Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To List and Trade Shares of the JPMorgan Municipal ETF and JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal ETF of the J.P. Morgan Exchange-Traded Fund Trust Under Rule 14.11(i), Managed Fund Shares, 52255-52264 [2018-22427]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Notices
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.7
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–22429 Filed 10–15–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–04–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–84394; File No. SR–
CboeBZX–2018–072]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe
BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing
and Immediate Effectiveness of a
Proposed Rule Change To List and
Trade Shares of the JPMorgan
Municipal ETF and JPMorgan UltraShort Municipal ETF of the J.P. Morgan
Exchange-Traded Fund Trust Under
Rule 14.11(i), Managed Fund Shares
October 10, 2018.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on
September 26, 2018, Cboe BZX
Exchange, Inc. (the ‘‘Exchange’’ or
‘‘BZX’’) filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’)
the proposed rule change as described
in Items I and II below, which Items
have been prepared by the Exchange.
The Exchange has designated this
proposal as a ‘‘non-controversial’’
proposed rule change pursuant to
Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act 3 and Rule
19b–4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder,4 which
renders it effective upon filing with the
Commission. The Commission is
publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change
from interested persons.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange filed a proposal to list
and trade shares of the JPMorgan
Municipal ETF and JPMorgan UltraShort Municipal ETF (each a ‘‘Fund’’ or,
collectively, the ‘‘Funds’’) of the J.P.
Morgan Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
(the ‘‘Trust’’ or the ‘‘Issuer’’) under Rule
14.11(i) (‘‘Managed Fund Shares’’). The
shares of the Funds are referred to
herein as the ‘‘Shares.’’
The text of the proposed rule change
is available at the Exchange’s website at
www.markets.cboe.com, at the principal
7 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
4 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii).
1 15
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office of the Exchange, and at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
In its filing with the Commission, the
Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for
the proposed rule change and discussed
any comments it received on the
proposed rule change. The text of these
statements may be examined at the
places specified in Item IV below. The
Exchange has prepared summaries, set
forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of
the most significant parts of such
statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Purpose of, and the
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule
Change
1. Purpose
The Exchange proposes to list and
trade the Shares under Rule 14.11(i),
which governs the listing and trading of
Managed Fund Shares on the
Exchange.5 The Funds will be actively
managed funds. The Shares will be
offered by the Trust, which was
established as a Delaware statutory
trust. The Trust is registered with the
Commission as an open-end investment
company and has filed a registration
statement on behalf of the Fund on
Form N–1A (‘‘Registration Statement’’)
with the Commission.6
Rule 14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii)(a) requires that
component fixed income securities that,
in the aggregate, account for at least
75% of the weight of the portfolio shall
have a minimum principal amount
outstanding of $100 million or more.
The Exchange submits this proposal
because the portfolios of the Funds will
not meet this requirement. The Fund
will, however, meet all of the other
requirements of Rule 14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii),
(iii), (iv) and (v), specifically including
Rule 14.11(i)(4)(C)(iv), which provides
that non-agency, non-GSE, and
privately-issued mortgage-related and
other asset-backed securities
5 The Commission approved Rule 14.11(i) in
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65225 (August
30, 2011), 76 FR 55148 (September 6, 2011) (SR–
BATS–2011–018).
6 See Registration Statement on Form N–1A for
the Trust, dated July 31, 2018 (File Nos. 333–
191837 and 811–22903). The descriptions of the
Fund and the Shares contained herein are based, in
part, on information in the Registration Statement.
The Commission has issued an order granting
certain exemptive relief to the Trust under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C.
80a–1) (‘‘1940 Act’’) (the ‘‘Exemptive Order’’). See
Investment Company Act Release No. 31990
(February 9, 2016) (File No. 811–22903).
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52255
components of a portfolio shall not
account, in the aggregate, for more than
20% of the weight of the fixed income
portion of the portfolio, and
14.11(i)(4)(C)(iv)(a), which provides that
in the aggregate, at least 90% of the
weight of listed derivatives holdings
shall consist of futures, options, and
swaps for which the Exchange may
obtain information via the Intermarket
Surveillance Group (‘‘ISG’’) from other
members or affiliates of the ISG or for
which the principal market is a market
with which the Exchange has a
comprehensive surveillance sharing
agreement, calculated using the
aggregate gross notional value of such
holdings.
Description of the Shares and the Funds
J.P. Morgan Investment Management,
Inc. is the investment adviser (the
‘‘Adviser’’) to the Fund. JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A. is the administrator,
custodian, and transfer agent
(‘‘Administrator,’’ ‘‘Custodian,’’ and
‘‘Transfer Agent,’’ respectively) for the
Trust. JPMorgan Distribution Services,
Inc. serves as the distributor
(‘‘Distributor’’) for the Trust.
