regular trading 
session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. E.T.) in each case on the 
date such order is placed in order for creation of Creation Units to be 
effected based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund as next determined on 
such date after receipt of the order in proper form.
Redemption of Shares
    Fund Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at the NAV next 
determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the 
Fund through BNY and only on a business day. The Fund will not redeem 
Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
    With respect to the Fund, BNY, through the NSCC, will make 
available prior to the opening of business on NYSE Arca (currently 9:30 
a.m. E.T.) on each business day, the amount of cash that will be paid 
(subject to possible amendment or correction) in respect of redemption 
requests received in proper form on that day (``Redemption Cash'').
    The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally will consist 
of the Redemption Cash, as announced on the business day of the request 
for redemption received in proper form, less a redemption transaction 
fee.
Initial and Continued Listing
    The Shares will conform to the initial and continued listing 
criteria under NYSE Arca Equities Rules 5.2(j)(3) and 5.5(g)(2), except 
that the Index is comprised of U.S. exchange-listed options based on 
``US Component Stocks'' \22\ rather than US Component Stocks 
themselves. The Exchange represents that, for initial and/or continued 
listing, the Fund will be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 under the 
Exchange Act,\23\ as provided by NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.3. A minimum 
of 100,000 Shares will be outstanding at the commencement of trading on 
the Exchange. The Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer 
of the Shares that the NAV will be calculated daily and made available 
to all market participants at the same time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) defines the term ``US 
Component Stock'' to mean an equity security that is registered 
under Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act or an American 
Depositary Receipt, the underlying equity security of which is 
registered under Sections 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act.
    \23\ 17 CFR 240.10A-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Availability of Information
    The Fund's Web site (www.alpsetfs.com), which will be publicly 
available prior to the public offering of Shares, will include a form 
of the prospectus for the Fund that may be downloaded. The Fund's Web 
site will include additional quantitative information updated on a 
daily basis, including, for the Fund, (1) daily trading volume, the 
prior business day's reported closing price, NAV and mid-point of the 
bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV (``Bid/Ask 
Price''),\24\ and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/
Ask Price against the NAV, and (2) data in chart format displaying the 
frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask 
Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four 
previous calendar quarters.\25\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \24\ The Bid/Ask Price of Shares of the Fund will be determined 
using the mid-point of the highest bid and the lowest offer on the 
Exchange as of the time of calculation of the Fund's NAV. The 
records relating to Bid/Ask Prices will be retained by the Fund and 
its service providers.
    \25\ Under accounting procedures to be followed by the Fund, 
trades made on the prior business day (``T'') will be booked and 
reflected in NAV on the current business day (``T+1''). Accordingly, 
the Fund will be able to disclose at the beginning of the business 
day the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation 
at the end of the business day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On a daily basis, the Adviser will disclose for each portfolio 
security and other financial instrument of the Fund the following 
information: ticker symbol (if applicable), name of security and 
financial instrument, number of securities or dollar value of 
securities and financial instruments held in the portfolio, and 
percentage weighting of the security and financial instrument in the 
portfolio. The Fund's portfolio holdings, including information 
regarding its option positions, will be disclosed each day on the 
Fund's Web site. The Web site information will be publicly available at 
no charge.
    An ``Intraday Indicative Value'' (``IIV'') of Shares of the Fund 
will be calculated and widely disseminated by one or more major market 
data vendors every fifteen seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading 
Session of 9:30 a.m. E.T. to 4:00 p.m. E.T.\26\ The Exchange will 
calculate the IIV by dividing the ``Estimated Fund Value'' (as defined 
below) as of the time of the calculation by the total number of 
outstanding Shares. ``Estimated Fund Value'' is the sum of the 
estimated amount of cash held in the Fund's portfolio, the estimated 
amount of accrued interest owing to the Fund, and the estimated value 
of the securities held in the Fund's portfolio, minus the estimated 
amount of liabilities. The IIV will be calculated based on the same 
portfolio holdings disclosed on the Fund's Web site.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ Currently, it is the Exchange's understanding that several 
major market data vendors display and/or make widely available IIVs 
taken from the Consolidated Tape Association (``CTA'') or other data 
feeds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The dissemination of the IIV will allow investors to determine the 
value of the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and to 
provide a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day. The 
IIV should not be viewed as a ``real-time'' update of the NAV per Share 
of the Fund because it may not be calculated in the same manner as the 
NAV, which will be computed once a day, generally at the end of the 
business day.
    Investors can also obtain the Trust's Statement of Additional 
Information (``SAI''), the Fund's Shareholder Reports, and its Form N-
CSR and Form N-SAR, filed twice a year. The Trust's SAI and Shareholder 
Reports are available free upon request from the Trust, and those 
documents and the Form N-CSR and Form N-SAR may be viewed on-screen or 
downloaded from the Commission's Web site at www.sec.gov. Information 
regarding market price and trading volume of the Shares will be 
continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on 
brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. Information 
regarding the previous day's closing price and trading volume 
information for the Shares will be published daily in the financial 
section of newspapers. Quotation and last-sale information for the 
Shares will be available via the CTA high-speed line. The value of the 
Index

