Self-Regulatory Organizations; the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 1, Relating to the Listing and Trading of Shares of the First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV, 24765-24773 [2014-09926]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices class or classes of persons, securities or transactions from any provision of the Act, or from any rule under the Act, if and to the extent such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act. Applicants request an exemption under section 6(c) from sections 18(c) and 18(i) to permit the Fund to issue multiple classes of Shares. 4. Applicants submit that the proposed allocation of expenses and voting rights among multiple classes is equitable and will not discriminate against any group or class of shareholders. Applicants submit that the proposed arrangements would permit the Fund to facilitate the distribution of its Shares and provide investors with a broader choice of shareholder options. Applicants assert that the proposed closed-end investment company multiple class structure does not raise the concerns underlying section 18 of the Act to any greater degree than open-end investment companies’ multiple class structures that are permitted by rule 18f–3 under the Act. Applicants state that the Fund will comply with the provisions of rule 18f–3 as if it were an open-end investment company. Applicants’ Legal Analysis tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES and in transaction confirmations about the costs and conflicts of interest arising out of the distribution of open-end investment company shares, and regarding prospectus disclosure of sales loads and revenue sharing arrangements as if those requirements applied to the Fund.7 8. The Fund will allocate all expenses incurred by it among the various classes of Shares based on the net assets of the Fund attributable to each class, except that the net asset value and expenses of each class will reflect distribution fees, service fees, and any other incremental expenses of that class. Expenses of a Fund allocated to a particular class of Shares will be borne on a pro rata basis by each outstanding Share of that class. Applicants state that the Fund will comply with the provisions of rule 18f– 3 under the Act as if it were an openend investment company. 9. In the event the Fund imposes a contingent deferred sales charge (‘‘CDSC’’), the applicants will comply with the provisions of rule 6c–10 under the Act, as if that rule applied to closedend management investment companies. With respect to any waiver of, scheduled variation in, or elimination of the CDSC, the Fund will comply with rule 22d–1 under the Act as if the Fund were an open-end investment company. CDSCs 1. Applicants believe that the requested relief meets the standards of section 6(c) of the Act. Rule 6c–10 under the Act permits open-end investment companies to impose CDSCs, subject to certain conditions. Applicants state that any CDSC imposed by the Fund will comply with rule 6c– 10 under the Act as if the rule were applicable to closed-end investment companies. The Fund also will disclose CDSCs in accordance with the requirements of Form N–1A concerning CDSCs as if the Fund were an open-end investment company. Applicants further state that the Fund will apply the CDSC (and any waivers or scheduled variations of the CDSC) uniformly to all shareholders in a given class and consistently with the requirements of rule 22d–1 under the Act. Multiple Classes of Shares 1. Section 18(c) of the Act provides, in relevant part, that a closed-end investment company may not issue or sell any senior security if, immediately thereafter, the company has outstanding more than one class of senior security. Applicants state that the creation of multiple classes of Shares of the Fund may be prohibited by section 18(c). 2. Section 18(i) of the Act provides that each share of stock issued by a registered management investment company will be a voting stock and have equal voting rights with every other outstanding voting stock. Applicants state that permitting multiple classes of Shares of the Fund may violate section 18(i) of the Act because each class would be entitled to exclusive voting rights with respect to matters solely related to that class. 3. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt any person, security or transaction or any 7 See, e.g., Confirmation Requirements and Point of Sale Disclosure Requirements for Transactions in Certain Mutual Funds and Other Securities, and Other Confirmation Requirement Amendments, and Amendments to the Registration Form for Mutual Funds, Investment Company Act Release No. 26341 (Jan. 29, 2004) (proposing release). VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 Asset-Based Service and/or Distribution Fees 1. Section 17(d) of the Act and rule 17d–1 under the Act prohibit an affiliated person of a registered investment company or an affiliated person of such person, acting as principal, from participating in or effecting any transaction in connection with any joint enterprise or joint PO 00000 Frm 00099 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24765 arrangement in which the investment company participates unless the Commission issues an order permitting the transaction. In reviewing applications submitted under section 17(d) and rule 17d–1, the Commission considers whether the participation of the investment company in a joint enterprise or joint arrangement is consistent with the provisions, policies and purposes of the Act, and the extent to which the participation is on a basis different from or less advantageous than that of other participants. 2. Rule 17d–3 under the Act provides an exemption from section 17(d) and rule 17d–1 to permit open-end investment companies to enter into distribution arrangements pursuant to rule 12b–1 under the Act. Applicants request an order under section 17(d) and rule 17d–1 under the Act to permit the Fund to impose asset-based service and/ or distribution fees. Applicants have agreed to comply with rules 12b–1 and 17d–3 as if those rules applied to closed-end investment companies. Applicants’ Condition The Fund agrees that any order granting the requested relief will be subject to the following condition: Applicants will comply with the provisions of rules 6c–10, 12b–1, 17d– 3, 18f–3 and 22d–1 under the Act, as amended from time to time or replaced, as if those rules applied to closed-end management investment companies, and will comply with the NASD Conduct Rule 2830, as amended from time to time, as if that rule applied to all closed-end management investment companies. For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, under delegated authority. Kevin M. O’Neill, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2014–09927 Filed 4–30–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–72030; File No. SR– NASDAQ–2014–041] Self-Regulatory Organizations; the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 1, Relating to the Listing and Trading of Shares of the First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV April 25, 2014. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1 24766 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices (‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2 notice is hereby given that on April 11, 2014, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (‘‘Nasdaq’’ or the ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule change as described in in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by Nasdaq. On April 24, 2014, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.3 The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 1, from interested persons. I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Terms of the Substance of the Proposed Rule Change Nasdaq proposes to list and trade the shares of the First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (the ‘‘Fund’’) of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV (the ‘‘Trust’’) under Nasdaq Rule 5735 (‘‘Managed Fund Shares’’).4 The shares of the Fund are collectively referred to herein as the ‘‘Shares.’’ The text of the proposed rule change is available at https:// nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com/, at Nasdaq’s principal office, and at the Commission’s Public Reference Room. 1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). CFR 240.19b–4. 3 By Amendment No. 1, the Exchange: (1) Clarifies that the Fund (defined below) will limit its investments in asset-backed securities and nonagency mortgage-backed securities (in the aggregate) to 20% of its net assets; (2) modifies its description of how asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities will be priced in certain circumstances; and (3) makes certain grammatical corrections. 4 The Commission approved Nasdaq Rule 5735 in Securities Exchange Act Release No. 57962 (June 13, 2008), 73 FR 35175 (June 20, 2008) (SR– NASDAQ–2008–039). There are already multiple actively-managed funds listed on the Exchange; see, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 69464 (April 26, 2013), 78 FR 25774 (May 2, 2013) (SR– NASDAQ–2013–036) (order approving listing and trading of First Trust Senior Loan Fund); 68972 (February 22, 2013), 78 FR 13721 (February 28, 2013) (SR–NASDAQ–2012–147) (order approving listing and trading of First Trust High Yield Long/ Short ETF); 66489 (February 29, 2012), 77 FR 13379 (March 6, 2012) (SR–NASDAQ–2012–004) (order approving listing and trading of WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund). Additionally, the Commission has previously approved the listing and trading of a number of actively-managed funds on NYSE Arca, Inc. pursuant to Rule 8.600 of that exchange. See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 68870 (February 8, 2013), 78 FR 11245 (February 15, 2013) (SR–NYSEArca–2012–139) (order approving listing and trading of First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF); 64643 (June 10, 2011), 76 FR 35062 (June 15, 2011) (SR–NYSEArca–2011–21) (order approving listing and trading of WisdomTree Global Real Return Fund). The Exchange believes the proposed rule change raises no significant issues not previously addressed in those prior Commission orders. II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change In its filing with the Commission, Nasdaq included statements concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. Nasdaq 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 The Exchange proposes to list and trade the Shares of the Fund under Nasdaq Rule 5735, which governs the listing and trading of Managed Fund Shares 5 on the Exchange. The Fund will be an actively-managed exchange-traded fund (‘‘ETF’’). The Shares will be offered by the Trust, which was established as a Massachusetts business trust on September 15, 2010.6 The Trust is registered with the Commission as an investment company and has filed a registration statement on Form N–1A (‘‘Registration Statement’’) with the tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 2 17 VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 5 A Managed Fund Share is a security that represents an interest in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–1) (the ‘‘1940 Act’’) organized as an open-end investment company or similar entity that invests in a portfolio of securities selected by its investment adviser consistent with its investment objectives and policies. In contrast, an open-end investment company that issues Index Fund Shares, listed and traded on the Exchange under Nasdaq Rule 5705, seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific foreign or domestic stock index, fixed income securities index or combination thereof. 6 The Commission has issued an order, upon which the Trust may rely, granting certain exemptive relief under the 1940 Act. See Investment Company Act Release No. 30029 (April 10, 2012) (File No. 812–13795) (the ‘‘Exemptive Relief’’). In addition, on December 6, 2012, the staff of the Commission’s Division of Investment Management (‘‘Division’’) issued a no-action letter (‘‘No-Action Letter’’) relating to the use of derivatives by actively-managed ETFs. See NoAction Letter dated December 6, 2012 from Elizabeth G. Osterman, Associate Director, Office of Exemptive Applications, Division of Investment Management. The No-Action Letter stated that the Division would not recommend enforcement action to the Commission under applicable provisions of and rules under the 1940 Act if actively-managed ETFs operating in reliance on specified orders (which include the Exemptive Relief) invest in options contracts, futures contracts or swap agreements provided that they comply with certain representations stated in the No-Action Letter. However, the Fund does not intend to invest in derivatives. PO 00000 Frm 00100 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Commission.7 The Fund will be a series of the Trust. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (‘‘RIC’’) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. First Trust Advisors L.P. will be the investment adviser (‘‘Adviser’’) to the Fund. First Trust Portfolios L.P. (the ‘‘Distributor’’) will be the principal underwriter and distributor of the Fund’s Shares. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (‘‘BNY’’) will act as the administrator, accounting agent, custodian and transfer agent to the Fund. Paragraph (g) of Rule 5735 provides that if the investment adviser to the investment company issuing Managed Fund Shares is affiliated with a brokerdealer, such investment adviser shall erect a ‘‘fire wall’’ between the investment adviser and the brokerdealer with respect to access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to such investment company portfolio.8 In addition, paragraph (g) further requires that personnel who make decisions on the open-end fund’s portfolio composition must be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public information regarding the open-end fund’s portfolio. Rule 5735(g) is similar to Nasdaq Rule 5705(b)(5)(A)(i); however, paragraph (g) in connection with the establishment of a ‘‘fire wall’’ between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer reflects 7 See Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 to Registration Statement on Form N–1A for the Trust, dated April 10, 2014 (File Nos. 333–174332 and 811–22559). The descriptions of the Fund and the Shares contained herein are based, in part, on information in the Registration Statement. 