Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe Exchange, Inc.; Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change To Amend Rules Related to the Complex Order Book, 14066-14068 [2018-06569]
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14066
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 63 / Monday, April 2, 2018 / Notices
modification of an existing product
currently appearing on the market
dominant or the competitive product
list.
Section II identifies the docket
number(s) associated with each Postal
Service request, the title of each Postal
Service request, the request’s acceptance
date, and the authority cited by the
Postal Service for each request. For each
request, the Commission appoints an
officer of the Commission to represent
the interests of the general public in the
proceeding, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505
(Public Representative). Section II also
establishes comment deadline(s)
pertaining to each request.
The public portions of the Postal
Service’s request(s) can be accessed via
the Commission’s website (https://
www.prc.gov). Non-public portions of
the Postal Service’s request(s), if any,
can be accessed through compliance
with the requirements of 39 CFR
3007.40.
The Commission invites comments on
whether the Postal Service’s request(s)
in the captioned docket(s) are consistent
with the policies of title 39. For
request(s) that the Postal Service states
concern market dominant product(s),
applicable statutory and regulatory
requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3622, 39
U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3010, and 39
CFR part 3020, subpart B. For request(s)
that the Postal Service states concern
competitive product(s), applicable
statutory and regulatory requirements
include 39 U.S.C. 3632, 39 U.S.C. 3633,
39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3015, and
39 CFR part 3020, subpart B. Comment
deadline(s) for each request appear in
section II.
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
II. Docketed Proceeding(s)
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Sunshine Act Meetings
[Release No. 34–82949; File No. SR–CBOE–
2018–016]
2:00 p.m. on
Wednesday, April 4, 2018.
TIME AND DATE:
Closed Commission Hearing
Room 10800.
PLACE:
This meeting will be closed to
the public.
STATUS:
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Commissioners, Counsel to the
Commissioners, the Secretary to the
Commission, and recording secretaries
will attend the closed meeting. Certain
staff members who have an interest in
the matters also may be present.
The General Counsel of the
Commission, or his designee, has
certified that, in his opinion, one or
more of the exemptions set forth in 5
U.S.C. 552b(c)(3), (5), (6), (7), (8), 9(B)
and (10) and 17 CFR 200.402(a)(3),
(a)(5), (a)(6), (a)(7), (a)(8), (a)(9)(ii) and
(a)(10), permit consideration of the
scheduled matters at the closed meeting.
Commissioner Peirce, as duty officer,
voted to consider the items listed for the
closed meeting in closed session.
The subject matters of the closed
meeting will be:
Institution and settlement of
injunctive actions;
Institution and settlement of
administrative proceedings; and
Other matters relating to enforcement
proceedings.
At times, changes in Commission
priorities require alterations in the
scheduling of meeting items.
CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:
1. Docket No(s).: CP2018–192; Filing
Title: Notice of United States Postal
Service of Filing a Functionally
Equivalent Global Expedited Package
Services 8 Negotiated Service
Agreement and Application for NonPublic Treatment of Materials Filed
Under Seal; Filing Acceptance Date:
March 27, 2018; Filing Authority: 39
CFR 3015.50; Public Representative:
Matthew R. Ashford; Comments Due:
April 4, 2018.
This Notice will be published in the
Federal Register.
For further information and to ascertain
what, if any, matters have been added,
deleted or postponed; please contact
Brent J. Fields from the Office of the
Secretary at (202) 551–5400.
Dated: March 28, 2018.
