Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Permit Traders Conducting Certain Futures and Options Trading on ICE Futures U.S. in Space Rented From the Exchange at 20 Broad Street To Access the IFUS Trading Floor Prior to 7 a.m. and on Days That the Exchange Is Closed Via The Exchange's 11 Wall Street Facilities and To Permit Additional IFUS Traders To Conduct Business on the IFUS Trading Floor, 37265-37267 [2013-14687]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 119 / Thursday, June 20, 2013 / Notices
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.7
Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–14683 Filed 6–19–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–69763; File No. SR–NYSE–
2013–38]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New
York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of
Proposed Rule Change To Permit
Traders Conducting Certain Futures
and Options Trading on ICE Futures
U.S. in Space Rented From the
Exchange at 20 Broad Street To
Access the IFUS Trading Floor Prior to
7 a.m. and on Days That the Exchange
Is Closed Via The Exchange’s 11 Wall
Street Facilities and To Permit
Additional IFUS Traders To Conduct
Business on the IFUS Trading Floor
June 13, 2013.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) 1 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
‘‘Act’’) 2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3
notice is hereby given that June 3, 2013,
New York Stock Exchange LLC
(‘‘NYSE’’ or the ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with
the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) the
proposed rule change as described in
Items I, II, and III below, which Items
have been prepared by the selfregulatory organization. The
Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule
change from interested persons.
TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to permit
traders conducting certain futures and
options trading on ICE Futures U.S.
(‘‘IFUS’’) 4 in space rented from the
Exchange at 20 Broad Street (the ‘‘IFUS
Trading Floor’’) to access the IFUS
Trading Floor prior to 7 a.m. and on
days that the Exchange is closed via the
Exchange’s 11 Wall Street facilities and
to permit additional IFUS traders to
conduct business on the IFUS Trading
7 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 15 U.S.C. 78a.
3 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
4 IFUS is a Designated Contract Market pursuant
to the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and
is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission (‘‘CFTC’’). IFUS was formerly known
as the New York Board of Trade (‘‘NYBOT’’).
1 15
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17:01 Jun 19, 2013
Jkt 229001
Floor. 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
On February 13, 2013, the Exchange
filed a proposed rule change to relocate
trading of certain futures and options
contracts conducted on IFUS from
rented space at the New York
Mercantile Exchange (‘‘NYMEX’’) to
trading space at 20 Broad Street, New
York, New York, commonly known as
the ‘‘Blue Room’’, and amend NYSE
Rule 6A, which defines the terms
‘‘Trading Floor’’ and ‘‘NYSE Amex
Options Trading Floor’’ (the ‘‘Original
Filing’’).5 The Original Filing stated that
the IFUS traders relocating to 20 Broad
Street (the ‘‘IFUS Traders’’) and their
clerical employees would be prohibited
from entering the Main Room, where
most of the NYSE and NYSE MKT LLC
(‘‘NYSE MKT’’) Equities Floor brokers
and all NYSE and NYSE MKT Equities
Designated Market Makers (‘‘DMMs’’)
are located, as well as the NYSE Amex
Options trading floor. Moreover, the
Original Filing stated that the IFUS
Traders can only utilize the 18 Broad
Street entrance to access the Blue Room.
However, because the 18 Broad Street
entrance does not open until 7 a.m., the
Exchange proposes to clarify that the
IFUS Traders may, on an as needed
basis and only prior to 7 a.m., access the
Blue Room via the Exchange’s 11 Wall
Street facilities, which would entail
walking through the Main Room to
access the Blue Room. Given that the
IFUS Traders’ Exchange-issued
5 See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 68996
(February 27, 2013), 78 FR 14378 (March 5, 2013)
(SR–NYSE–2013–13).
PO 00000
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37265
identification badges do not provide
access to 11 Wall Street, any IFUS
Trader wishing to access their
workspace prior to 7 a.m. would need
to request access and be approved by
the Exchange. As noted, access would
be limited to hours before the 18 Broad
Street entrance opens at 7 a.m. Because
the Exchange is not open for the
transaction of business until 9:30 a.m.,6
the Exchange does not believe that
allowing one or more IFUS Traders to
briefly cross the Main Room on the way
to the Blue Room prior to 7 a.m., which
is significantly prior to the Exchange’s
open, would pose any realistic risk that
the IFUS Traders would be exposed to
confidential customer order information
or other confidential trading
information.