Rule 14.11(i)(7) 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.7 In
addition, Rule 14.11(i)(7) further
requires that personnel who make
decisions on the investment company’s
portfolio composition must be subject to
7 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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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Notices
procedures designed to prevent the use
and dissemination of material
nonpublic information regarding the
applicable investment company
portfolio. Rule 14.11(i)(7) is similar to
Rule 14.11(b)(5)(A)(i), however, Rule
14.11(i)(7) in connection with the
establishment of a ‘‘fire wall’’ between
the investment adviser and the brokerdealer reflects 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
registered broker-dealer, but is affiliated
with multiple broker-dealers and has
implemented ‘‘fire walls’’ with respect
to such broker-dealers regarding access
to information concerning the
composition and/or changes to a Fund’s
portfolio. In addition, Adviser personnel
who make decisions regarding a Fund’s
portfolio are subject to procedures
designed to prevent the use and
dissemination of material nonpublic
information regarding the Fund’s
portfolio. In the event that (a) the
Adviser becomes registered as a brokerdealer or newly affiliated with another
broker-dealer, or (b) any new adviser or
sub-adviser is a registered broker-dealer
or becomes affiliated with a brokerdealer, it will implement a fire wall
with respect to its relevant personnel 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.
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JPMorgan Municipal ETF
According to the Registration
Statement, the Fund will seek to
provide monthly dividends, which are
excluded from gross income, and to
protect the value of a shareholder’s
investment by investing primarily in
municipal obligations. For purposes of
the Fund’s investment objective, ‘‘gross
income’’ means gross income for federal
income tax purposes. To achieve its
objective, the Fund will invest, under
normal circumstances,8 at least 80% of
its net assets in Municipal Securities, as
defined below, the interest from which
is exempt from federal income tax. The
Fund is not a money market fund and
8 The term ‘‘under normal circumstances’’
includes, but is not limited to, the absence of
adverse market, economic, political, or other
conditions, including extreme volatility or trading
halts in the financial markets; 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.
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does not seek to maintain a stable net
asset value of $1.00 per share. The Fund
will be classified as a ‘‘diversified’’
investment company under the 1940
Act.9
The Fund intends to qualify each year
as a regulated investment company (a
‘‘RIC’’) under Subchapter M of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended. The Fund will invest its
assets, and otherwise conduct its
operations, in a manner that is intended
to satisfy the qualifying income,
diversification and distribution
requirements necessary to establish and
maintain RIC qualification under
Subchapter M.
Principal Holdings—Municipal
Securities
To achieve its objective, the Fund will
invest, under normal circumstances, in
fixed and variable rate Municipal
Securities, as defined below. As part of
its investments in Municipal Securities,
the Fund invests primarily in
investment grade securities or the
unrated equivalent. Investment-grade
securities are rated a minimum of BBBor higher by Standard & Poor’s Ratings
Services and/or Fitch, or Baa3 or higher
by Moody’s, or if unrated, determined
by the Adviser to be of equivalent
quality.10 Up to 10% of the Fund’s total
assets may be invested in securities
rated below investment grade (junk
bonds). Junk bonds are rated in the fifth
or lower rated categories (for example,
BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s
Ratings Services and Ba1 or lower by
Moody’s). Under normal circumstances,
the Fund invests in a portfolio of
Municipal Securities with an average
weighted maturity of three to ten years.
Average weighted maturity is the
average of all the current maturities
(that is, the term of the securities) of the
individual bonds in a Fund calculated
so as to count most heavily those
securities with the highest dollar value.
Municipal securities (‘‘Municipal
Securities’’) are debt securities issued by
or on behalf of states, territories and
possessions of the United States,
9 The diversification standard is set forth in
Section 5(b)(1) of the 1940 Act.
10 According to the Adviser, the Adviser may
determine that unrated securities are of ‘‘equivalent
quality’’ based on such credit quality factors that it
deems appropriate, which may include among other
things, performing an analysis similar, to the extent
possible, to that performed by a nationally
recognized statistical ratings organization when
rating similar securities and issuers. In making such
a determination, the Adviser may consider internal
analyses and risk ratings, third party research and
analysis, and other sources of information, as
deemed appropriate by the Adviser. The Adviser
notes that the Fund may hold up to 10% of its net
assets in fixed-rate Municipal Securities that are not
investment-grade.
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including the District of Columbia, and
their respective authorities, political
subdivisions, agencies and
instrumentalities and other groups with
the authority to act for the
municipalities, the interest on which is
exempt from federal income tax and
will include only the following
instruments: General obligation
bonds,11 revenue bonds,12 municipal
notes,13 municipal tax exempt
commercial paper,14 tender option
bonds,15 private activity and industrial
development bonds, variable rate
demand obligations (‘‘VRDOs’’),16
variable rate demand preferred
securities, municipal mortgage-backed
securities and other asset-backed
securities, municipal lease
obligations,17 stripped securities,18
structured securities,19 deferred
payment securities, when issued
11 General obligation bonds are obligations
involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing
power and are payable from such issuer’s general
revenues and not from any particular source.
12 Revenue bonds are bonds that are secured by
a pledge of revenues derived from the operations of
a revenue producing institution (i.e., a hospital or
a university), a system (i.e., a water system or an
airport), a project, or from a special tax levy.