Brent Fields,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–06695 Filed 3–29–18; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
PO 00000
II. Description of the Proposed Rule
Change
CBOE Options Rule 6.53C(c)(i) allows
the Exchange to determine which
classes and which complex order origin
types (i.e., non-broker-dealer public
customer, broker-dealers that are not
market-makers or specialists on an
options exchange, and/or market-makers
or specialists on an options exchange)
are eligible for entry into the COB and
whether such complex orders can route
directly to the COB and/or from PAR to
the COB. Cboe Options has determined
that the complex orders of marketmakers (origin code ‘‘M’’) and marketmakers or specialists on an options
exchange (‘‘away market-makers’’)
(origin code ‘‘N’’) in options on the S&P
500 (‘‘SPX’’ and ‘‘SPXW’’) and the Cboe
Volatility Index (‘‘VIX’’) are not eligible
for entry into the COB.4 The Exchange
proposes to amend Cboe Options Rule
6.53C(c)(i) to provide that in a class in
which the Exchange determines that the
complex orders of market-makers and
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
3 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 82689
(February 12, 2018), 83 FR 7092 (‘‘Notice’’).
4 See Notice, 83 FR at 7092. See also Cboe
Options Regulatory Circular RG15–195. To the
extent an origin type is not eligible for entry into
the COB, complex orders with that origin type may
be entered into the Exchange’s System as openingonly or immediate-or-cancel because these orders
would not rest in the COB when the Exchange is
open for trading.
BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P
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I. Introduction
On February 2, 2018, Cboe Exchange,
Inc. (the ‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘Cboe
Options’’) filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’),
pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2 a
proposed rule change to allow market
makers and option specialists to rest
orders in the Complex Order Book
(‘‘COB’’) under certain circumstances.
The proposed rule change was
published for comment in the Federal
Register on February 16, 2018.3 The
Commission received no comments
regarding the proposal. This order
approves the proposed rule change.
2 17
[FR Doc. 2018–06643 Filed 3–30–18; 8:45 am]
19:06 Mar 30, 2018
March 27, 2018
1 15
Stacy Ruble,
Secretary.
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specialists on an options exchange are
not eligible for entry into the COB, the
Exchange may determine that marketmakers and specialists may enter their
complex orders into the COB under two
circumstances. First, market-makers and
specialists will be permitted to enter
their complex orders in the COB if their
orders are on the opposite side of a
priority customer complex order(s)
resting in the COB with a price not
outside the national spread market
(‘‘NSM’’).5 Cboe Options notes that,
unlike the leg markets in which marketmakers provide liquidity through
quotes, market-makers are unable to
submit quotes in the COB that indicate
to customers the price at which they are
willing to trade.6 Cboe Options believes
that allowing market makers to enter
their orders in the COB will provide
priority customers with information
about where market makers are willing
to trade, thus creating potential
execution opportunities for priority
customers whose orders are not satisfied
by the leg markets or other complex
orders.7
Second, the proposal will allow
market-makers and options specialists
to enter their complex orders in the COB
if their orders are on the opposite side
of order(s) for the same strategy on the
same side that initiated a Complex
Order Auction (‘‘COA’’) if there are ‘‘x’’
number of COAs within ‘‘y’’
milliseconds, counted on a rolling basis
(the Exchange will determine the
number ‘‘x’’ (which must be at least
two) and time period ‘‘y’’ (which may be
no more than 2,000)).8 Cboe Options
believes that it may be difficult for
market-makers to respond to multiple
auctions that occur within a short time
period while managing risk related to
the amount executed during those
auctions.9 In this regard, the Exchange
states that market-makers have
complicated risk modeling associated
with their trading activity, which factors
in the size, price, and frequency at
which they trade with orders.10 To help
ensure that a market-maker does not
trade with potentially erroneous orders
and become overexposed to risk, the
Exchange states that a market-maker
may set its risk controls to stop
responding to COAs when multiple
COAs in a strategy occur within a short
timeframe (e.g., a market-maker may
program its system to respond only to a
5 See Cboe Options Rules 6.53C(c)(i)(A)(1) and
1.1(bbbb) (defining ‘‘national spread market’’).
6 See Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
7 See id. See also Notice, 83 FR at 7094, Examples
1 and 2.