To date, only one IFUS Trader has
requested and been provided access
before 7 a.m. following review and
approval by NYSE Regulation and IFUS
Market Regulation. As a condition of
permitting access, IFUS Market
Regulation advised the trader that
access to the IFUS Trading Floor
through the 11 Wall Street entrance is
only permitted in the morning prior to
7 a.m. and that this is the only time the
trader was permitted to cross through or
be on the Main Floor. The trader was
also reminded that access to and from
the IFUS Trading Floor after 7:00 a.m.
must be via the 18 Broad Street
entrance. As proposed, any additional
requests for access to the IFUS Trading
Floor prior to 7 a.m. will be subject to
the same restrictions.
In addition, the Exchange proposes to
clarify that the IFUS Traders may access
the Blue Room via the Exchange’s 11
Wall Street facilities on days that the
Exchange is closed.7 The Exchange
believes that there is no realistic risk
that the IFUS Traders would be exposed
to confidential customer order
information or other confidential
trading information on legal holidays
when the Exchange is closed.
The Exchange also seeks to allow
additional IFUS Traders and relevant
support staff to conduct business on the
IFUS Trading Floor in its new location.
IFUS has received several requests from
traders who previously traded coffee
and sugar products on IFUS when it was
located at NYMEX to resume trading on
IFUS. The Exchange believes that it is
appropriate to permit additional IFUS
Traders and their support staff to
6 NYSE Rule 52 limits dealings on the Exchange
to the hours during which the Exchange is open for
the transaction of business, which NYSE Rule 51
defines to include a daily trading session between
the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
7 Certain of the IFUS Traders conduct business on
foreign markets on Exchange holidays.
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37266
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 119 / Thursday, June 20, 2013 / Notices
relocate to the Blue Room pursuant to
all of the conditions specified in
Original Filing.
The additional IFUS Traders would
be located with the other IFUS Traders
in the Blue Room (which, as the
Original Filing notes, contains privacy
barriers consisting of eight foot walls
providing visual and sound insulation
to reduce the likelihood that trading
screens can be viewed or conversations
overheard between firms and traders)
and would be subject to the same
restrictions on accessing the Blue Room
described above and in the Original
Filing. The names of the additional
IFUS Traders would also be provided to
the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority (‘‘FINRA’’) which conducts
surveillance of the NYSE and NYSE
MKT markets to enable FINRA to more
readily identify any potentially violative
trading involving the IFUS Traders.8
Any additional IFUS Traders would
not trade any of the products traded on
NYSE, and there is extremely limited
overlap in related products traded by
the IFUS Traders and on the NYSE.
Moreover, even with additional traders
conducting business in coffee and sugar
products on the IFUS Trading Floor, the
IFUS Traders overall will continue to
execute a very small volume of
predominantly cotton options. In light
of these facts, the Exchange believes it
is highly unlikely that any order
handled by one of them could impact
the price of any individual security
traded on the Exchange. In this regard,
the Exchange continues to believe that
the pricing correlation between order
flow in IFUS products and securities
traded on NYSE is tenuous at best and
that it is extremely unlikely that
information overheard by an equities
Floor broker or an IFUS Trader could be
used to benefit the broker’s or trader’s
proprietary, personal or other customer
trading.
Accordingly, the Exchange does not
believe that permitting additional IFUS
Traders to conduct business on the IFUS
Trading Floor in the Blue raises any
regulatory concerns.
TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the
Proposal is consistent with the
provisions of Section 6 of the Act,9 in
general, and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,10
8 Providing the names of the IFUS Traders to
FINRA will be for the purpose of regulatory
information sharing. Neither the Exchange nor
FINRA will be responsible for regulating or
surveilling the IFUS Traders’ activity and the IFUS
Traders will not be subject to the Exchange’s
jurisdiction. Rather, the IFUS Traders will continue
to be regulated by IFUS as they are today.