Industrial development bonds are generally
considered revenue bonds, and they are typically
payable from the revenues of a corporation.
13 Municipal notes are shorter-term municipal
debt obligations that may provide interim financing
in anticipation of tax collection, receipt of grants,
bond sales, or revenue receipts. These include tax
anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes and
revenue anticipation notes.
14 Municipal tax exempt commercial paper is
generally unsecured debt that is issued to meet
short-term financing needs.
15 Tender option bonds are synthetic floating-rate
or variable-rate securities issued when long-term
bonds are purchased in the primary or secondary
market and then deposited into a trust. Custodial
receipts are then issued to investors, such as the
Fund, evidencing ownership interests in the trust.
16 VRDOs are tax-exempt obligations that contain
a floating or variable interest rate adjustment
formula and a right of demand on the part of the
holder thereof to receive payment of the unpaid
principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short
notice period not to exceed seven days.
17 Municipal lease obligations include certificates
of participation issued by government authorities or
entities to finance the acquisition or construction of
equipment, land, and/or facilities.
18 Stripped securities are created when an issuer
separates the interest and principal components of
an instrument and sells them as separate securities.
In general, one security is entitled to receive the
interest payments on the underlying assets and the
other to receive the principal payments.
19 Structured securities are privately negotiated
debt obligations where the principal and/or interest
is determined by reference to the performance of an
underlying investment, index, or reference
obligation, and may be issued by governmental
agencies. While structured securities are part of the
principal holdings of the Fund, the Issuer
represents that such securities, when combined
with those instruments held as part of the other
portfolio holdings described below, will not exceed
20% of the Fund’s net assets.
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Notices
securities,20 and zero coupon
securities.21 The Fund may invest more
than 25% of its total assets in municipal
obligations, the interest upon which is
paid from revenues of projects within a
single sector, such as housing or
healthcare.
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
Requirements for Fund Holdings
The Fund will hold a minimum of 40
different Municipal Securities
diversified among issuers in at least 8
different states with no more than 30%
of the Fund’s assets comprised of
Municipal Securities that provide
exposure to any single state
(collectively, ‘‘Minimum Requirement
1’’). The Fund will hold a minimum of
75 different Municipal Securities when
at least four creation units are
outstanding (‘‘Trigger Number 1A’’).
The Fund will hold a minimum of 100
different Municipal Securities
diversified among issuers in at least 20
different states when at least eight
creation units are outstanding (‘‘Trigger
Number 1B’’). No single Municipal
Security held by the Fund will exceed
4% of the weight of the Fund’s portfolio
and no single issuer of Municipal
Securities will account for more than
10% of the weight of the Fund’s
portfolio (collectively, ‘‘Minimum
Requirement 2’’). The Fund will hold
Municipal Securities of at least 20 nonaffiliated issuers (‘‘Minimum
Requirement 3’’). The Fund will hold
Municipal Securities of at least 30 nonaffiliated issuers when at least four
creation units are outstanding (‘‘Trigger
Number 2’’).22 To the extent that the
Fund at one point has sufficient creation
units outstanding necessary to trigger a
diversity requirement laid out above
(each of Trigger Numbers 1A, 1B and 2,
a ‘‘Trigger Number’’), but subsequently
has fewer creation units outstanding
than the applicable Trigger Number, the
Fund may no longer comply with the
applicable diversity requirement.23
20 The Fund may purchase or sell securities that
it is entitled to receive on a when issued or delayed
delivery basis as well as through a forward
commitment.
21 Zero coupon securities are securities that are
sold at a discount to par value and do not pay
interest during the life of the security. The discount
approximates the total amount of interest the
security will accrue and compound over the period
until maturity at a rate of interest reflecting the
market rate of the security at the time of issuance.
Upon maturity, the holder of a zero coupon security
is entitled to receive the par value of the security.
22 For purposes of this filing, each state and each
separate political subdivision, agency, authority, or
instrumentality of such state, each multi-state
agency or authority, and each guarantor, if any, will
be treated as separate issuers of Municipal
Securities.
23 While the Fund may no longer comply with the
diversity requirements applicable to the previously
applicable Trigger Number, the Fund will continue
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In the absence of normal
circumstances, the Fund may
temporarily depart from its normal
investment process, provided that such
departure is, in the opinion of the
Adviser, consistent with the Fund’s
investment objective and in the best
interest of the Fund. For example, the
Fund may hold a higher than normal
proportion of its assets in cash in
response to adverse market, economic or
political conditions.