8 See Cboe Options Rule 6.53C(c)(i)(A)(2).
9 See Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
10 See id.
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Jkt 244001
specific number of auctions within a
time period), which reduces auction
liquidity and potential price
improvement for COA orders.11 The
Exchange notes, however, that multiple
non-erroneous auctions in a strategy
may occur within a short time period if,
for example, a market participant’s
algorithmic trading breaks up a large
order into a number of smaller orders.12
Accordingly, the proposal will allow a
market-maker that determines that it is
appropriate to trade with COA orders
under these circumstances to submit an
order to the COB that would be
available to trade against multiple COA
orders up to the amount the marketmaker is willing to trade for the strategy
within its risk controls.13
The rule will require market-makers
and specialists to cancel any
unexecuted complex orders in the COB
no later than a specified time (which the
Exchange will determine and may be no
more than five minutes) after the time
the COB receives the order.14 Cboe
Options states that it intends to set these
parameters at levels that it believes will
permit market-makers to have sufficient
time to submit orders into the COB to
participate in COAs, a determination
that the Exchange will make based on
market-maker feedback, business
conditions, and data (including trading
volume data and information regarding
the number of executions of marketmaker orders against complex orders).15
In addition, Cboe Options states the
time period within which a marketmaker must cancel its complex order
will provide the market-maker with
sufficient time for the opposing
customer to potentially re-price its order
for execution against the market-maker’s
order or for the market-maker’s order to
execute against an order following a
COA.16
The Exchange states that it will have
surveillance to enforce the proposed
rule change, which will monitor
whether market-maker and away
11 See
id.
id.
13 See id. Cboe Options notes that pursuant to
Cboe Options Rule 6.53C(d), the order of a marketmaker or options specialist resting in the COB on
the opposite side of an auctioned order may be
available for execution against any contracts of the
auctioned order that did not execute during the
auction. See id.
14 See Cboe Options Rule 6.53C(c)(i)(B). The
Exchange will announce to Trading Permit Holders
all determinations it makes pursuant to Cboe
Options Rule 6.53C via Regulatory Circular. See
Cboe Options Rule 6.53C, Interpretation and Policy
.01. The Exchange states that it will provide
Trading Permit Holders with sufficient advanced
notice prior to changing any parameters its sets
under the proposal. See Notice, 83 FR at 7093 n.5.
15 See Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
16 See id. at 7094.
12 See
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14067
market-maker orders have been entered
only in the circumstances permitted
under the proposal, and whether any
unexecuted orders have been cancelled
by the deadline imposed by the
proposal.17
III. Discussion and Commission
Findings
After careful review, the Commission
finds that the proposed rule change is
consistent with the requirements of the
Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder applicable to a national
securities exchange.18 In particular, for
the reasons discussed below, the
Commission finds that the proposed
rule change is consistent with Section
6(b)(5) of the Act,19 which requires,
among other things, that the rules of a
national securities exchange be
designed to prevent fraudulent and
manipulative acts and practices, to
promote just and equitable principles of
trade, to remove impediments to and
perfect the mechanism of a free and
open market and a national market
system, and, in general, to protect
investors and the public interest.
The Commission believes that
allowing market-makers and specialists
to enter orders in the COB on the
opposite side of the market from priority
customer orders resting in the COB, or
on the opposite side of the market when
orders on the same side of the market
for a particular strategy have initiated a
number of COAs within a short time
period, as described more fully above, is
designed to result in the provision of
additional liquidity to trade with
customer orders, potentially providing
additional execution and price
improvement opportunities for those
customer orders. As noted above, CBOE
believes that allowing market-makers
and specialists to rest orders in the COB
opposite priority customer interest in
the COB that is not outside the NSM
could provide an execution opportunity
for a priority customer order that has
not executed against other complex
order or leg market interest by providing
the customer with information
concerning the price at which a market
maker is willing to trade with the
customer’s order; this information
currently is not available because the
COB has no market maker quotes
indicating the price at which liquidity
providers are willing to trade against
17 See
id. at 7094.