8 An investment adviser to an open-end fund is required to be registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ‘‘Advisers Act’’). As a result, the Adviser and its 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. E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices the applicable open-end fund’s portfolio, not an underlying benchmark index, as is the case with index-based funds. The Adviser is not a brokerdealer, although it is affiliated with the Distributor, a broker-dealer. The Adviser has implemented a fire wall with respect to its broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio. In addition, personnel who make decisions on the Fund’s portfolio composition will be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding the Fund’s portfolio. In the event (a) the Adviser or any sub-adviser becomes, or becomes newly affiliated with, a broker-dealer, or (b) any new adviser or sub-adviser is a registered broker-dealer or becomes affiliated with a broker-dealer, it will implement a fire wall with respect to its relevant personnel and/or such broker-dealer affiliate, as applicable, regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio and will be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic information regarding such portfolio. The Fund does not currently intend to use a sub-adviser. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF The investment objective of the Fund will be to seek current income, consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity. Under normal market conditions,9 the Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing in a portfolio of U.S. dollardenominated fixed- and variable-rate 10 instruments (collectively, ‘‘Fixed Income Securities’’) issued by U.S. and 9 The term ‘‘under normal market conditions’’ as used herein includes, but is not limited to, the absence of adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, including extreme volatility or trading halts in the fixed income 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. For temporary defensive purposes, during the initial invest-up period and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies; for example, it may hold a higher than normal proportion of its assets in cash. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective. The Fund may adopt a defensive strategy when the Adviser believes securities in which the Fund normally invests have elevated risks due to political or economic factors and in other extraordinary circumstances. 10 For these purposes, the term ‘‘variable-rate’’ also includes similar terms such as ‘‘floating-rate’’ and ‘‘adjustable-rate.’’ VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 non-U.S. public- and private-sector entities. The Fund will hold Fixed Income Securities of at least 13 nonaffiliated issuers. At least 80% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in Fixed Income Securities that are, at the time of purchase, investment grade. To be considered ‘‘investment grade,’’ under normal market conditions, short-term securities (generally securities with original maturities of one year or less) held by the Fund and rated by at least one nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (‘‘NRSRO’’) will carry, at the time of purchase, a shortterm rating in the highest three rating categories of at least one NRSRO (e.g., A–3, P–3 or F–3 or better by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (‘‘S&P’’), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (‘‘Moody’s’’) or Fitch Ratings (‘‘Fitch’’), respectively), and other rated securities will carry, at the time of purchase, a rating in the highest four rating categories of at least one NRSRO (e.g., BBB- or higher by S&P and/or Fitch or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s).11 For unrated securities to be considered ‘‘investment grade,’’ under normal market conditions, such securities will be determined, at the time of purchase, to be of comparable quality 12 by the Adviser. Principal Investments The Fund intends to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in a portfolio of U.S. dollar-denominated Fixed Income Securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. public- and private-sector entities. Fixed Income Securities will include the following types of fixed- and variablerate debt securities: corporate 13 and 11 For the avoidance of doubt, if a security is rated by multiple NRSROs and receives different ratings, the Fund will treat the security as being rated in the highest rating category received from an NRSRO. 12 Comparable quality of unrated securities will be determined by the Adviser based on fundamental credit analysis of the unrated security and comparable NRSRO-rated securities. On a best efforts basis, the Adviser will attempt to make a rating determination based on publicly available data. In making a ‘‘comparable quality’’ determination, the Adviser may consider, for example, whether the issuer of the security has issued other rated securities, the nature and provisions of the relevant security, whether the obligations under the relevant security are guaranteed by another entity and the rating of such guarantor (if any), relevant cash flows, macroeconomic analysis, and/or sector or industry analysis. 13 While the Fund is permitted to invest without restriction in corporate bonds, the Adviser expects that, under normal market conditions, generally, with respect to at least 75% of the Fund’s portfolio, PO 00000 Frm 00101 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24767 government bonds and notes; agency securities; 14 instruments of non-U.S. issuers in developed markets; privatelyissued securities; 15 asset-backed securities; 16 mortgage-backed securities; 17 municipal bonds; money market securities; 18 and investment companies 19 (including investment companies advised by the Adviser) that invest primarily in the foregoing types a corporate bond will have, at the time of original issuance, $100 million or more par amount outstanding to be considered as an eligible investment. 14 ‘‘Agency securities’’ for these purposes generally includes securities issued by the following entities: Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), Farm Credit System (FCS) Farm Credit Banks (FCBanks), Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae), Resolution Funding Corporation (REFCORP), Financing Corporation (FICO), and the Farm Credit System (FCS) Financial Assistance Corporation (FAC). Agency securities can include, but are not limited to, mortgage-backed securities. 15 ‘‘Privately-issued securities’’ for these purposes generally includes Rule 144A securities and, in this context, may include both mortgage-backed and non-mortgage Rule 144A securities. 16 Asset-backed securities are Fixed Income Securities that are backed by a pool of assets. The Fund currently intends to invest in asset-backed securities that are consumer asset-backed securities. 17 Mortgage-backed securities are Fixed Income Securities that are backed by a pool of mortgage loans. There are a wide variety of mortgage-backed securities involving commercial or residential, fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgages and mortgages issued by banks or government agencies. 18 ‘‘Money market securities’’ for these purposes generally includes: Short-term high-quality obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or the agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government; short-term high-quality securities issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. governments, agencies and instrumentalities; repurchase agreements; commercial paper (both asset-backed and non-asset-backed); and deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. 19 The Fund currently anticipates investing only in registered open-end investment companies that are listed and traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges (i.e., other ETFs). An ETF is an investment company registered under the 1940 Act that holds a portfolio of securities. Many ETFs are designed to track the performance of a securities index, including industry, sector, country and region indexes. The Fund may invest in the securities of ETFs in excess of the limits imposed under the 1940 Act pursuant to exemptive orders obtained by other ETFs and their sponsors from the Commission. In addition, the Fund may invest in the securities of certain investment companies in excess of the limits imposed under the 1940 Act pursuant to an exemptive order obtained by the Trust and the Adviser from the Commission. See Investment Company Act Release No. 30377 (February 5, 2013) (File No. 812–13895). The ETFs in which the Fund may invest include Index Fund Shares (as described in Nasdaq Rule 5705), Portfolio Depository Receipts (as described in Nasdaq Rule 5705), and Managed Fund Shares (as described in Nasdaq Rule 5735). While the Fund may invest in inverse ETFs, the Fund will not invest in leveraged or inverse leveraged (e.g., 2X or -3X) ETFs. E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1 24768 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices of Fixed Income Securities.20 The Fund will limit its investments in assetbacked securities and non-agency mortgage-backed securities (in the aggregate) to 20% of its net assets.21 Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s duration 22 is expected to be below one year and the maturity 23 of the Fund’s portfolio is expected to be below three years. Other Investments Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest primarily in the Fixed Income Securities described above to meet its investment objective. In addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in floating rate loans. The floating rate loans in which the Fund will invest will represent amounts borrowed by companies or other entities from banks and other lenders and a significant portion of such floating rate loans may be rated below investment grade or unrated. Floating rate loans held by the Fund may be senior or subordinate obligations of the borrower and may or may not be secured by collateral. The Fund will generally invest in floating rate loans that the Adviser deems to be liquid with readily available prices; notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund may invest in floating rate loans that are deemed illiquid so long as the Fund complies with the 15% limitation on investments of its net assets in illiquid tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 20 The liquidity of a security, especially in the case of asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, is a substantial factor in the Fund’s security selection process. Consistent with the discussion below under ‘‘Investment Restrictions,’’ the Fund will not purchase any Fixed Income Securities (including asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities) that, in the Adviser’s opinion, are illiquid if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid assets. 21 See Amendment No. 1, supra note 3. For the avoidance of doubt, there is no limitation on the Fund’s investments in agency mortgage-backed securities. 22 Duration is a measure of the expected price volatility of a debt instrument as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on, among other factors, the weighted average timing of the instrument’s expected principal and interest payments. Duration differs from maturity in that it considers a security’s yield, coupon payments, principal payments, call features and coupon adjustments in addition to the amount of time until the security finally matures. 23 Maturity is measured relative to the type of security. For Fixed Income Securities (exclusive of asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities), maturity shall be calculated using dollar-weighted average maturity, which is calculated by taking the average length of time to maturity. For asset-backed securities and mortgagebacked securities, maturity shall be calculated using weighted average life, which is the estimated time to principal paydown for each underlying instrument held by the Fund, weighted according to the relative holdings per instrument. VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 assets described below under ‘‘Investment Restrictions’’. Investment Restrictions The Fund will not invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry. This restriction does not apply to (a) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or (b) securities of other investment companies.24 The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), including Rule 144A securities deemed illiquid by the Adviser.25 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 assets. Illiquid assets 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.26 The Fund will not invest in non-U.S. equity securities. 24 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). 25 In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider the following factors: The frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer). 26 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). PO 00000 Frm 00102 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Creation and Redemption of Shares The Fund will issue and redeem Shares on a continuous basis at net asset value (‘‘NAV’’) 27 only in large blocks of Shares (‘‘Creation Units’’) in transactions with authorized participants, generally including brokerdealers and large institutional investors (‘‘Authorized Participants’’). Creation Units generally will consist of 50,000 Shares, although this may change from time to time. Creation Units, however, are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 Shares. As described in the Registration Statement and consistent with the Exemptive Relief, the Fund will issue and redeem Creation Units in exchange for an in-kind portfolio of instruments and/or cash in lieu of such instruments (the ‘‘Creation Basket’’). In addition, if there is a difference between the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and the market value of the Creation Basket exchanged for the Creation Unit, the party conveying instruments with the lower value will pay to the other an amount in cash equal to the difference (referred to as the ‘‘Cash Component’’). Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant or through a firm that is either a member of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (‘‘NSCC’’) or a Depository Trust Company participant that, in each case, must have executed an agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor and BNY with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units. All standard orders to create Creation Units must be received by the transfer agent no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the ‘‘Closing Time’’) in each case on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of Shares as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt not later than the Closing Time of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the transfer agent and only on a business day. The Fund’s custodian, through the NSCC, will make available on each 27 The NAV of the Fund’s Shares generally will be calculated once daily Monday through Friday as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time (the ‘‘NAV Calculation Time’’). NAV per Share will be calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by the number of Fund Shares outstanding. For more information regarding the valuation of Fund investments in calculating the Fund’s NAV, see the Registration Statement. E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES business day, prior to the opening of business of the Exchange, the list of the names and quantities of the instruments comprising the Creation Basket, as well as the estimated Cash Component (if any), for that day. The published Creation Basket will apply until a new Creation Basket is announced on the following business day. Net Asset Value The Fund’s NAV will be determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. NAV will be calculated for the Fund by taking the market price of the Fund’s total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing such amount by the total number of Shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, will be the NAV per Share. All valuations will be subject to review by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (‘‘Trust Board’’) or its delegate. The Fund’s investments will be valued daily at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any investment, at fair value, in each case in accordance with valuation procedures (which may be revised from time to time) adopted by the Trust Board (the ‘‘Valuation Procedures’’) and in accordance with the 1940 Act. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, an independent pricing service (‘‘Pricing Service’’), or a major market maker (or dealer) or (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a Pricing Service, or a major market maker (or dealer). The information summarized below is based on the Valuation Procedures as currently in effect; however, as noted above, the Valuation Procedures are amended from time to time and, therefore, such information is subject to change. Certain securities in which the Fund may invest will not be listed on any securities exchange or board of trade. Such securities will typically be bought and sold by institutional investors in individually negotiated private transactions that function in many respects like an over-the-counter secondary market, although typically no formal market makers will exist. Certain securities, particularly debt securities, will have few or no trades, or trade infrequently, and information regarding a specific security may not be widely available or may be incomplete. Accordingly, determinations of the fair value of debt securities may be based on infrequent and dated information. Because there is less reliable, objective VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 data available, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Typically, debt securities (other than those described below) will be valued using information provided by a Pricing Service. Debt securities having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less when purchased will be valued at cost adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. Overnight repurchase agreements will be valued at cost and term repurchase agreements (i.e., those whose maturity exceeds seven days) will be valued at the average of the bid quotations obtained daily from at least two recognized dealers. Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities will generally be valued by using a Pricing Service. If a Pricing Service does not cover a particular asset-backed or mortgage-backed security, or discontinues covering a particular asset-backed or mortgagebacked security, the security will be priced using broker quotes generally provided by brokers that make or participate in markets in the security.28 To derive values, Pricing Services and broker-dealers may use matrix pricing and valuation models, as well as recent market transactions for the same or similar assets. Occasionally, the Adviser’s pricing committee (the ‘‘Pricing Committee’’) may determine that a Pricing Service price does not represent an accurate value of an assetbacked or mortgage-backed security, based on the broker quotes it receives, a recent trade in the security by the Fund, information from a portfolio manager, or other market information. In the event that the Pricing Committee determines that the Pricing Service price is unreliable or inaccurate based on such other information, the broker quotes may be used. Additionally, if the Pricing Committee determines that the price of an asset-backed or mortgagebacked security obtained from a Pricing Service and the available broker quotes are unreliable or inaccurate due to market conditions or other reasons, or if a Pricing Service price or broker quote is unavailable, the security will be valued using fair value pricing, as described below. Equity securities listed on any exchange other than the Exchange will be valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are principally traded on the business day as of which such value is being determined. Equity securities listed on the Exchange will be valued at the official closing price on the business day as of which such value 28 See PO 00000 Amendment No. 1, supra note 3. Frm 00103 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24769 is being determined. If there has been no sale on such day, or no official closing price in the case of securities traded on the Exchange, the securities will be valued using fair value pricing, as described below. Equity securities traded on more than one securities exchange will be valued at the last sale price or official closing price, as applicable, on the business day as of which such value is being determined at the close of the exchange representing the principal market for such securities. Certain securities may not be able to be priced by pre-established pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by the Trust Board or its delegate at fair value. The use of fair value pricing by the Fund will be governed by the Valuation Procedures and conducted in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. Valuing the Fund’s securities using fair value pricing will result in using prices for those securities that may differ from current market valuations or official closing prices on the applicable exchange. Availability of Information The Fund’s Web site (www.ftportfolios.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 Web site will include the Shares’ ticker, Cusip and exchange information along with additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Fund: (1) Daily trading volume, the prior business day’s reported NAV and closing price, mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV (the ‘‘Bid/Ask Price’’),29 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 each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares in the Regular Market Session 30 on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the identities and quantities of the portfolio 29 The Bid/Ask Price 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. 30 See Nasdaq Rule 4120(b)(4) (describing the three trading sessions on the Exchange: (1) PreMarket Session from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Eastern time; (2) Regular Market Session from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 4:15 p.m., Eastern time; and (3) PostMarket Session from 4 p.m. or 4:15 p.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time). E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1 24770 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES of securities, and other assets (the ‘‘Disclosed Portfolio’’ as defined in Nasdaq Rule 5735(c)(2)) held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of the business day.31 The Disclosed Portfolio will include, as applicable, the names, quantities, percentage weightings and market values of the portfolio securities, and other assets held by the Fund. The Web site information will be publicly available at no charge. In addition, for the Fund, an estimated value, defined in Rule 5735(c)(3) as the ‘‘Intraday Indicative Value,’’ that reflects an estimated intraday value of the Fund’s Disclosed Portfolio, will be disseminated. Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value, available on the NASDAQ OMX Information LLC proprietary index data service,32 will be based upon the current value for the components of the Disclosed Portfolio and will be updated and widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors and broadly displayed at least every 15 seconds during the Regular Market Session. The Intraday Indicative Value will be based on quotes and closing prices from the securities’ local market and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close. Premiums and discounts between the Intraday Indicative Value and the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a ‘‘real time’’ update of the NAV per Share of the Fund, which is calculated only once a day. The dissemination of the Intraday Indicative Value, together with the Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors to determine the value of the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and will provide a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day. Investors will also be able to obtain the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (‘‘SAI’’), the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports (together, ‘‘Shareholder Reports’’), and its Form N–CSR and Form N–SAR, filed twice a year. The Fund’s SAI and Shareholder 31 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. 32 Currently, the NASDAQ OMX Global Index Data Service (‘‘GIDS’’) is the NASDAQ OMX global index data feed service, offering real-time updates, daily summary messages, and access to widely followed indexes and Intraday Indicative Values for ETFs. GIDS provides investment professionals with the daily information needed to track or trade NASDAQ OMX indexes, listed ETFs, or third-party partner indexes and ETFs. VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 Reports will be available free upon request from the Fund, 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 Nasdaq proprietary quote and trade services, as well as in accordance with the Unlisted Trading Privileges and the Consolidated Tape Association (‘‘CTA’’) plans for the Shares. Intraday executable price quotations on Fixed Income Securities and other assets not traded on an exchange will be available from major broker-dealer firms or market data vendors, as well as from automated quotation systems, published or other public sources, or online information services. Additionally, the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (‘‘TRACE’’) of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (‘‘FINRA’’) will be a source of price information for certain Fixed Income Securities held by the Fund, including mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. For exchange-traded assets, intraday pricing information will be available directly from the applicable listing exchange. [sic] and, for exchange-traded assets, such intraday information will be available directly from the applicable listing exchange. Intraday price information will also be available through subscription services, such as Bloomberg, Markit, and Thomson Reuters, which can be accessed by Authorized Participants and other investors. Additional information regarding the Fund and the Shares, including investment strategies, risks, creation and redemption procedures, fees, Fund holdings disclosure policies, distributions and taxes will be included in the Registration Statement. All terms relating to the Fund that are referred to, but not defined in, this proposed rule change will be defined in the Registration Statement. Initial and Continued Listing The Shares will be subject to Rule 5735, which sets forth the initial and continued listing criteria applicable to Managed Fund Shares. The Exchange PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 represents that, for initial and/or continued listing, the Fund must be in compliance with Rule 10A–3 33 under the Act. 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 per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio will be made available to all market participants at the same time. 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. Nasdaq will halt trading in the Shares under the conditions specified in Nasdaq Rules 4120 and 4121, including the trading pauses under Nasdaq Rules 4120(a)(11) and (12). Trading 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 the other assets constituting the Disclosed Portfolio of the Fund; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present. Trading in the Shares also will be subject to Rule 5735(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the Fund may be halted. Trading Rules Nasdaq deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus rendering trading in the Shares subject to Nasdaq’s existing rules governing the trading of equity securities. Nasdaq will allow trading in the Shares from 4:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in Nasdaq Rule 5735(b)(3), the minimum price variation for quoting and entry of orders in Managed Fund Shares traded on the Exchange is $0.01. Surveillance The Exchange represents that trading in the Shares will be subject to the existing trading surveillances, administered by both Nasdaq and also FINRA on behalf of the Exchange, which are designed to detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal 33 See E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 17 CFR 240.10A–3. 01MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices securities laws.34 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 surveillances referred to above generally focus on detecting securities trading outside their normal patterns, which could be indicative of manipulative or other violative activity. 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. FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares and the exchangetraded securities held by the Fund with other markets and other entities that are members of the Intermarket Surveillance Group (‘‘ISG’’) 35 and FINRA may obtain trading information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund from such markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund from markets and other entities that are members of ISG, which includes securities and futures exchanges, or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. Moreover, FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will be able to access, as needed, trade information for certain Fixed Income Securities held by the Fund reported to FINRA’s TRACE. All of the Fund’s net assets that are invested in exchange-traded equity securities will be invested in securities that trade in markets that are members of ISG or are parties to a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement with the Exchange. In addition, the Exchange also has a general policy prohibiting the distribution of material, non-public information by its employees. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Information Circular Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its members in an Information Circular of the special characteristics and risks 34 FINRA surveils trading on the Exchange pursuant to a regulatory services agreement. The Exchange is responsible for FINRA’s performance under this regulatory services agreement. 