9 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
10 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
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17:01 Jun 19, 2013
Jkt 229001
in particular, in that it is designed to
prevent fraudulent and manipulative
acts and practices, to promote just and
equitable principles of trade, to foster
cooperation and coordination with
persons engaged in facilitating
transactions in securities, and to remove
impediments to and perfect the
mechanism of a free and open market
and a national market system. The
Exchange believes that the Proposal is
designed to remove impediments to and
perfect the mechanism of a free and
open market and a national market
system. The Exchange believes that the
Proposal will permit the Exchange to
allow additional IFUS Traders to utilize
space on the trading floor within the
existing regulatory framework at the
Exchange, to efficiently and effectively
conduct business in their respective
area consistent with maintaining
necessary distinctions between the two
organizations. Moreover, the Proposal
will impose restrictions designed to
prevent inappropriate information
sharing by and between members and
member firm employees on the Trading
Floor of the Exchange and additional
IFUS Traders on the IFUS Trading
Floor.
Commission may designate, if
consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest, the
proposed rule change has become
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)
of the Act and Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii)
thereunder.
A proposed rule change filed under
Rule 19b–4(f)(6) 13 normally does not
become operative prior to 30 days after
the date of the filing. However, pursuant
to Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii),14 the
Commission may designate a shorter
time if such action is consistent with the
protection of investors and the public
interest.
At any time within 60 days of the
filing of such proposed rule change, the
Commission summarily may
temporarily suspend such rule change if
it appears to the Commission that such
action is necessary or appropriate in the
public interest, for the protection of
investors, or otherwise in furtherance of
the purposes of the Act. If the
Commission takes such action, the
Commission shall institute proceedings
under Section 19(b)(2)(B) 15 of the Act to
determine whether the proposed rule
change should be approved or
disapproved.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that
the Proposal will impose any burden on
competition that is not necessary or
appropriate in furtherance of the
purposes of the Act. The proposal is
designed to promote competition by
providing the Exchange the additional
flexibility to maximize the use of its
trading floor space.
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:
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
The Exchange has filed the proposed
rule change pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act 11 and Rule
19b–4(f)(6) thereunder.12 Because the
proposed rule change does not: (i)
Significantly affect the protection of
investors or the public interest; (ii)
impose any significant burden on
competition; and (iii) become operative
prior to 30 days from the date on which
it was filed, or such shorter time as the
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–NYSE–2013–38 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–NYSE–2013–38. 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/
13 17
11 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
12 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii).
15 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
14 17
E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 119 / Thursday, June 20, 2013 / Notices
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 Room, 100 F Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20549–1090, on official
business days between the hours of
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–NYSE–
2013–38 and should be submitted on or
before July 11, 2013.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.16
Kevin M. O’Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–14687 Filed 6–19–13; 8:45 am]
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–69762; File No. SR–FINRA–
2013–023]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc.; Notice of Filing of
Proposed Rule Change Relating to
Amendments to the Code of
Arbitration Procedure for Customer
Disputes Concerning Panel
Composition
TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
June 13, 2013.
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 June 3,
2013, Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc. (‘‘FINRA’’) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(‘‘SEC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) the proposed
rule change as described in Items I, II,
and III below, which Items have been
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
1 15
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17:01 Jun 19, 2013
Jkt 229001
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
FINRA is proposing to amend FINRA
Rule 12403 of the Code of Arbitration
Procedure for Customer Disputes
(‘‘Customer Code’’) to simplify
arbitration panel selection in cases with
three arbitrators. Under the proposed
rule change, FINRA would no longer
require a customer to elect a panel
selection method, and parties in all
customer cases with three arbitrators
would get the same selection method.
FINRA would provide all parties with
lists of ten chair-qualified public
arbitrators, ten public arbitrators, and
ten non-public arbitrators. FINRA
would permit the parties to strike four
arbitrators on the chair-qualified public
list and four arbitrators on the public
list. However, any party could select an
all-public arbitration panel by striking
all of the arbitrators on the non-public
list.