approving this proposed rule change, the
Commission has considered the proposed rule’s
impact on efficiency, competition, and capital
formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
19 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
18 In
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 63 / Monday, April 2, 2018 / Notices
customer orders.20 Allowing marketmakers and specialists to place orders in
the COB following a number of COAs
for the same strategy on the same side
of the market could allow a market
maker to determine to provide
additional liquidity for customer orders,
within the market-maker’s risk controls,
in circumstances where the marketmaker’s system has stopped responding
to COAs.21 The Commission notes that
Cboe Options has represented that it
will have surveillance to monitor
compliance with the requirements of the
rule.22
IV. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to
Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,23 that the
proposed rule change (SR–CBOE–2018–
016) is approved.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.24
Jill Peterson,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–06569 Filed 3–30–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Investment Company Act Release No.
33058; 812–14670]
Aberdeen Asset Management Inc., et
al.
March 27, 2018.
Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’).
ACTION: Notice.
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
Notice of application for an order
under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940
(‘‘Act’’) for exemptions from section
17(a) of the Act, and under section 17(d)
of the Act and rule 17d–1 thereunder to
permit certain joint transactions.
SUMMARY OF APPLICATION: Applicants
requests an order to permit certain
registered open-end and closed-end
management investment companies or
series thereof to invest in a private
investment vehicle established by their
investment advisers for the purpose of
investing in China A Shares and certain
other Chinese securities.
APPLICANTS: Aberdeen Asset
Management Inc. (‘‘AAMI’’), Aberdeen
Asset Managers Limited, (‘‘AAML’’),
Aberdeen Asset Management Asia
20 See
Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
id.
22 See id. at 7094.
23 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
24 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
21 See
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19:06 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 244001
Limited (‘‘AAMAL,’’ and together with
AAMI and AAML, the ‘‘Initial
Advisers’’), Aberdeen Funds (the
‘‘Trust’’), Aberdeen Greater China Fund,
Inc. (‘‘GCH’’), and Aberdeen
Institutional Commingled Funds, LLC
(the ‘‘Commingled LLC’’).
FILING DATES: The application was filed
on July 20, 2016, and amended on
February 10, 2017, September 22, 2017,
January 18, 2018, and March 19, 2018.
HEARING OR NOTIFICATION OF HEARING:
An order granting the requested relief
will be issued unless the Commission
orders a hearing. Interested persons may
request a hearing by writing to the
Commission’s Secretary and serving
applicants with a copy of the request,
personally or by mail. Hearing requests
should be received by the Commission
by 5:30 p.m. on April 23, 2018, and
should be accompanied by proof of
service on applicants, in the form of an
affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of
service. Pursuant to rule 0–5 under the
Act, hearing requests should state the
nature of the writer’s interest, any facts
bearing upon the desirability of a
hearing on the matter, the reason for the
request, and the issues contested.
Persons who wish to be notified of a
hearing may request notification by
writing to the Commission’s Secretary.
ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street
NE, Washington, DC 20549–1090.
Applicants: 225 Liberty Street, New
York, NY 10281.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kieran G. Brown, Senior Counsel, at
(202) 551–6773, or Robert H. Shapiro,
Branch Chief, at (202) 551–6821
(Division of Investment Management,
Chief Counsel’s Office).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
following is a summary of the
application. The complete application
may be obtained via the Commission’s
website by searching for the file
number, or an applicant using the
Company name box, at https://
www.sec.gov/search/search.htm or by
calling (202) 551–8090.
Applicants’ Representations:
1. The Trust is a Delaware statutory
trust and is registered under Act as an
open-end management investment
company. GCH is a Maryland
corporation and is registered under the
Act as a closed-end management
investment company. Each of Aberdeen
Asia-Pacific (ex-Japan) Equity Fund,
Aberdeen Emerging Markets Fund and
Aberdeen China Opportunities Fund
(together with GCH, collectively, the
‘‘Initial Funds’’) is a series of the Trust.