35 For a list of the current members of ISG, see www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all components of the Disclosed Portfolio 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 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Information Circular will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases and redemptions of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not individually redeemable); (2) Nasdaq Rule 2111A, which imposes suitability obligations on Nasdaq members with respect to recommending transactions in the Shares to customers; (3) how information regarding the Intraday Indicative Value is disseminated; (4) the risks involved in trading the Shares during the Pre-Market and Post-Market Sessions when an updated Intraday Indicative Value will not be calculated or publicly disseminated; (5) the requirement that members deliver a prospectus to investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or concurrently with the confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading information. The Information Circular will also discuss any exemptive, no-action and interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the Act. Additionally, the Information Circular will reference that the Fund is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Registration Statement. The Information Circular will also disclose the trading hours of the Shares of the Fund and the applicable NAV Calculation Time for the Shares. The Information Circular will disclose that information about the Shares of the Fund will be publicly available on the Fund’s Web site. 2. Statutory Basis Nasdaq believes that the proposal is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act in general and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act 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, 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 Nasdaq Rule 5735. The Exchange represents that trading in the Shares will be subject to the existing trading surveillances, administered by both Nasdaq and also FINRA on behalf of the Exchange, which are designed to PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24771 detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws. The Adviser is not a broker-dealer, although it is affiliated with the Distributor, a broker-dealer, and is required to implement a ‘‘fire wall’’ with respect to such broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the Fund’s portfolio. In addition, paragraph (g) of Nasdaq Rule 5735 further requires that personnel who make decisions on the open-end fund’s portfolio composition must be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding the open-end fund’s portfolio. FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares and the exchangetraded securities held by the Fund with other markets and other entities that are members of ISG, and FINRA may obtain trading information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund from such markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund from markets and other entities that are members of ISG, which includes securities and futures exchanges, or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. Moreover, FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will be able to access, as needed, trade information for certain Fixed Income Securities held by the Fund reported to FINRA’s TRACE. All of the Fund’s net assets that are invested in exchange-traded equity securities will be invested in securities that trade in markets that are members of ISG or are parties to a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement with the Exchange. The investment objective of the Fund will be to seek current income, consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing in a portfolio of U.S. dollardenominated Fixed Income Securities. At least 80% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in Fixed Income Securities that are, at the time of purchase, investment grade. The Fund intends to limit its investments in assetbacked securities and non-agency mortgage-backed securities (in the aggregate) to 20% of its net assets and does not intend to invest in derivatives. The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), including Rule 144A E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 24772 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices securities deemed illiquid by the Adviser. 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 assets. Illiquid assets 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. 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 per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio 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. Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value, available on the NASDAQ OMX Information LLC proprietary index data service, will be widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors and broadly displayed at least every 15 seconds during the Regular Market Session. On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares in the Regular Market Session on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the Disclosed Portfolio that will form the basis for the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of the business day. 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, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares will be available via Nasdaq proprietary quote and trade services, as well as in accordance with the Unlisted Trading Privileges and the CTA plans for the Shares. Intraday executable price quotations on Fixed Income Securities and other assets not traded on an exchange will be available from major broker-dealer firms or market data vendors, as well as from automated quotation systems, published or other public sources, or online information services. Additionally, FINRA’s TRACE will be a source of price information for certain Fixed Income Securities held by the Fund, including mortgage-backed VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 securities and asset-backed securities. For exchange-traded assets, intraday pricing information will be available directly from the applicable listing exchange. The Fund’s Web site will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable quantitative information. Trading in Shares of the Fund will be halted under the conditions specified in Nasdaq Rules 4120 and 4121 or because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable, and trading in the Shares will be subject to Nasdaq Rule 5735(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the Fund may be halted. In addition, as noted above, investors will have ready access to information regarding the Fund’s holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares. The Fund’s investments will be valued daily at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any investment, at fair value, in each case in accordance with the Valuation Procedures and the 1940 Act. 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 activelymanaged exchange-traded product that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace. As noted above, FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares and the exchangetraded securities held by the Fund with other markets and other entities that are members of ISG, and FINRA may obtain trading information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund from such markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and in the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund from markets and other entities that are members of ISG, which includes securities and futures exchanges, or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. Furthermore, as noted above, investors will have ready access to information regarding the Fund’s holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares. For the above reasons, Nasdaq believes the proposed rule change is consistent with PO 00000 Frm 00106 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act. 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. The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of an additional type of activelymanaged exchange-traded fund that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace. C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others Written comments were neither solicited nor received. 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 Exchange consents, the Commission shall: (a) By order approve or disapprove such 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– NASDAQ–2014–041 on the subject line. Paper Comments • Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549–1090. All submissions should refer to File Number SR–NASDAQ–2014–041. This file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help the Commission process and review your E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 84 / Thursday, May 1, 2014 / Notices 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 Room, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549 on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. 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– NASDAQ–2014–041, and should be submitted on or before May 22, 2014. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.36 Kevin M. O’Neill, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2014–09926 Filed 4–30–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–72026; File No. SR–NYSE– 2014–08] Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change To Adopt the Bond Trading License and the Bond Liquidity Provider Programs Pursuant to NYSE Rules 87 and 88 April 25, 2014. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. Introduction On February 27, 2014, New York Stock Exchange LLC (‘‘NYSE’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 36 17 1 15 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:30 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 232001 thereunder,2 a proposed rule change that would provide for a bond trading license (‘‘BTL’’) for member organizations that desire to trade only debt securities on the Exchange and that would establish a new class of market participants called bond liquidity providers (‘‘BLPs’’). The proposal was published for comment in the Federal Register on March 14, 2014.3 The Commission received no comments on the proposal. This order approves the proposed rule change.4 II. Description of the Proposal A. Bond Trading License The Exchange proposes to establish a trading license for its member organizations to trade only debt securities on the Exchange. Generally, to effect any transaction on the Exchange, a member organization must obtain a trading license pursuant to NYSE Rule 300. Under proposed NYSE Rule 87, the Exchange may issue a BTL to any approved member organization to effectuate bond transactions on the Exchange. The BTL would not be transferrable and could not be assigned, sublicensed, or leased.5 B. Bonds Liquidity Providers Proposed NYSE Rule 88 would provide for a class of market participants called BLPs. The Exchange would provide BLPs with incentives, in the form of rebates, for quoting and for providing liquidity with respect to bonds to which they have been assigned. 1. Qualifications To qualify as a BLP, an Exchange member organization would have to demonstrate an ability to meet the quoting requirement described below. In addition, an Exchange member organization would need to have mnemonics that identify to the 2 17 CFR 240.19b–4 Securities Exchange Act Release No. 71671 (March 10, 2014), 79 FR 14558 (March 14, 2014). 4 The Commission notes that it previously approved the proposed BTL and BLP program on a pilot basis. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63736 (January 9, 2011), 76 FR 4959 (January 28, 2011) (SR–NYSE–2010–74). The pilot program was originally scheduled to expire on January 19, 2012, but the Commission approved two one-year extensions. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65995 (December 16, 2011), 76 FR 79726 (December 22, 2011) (SR–NYSE–2011–63); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 68533 (December 21, 2012), 77 FR 77166 (December 31, 2012) (SR–NYSE–2011–63). The pilot program terminated on January 19, 2014. 5 The holder of the BTL may, with the Exchange’s prior written consent, transfer the BTL to a qualified and approved member organization that is an affiliate or that continues substantially the same business of the BTL holder. See proposed NYSE Rule 87. 3 See PO 00000 Frm 00107 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24773 Exchange BLP trading activity in assigned BLP bonds. Finally, an Exchange member organization would need to have adequate trading infrastructure and technology to support electronic trading. 2. Application Process To become a BLP, an Exchange member organization would be required to submit an application form with supporting documentation to the Exchange. The Exchange would review the application and determine whether the applicant was qualified to be a BLP. In the event an applicant were disapproved or disqualified as a BLP, the applicant could request an appeal or reapply three months after the month in which the applicant received the disapproval or disqualification notice from the Exchange. 3. Matching of BLPs and Issuers Only one BLP would be assigned with respect to the bonds of a single issuer. Prior to the commencement of the program, the Exchange would match issuers with approved BLPs. For issuers that have at least one debt issue with current outstanding principal of at least $500 million, each BLP would select the issuers it will represent in the program, with the order of selection among BLPs determined by lottery. For issuers that do not have any debt issue with current outstanding principal of at least $500 million, each BLP would submit a list of issuers and bonds it would be willing to represent. The BLP that is willing to represent the most bonds for a given issuer would be matched to that issuer. In the event of a tie, the BLP with the highest lottery number from the first round of matching would be matched with the issuer. After the commencement of the program, on a monthly basis, BLPs would be able to apply for unrepresented issuers. The BLP willing to represent the most debt issuances of any given unrepresented issuer would be awarded status as a BLP for that issuer, with ties resolved by lottery. A BLP would be required, with respect to an assigned issuer, to represent each debt issuance of that issuer that has an outstanding principal of $500 million or more. A BLP could, but would not be required to, represent any debt issuance with a smaller outstanding principal amount. If a BLP were representing a debt issuance that was above $500 million but fell below that level, or if a BLP had been voluntarily representing an issuance below the $500 million level where the outstanding principal amount had since been reduced, the BLP would be E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM 01MYN1