The text of the proposed rule change
is available on FINRA’s Web site at
https://www.finra.org, at the principal
office of FINRA and at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
16 17
substantially prepared by FINRA. The
Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule
change from interested persons.
In its filing with the Commission,
FINRA included statements concerning
the purpose of and basis for the
proposed rule change and discussed any
comments it received on the proposed
rule change. The text of these statements
may be examined at the places specified
in Item IV below. FINRA has prepared
summaries, set forth in sections A, B,
and C below, of the most significant
aspects of such statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
Background
Under the Customer Code, parties in
arbitration participate in selecting the
arbitrators who serve on their cases.
Until January 31, 2011, the Customer
Code contained one panel composition
method for cases with three arbitrators
(generally cases with claims of more
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
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37267
than $100,000).3 This method provided
for a panel of one chair-qualified public
arbitrator, one public arbitrator, and one
non-public arbitrator. To begin the
selection process, FINRA used the
computerized Neutral List Selection
System (‘‘NLSS’’) to generate random
lists of ten chair-qualified public
arbitrators, ten public arbitrators, and
ten non-public arbitrators. The parties
selected their panel through a process of
striking and ranking the arbitrators on
the lists generated by NLSS. The
Customer Code permitted the parties to
strike the names of up to four arbitrators
from each list. The parties then ranked
the arbitrators remaining on the lists in
order of preference. FINRA appointed
the panel from among the names
remaining on the lists that the parties
returned.
Customer advocates argued that the
mandatory inclusion of a non-public
arbitrator in a three-arbitrator case
raised a perception that FINRA Dispute
Resolution’s forum was not fair to
customers. In order to address this
perception, FINRA sought and received
SEC approval to implement a new panel
composition rule for customer cases
with three arbitrators.4 Under current
Rule 12403, customers may choose
between two panel composition
methods. The first method, the
composition rules for majority public
panel (Majority Public Panel Option),
provides for a panel of one chairqualified public arbitrator, one public
arbitrator, and one non-public arbitrator.
The Majority Public Panel Option is the
same panel composition method that
was in place prior to February 1, 2011,
and it operates as described above.
The second method, the composition
rules for optional all public panel (All
Public Panel Option), allows any party
to select an arbitration panel consisting
of three public arbitrators. Under this
provision, FINRA sends the parties the
same three lists of randomly generated
arbitrators that they would have
received under the Majority Public
Panel Option, but FINRA allows each
party to strike any or all of the
arbitrators on the non-public arbitrator
list. FINRA will not appoint a nonpublic arbitrator if the parties
individually or collectively strike all the
arbitrators appearing on the non-public
3 See FINRA Rule 12401 which provides that if
the amount of a claim is more than $100,000,
exclusive of interest and expenses, or is
unspecified, or if the claim does not request money
damages, the panel will consist of three arbitrators,
unless the parties agree in writing to one arbitrator.
4 See Securities Exchange Act Rel. No. 63799
(January 31, 2011), 76 Federal Register 6500
(February 4, 2011), (File No. SR–FINRA–2010–053)
and Regulatory Notice 11–05 (February 2011).
E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37265-37267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14687]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-69763; File No. SR-NYSE-2013-38]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC;
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To
Permit Traders Conducting Certain Futures and Options Trading on ICE
Futures U.S. in Space Rented From the Exchange at 20 Broad Street To
Access the IFUS Trading Floor Prior to 7 a.m. and on Days That the
Exchange Is Closed Via The Exchange's 11 Wall Street Facilities and To
Permit Additional IFUS Traders To Conduct Business on the IFUS Trading
Floor
June 13, 2013.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \1\ of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the ``Act'') \2\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\3\ notice is hereby
given that June 3, 2013, New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'' or the
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II,
and III below, which Items have been prepared by the self-regulatory
organization. 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\ 15 U.S.C. 78a.