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2. The Commingled LLC is a limited
liability company under the Delaware
Limited Liability Company Act, which
relies on the exemption from
registration under the Act provided by
section 3(c)(7) of the Act.1
3. Each Adviser is registered as an
investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(‘‘Advisers Act’’), and AAMI, AAML
and AAMAL are wholly-owned
subsidiaries of Aberdeen Asset
Management PLC. AAMI serves as the
investment adviser to the series of the
Trust pursuant to an investment
advisory agreement between AAMI and
the Trust, on behalf of its series (the
‘‘AAMI Agreement’’). AAMAL and
AAML both serve as sub-advisers
(collectively, and in this capacity, the
‘‘Sub-Advisers’’) to certain series of the
Trust, including Aberdeen Asia-Pacific
(ex-Japan) Equity Fund, Aberdeen
Emerging Markets Fund and Aberdeen
China Opportunities Fund, pursuant to
sub-advisory agreements by and among
the Trust, AAMI and the respective SubAdviser (the ‘‘Sub-Advisory
Agreements’’). The Initial Advisers also
serve as sub-adviser to a number of
other registered management investment
companies or series thereof.2 AAMAL
1 Each entity that currently intends to rely on the
requested relief, other than the Initial Sub-Advised
Funds (defined below), has been named as an
applicant. Any existing or future registered openend or closed-end management investment
companies or series thereof for which an Initial
Adviser, or an Initial Adviser’s successor, or any
person controlling, controlled by, or under common
control with an Initial Adviser (an ‘‘Aberdeen
Affiliate’’) acts as investment adviser or sub-adviser
(each such Initial Adviser or Aberdeen Affiliate
acting as investment adviser or sub-adviser, an
‘‘Adviser’’) that may rely on the requested relief in
the future is a ‘‘Future Fund’’. For purposes of the
requested order, the term ‘‘successor’’ is limited to
an entity that results from a reorganization into
another jurisdiction or a change in the type of
business organization. The Initial Funds, SubAdvised Funds (as defined below) and Future
Funds are referred to collectively as the ‘‘Funds’’ or
individually as a ‘‘Fund’’. Each Fund or other entity
that may rely on the requested relief in the future
will do so only in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the requested order.
2 The following registered management
investment companies or series of registered
management investment companies are sub-advised
by an Adviser and, to the Adviser’s knowledge,
currently intend to rely on the requested relief,
subject to approval by their respective primary
investment advisers and boards of directors or
trustees: First Trust/Aberdeen Emerging
Opportunity Fund, Brighthouse/Aberdeen Emerging
Markets Equity Portfolio, Emerging Markets Equity
Portfolio, Thrivent Partner Emerging Markets Equity
Fund, Thrivent Partner Worldwide Allocation
Fund, Thrivent Partner Emerging Markets Equity
Portfolio and Thrivent Partner Worldwide
Allocation Portfolio (collectively, the ‘‘Initial SubAdvised Funds,’’ and together with any other
existing or future registered open-end or closed-end
management investment company or series thereof
that is sub-advised by an Adviser that may rely on
the requested relief in the future, the ‘‘Sub-Advised
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14066-14068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06569]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-82949; File No. SR-CBOE-2018-016]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe Exchange, Inc.; Order
Approving a Proposed Rule Change To Amend Rules Related to the Complex
Order Book
March 27, 2018
I. Introduction
On February 2, 2018, Cboe Exchange, Inc. (the ``Exchange'' or
``Cboe Options'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission''), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ a
proposed rule change to allow market makers and option specialists to
rest orders in the Complex Order Book (``COB'') under certain
circumstances. The proposed rule change was published for comment in
the Federal Register on February 16, 2018.\3\ The Commission received
no comments regarding the proposal. This order approves the proposed
rule change.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 82689 (February 12,
2018), 83 FR 7092 (``Notice'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Description of the Proposed Rule Change
CBOE Options Rule 6.53C(c)(i) allows the Exchange to determine
which classes and which complex order origin types (i.e., non-broker-