Other Portfolio Holdings
The Fund may also, to a limited
extent (under normal circumstances,
less than 20% of the Fund’s net assets),
engage in transactions in United States
bond futures contracts, exchange traded
treasury and debt futures options,
interest rate swaps and zero coupon
swaps, interest rate futures, interest rate
options, and swaps on Municipal
Securities indexes.24 The Fund may also
invest to a limited extent (under normal
circumstances, less than 20% of the
Fund’s net assets) in auction rate
securities, commercial paper (other than
the municipal tax exempt commercial
paper described above), corporate debt
securities (bonds and other debt
securities of domestic and foreign
issuers), exchange traded and nonexchange traded investment companies
(including investment companies
advised by the Adviser or its
affiliates),25 inflation linked debt
securities, inverse floating rate
instruments, loan assignments and
participations, short term funding
agreements, Treasury receipts, United
States government obligations, whenissued securities, delayed delivery
securities, forward commitments, and
deferred payment securities. The Fund’s
investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be
used to achieve leveraged returns (i.e.
two times or three times the Fund’s
benchmark, as described in the
Registration Statement).
The Fund may also enter into
repurchase and reverse repurchase
agreements (collectively, ‘‘Repurchase
Agreements’’). Repurchase Agreements
to comply with any diversity requirement for which
the number of creation units outstanding continues
to exceed the Trigger Number (i.e., Trigger Number
1A), as well as each of Minimum Requirements 1,
2 and 3.
24 The derivatives will be centrally cleared and
they will be collateralized. Derivatives are not a
principal investment strategy of the Fund.
25 The Fund currently anticipates investing in
only registered open-end investment companies,
including mutual funds and the open-end
investment company funds described in Rule 14.11.
The Fund may invest in the securities of other
investment companies to the extent permitted by
law.
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52257
involve the sale of securities with an
agreement to repurchase the securities
at an agreed-upon price, date and
interest payment and have the
characteristics of borrowing as part of
the Fund’s principal holdings.26
The Fund may also invest in cash and
Cash Equivalents,27 which includes
shares of exchange traded and nonexchange traded investment companies
(including investment companies
advised by the Adviser or its affiliates)
that invest principally in money market
instruments.
Investment Restrictions
The Fund may hold up to an aggregate
amount of 15% of its net assets in
illiquid assets (calculated at the time of
investment), as deemed illiquid by the
Adviser 28 under the 1940 Act.29 The
26 The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase
agreements will be covered by liquid assets having
a value equal to or greater than such commitments.
The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form
of leverage because the proceeds derived from
reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in
additional securities. As further stated below, the
Fund’s investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be used to
achieve leveraged returns.
27 As defined in Exchange Rule
14.11(i)(4)(C)(iii)(b), Cash Equivalents are shortterm instruments with maturities of less than three
months, which includes only the following: (i) U.S.
Government securities, including bills, notes, and
bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest,
which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Treasury or by U.S. Government agencies or
instrumentalities; (ii) certificates of deposit issued
against funds deposited in a bank or savings and
loan association; (iii) bankers acceptances, which
are short-term credit instruments used to finance
commercial transactions; (iv) repurchase
agreements and reverse repurchase agreements; (v)
bank time deposits, which are monies kept on
deposit with banks or savings and loan associations
for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest;
(vi) commercial paper, which are short-term
unsecured promissory notes; and (vii) money
market funds.
28 In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser
may consider factors including: 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; the
nature of the security and the nature of the
marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose
of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and
the mechanics of transfer); any legal or contractual
restrictions on the ability to transfer the security or
asset; significant developments involving the issuer
or counterparty specifically (e.g., default,
bankruptcy, etc.) or the securities markets generally;
and settlement practices, registration procedures,
limitations on currency conversion or repatriation,
and transfer limitations (for foreign securities or
other assets).
29 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
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According to the Registration
Statement, the Fund will seek as high a
level of current income exempt from
federal income tax as is consistent with
relative stability of principal. To achieve
its objective, the Fund will invest, under
normal circumstances,30 at least 80% of
its net assets in Municipal Securities, as
defined below, the interest from which
is exempt from federal income tax. The
Fund is not a money market fund and
does not seek to maintain a stable net
asset value of $1.00 per share. The Fund
will be classified as a ‘‘diversified’’
investment company under the 1940
Act.31
The Fund intends to qualify each year
as a regulated investment company (a
‘‘RIC’’) under Subchapter M of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended. The Fund will invest its
assets, and otherwise conduct its
operations, in a manner that is intended
to satisfy the qualifying income,
diversification and distribution
requirements necessary to establish and
maintain RIC qualification under
Subchapter M.
Principal Holdings—Municipal
Securities
To achieve its objective, the Fund will
invest, under normal circumstances, in
fixed and variable rate Municipal
Securities, as defined below. As part of
its investments in Municipal Securities,
the Fund invests primarily in
investment grade securities or the
unrated equivalent. Investment-grade
securities are rated a minimum of BBBor higher by Standard & Poor’s Ratings
Services and/or Fitch, or Baa3 or higher
by Moody’s, or if unrated, determined
by the Adviser to be of equivalent
quality.32 Up to 10% of the Fund’s total
assets may be invested in securities
rated below investment grade (junk
bonds). Junk bonds are rated in the fifth
or lower rated categories (for example,
BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s
Ratings Services and Ba1 or lower by
Moody’s). Under normal circumstances,
the Fund invests in a portfolio of
municipal bonds with an average
weighted maturity of two years or less.