\3\ 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 permit traders conducting certain futures
and options trading on ICE Futures U.S. (``IFUS'') \4\ in space rented
from the Exchange at 20 Broad Street (the ``IFUS Trading Floor'') to
access the IFUS Trading Floor prior to 7 a.m. and on days that the
Exchange is closed via the Exchange's 11 Wall Street facilities and to
permit additional IFUS traders to conduct business on the IFUS Trading
Floor. 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ IFUS is a Designated Contract Market pursuant to the
Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and is regulated by the U.S.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC''). IFUS was formerly
known as the New York Board of Trade (``NYBOT'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
On February 13, 2013, the Exchange filed a proposed rule change to
relocate trading of certain futures and options contracts conducted on
IFUS from rented space at the New York Mercantile Exchange (``NYMEX'')
to trading space at 20 Broad Street, New York, New York, commonly known
as the ``Blue Room'', and amend NYSE Rule 6A, which defines the terms
``Trading Floor'' and ``NYSE Amex Options Trading Floor'' (the
``Original Filing'').\5\ The Original Filing stated that the IFUS
traders relocating to 20 Broad Street (the ``IFUS Traders'') and their
clerical employees would be prohibited from entering the Main Room,
where most of the NYSE and NYSE MKT LLC (``NYSE MKT'') Equities Floor
brokers and all NYSE and NYSE MKT Equities Designated Market Makers
(``DMMs'') are located, as well as the NYSE Amex Options trading floor.
Moreover, the Original Filing stated that the IFUS Traders can only
utilize the 18 Broad Street entrance to access the Blue Room.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 68996 (February 27,
2013), 78 FR 14378 (March 5, 2013) (SR-NYSE-2013-13).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, because the 18 Broad Street entrance does not open until 7
a.m., the Exchange proposes to clarify that the IFUS Traders may, on an
as needed basis and only prior to 7 a.m., access the Blue Room via the
Exchange's 11 Wall Street facilities, which would entail walking
through the Main Room to access the Blue Room. Given that the IFUS
Traders' Exchange-issued identification badges do not provide access to
11 Wall Street, any IFUS Trader wishing to access their workspace prior
to 7 a.m. would need to request access and be approved by the Exchange.
As noted, access would be limited to hours before the 18 Broad Street
entrance opens at 7 a.m. Because the Exchange is not open for the
transaction of business until 9:30 a.m.,\6\ the Exchange does not
believe that allowing one or more IFUS Traders to briefly cross the
Main Room on the way to the Blue Room prior to 7 a.m., which is
significantly prior to the Exchange's open, would pose any realistic
risk that the IFUS Traders would be exposed to confidential customer
order information or other confidential trading information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ NYSE Rule 52 limits dealings on the Exchange to the hours
during which the Exchange is open for the transaction of business,
which NYSE Rule 51 defines to include a daily trading session
between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To date, only one IFUS Trader has requested and been provided
access before 7 a.m. following review and approval by NYSE Regulation
and IFUS Market Regulation. As a condition of permitting access, IFUS
Market Regulation advised the trader that access to the IFUS Trading
Floor through the 11 Wall Street entrance is only permitted in the
morning prior to 7 a.m. and that this is the only time the trader was
permitted to cross through or be on the Main Floor. The trader was also
reminded that access to and from the IFUS Trading Floor after 7:00 a.m.
must be via the 18 Broad Street entrance. As proposed, any additional
requests for access to the IFUS Trading Floor prior to 7 a.m. will be
subject to the same restrictions.
In addition, the Exchange proposes to clarify that the IFUS Traders
may access the Blue Room via the Exchange's 11 Wall Street facilities
on days that the Exchange is closed.\7\ The Exchange believes that
there is no realistic risk that the IFUS Traders would be exposed to
confidential customer order information or other confidential trading
information on legal holidays when the Exchange is closed.
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\7\ Certain of the IFUS Traders conduct business on foreign
markets on Exchange holidays.
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The Exchange also seeks to allow additional IFUS Traders and
relevant support staff to conduct business on the IFUS Trading Floor in
its new location. IFUS has received several requests from traders who
previously traded coffee and sugar products on IFUS when it was located
at NYMEX to resume trading on IFUS. The Exchange believes that it is
appropriate to permit additional IFUS Traders and their support staff
to
[[Page 37266]]
relocate to the Blue Room pursuant to all of the conditions specified
in Original Filing.