[[Page 64165]]

will be published by one or more major market data vendors every 15 
seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session.
    Pricing information for the Index Components is available from the 
U.S. options exchanges on which such components are listed and traded. 
A list of the Index Components, with percentage weightings, will be 
available on the Exchange's Web site.
    Additional information regarding the Trust and the Shares, 
including investment strategies, risks, creation and redemption 
procedures, fees, portfolio holdings disclosure policies, 
distributions, and taxes is included in the Registration Statement.
Suitability
    Currently, NYSE Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a) (Diligence as to 
Accounts) provides that an Equity Trading Permit (``ETP'') Holder, 
before recommending a transaction in any security, must have reasonable 
grounds to believe that the recommendation is suitable for the customer 
based on any facts disclosed by the customer as to its other security 
holdings and as to its financial situation and needs. Further, the rule 
provides, with a limited exception, that prior to the execution of a 
transaction recommended to a non-institutional customer, the ETP Holder 
must make reasonable efforts to obtain information concerning the 
customer's financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and any 
other information that such ETP Holder believes would be useful to make 
a recommendation.
    Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its 
ETP Holders of the suitability requirements of NYSE Arca Equities Rule 
9.2(a) in an Information Bulletin (``Bulletin''). Specifically, ETP 
Holders will be reminded in the Bulletin that, in recommending 
transactions in these securities, they must have a reasonable basis to 
believe that (1) the recommendation is suitable for a customer given 
reasonable inquiry concerning the customer's investment objectives, 
financial situation, needs, and any other information known by such 
member, and (2) the customer can evaluate the special characteristics, 
and is able to bear the financial risks, of an investment in the 
Shares. In connection with the suitability obligation, the Bulletin 
will also provide that members must make reasonable efforts to obtain 
the following information: (1) The customer's financial status; (2) the 
customer's tax status; (3) the customer's investment objectives; and 
(4) such other information used or considered to be reasonable by such 
member or registered representative in making recommendations to the 
customer.
    As described above, the Fund will seek to track the performance of 
the Index by selling listed 60-day put options in proportion to their 
weightings in the Index. If the option's underlying stock declines 
below the strike price, the option will finish in-the-money and the 
Fund will be required to buy the underlying stock at the strike price, 
effectively paying the buyer the difference between the strike price 
and the closing price. Therefore, by writing a put option, the Fund is 
exposed to the amount by which the price of the underlying stock is 
less than the strike price. FINRA has issued a regulatory notice 
relating to sales practice procedures applicable to recommendations to 
customers by FINRA members of reverse convertibles, as described in 
FINRA Regulatory Notice 10-09 (February 2010) (``FINRA Regulatory 
Notice'').\27\ While the Fund will not invest in reverse convertibles, 
the Fund's options strategies may raise issues similar to those raised 
in the FINRA Regulatory Notice. Therefore, the Bulletin will state that 
ETP Holders that carry customer accounts should follow the FINRA 
Regulatory Notice with respect to suitability.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \27\ The Exchange notes that NASD Rule 2310 relating to 
suitability, referenced in the FINRA Regulatory Notice, has been 
superseded by FINRA Rule 2111. See FINRA Regulatory Notice 12-25 
(May 2012).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Fund is designed 
for investors who seek to obtain income through selling put options on 
select equity securities which the Index Provider determines to have 
the highest volatility. Because of the high volatility of the stocks 
underlying the put options sold by the Fund, it is possible that the 
value of such stocks will decline in sufficient magnitude to trigger 
the exercise of the put options and cause a loss which may outweigh the 
income from selling such put options. Accordingly, the Fund should be 
considered a speculative trading instrument and is not necessarily 
appropriate for investors who seek to avoid or minimize their exposure 
to stock market volatility. The Exchange's Bulletin regarding the Fund, 
described below, will provide information regarding the suitability of 
an investment in the Shares, as stated in the Registration Statement.
Trading Halts
    With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider all 
relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or suspend 
trading in the Shares of the Fund.\28\ Trading in Shares of the Fund 
will be halted if the circuit breaker parameters in NYSE Arca Equities 
Rule 7.12 have been reached. Trading also may be halted because of 
market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, 
make trading in the Shares inadvisable. These may include: (1) The 
extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or 
financial instruments comprising the portfolio of the Fund; or (2) 
whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the 
maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.12, Commentary .04.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If the IIV, the Index value, or the value of the Index Components 
is not available or is not being disseminated as required, the Exchange 
may halt trading during the day in which the disruption occurs; if the 
interruption persists past the day in which it occurred, the Exchange 
will halt trading no later than the beginning of the trading day 
following the interruption. The Exchange will obtain a representation 
from the Fund that the NAV for the Fund will be calculated daily and 
will be made available to all market participants at the same time. 
Under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.34(a)(5), if the Exchange becomes aware 
that the NAV for the Fund is not being disseminated to all market 
participants at the same time, it will halt trading in the Shares until 
such time as the NAV is available to all market participants.
Trading Rules
    The Exchange deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus 
rendering trading in the Shares subject to the Exchange's existing 
rules governing the trading of equity securities. Shares will trade on 
the NYSE Arca Marketplace from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. E.T. in 
accordance with NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.34 (Opening, Core, and Late 
Trading Sessions). The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate 
transactions in the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in 
NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.6, Commentary .03, the minimum price 
variation (``MPV'') for quoting and entry of orders in equity 
securities traded on the NYSE Arca Marketplace is $0.01, with the 
exception of securities that are priced less than $1.00 for which the 
MPV for order entry is $0.0001.
Surveillance
    The Exchange intends to utilize its existing surveillance 
procedures applicable to derivative products (which