Average weighted maturity is the
average of all the current maturities
(that is, the term of the securities) of the
individual bonds in a Fund calculated
so as to count most heavily those
securities with the highest dollar value.
Municipal securities (‘‘Municipal
Securities’’) are debt securities issued by
or on behalf of states, territories and
possessions of the United States,
including the District of Columbia, and
their respective authorities, political
subdivisions, agencies and
instrumentalities and other groups with
the authority to act for the
municipalities, the interest on which is
exempt from federal income tax and
will include only the following
instruments: General obligation
bonds,33 revenue bonds,34 municipal
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).
30 The term ‘‘under normal circumstances’’
includes, but is not limited to, the absence of
adverse market, economic, political, or other
conditions, including extreme volatility or trading
halts in the financial markets; 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.
31 The diversification standard is set forth in
Section 5(b)(1) of the 1940 Act.
32 According to the Adviser, the Adviser may
determine that unrated securities are of ‘‘equivalent
quality’’ based on such credit quality factors that it
deems appropriate, which may include among other
things, performing an analysis similar, to the extent
possible, to that performed by a nationally
recognized statistical ratings organization when
rating similar securities and issuers. In making such
a determination, the Adviser may consider internal
analyses and risk ratings, third party research and
analysis, and other sources of information, as
deemed appropriate by the Adviser. The Adviser
notes that the Fund may hold up to 10% of its net
assets in fixed-rate Municipal Securities that are not
investment-grade.
33 General obligation bonds are obligations
involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing
power and are payable from such issuer’s general
revenues and not from any particular source.
34 Revenue bonds are bonds that are secured by
a pledge of revenues derived from the operations of
a revenue producing institution (i.e., a hospital or
a university), a system (i.e., a water system or an
airport), a project, or from a special tax levy.
Industrial development bonds are generally
considered revenue bonds, and they are typically
payable from the revenues of a corporation.
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.
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JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal ETF
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notes,35 municipal tax exempt
commercial paper,36 tender option
bonds,37 private activity and industrial
development bonds, variable rate
demand obligations (‘‘VRDOs’’),38
variable rate demand preferred
securities, municipal mortgage-backed
securities and other asset-backed
securities, municipal lease
obligations,39 stripped securities,40
structured securities,41 deferred
payment securities, when issued
securities,42 and zero coupon
securities.43 The Fund may invest more
than 25% of its total assets in municipal
obligations, the interest upon which is
paid from revenues of projects within a
single sector, such as housing or
healthcare.
Requirements for Fund Holdings
The Fund will hold a minimum of 40
different Municipal Securities
35 Municipal notes are shorter-term municipal
debt obligations that may provide interim financing
in anticipation of tax collection, receipt of grants,
bond sales, or revenue receipts. These include tax
anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes and
revenue anticipation notes.
36 Municipal tax exempt commercial paper is
generally unsecured debt that is issued to meet
short-term financing needs.
37 Tender option bonds are synthetic floating-rate
or variable-rate securities issued when long-term
bonds are purchased in the primary or secondary
market and then deposited into a trust. Custodial
receipts are then issued to investors, such as the
Fund, evidencing ownership interests in the trust.
38 VRDOs are tax-exempt obligations that contain
a floating or variable interest rate adjustment
formula and a right of demand on the part of the
holder thereof to receive payment of the unpaid
principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short
notice period not to exceed seven days.
39 Municipal lease obligations include certificates
of participation issued by government authorities or
entities to finance the acquisition or construction of
equipment, land, and/or facilities.
40 Stripped securities are created when an issuer
separates the interest and principal components of
an instrument and sells them as separate securities.
In general, one security is entitled to receive the
interest payments on the underlying assets and the
other to receive the principal payments.
41 Structured securities are privately negotiated
debt obligations where the principal and/or interest
is determined by reference to the performance of an
underlying investment, index, or reference
obligation, and may be issued by governmental
agencies. While structured securities are part of the
principal holdings of the Fund, the Issuer
represents that such securities, when combined
with those instruments held as part of the other
portfolio holdings described below, will not exceed
20% of the Fund’s net assets.
42 The Fund may purchase or sell securities that
it is entitled to receive on a when issued or delayed
delivery basis as well as through a forward
commitment.
43 Zero coupon securities are securities that are
sold at a discount to par value and do not pay
interest during the life of the security. The discount
approximates the total amount of interest the
security will accrue and compound over the period
until maturity at a rate of interest reflecting the
market rate of the security at the time of issuance.
Upon maturity, the holder of a zero coupon security
is entitled to receive the par value of the security.
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diversified among issuers in at least 8
different states with no more than 30%
of the Fund’s assets comprised of
Municipal Securities that provide
exposure to any single state
(collectively, ‘‘Minimum Requirement
1’’). The Fund will hold a minimum of
75 different Municipal Securities when
at least four creation units are
outstanding (‘‘Trigger Number 1A’’).