dealer public customer, broker-dealers that are not market-makers or
specialists on an options exchange, and/or market-makers or specialists
on an options exchange) are eligible for entry into the COB and whether
such complex orders can route directly to the COB and/or from PAR to
the COB. Cboe Options has determined that the complex orders of market-
makers (origin code ``M'') and market-makers or specialists on an
options exchange (``away market-makers'') (origin code ``N'') in
options on the S&P 500 (``SPX'' and ``SPXW'') and the Cboe Volatility
Index (``VIX'') are not eligible for entry into the COB.\4\ The
Exchange proposes to amend Cboe Options Rule 6.53C(c)(i) to provide
that in a class in which the Exchange determines that the complex
orders of market-makers and
[[Page 14067]]
specialists on an options exchange are not eligible for entry into the
COB, the Exchange may determine that market-makers and specialists may
enter their complex orders into the COB under two circumstances. First,
market-makers and specialists will be permitted to enter their complex
orders in the COB if their orders are on the opposite side of a
priority customer complex order(s) resting in the COB with a price not
outside the national spread market (``NSM'').\5\ Cboe Options notes
that, unlike the leg markets in which market-makers provide liquidity
through quotes, market-makers are unable to submit quotes in the COB
that indicate to customers the price at which they are willing to
trade.\6\ Cboe Options believes that allowing market makers to enter
their orders in the COB will provide priority customers with
information about where market makers are willing to trade, thus
creating potential execution opportunities for priority customers whose
orders are not satisfied by the leg markets or other complex orders.\7\
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\4\ See Notice, 83 FR at 7092. See also Cboe Options Regulatory
Circular RG15-195. To the extent an origin type is not eligible for
entry into the COB, complex orders with that origin type may be
entered into the Exchange's System as opening-only or immediate-or-
cancel because these orders would not rest in the COB when the
Exchange is open for trading.
\5\ See Cboe Options Rules 6.53C(c)(i)(A)(1) and 1.1(bbbb)
(defining ``national spread market'').
\6\ See Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
\7\ See id. See also Notice, 83 FR at 7094, Examples 1 and 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second, the proposal will allow market-makers and options
specialists to enter their complex orders in the COB if their orders
are on the opposite side of order(s) for the same strategy on the same
side that initiated a Complex Order Auction (``COA'') if there are
``x'' number of COAs within ``y'' milliseconds, counted on a rolling
basis (the Exchange will determine the number ``x'' (which must be at
least two) and time period ``y'' (which may be no more than 2,000)).\8\
Cboe Options believes that it may be difficult for market-makers to
respond to multiple auctions that occur within a short time period
while managing risk related to the amount executed during those
auctions.\9\ In this regard, the Exchange states that market-makers
have complicated risk modeling associated with their trading activity,
which factors in the size, price, and frequency at which they trade
with orders.\10\ To help ensure that a market-maker does not trade with
potentially erroneous orders and become overexposed to risk, the
Exchange states that a market-maker may set its risk controls to stop
responding to COAs when multiple COAs in a strategy occur within a
short timeframe (e.g., a market-maker may program its system to respond
only to a specific number of auctions within a time period), which
reduces auction liquidity and potential price improvement for COA
orders.\11\ The Exchange notes, however, that multiple non-erroneous
auctions in a strategy may occur within a short time period if, for
example, a market participant's algorithmic trading breaks up a large
order into a number of smaller orders.\12\ Accordingly, the proposal
will allow a market-maker that determines that it is appropriate to
trade with COA orders under these circumstances to submit an order to
the COB that would be available to trade against multiple COA orders up
to the amount the market-maker is willing to trade for the strategy
within its risk controls.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ See Cboe Options Rule 6.53C(c)(i)(A)(2).
\9\ See Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
\10\ See id.
\11\ See id.
\12\ See id.