[[Page 64166]]

include Investment Company Units) to monitor trading in the Shares. The 
Exchange represents that these procedures are adequate to properly 
monitor Exchange trading of the Shares in all trading sessions and to 
deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal 
securities laws.
    The Exchange's current trading surveillance focuses on detecting 
securities trading outside their normal patterns. When such situations 
are detected, surveillance analysis follows and investigations are 
opened, where appropriate, to review the behavior of all relevant 
parties for all relevant trading violations.
    The Exchange may obtain information via the Intermarket 
Surveillance Group (``ISG'') from other exchanges that are members of 
ISG, including all U.S. options exchanges on which Index Components are 
listed and traded.\29\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \29\ For a list of the current members of ISG, see 
www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all components of the 
portfolio for the Fund may trade on markets that are members of ISG 
or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance 
sharing agreement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, the Exchange also has a general policy prohibiting the 
distribution of material, non-public information by its employees.
Information Bulletin
    Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its 
ETP Holders in the Bulletin of the special characteristics and risks 
associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Bulletin will 
discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases and redemptions 
of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not individually 
redeemable); (2) NYSE Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a), which imposes a duty 
of due diligence on its ETP Holders to learn the essential facts 
relating to every customer prior to trading the Shares; (3) the risks 
involved in trading the Shares during the Opening and Late Trading 
Sessions when an updated IIV will not be calculated or publicly 
disseminated; (4) how information regarding the IIV is disseminated; 
(5) the requirement that ETP Holders deliver a prospectus to investors 
purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or concurrently with the 
confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading information.
    In addition, the Bulletin will reference that the Fund is subject 
to various fees and expenses described in the Registration Statement. 
The Bulletin will discuss any exemptive, no-action, and interpretive 
relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the Exchange Act. 
The Bulletin will also disclose that the NAV for the Shares will be 
calculated after 4:00 p.m. E.T. each trading day.
2. Statutory Basis
    The basis under the Exchange Act for this proposed rule change is 
the requirement under Section 6(b)(5) \30\ that an exchange have rules 
that are designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and 
practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove 
impediments to, and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market, 
and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is designed to 
prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices in that the 
Shares will be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the 
initial and continued listing criteria in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 
5.2(j)(3). The Exchange has in place surveillance procedures that are 
adequate to properly monitor trading in the Shares in all trading 
sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and 
applicable federal securities laws. The Adviser is affiliated with a 
broker-dealer and will implement and maintain procedures designed to 
prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information 
regarding the Index. The Sub-Adviser is not affiliated with a broker-
dealer. NYSE Arca is affiliated with a broker-dealer and will implement 
and maintain procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination 
of material non-public information regarding the Index. In selecting 
the stocks underlying the Index Components, the Index Provider begins 
with the universe of all U.S. exchange-listed stocks, and then screens 
for those stocks that meet the following criteria: (1) Minimum market 
capitalization of at least $5 billion; (2) minimum trading volume of at 
least 50 million shares during the preceding 6 months; (3) minimum 
average daily trading volume of one million shares during the preceding 
6 months; (4) minimum average daily trading value of at least $10 
million during the preceding 6 months; (5) share price of $10 or 
higher; (6) the availability of U.S. exchange-listed options. The put 
options which the Fund will sell will be listed on a national 
securities exchange. The Exchange may obtain information via ISG from 
other exchanges that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has 
entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. If the 
IIV, the Index value, or the value of the Index Components is not 
available or is not being disseminated as required, the Exchange may 
halt trading during the day in which the disruption occurs; if the 