The Fund will hold a minimum of 100
different Municipal Securities
diversified among issuers in at least 20
different states when at least eight
creation units are outstanding (‘‘Trigger
Number 1B’’). No single Municipal
Security held by the Fund will exceed
4% of the weight of the Fund’s portfolio
and no single issuer of Municipal
Securities will account for more than
10% of the weight of the Fund’s
portfolio (collectively, ‘‘Minimum
Requirement 2’’). The Fund will hold
Municipal Securities of at least 20 nonaffiliated issuers (‘‘Minimum
Requirement 3’’). The Fund will hold
Municipal Securities of at least 30 nonaffiliated issuers when at least four
creation units are outstanding (‘‘Trigger
Number 2’’).44 To the extent that the
Fund at one point has sufficient creation
units outstanding necessary to trigger a
diversity requirement laid out above
(each of Trigger Numbers 1A, 1B and 2,
a ‘‘Trigger Number’’), but subsequently
has fewer creation units outstanding
than the applicable Trigger Number, the
Fund may no longer comply with the
applicable diversity requirement.45
In the absence of normal
circumstances, the Fund may
temporarily depart from its normal
investment process, provided that such
departure is, in the opinion of the
Adviser, consistent with the Fund’s
investment objective and in the best
interest of the Fund. For example, the
Fund may hold a higher than normal
proportion of its assets in cash in
response to adverse market, economic or
political conditions.
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
Other Portfolio Holdings
The Fund may also, to a limited
extent (under normal circumstances,
less than 20% of the Fund’s net assets),
44 For purposes of this filing, each state and each
separate political subdivision, agency, authority, or
instrumentality of such state, each multi-state
agency or authority, and each guarantor, if any, will
be treated as separate issuers of Municipal
Securities.
45 While the Fund may no longer comply with the
diversity requirements applicable to the previously
applicable Trigger Number, the Fund will continue
to comply with any diversity requirement for which
the number of creation units outstanding continues
to exceed the Trigger Number (i.e., Trigger Number
1A), as well as each of Minimum Requirements 1,
2 and 3.
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engage in transactions in United States
bond futures contracts, exchange traded
treasury and debt futures options,
interest rate swaps and zero coupon
swaps, interest rate futures, interest rate
options, and swaps on Municipal
Securities indexes.46 The Fund may also
invest to a limited extent (under normal
circumstances, less than 20% of the
Fund’s net assets) in auction rate
securities, commercial paper (other than
the municipal tax exempt commercial
paper described above), corporate debt
securities (bonds and other debt
securities of domestic and foreign
issuers), exchange traded and nonexchange traded investment companies
(including investment companies
advised by the Adviser or its
affiliates),47 inflation linked debt
securities, inverse floating rate
instruments, loan assignments and
participations, short term funding
agreements, Treasury receipts, United
States Government Obligations, whenissued securities, delayed delivery
securities, forward commitments, and
deferred payment securities. The Fund’s
investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be
used to achieve leveraged returns (i.e.,
two times or three times the Fund’s
benchmark, as described in the
Registration Statement).
The Fund may also enter into
repurchase and reverse repurchase
agreements (collectively, ‘‘Repurchase
Agreements’’). Repurchase Agreements
involve the sale of securities with an
agreement to repurchase the securities
at an agreed-upon price, date and
interest payment and have the
characteristics of borrowing as part of
the Fund’s principal holdings.48
The Fund may also invest in cash and
Cash Equivalents,49 which includes
46 Derivatives might be included in the Fund’s
investments to serve the investment objectives of
the Fund. Such derivatives include only the
following: Interest rate futures, interest rate options,
interest rate swaps, and swaps on Municipal
Securities indexes. The derivatives will be centrally
cleared and they will be collateralized. Derivatives
are not a principal investment strategy of the Fund.
47 The Fund currently anticipates investing in
only registered open-end investment companies,
including mutual funds and the open-end
investment company funds described in Rule 14.11.
The Fund may invest in the securities of other
investment companies to the extent permitted by
law.
48 The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase
agreements will be covered by liquid assets having
a value equal to or greater than such commitments.
The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form
of leverage because the proceeds derived from
reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in
additional securities. As further stated below, the
Fund’s investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be used to
achieve leveraged returns.
49 As defined in Exchange Rule
14.11(i)(4)(C)(iii)(b), Cash Equivalents are short-
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52259
shares of exchange traded and nonexchange traded investment companies
(including investment companies
advised by the Adviser or its affiliates)
that invest principally in money market
instruments.
Investment Restrictions
The Fund may hold up to an aggregate
amount of 15% of its net assets in
illiquid assets (calculated at the time of
investment), as deemed illiquid by the
Adviser 50 under the 1940 Act.51 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,
term instruments with maturities of less than three
months, which includes only the following: (i) U.S.
Government securities, including bills, notes, and
bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest,
which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Treasury or by U.S. Government agencies or
instrumentalities; (ii) certificates of deposit issued
against funds deposited in a bank or savings and
loan association; (iii) bankers acceptances, which
are short-term credit instruments used to finance
commercial transactions; (iv) repurchase
agreements and reverse repurchase agreements; (v)
bank time deposits, which are monies kept on
deposit with banks or savings and loan associations
for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest;
(vi) commercial paper, which are short-term
unsecured promissory notes; and (vii) money
market funds.