\13\ See id. Cboe Options notes that pursuant to Cboe Options
Rule 6.53C(d), the order of a market-maker or options specialist
resting in the COB on the opposite side of an auctioned order may be
available for execution against any contracts of the auctioned order
that did not execute during the auction. See id.
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The rule will require market-makers and specialists to cancel any
unexecuted complex orders in the COB no later than a specified time
(which the Exchange will determine and may be no more than five
minutes) after the time the COB receives the order.\14\ Cboe Options
states that it intends to set these parameters at levels that it
believes will permit market-makers to have sufficient time to submit
orders into the COB to participate in COAs, a determination that the
Exchange will make based on market-maker feedback, business conditions,
and data (including trading volume data and information regarding the
number of executions of market-maker orders against complex
orders).\15\ In addition, Cboe Options states the time period within
which a market-maker must cancel its complex order will provide the
market-maker with sufficient time for the opposing customer to
potentially re-price its order for execution against the market-maker's
order or for the market-maker's order to execute against an order
following a COA.\16\
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\14\ See Cboe Options Rule 6.53C(c)(i)(B). The Exchange will
announce to Trading Permit Holders all determinations it makes
pursuant to Cboe Options Rule 6.53C via Regulatory Circular. See
Cboe Options Rule 6.53C, Interpretation and Policy .01. The Exchange
states that it will provide Trading Permit Holders with sufficient
advanced notice prior to changing any parameters its sets under the
proposal. See Notice, 83 FR at 7093 n.5.
\15\ See Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
\16\ See id. at 7094.
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The Exchange states that it will have surveillance to enforce the
proposed rule change, which will monitor whether market-maker and away
market-maker orders have been entered only in the circumstances
permitted under the proposal, and whether any unexecuted orders have
been cancelled by the deadline imposed by the proposal.\17\
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\17\ See id. at 7094.
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III. Discussion and Commission Findings
After careful review, the Commission finds that the proposed rule
change is consistent with the requirements of the Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities
exchange.\18\ In particular, for the reasons discussed below, the
Commission finds that the proposed rule change is consistent with
Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\19\ which requires, among other things,
that the rules of a national securities exchange be designed to prevent
fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and
equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect the
mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and,
in general, to protect investors and the public interest.
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\18\ In approving this proposed rule change, the Commission has
considered the proposed rule's impact on efficiency, competition,
and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
\19\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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The Commission believes that allowing market-makers and specialists
to enter orders in the COB on the opposite side of the market from
priority customer orders resting in the COB, or on the opposite side of
the market when orders on the same side of the market for a particular
strategy have initiated a number of COAs within a short time period, as
described more fully above, is designed to result in the provision of
additional liquidity to trade with customer orders, potentially
providing additional execution and price improvement opportunities for
those customer orders. As noted above, CBOE believes that allowing
market-makers and specialists to rest orders in the COB opposite
priority customer interest in the COB that is not outside the NSM could
provide an execution opportunity for a priority customer order that has
not executed against other complex order or leg market interest by
providing the customer with information concerning the price at which a
market maker is willing to trade with the customer's order; this
information currently is not available because the COB has no market
maker quotes indicating the price at which liquidity providers are
willing to trade against
[[Page 14068]]
customer orders.\20\ Allowing market-makers and specialists to place
orders in the COB following a number of COAs for the same strategy on
the same side of the market could allow a market maker to determine to
provide additional liquidity for customer orders, within the market-
maker's risk controls, in circumstances where the market-maker's system
has stopped responding to COAs.\21\ The Commission notes that Cboe
Options has represented that it will have surveillance to monitor
compliance with the requirements of the rule.\22\
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\20\ See Notice, 83 FR at 7093.
\21\ See id.
\22\ See id. at 7094.
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IV. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the
Act,\23\ that the proposed rule change (SR-CBOE-2018-016) is approved.
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\23\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\24\
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\24\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Jill Peterson,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-06569 Filed 3-30-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P