The additional IFUS Traders would be located with the other IFUS
Traders in the Blue Room (which, as the Original Filing notes, contains
privacy barriers consisting of eight foot walls providing visual and
sound insulation to reduce the likelihood that trading screens can be
viewed or conversations overheard between firms and traders) and would
be subject to the same restrictions on accessing the Blue Room
described above and in the Original Filing. The names of the additional
IFUS Traders would also be provided to the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (``FINRA'') which conducts surveillance of the
NYSE and NYSE MKT markets to enable FINRA to more readily identify any
potentially violative trading involving the IFUS Traders.\8\
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\8\ Providing the names of the IFUS Traders to FINRA will be for
the purpose of regulatory information sharing. Neither the Exchange
nor FINRA will be responsible for regulating or surveilling the IFUS
Traders' activity and the IFUS Traders will not be subject to the
Exchange's jurisdiction. Rather, the IFUS Traders will continue to
be regulated by IFUS as they are today.
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Any additional IFUS Traders would not trade any of the products
traded on NYSE, and there is extremely limited overlap in related
products traded by the IFUS Traders and on the NYSE. Moreover, even
with additional traders conducting business in coffee and sugar
products on the IFUS Trading Floor, the IFUS Traders overall will
continue to execute a very small volume of predominantly cotton
options. In light of these facts, the Exchange believes it is highly
unlikely that any order handled by one of them could impact the price
of any individual security traded on the Exchange. In this regard, the
Exchange continues to believe that the pricing correlation between
order flow in IFUS products and securities traded on NYSE is tenuous at
best and that it is extremely unlikely that information overheard by an
equities Floor broker or an IFUS Trader could be used to benefit the
broker's or trader's proprietary, personal or other customer trading.
Accordingly, the Exchange does not believe that permitting
additional IFUS Traders to conduct business on the IFUS Trading Floor
in the Blue raises any regulatory concerns.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the Proposal is consistent with the
provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\9\ in general, and Section 6(b)(5)
of the Act,\10\ in particular, in that it is designed to prevent
fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and
equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination
with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, and to
remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open
market and a national market system. The Exchange believes that the
Proposal is designed to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism
of a free and open market and a national market system. The Exchange
believes that the Proposal will permit the Exchange to allow additional
IFUS Traders to utilize space on the trading floor within the existing
regulatory framework at the Exchange, to efficiently and effectively
conduct business in their respective area consistent with maintaining
necessary distinctions between the two organizations. Moreover, the
Proposal will impose restrictions designed to prevent inappropriate
information sharing by and between members and member firm employees on
the Trading Floor of the Exchange and additional IFUS Traders on the
IFUS Trading Floor.
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\9\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
\10\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4) and (5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that the Proposal will impose any
burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in
furtherance of the purposes of the Act. The proposal is designed to
promote competition by providing the Exchange the additional
flexibility to maximize the use of its trading floor space.
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
The Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \11\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\12\
Because the proposed rule change does not: (i) Significantly affect the
protection of investors or the public interest; (ii) impose any
significant burden on competition; and (iii) become operative prior to
30 days from the date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as
the Commission may designate, if consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest, the proposed rule change has become
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.
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\11\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
\12\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \13\ normally
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the
filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\14\ the Commission
may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the
protection of investors and the public interest.
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\13\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\14\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
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At any time within 60 days of the filing of such proposed rule
change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend such rule
change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or
appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or
otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. If the Commission
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings under
Section 19(b)(2)(B) \15\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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\15\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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IV. Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
Electronic Comments
Use the Commission's Internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include
File Number SR-NYSE-2013-38 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-NYSE-2013-38. 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/
[[Page 37267]]
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 Room, 100 F
Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090, on official business days
between the hours of 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-NYSE-2013-38 and should be
submitted on or before July 11, 2013.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\16\
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\16\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-14687 Filed 6-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P