50 In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser
may consider factors including: 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; the
nature of the security and the nature of the
marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose
of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and
the mechanics of transfer); any legal or contractual
restrictions on the ability to transfer the security or
asset; significant developments involving the issuer
or counterparty specifically (e.g., default,
bankruptcy, etc.) or the securities markets generally;
and settlement practices, registration procedures,
limitations on currency conversion or repatriation,
and transfer limitations (for foreign securities or
other assets).
51 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).
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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 Fund may also invest up to 100%
of its net assets in Municipal Securities
that pay interest which may be subject
to the Alternative Minimum Tax for
individuals.
Discussion
Based on the characteristics of the
Funds and the representations made in
each of the Requirements for Fund
Holdings sections above, the Exchange
believes it is appropriate to allow the
listing and trading of the Shares. The
Funds satisfy all of the generic listing
requirements for Managed Fund Shares
that hold fixed income securities, except
for the minimum principal amount
outstanding requirement in
14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii)(a). The Exchange notes
that the representations in the
Requirements for Fund Holdings for the
Funds are identical to the
representations made regarding the
iShares iBonds Dec 2024 AMT Free
Muni Bond ETF, iShares iBonds Dec
2025 AMT Free Muni Bond ETF, and
iShares iBonds Dec 2026 AMT Free
Muni Bond ETF (collectively, the
‘‘Comparable Funds’’), which were
previously approved for listing and
trading by the Commission.52 In the
Approval Order, the Commission
highlighted the representations that
holdings of the Comparable Funds
would meet Minimum Requirement 1 at
all times and, as the applicable trigger
numbers were hit, Minimum
Requirement 2 and Minimum
Requirement 3. The Exchange believes
that because these representations
regarding diversification and the lack of
concentration among constituent
securities provides a strong degree of
protection against manipulation that is
consistent with other proposals that
have been approved for listing and
trading by the Commission.
In addition, the Exchange represents
that: (1) Except for Rule
14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii)(a), the Funds will
satisfy all of the generic listing
standards under Rule 14.11(i)(4); (2) the
continued listing standards under Rule
14.11(i), as applicable to Managed Fund
Shares that hold fixed income
securities, will apply to the shares of the
Funds; and (3) the issuer of the Funds
52 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80399
(April 7, 2017), 82 FR 17913 (April 13, 2017) (SR–
BatsBZX–2017–10) (the ‘‘Approval Order’’).
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Jkt 247001
is required to comply with Rule 10A–
3 53 under the Act for the initial and
continued listing of the Shares. In
addition, the Exchange represents that
the Funds will meet and be subject to
all other requirements of the Generic
Listing Rules and other applicable
continued listing requirements for
Managed Fund Shares under Exchange
Rule 14.11(i), including those
requirements regarding the Disclosed
Portfolio (as defined in the Exchange
rules) and the requirement that the
Disclosed Portfolio and the net asset
value (‘‘NAV’’) will be made available to
all market participants at the same
time,54 intraday indicative value,55
suspension of trading or removal,56
trading halts,57 disclosure,58 and
firewalls.59 Further, at least 100,000
Shares will be outstanding upon the
commencement of trading of each
Fund.60
The Shares
Each Fund will issue and redeem
Shares on a continuous basis at the NAV
per Share only in large blocks of a
specified number of Shares or multiples
thereof (‘‘Creation Units’’) in
transactions with authorized
participants who have entered into
agreements with the Distributor. Each
Fund currently anticipates that a
Creation Unit will consist of 50,000
Shares, though this number may change
from time to time, including prior to
listing of the Funds. The exact number
of Shares that will constitute a Creation
Unit will be disclosed in the respective
Registration Statement of each Fund.
Once created, Shares of each Fund trade
on the secondary market in amounts
less than a Creation Unit.
Additional information regarding the
Shares and each Fund, including
investment strategies, risks, creation and
redemption procedures, fees and
expenses, portfolio holdings disclosure
policies, distributions, taxes and reports
to be distributed to beneficial owners of
the Shares can be found in the
Registration Statement or on the website
for the Funds (www.JPMorgan.com), as
applicable.
Availability of Information
The Funds’ website, which will be
publicly available prior to the public
offering of Shares, will include a form
53 17
CFR 240.10A–3.
Exchange Rules 14.11(i)(4)(A)(ii) and
14.11(i)(4)(B)(ii).
55 See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(i).
56 See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iii).
57 See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv).
58 See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(6).
59 See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(7).
60 See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(A)(i).
54 See
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of the prospectus for each Fund that
may be downloaded. The website will
include additional quantitative
information updated on a daily basis,
including, for each Fund: (1) Daily
trading volume, the prior business day’s
reported closing price, NAV and midpoint of the bid/ask spread at the time
of calculation of such NAV (the ‘‘Bid/
Ask Price’’),61 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
during Regular Trading Hours 62 on the
Exchange, each Fund will disclose on
its website the identities and quantities
of the portfolio of securities and other
assets (the ‘‘Disclosed Portfolio’’) held
by the Fund that will form the basis for
the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the
end of the business day.63 The Disclosed
Portfolio will include, as applicable, the
names, quantity, percentage weighting
and market value of securities and other
assets held by the Fund and the
characteristics of such assets. The
website and information will be
publicly available at no charge.