Agencies

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 84 (Thursday, May 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24765-24773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09926]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-72030; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2014-041]

Self-Regulatory Organizations; the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC;
Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No.
1, Relating to the Listing and Trading of Shares of the First Trust
Enhanced Short Maturity ETF of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV

April 25, 2014.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

[[Page 24766]]

(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that
on April 11, 2014, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq'' or the
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in in Items I,
II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by Nasdaq. On April
24, 2014, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule
change.\3\ The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments
on the proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 1, from
interested persons.
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ By Amendment No. 1, the Exchange: (1) Clarifies that the
Fund (defined below) will limit its investments in asset-backed
securities and non-agency mortgage-backed securities (in the
aggregate) to 20% of its net assets; (2) modifies its description of
how asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities will be priced in
certain circumstances; and (3) makes certain grammatical
corrections.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the
Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

Nasdaq proposes to list and trade the shares of the First Trust
Enhanced Short Maturity ETF (the ``Fund'') of First Trust Exchange-
Traded Fund IV (the ``Trust'') under Nasdaq Rule 5735 (``Managed Fund
Shares'').\4\ The shares of the Fund are collectively referred to
herein as the ``Shares.''
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\4\ The Commission approved Nasdaq Rule 5735 in Securities
Exchange Act Release No. 57962 (June 13, 2008), 73 FR 35175 (June
20, 2008) (SR-NASDAQ-2008-039). There are already multiple actively-
managed funds listed on the Exchange; see, e.g., Securities Exchange
Act Release Nos. 69464 (April 26, 2013), 78 FR 25774 (May 2, 2013)
(SR-NASDAQ-2013-036) (order approving listing and trading of First
Trust Senior Loan Fund); 68972 (February 22, 2013), 78 FR 13721
(February 28, 2013) (SR-NASDAQ-2012-147) (order approving listing
and trading of First Trust High Yield Long/Short ETF); 66489
(February 29, 2012), 77 FR 13379 (March 6, 2012) (SR-NASDAQ-2012-
004) (order approving listing and trading of WisdomTree Emerging
Markets Corporate Bond Fund). Additionally, the Commission has
previously approved the listing and trading of a number of actively-
managed funds on NYSE Arca, Inc. pursuant to Rule 8.600 of that
exchange. See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 68870
(February 8, 2013), 78 FR 11245 (February 15, 2013) (SR-NYSEArca-
2012-139) (order approving listing and trading of First Trust
Preferred Securities and Income ETF); 64643 (June 10, 2011), 76 FR
35062 (June 15, 2011) (SR-NYSEArca-2011-21) (order approving listing
and trading of WisdomTree Global Real Return Fund). The Exchange
believes the proposed rule change raises no significant issues not
previously addressed in those prior Commission orders.
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The text of the proposed rule change is available at https://nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com/, at Nasdaq's principal office, 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, Nasdaq included statements
concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change. The
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in
Item IV below. Nasdaq 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
The Exchange proposes to list and trade the Shares of the Fund
under Nasdaq Rule 5735, which governs the listing and trading of
Managed Fund Shares \5\ on the Exchange. The Fund will be an actively-
managed exchange-traded fund (``ETF''). The Shares will be offered by
the Trust, which was established as a Massachusetts business trust on
September 15, 2010.\6\ The Trust is registered with the Commission as
an investment company and has filed a registration statement on Form N-
1A (``Registration Statement'') with the Commission.\7\ The Fund will
be a series of the Trust. The Fund intends to qualify each year as a
regulated investment company (``RIC'') under Subchapter M of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
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\5\ A Managed Fund Share is a security that represents an
interest in an investment company registered under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1) (the ``1940 Act'') organized
as an open-end investment company or similar entity that invests in
a portfolio of securities selected by its investment adviser
consistent with its investment objectives and policies. In contrast,
an open-end investment company that issues Index Fund Shares, listed
and traded on the Exchange under Nasdaq Rule 5705, seeks to provide
investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield
performance of a specific foreign or domestic stock index, fixed
income securities index or combination thereof.
\6\ The Commission has issued an order, upon which the Trust may
rely, granting certain exemptive relief under the 1940 Act. See
Investment Company Act Release No. 30029 (April 10, 2012) (File No.
812-13795) (the ``Exemptive Relief''). In addition, on December 6,
2012, the staff of the Commission's Division of Investment
Management (``Division'') issued a no-action letter (``No-Action
Letter'') relating to the use of derivatives by actively-managed
ETFs. See No-Action Letter dated December 6, 2012 from Elizabeth G.
Osterman, Associate Director, Office of Exemptive Applications,
Division of Investment Management. The No-Action Letter stated that
the Division would not recommend enforcement action to the
Commission under applicable provisions of and rules under the 1940
Act if actively-managed ETFs operating in reliance on specified
orders (which include the Exemptive Relief) invest in options
contracts, futures contracts or swap agreements provided that they
comply with certain representations stated in the No-Action Letter.
However, the Fund does not intend to invest in derivatives.
\7\ See Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 to Registration
Statement on Form N-1A for the Trust, dated April 10, 2014 (File
Nos. 333-174332 and 811-22559). The descriptions of the Fund and the
Shares contained herein are based, in part, on information in the
Registration Statement.
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First Trust Advisors L.P. will be the investment adviser
(``Adviser'') to the Fund. First Trust Portfolios L.P. (the
``Distributor'') will be the principal underwriter and distributor of
the Fund's Shares. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (``BNY'')
will act as the administrator, accounting agent, custodian and transfer
agent to the Fund.
Paragraph (g) of Rule 5735 provides that if the investment adviser
to the investment company issuing Managed Fund Shares is affiliated
with a broker-dealer, such investment adviser shall erect a ``fire
wall'' between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer with
respect to access to information concerning the composition and/or
changes to such investment company portfolio.\8\ In addition, paragraph
(g) further requires that personnel who make decisions on the open-end
fund's portfolio composition must be subject to procedures designed to
prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public information
regarding the open-end fund's portfolio. Rule 5735(g) is similar to
Nasdaq Rule 5705(b)(5)(A)(i); however, paragraph (g) in connection with
the establishment of a ``fire wall'' between the investment adviser and
the broker-dealer reflects