interruption persists past the day in which it occurred, the Exchange 
will halt trading no later than the beginning of the trading day 
following the interruption. The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount 
of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The Fund's investments 
will be consistent with the Fund's investment objective and will not be 
used to enhance leverage. The Fund will not invest in non-U.S. equity 
securities. The Fund's portfolio holdings, including information 
regarding its option positions, will be disclosed each day on its Web 
site. Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform 
its ETP Holders in an Information Bulletin of the special 
characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. The 
Information Bulletin will state that ETP Holders that carry customer 
accounts should follow the FINRA Regulatory Notice with respect to 
suitability.
    The proposed rule change is designed to promote just and equitable 
principles of trade and to protect investors and the public interest in 
that the Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the 
Shares that the NAV will be made available to all market participants 
at the same time. In addition, a large amount of information will be 
publicly available regarding the Fund and the Shares, thereby promoting 
market transparency. Quotation and last-sale information for the Shares 
will be available via the CTA high-speed line. The value of the Index 
will be published by one or more major market data vendors every 15 
seconds during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session. In addition, the IIV 
will be widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at 
least every 15 seconds during the Core Trading Session. The Fund's Web 
site will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund that may be 
downloaded. The Fund's Web site will include additional quantitative 
information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Fund, (1) 
daily trading volume, the prior business day's reported closing price, 
NAV and mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of 
such NAV, and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask 
Price against the NAV, and (2) data in chart format displaying the 
frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask 
Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four 
previous calendar quarters. On a daily

[[Page 64167]]

basis, the Adviser will disclose for each portfolio security and other 
financial instrument of the Fund the following information: ticker 
symbol (if applicable), name of security and financial instrument, 
number of shares or dollar value of securities and financial 
instruments held in the portfolio, and percentage weighting of the 
security and financial instrument in the portfolio. The Fund's 
portfolio holdings, including information regarding its option 
positions, will be disclosed each day on the Fund's Web site. The Web 
site information will be publicly available at no charge. A list of the 
Index Components, with percentage weightings, will be available on the 
Exchange's Web site.
    The proposed rule change is designed to perfect the mechanism of a 
free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the 
public interest in that it will facilitate the listing and trading of 
an additional type of issue of Investment Company Units that will 
enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of 
investors and the marketplace. As noted above, the Exchange has in 
place surveillance procedures relating to trading in the Shares and may 
obtain information via ISG from other exchanges that are members of ISG 
or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive 
surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, as noted above, investors 
will have ready access to information regarding the Fund's holdings, 
the IIV, and quotation and last-sale information for the Shares.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will 
impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate 
in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed 
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

    No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the 
proposed rule change.

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 (i) as the Commission may 
designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to 
be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to 
which 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.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include 
File Number SR-NYSEArca-2012-109 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-NYSEArca-2012-109. 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 20549-1090, on official business days between 10:00 a.m. 
and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing will also be available for 
inspection and copying at the NYSE's principal office and on its 
Internet Web site at www.nyse.com. 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-NYSEArca-2012-109 and should be submitted on or before 
November 8, 2012.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-25599 Filed 10-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.