[[Page 24767]]

the applicable open-end fund's portfolio, not an underlying benchmark
index, as is the case with index-based funds. The Adviser is not a
broker-dealer, although it is affiliated with the Distributor, a
broker-dealer. The Adviser has implemented a fire wall with respect to
its broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning
the composition and/or changes to the portfolio. In addition, personnel
who make decisions on the Fund's portfolio composition will be subject
to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material
non-public information regarding the Fund's portfolio. In the event (a)
the Adviser or any sub-adviser becomes, or becomes newly affiliated
with, a broker-dealer, or (b) any new adviser or sub-adviser is a
registered broker-dealer or becomes affiliated with a broker-dealer, it
will implement a fire wall with respect to its relevant personnel and/
or such broker-dealer affiliate, as applicable, regarding access to
information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio
and will be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and
dissemination of material non-public information regarding such
portfolio. The Fund does not currently intend to use a sub-adviser.
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\8\ An investment adviser to an open-end fund is required to be
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the ``Advisers
Act''). As a result, the Adviser and its 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.
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First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF
The investment objective of the Fund will be to seek current
income, consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity.
Under normal market conditions,\9\ the Fund will seek to achieve its
investment objective by investing in a portfolio of U.S. dollar-
denominated fixed- and variable-rate \10\ instruments (collectively,
``Fixed Income Securities'') issued by U.S. and non-U.S. public- and
private-sector entities. The Fund will hold Fixed Income Securities of
at least 13 non-affiliated issuers.
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\9\ The term ``under normal market conditions'' as used herein
includes, but is not limited to, the absence of adverse market,
economic, political or other conditions, including extreme
volatility or trading halts in the fixed income 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. For temporary
defensive purposes, during the initial invest-up period and during
periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Fund may depart from
its principal investment strategies; for example, it may hold a
higher than normal proportion of its assets in cash. During such
periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment
objective. The Fund may adopt a defensive strategy when the Adviser
believes securities in which the Fund normally invests have elevated
risks due to political or economic factors and in other
extraordinary circumstances.
\10\ For these purposes, the term ``variable-rate'' also
includes similar terms such as ``floating-rate'' and ``adjustable-
rate.''
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At least 80% of the Fund's net assets will be invested in Fixed
Income Securities that are, at the time of purchase, investment grade.
To be considered ``investment grade,'' under normal market conditions,
short-term securities (generally securities with original maturities of
one year or less) held by the Fund and rated by at least one nationally
recognized statistical ratings organization (``NRSRO'') will carry, at
the time of purchase, a short-term rating in the highest three rating
categories of at least one NRSRO (e.g., A-3, P-3 or F-3 or better by
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of the McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc. (``S&P''), Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
(``Moody's'') or Fitch Ratings (``Fitch''), respectively), and other
rated securities will carry, at the time of purchase, a rating in the
highest four rating categories of at least one NRSRO (e.g., BBB- or
higher by S&P and/or Fitch or Baa3 or higher by Moody's).\11\ For
unrated securities to be considered ``investment grade,'' under normal
market conditions, such securities will be determined, at the time of
purchase, to be of comparable quality \12\ by the Adviser.
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\11\ For the avoidance of doubt, if a security is rated by
multiple NRSROs and receives different ratings, the Fund will treat
the security as being rated in the highest rating category received
from an NRSRO.
\12\ Comparable quality of unrated securities will be determined
by the Adviser based on fundamental credit analysis of the unrated
security and comparable NRSRO-rated securities. On a best efforts
basis, the Adviser will attempt to make a rating determination based
on publicly available data. In making a ``comparable quality''
determination, the Adviser may consider, for example, whether the
issuer of the security has issued other rated securities, the nature
and provisions of the relevant security, whether the obligations
under the relevant security are guaranteed by another entity and the
rating of such guarantor (if any), relevant cash flows,
macroeconomic analysis, and/or sector or industry analysis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Principal Investments
The Fund intends to achieve its investment objective by investing,
under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in a
portfolio of U.S. dollar-denominated Fixed Income Securities issued by
U.S. and non-U.S. public- and private-sector entities. Fixed Income
Securities will include the following types of fixed- and variable-rate
debt securities: corporate \13\ and government bonds and notes; agency
securities; \14\ instruments of non-U.S. issuers in developed markets;
privately-issued securities; \15\ asset-backed securities; \16\
mortgage-backed securities; \17\ municipal bonds; money market
securities; \18\ and investment companies \19\ (including investment
companies advised by the Adviser) that invest primarily in the
foregoing types

[[Page 24768]]

of Fixed Income Securities.\20\ The Fund will limit its investments in
asset-backed securities and non-agency mortgage-backed securities (in
the aggregate) to 20% of its net assets.\21\
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\13\ While the Fund is permitted to invest without restriction
in corporate bonds, the Adviser expects that, under normal market
conditions, generally, with respect to at least 75% of the Fund's
portfolio, a corporate bond will have, at the time of original
issuance, $100 million or more par amount outstanding to be
considered as an eligible investment.
\14\ ``Agency securities'' for these purposes generally includes
securities issued by the following entities: Government National
Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), Federal National Mortgage
Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks),
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), Farm Credit
System (FCS) Farm Credit Banks (FCBanks), Student Loan Marketing
Association (Sallie Mae), Resolution Funding Corporation (REFCORP),
Financing Corporation (FICO), and the Farm Credit System (FCS)
Financial Assistance Corporation (FAC). Agency securities can
include, but are not limited to, mortgage-backed securities.
\15\ ``Privately-issued securities'' for these purposes
generally includes Rule 144A securities and, in this context, may
include both mortgage-backed and non-mortgage Rule 144A securities.
\16\ Asset-backed securities are Fixed Income Securities that
are backed by a pool of assets. The Fund currently intends to invest
in asset-backed securities that are consumer asset-backed
securities.
\17\ Mortgage-backed securities are Fixed Income Securities that
are backed by a pool of mortgage loans. There are a wide variety of
mortgage-backed securities involving commercial or residential,
fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgages and mortgages issued by
banks or government agencies.
\18\ ``Money market securities'' for these purposes generally
includes: Short-term high-quality obligations issued or guaranteed
by the U.S. Treasury or the agencies or instrumentalities of the
U.S. government; short-term high-quality securities issued or
guaranteed by non-U.S. governments, agencies and instrumentalities;
repurchase agreements; commercial paper (both asset-backed and non-
asset-backed); and deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-
U.S. banks and financial institutions.
\19\ The Fund currently anticipates investing only in registered
open-end investment companies that are listed and traded in the U.S.
on registered exchanges (i.e., other ETFs). An ETF is an investment
company registered under the 1940 Act that holds a portfolio of
securities. Many ETFs are designed to track the performance of a
securities index, including industry, sector, country and region
indexes. The Fund may invest in the securities of ETFs in excess of
the limits imposed under the 1940 Act pursuant to exemptive orders
obtained by other ETFs and their sponsors from the Commission. In
addition, the Fund may invest in the securities of certain
investment companies in excess of the limits imposed under the 1940
Act pursuant to an exemptive order obtained by the Trust and the
Adviser from the Commission. See Investment Company Act Release No.
30377 (February 5, 2013) (File No. 812-13895). The ETFs in which the
Fund may invest include Index Fund Shares (as described in Nasdaq
Rule 5705), Portfolio Depository Receipts (as described in Nasdaq
Rule 5705), and Managed Fund Shares (as described in Nasdaq Rule
5735). While the Fund may invest in inverse ETFs, the Fund will not
invest in leveraged or inverse leveraged (e.g., 2X or -3X) ETFs.
\20\ The liquidity of a security, especially in the case of
asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, is a substantial factor
in the Fund's security selection process. Consistent with the
discussion below under ``Investment Restrictions,'' the Fund will
not purchase any Fixed Income Securities (including asset-backed
securities and mortgage-backed securities) that, in the Adviser's
opinion, are illiquid if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of
the Fund's net assets will be invested in illiquid assets.
\21\ See Amendment No. 1, supra note 3. For the avoidance of
doubt, there is no limitation on the Fund's investments in agency
mortgage-backed securities.
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Under normal market conditions, the Fund's duration \22\ is
expected to be below one year and the maturity \23\ of the Fund's
portfolio is expected to be below three years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\22\ Duration is a measure of the expected price volatility of a
debt instrument as a result of changes in market rates of interest,
based on, among other factors, the weighted average timing of the
instrument's expected principal and interest payments. Duration
differs from maturity in that it considers a security's yield,
coupon payments, principal payments, call features and coupon
adjustments in addition to the amount of time until the security
finally matures.
\23\ Maturity is measured relative to the type of security. For
Fixed Income Securities (exclusive of asset-backed securities and
mortgage-backed securities), maturity shall be calculated using
dollar-weighted average maturity, which is calculated by taking the
average length of time to maturity. For asset-backed securities and
mortgage-backed securities, maturity shall be calculated using
weighted average life, which is the estimated time to principal
paydown for each underlying instrument held by the Fund, weighted
according to the relative holdings per instrument.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Investments
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest primarily in
the Fixed Income Securities described above to meet its investment
objective. In addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets
in floating rate loans. The floating rate loans in which the Fund will
invest will represent amounts borrowed by companies or other entities
from banks and other lenders and a significant portion of such floating
rate loans may be rated below investment grade or unrated. Floating
rate loans held by the Fund may be senior or subordinate obligations of
the borrower and may or may not be secured by collateral. The Fund will
generally invest in floating rate loans that the Adviser deems to be
liquid with readily available prices; notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Fund may invest in floating rate loans that are deemed illiquid so
long as the Fund complies with the 15% limitation on investments of its
net assets in illiquid assets described below under ``Investment
Restrictions''.
Investment Restrictions
The Fund will not invest 25% or more of the value of its total
assets in securities of issuers in any one industry. This restriction
does not apply to (a) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
government, its agencies or instrumentalities or (b) securities of
other investment companies.\24\
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\24\ 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).
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The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net
assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment),
including Rule 144A securities deemed illiquid by the Adviser.\25\ 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 assets. Illiquid assets 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.\26\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\25\ In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider
the following factors: The frequency of trades and quotes for the
security; the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the
security and the number of other potential purchasers; dealer
undertakings to make a market in the security; and the nature of the
security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g.,
the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting
offers and the mechanics of transfer).
\26\ 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 will not invest in non-U.S. equity securities.
Creation and Redemption of Shares
The Fund will issue and redeem Shares on a continuous basis at net
asset value (``NAV'') \27\ only in large blocks of Shares (``Creation
Units'') in transactions with authorized participants, generally
including broker-dealers and large institutional investors
(``Authorized Participants''). Creation Units generally will consist of
50,000 Shares, although this may change from time to time. Creation
Units, however, are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 Shares.
As described in the Registration Statement and consistent with the
Exemptive Relief, the Fund will issue and redeem Creation Units in
exchange for an in-kind portfolio of instruments and/or cash in lieu of
such instruments (the ``Creation Basket''). In addition, if there is a
difference between the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and the
market value of the Creation Basket exchanged for the Creation Unit,
the party conveying instruments with the lower value will pay to the
other an amount in cash equal to the difference (referred to as the
``Cash Component'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\27\ The NAV of the Fund's Shares generally will be calculated
once daily Monday through Friday as of the close of regular trading
on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time
(the ``NAV Calculation Time''). NAV per Share will be calculated by
dividing the Fund's net assets by the number of Fund Shares
outstanding. For more information regarding the valuation of Fund
investments in calculating the Fund's NAV, see the Registration
Statement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant
or through a firm that is either a member of the National Securities
Clearing Corporation (``NSCC'') or a Depository Trust Company
participant that, in each case, must have executed an agreement that
has been agreed to by the Distributor and BNY with respect to creations
and redemptions of Creation Units. All standard orders to create
Creation Units must be received by the transfer agent no later than the
closing time of the regular trading session on the New York Stock
Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the ``Closing Time'') in
each case on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of
Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of Shares as next
determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form.
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next
determined after receipt not later than the Closing Time of a
redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the transfer
agent and only on a business day.
The Fund's custodian, through the NSCC, will make available on each

[[Page 24769]]

business day, prior to the opening of business of the Exchange, the
list of the names and quantities of the instruments comprising the
Creation Basket, as well as the estimated Cash Component (if any), for
that day. The published Creation Basket will apply until a new Creation
Basket is announced on the following business day.
Net Asset Value
The Fund's NAV will be determined as of the close of trading
(normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock
Exchange is open for business. NAV will be calculated for the Fund by
taking the market price of the Fund's total assets, including interest
or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and
dividing such amount by the total number of Shares outstanding. The
result, rounded to the nearest cent, will be the NAV per Share. All
valuations will be subject to review by the Board of Trustees of the
Trust (``Trust Board'') or its delegate.
The Fund's investments will be valued daily at market value or, in
the absence of market value with respect to any investment, at fair
value, in each case in accordance with valuation procedures (which may
be revised from time to time) adopted by the Trust Board (the
``Valuation Procedures'') and in accordance with the 1940 Act. A market
valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, an
independent pricing service (``Pricing Service''), or a major market
maker (or dealer) or (ii) based on a price quotation or other
equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a Pricing
Service, or a major market maker (or dealer). The information
summarized below is based on the Valuation Procedures as currently in
effect; however, as noted above, the Valuation Procedures are amended
from time to time and, therefore, such information is subject to
change.
Certain securities in which the Fund may invest will not be listed
on any securities exchange or board of trade. Such securities will
typically be bought and sold by institutional investors in individually
negotiated private transactions that function in many respects like an
over-the-counter secondary market, although typically no formal market
makers will exist. Certain securities, particularly debt securities,
will have few or no trades, or trade infrequently, and information
regarding a specific security may not be widely available or may be
incomplete. Accordingly, determinations of the fair value of debt
securities may be based on infrequent and dated information. Because
there is less reliable, objective data available, elements of judgment
may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other
types of securities. Typically, debt securities (other than those
described below) will be valued using information provided by a Pricing
Service. Debt securities having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less
when purchased will be valued at cost adjusted for amortization of
premiums and accretion of discounts. Overnight repurchase agreements
will be valued at cost and term repurchase agreements (i.e., those
whose maturity exceeds seven days) will be valued at the average of the
bid quotations obtained daily from at least two recognized dealers.
Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities will generally be
valued by using a Pricing Service. If a Pricing Service does not cover
a particular asset-backed or mortgage-backed security, or discontinues
covering a particular asset-backed or mortgage-backed security, the
security will be priced using broker quotes generally provided by
brokers that make or participate in markets in the security.\28\ To
derive values, Pricing Services and broker-dealers may use matrix
pricing and valuation models, as well as recent market transactions for
the same or similar assets. Occasionally, the Adviser's pricing
committee (the ``Pricing Committee'') may determine that a Pricing
Service price does not represent an accurate value of an asset-backed
or mortgage-backed security, based on the broker quotes it receives, a
recent trade in the security by the Fund, information from a portfolio
manager, or other market information. In the event that the Pricing
Committee determines that the Pricing Service price is unreliable or
inaccurate based on such other information, the broker quotes may be
used. Additionally, if the Pricing Committee determines that the price
of an asset-backed or mortgage-backed security obtained from a Pricing
Service and the available broker quotes are unreliable or inaccurate
due to market conditions or other reasons, or if a Pricing Service
price or broker quote is unavailable, the security will be valued using
fair value pricing, as described below.
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\28\ See Amendment No. 1, supra note 3.
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Equity securities listed on any exchange other than the Exchange
will be valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are
principally traded on the business day as of which such value is being
determined. Equity securities listed on the Exchange will be valued at
the official closing price on the business day as of which such value
is being determined. If there has been no sale on such day, or no
official closing price in the case of securities traded on the
Exchange, the securities will be valued using fair value pricing, as
described below. Equity securities traded on more than one securities
exchange will be valued at the last sale price or official closing
price, as applicable, on the business day as of which such value is
being determined at the close of the exchange representing the
principal market for such securities.
Certain securities may not be able to be priced by pre-established
pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by the Trust Board or
its delegate at fair value. The use of fair value pricing by the Fund
will be governed by the Valuation Procedures and conducted in
accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. Valuing the Fund's
securities using fair value pricing will result in using prices for
those securities that may differ from current market valuations or
official closing prices on the applicable exchange.
Availability of Information
The Fund's Web site (www.ftportfolios.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 Web site
will include the Shares' ticker, Cusip and exchange information along
with additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis,
including, for the Fund: (1) Daily trading volume, the prior business
day's reported NAV and closing price, mid-point of the bid/ask spread
at the time of calculation of such NAV (the ``Bid/Ask Price''),\29\ 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 each business day, before commencement
of trading in Shares in the Regular Market Session \30\ on the
Exchange, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the identities and
quantities of the portfolio

[[Page 24770]]

of securities, and other assets (the ``Disclosed Portfolio'' as defined
in Nasdaq Rule 5735(c)(2)) held by the Fund that will form the basis
for the Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day.\31\
The Disclosed Portfolio will include, as applicable, the names,
quantities, percentage weightings and market values of the portfolio
securities, and other assets held by the Fund. The Web site information
will be publicly available at no charge.
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\29\ The Bid/Ask Price 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.
\30\ See Nasdaq Rule 4120(b)(4) (describing the three trading
sessions on the Exchange: (1) Pre-Market Session from 4 a.m. to 9:30
a.m., Eastern time; (2) Regular Market Session from 9:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. or 4:15 p.m., Eastern time; and (3) Post-Market Session from 4
p.m. or 4:15 p.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time).
\31\ 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.
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In addition, for the Fund, an estimated value, defined in Rule
5735(c)(3) as the ``Intraday Indicative Value,'' that reflects an
estimated intraday value of the Fund's Disclosed Portfolio, will be
disseminated. Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value, available on the
NASDAQ OMX Information LLC proprietary index data service,\32\ will be
based upon the current value for the components of the Disclosed
Portfolio and will be updated and widely disseminated by one or more
major market data vendors and broadly displayed at least every 15
seconds during the Regular Market Session. The Intraday Indicative
Value will be based on quotes and closing prices from the securities'
local market and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the
local market's close. Premiums and discounts between the Intraday
Indicative Value and the market price may occur. This should not be
viewed as a ``real time'' update of the NAV per Share of the Fund,
which is calculated only once a day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\32\ Currently, the NASDAQ OMX Global Index Data Service
(``GIDS'') is the NASDAQ OMX global index data feed service,
offering real-time updates, daily summary messages, and access to
widely followed indexes and Intraday Indicative Values for ETFs.
GIDS provides investment professionals with the daily information
needed to track or trade NASDAQ OMX indexes, listed ETFs, or third-
party partner indexes and ETFs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dissemination of the Intraday Indicative Value, together with
the Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors to determine the value of
the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and will provide
a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day.
Investors will also be able to obtain the Fund's Statement of
Additional Information (``SAI''), the Fund's annual and semi-annual
reports (together, ``Shareholder Reports''), and its Form N-CSR and
Form N-SAR, filed twice a year. The Fund's SAI and Shareholder Reports
will be available free upon request from the Fund, 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 Nasdaq proprietary quote and trade services, as well as in
accordance with the Unlisted Trading Privileges and the Consolidated
Tape Association (``CTA'') plans for the Shares. Intraday executable
price quotations on Fixed Income Securities and other assets not traded
on an exchange will be available from major broker-dealer firms or
market data vendors, as well as from automated quotation systems,
published or other public sources, or online information services.
Additionally, the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (``TRACE'') of
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (``FINRA'') will be a
source of price information for certain Fixed Income Securities held by
the Fund, including mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed
securities. For exchange-traded assets, intraday pricing information
will be available directly from the applicable listing exchange.
[sic] and, for exchange-traded assets, such intraday information
will be available directly from the applicable listing exchange.
Intraday price information will also be available through subscription
services, such as Bloomberg, Markit, and Thomson Reuters, which can be
accessed by Authorized Participants and other investors.
Additional information regarding the Fund and the Shares, including
investment strategies, risks, creation and redemption procedures, fees,
Fund holdings disclosure policies, distributions and taxes will be
included in the Registration Statement. All terms relating to the Fund
that are referred to, but not defined in, this proposed rule change
will be defined in the Registration Statement.
Initial and Continued Listing
The Shares will be subject to Rule 5735, which sets forth the
initial and continued listing criteria applicable to Managed Fund
Shares. The Exchange represents that, for initial and/or continued
listing, the Fund must be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 \33\ under the
Act. 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 per Share
will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio
will be made available to all market participants at the same time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\33\ See 17 CFR 240.10A-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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. Nasdaq will halt trading in the
Shares under the conditions specified in Nasdaq Rules 4120 and 4121,
including the trading pauses under Nasdaq Rules 4120(a)(11) and (12).
Trading 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 the other assets constituting the Disclosed
Portfolio of the Fund; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or
circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly
market are present. Trading in the Shares also will be subject to Rule
5735(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the
Fund may be halted.
Trading Rules
Nasdaq deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus rendering
trading in the Shares subject to Nasdaq's existing rules governing the
trading of equity securities. Nasdaq will allow trading in the Shares
from 4:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Exchange has
appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares during all
trading sessions. As provided in Nasdaq Rule 5735(b)(3), the minimum
price variation for quoting and entry of orders in Managed Fund Shares
traded on the Exchange is $0.01.
Surveillance
The Exchange represents that trading in the Shares will be subject
to the existing trading surveillances, administered by both Nasdaq and
also FINRA on behalf of the Exchange, which are designed to detect
violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal

[[Page 24771]]

securities laws.\34\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\34\ FINRA surveils trading on the Exchange pursuant to a
regulatory services agreement. The Exchange is responsible for
FINRA's performance under this regulatory services agreement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The surveillances referred to above generally focus on detecting
securities trading outside their normal patterns, which could be
indicative of manipulative or other violative activity. 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.
FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will communicate as needed
regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held
by the Fund with other markets and other entities that are members of
the Intermarket Surveillance Group (``ISG'') \35\ and FINRA may obtain
trading information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-
traded securities held by the Fund from such markets and other
entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding
trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held by the
Fund from markets and other entities that are members of ISG, which
includes securities and futures exchanges, or with which the Exchange
has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. Moreover,
FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will be able to access, as needed,
trade information for certain Fixed Income Securities held by the Fund
reported to FINRA's TRACE.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\35\ For a list of the current members of ISG, see
www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all components of the
Disclosed Portfolio may trade on markets that are members of ISG or
with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance
sharing agreement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

All of the Fund's net assets that are invested in exchange-traded
equity securities will be invested in securities that trade in markets
that are members of ISG or are parties to a comprehensive surveillance
sharing agreement with the Exchange.
In addition, the Exchange also has a general policy prohibiting the
distribution of material, non-public information by its employees.
Information Circular
Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its
members in an Information Circular of the special characteristics and
risks associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Information
Circular will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases
and redemptions of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not
individually redeemable); (2) Nasdaq Rule 2111A, which imposes
suitability obligations on Nasdaq members with respect to recommending
transactions in the Shares to customers; (3) how information regarding
the Intraday Indicative Value is disseminated; (4) the risks involved
in trading the Shares during the Pre-Market and Post-Market Sessions
when an updated Intraday Indicative Value will not be calculated or
publicly disseminated; (5) the requirement that members deliver a
prospectus to investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or
concurrently with the confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading
information. The Information Circular will also discuss any exemptive,
no-action and interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any
rules under the Act.
Additionally, the Information Circular will reference that the Fund
is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Registration
Statement. The Information Circular will also disclose the trading
hours of the Shares of the Fund and the applicable NAV Calculation Time
for the Shares. The Information Circular will disclose that information
about the Shares of the Fund will be publicly available on the Fund's
Web site.
2. Statutory Basis
Nasdaq believes that the proposal is consistent with Section 6(b)
of the Act in general and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act 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, 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 Nasdaq Rule 5735. The
Exchange represents that trading in the Shares will be subject to the
existing trading surveillances, administered by both Nasdaq and also
FINRA on behalf of the Exchange, which are designed to detect
violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws.
The Adviser is not a broker-dealer, although it is affiliated with
the Distributor, a broker-dealer, and is required to implement a ``fire
wall'' with respect to such broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to
information concerning the composition and/or changes to the Fund's
portfolio. In addition, paragraph (g) of Nasdaq Rule 5735 further
requires that personnel who make decisions on the open-end fund's
portfolio composition must be subject to procedures designed to prevent
the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding
the open-end fund's portfolio.
FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will communicate as needed
regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded securities held
by the Fund with other markets and other entities that are members of
ISG, and FINRA may obtain trading information regarding trading in the
Shares and the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund from such
markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain
information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-traded
securities held by the Fund from markets and other entities that are
members of ISG, which includes securities and futures exchanges, or
with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance
sharing agreement. Moreover, FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will be
able to access, as needed, trade information for certain Fixed Income
Securities held by the Fund reported to FINRA's TRACE. All of the
Fund's net assets that are invested in exchange-traded equity
securities will be invested in securities that trade in markets that
are members of ISG or are parties to a comprehensive surveillance
sharing agreement with the Exchange.
The investment objective of the Fund will be to seek current
income, consistent with preservation of capital and daily liquidity.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to achieve its
investment objective by investing in a portfolio of U.S. dollar-
denominated Fixed Income Securities. At least 80% of the Fund's net
assets will be invested in Fixed Income Securities that are, at the
time of purchase, investment grade. The Fund intends to limit its
investments in asset-backed securities and non-agency mortgage-backed
securities (in the aggregate) to 20% of its net assets and does not
intend to invest in derivatives. The Fund may hold up to an aggregate
amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the
time of investment), including Rule 144A

[[Page 24772]]

securities deemed illiquid by the Adviser. 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 assets. Illiquid assets 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.
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 per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV
and the Disclosed Portfolio 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. Moreover, the Intraday
Indicative Value, available on the NASDAQ OMX Information LLC
proprietary index data service, will be widely disseminated by one or
more major market data vendors and broadly displayed at least every 15
seconds during the Regular Market Session. On each business day, before
commencement of trading in Shares in the Regular Market Session on the
Exchange, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the Disclosed
Portfolio that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at
the end of the business day. 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, and quotation and last sale information for the
Shares will be available via Nasdaq proprietary quote and trade
services, as well as in accordance with the Unlisted Trading Privileges
and the CTA plans for the Shares. Intraday executable price quotations
on Fixed Income Securities and other assets not traded on an exchange
will be available from major broker-dealer firms or market data
vendors, as well as from automated quotation systems, published or
other public sources, or online information services. Additionally,
FINRA's TRACE will be a source of price information for certain Fixed
Income Securities held by the Fund, including mortgage-backed
securities and asset-backed securities. For exchange-traded assets,
intraday pricing information will be available directly from the
applicable listing exchange.
The Fund's Web site will include a form of the prospectus for the
Fund and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable
quantitative information. Trading in Shares of the Fund will be halted
under the conditions specified in Nasdaq Rules 4120 and 4121 or because
of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange,
make trading in the Shares inadvisable, and trading in the Shares will
be subject to Nasdaq Rule 5735(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances
under which Shares of the Fund may be halted. In addition, as noted
above, investors will have ready access to information regarding the
Fund's holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed
Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares.
The Fund's investments will be valued daily at market value or, in
the absence of market value with respect to any investment, at fair
value, in each case in accordance with the Valuation Procedures and the
1940 Act.
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 actively-managed exchange-traded product that
will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of
investors and the marketplace. As noted above, FINRA, on behalf of the
Exchange, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares
and the exchange-traded securities held by the Fund with other markets
and other entities that are members of ISG, and FINRA may obtain
trading information regarding trading in the Shares and the exchange-
traded securities held by the Fund from such markets and other
entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding
trading in the Shares and in the exchange-traded securities held by the
Fund from markets and other entities that are members of ISG, which
includes securities and futures exchanges, or with which the Exchange
has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
Furthermore, as noted above, investors will have ready access to
information regarding the Fund's holdings, the Intraday Indicative
Value, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information
for the Shares. For the above reasons, Nasdaq believes the proposed
rule change is consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of
the Act.

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. The Exchange believes that
the proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of an
additional type of actively-managed exchange-traded fund that will
enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of
investors and the marketplace.

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

Written comments were neither solicited nor received.

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 Exchange consents, the Commission shall: (a) By order approve
or disapprove such 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-NASDAQ-2014-041 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2014-041. This
file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To
help the Commission process and review your

[[Page 24773]]

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 Room, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549 on official
business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of
such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the
principal office of the Exchange. 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-NASDAQ-2014-041, and should be submitted on or before
May 22, 2014.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\36\
Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
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\36\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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[FR Doc. 2014-09926 Filed 4-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

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