In addition, for each Fund, an
estimated value, defined in Rule
14.11(i)(3)(C) as the ‘‘Intraday Indicative
Value,’’ that reflects an estimated
intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio,
will be disseminated. Moreover, the
Intraday Indicative Value 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 at least every 15
seconds during the Exchange’s Regular
Trading Hours.64
The dissemination of the Intraday
Indicative Value, together with the
61 The Bid/Ask Price of the Fund will be
determined using 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 or its service
providers.
62 As defined in Rule 1.5(w), the term ‘‘Regular
Trading Hours’’ means the time between 9:30 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
63 Under accounting procedures to be followed by
each Fund, trades made on the prior business day
(‘‘T’’) will be booked and reflected in NAV on the
current business day (‘‘T+1’’). Accordingly, each
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.
64 Currently, it is the Exchange’s understanding
that several major market data vendors display and/
or make widely available Intraday Indicative Values
published via the Consolidated Tape Association
(‘‘CTA’’) or other data feeds.
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Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors
to determine the value of the underlying
portfolio of each Fund on a daily basis
and provide a close estimate of that
value throughout the trading day.
Intraday, executable price quotations
on assets held by each Fund are
available from major broker-dealer firms
and for exchange-traded assets,
including shares of exchange traded
investment companies, such intraday
information is available directly from
the applicable listing exchange. All such
intraday price information is available
through subscription services, such as
Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and
International Data Corporation, which
can be accessed by authorized
participants and other investors. Pricing
information for Repurchase Agreements
and securities not listed on an exchange
or national securities market will be
available from major broker-dealer firms
and/or subscription services, such as
Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and
International Data Corporation. Trade
price and other information relating to
Municipal Securities is available
through the Municipal Securities
Rulemaking Board’s (the ‘‘MSRB’’)
Electronic Municipal Market Access
(‘‘EMMA’’) system. Quotation and last
sale information for U.S. exchangelisted options contracts cleared by The
Options Clearing Corporation will be
available via the Options Price
Reporting Authority.
Information regarding market price
and volume of the Shares will be
continually available on a real-time
basis throughout the day on brokers’
computer screens and other electronic
services. The previous day’s closing
price and trading volume information
for the Shares will be published daily in
the financial section of newspapers and
publicly available sources. Quotation
and last sale information for the Shares
will be available on the facilities of the
CTA. Price information relating to all
other securities held by the Funds will
be available from major market data
vendors. Quotations and last sale
information for the underlying exchange
traded investment companies will be
available through CTA.
Investors can also obtain the Trust’s
Statement of Additional Information
(‘‘SAI’’), the Fund’s Shareholder
Reports, and its Form N–CSR and Form
N–SAR, filed twice a year. The Trust’s
SAI and Shareholder Reports are
available free upon request from the
Trust, and those documents and the
Form N–CSR and Form N–SAR may be
viewed on-screen or downloaded from
the Commission’s website at
www.sec.gov.
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Initial and Continued Listing
The Shares will be subject to Rule
14.11(i), which sets forth the initial and
continued listing criteria applicable to
Managed Fund Shares. The Exchange
represents that, for initial and/or
continued listing, each Fund must be in
compliance with Rule 10A–3 under the
Act.65 A minimum of 100,000 Shares of
each Fund 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
each Fund. The Exchange will halt
trading in the Shares under the
conditions specified in Rule 11.18.
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 financial instruments composing 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
14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth
circumstances under which trading in
the Shares of a Fund may be halted.
Trading Rules
The Exchange deems the Shares to be
equity securities, thus rendering trading
in the Shares subject to the Exchange’s
existing rules governing the trading of
equity securities. The Exchange will
allow trading in the Shares from 8:00
a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The
Exchange has appropriate rules to
facilitate transactions in the Shares
during all trading sessions. As provided
in Rule 11.11(a), the minimum price
variation for quoting and entry of orders
in Managed Fund Shares traded on the
Exchange is $0.01, with the exception of
securities that are priced less than
$1.00, for which the minimum price
variation for order entry is $0.0001.
Surveillance
The Exchange believes that its
surveillance procedures are adequate to
properly monitor the trading of the
65 See
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52261
Shares on the Exchange during all
trading sessions and to deter and detect
violations of Exchange rules and the
applicable federal securities laws.
Trading of the Shares through the
Exchange will be subject to the
Exchange’s surveillance procedures for
derivative products, including Managed
Fund Shares. The Exchange may obtain
information regarding trading in the
Shares and the underlying shares in
exchange traded equity securities via
the Intermarket Surveillance Group
(‘‘ISG’’), from other exchanges that are
members or affiliates of the ISG, or with
which the Exchange has entered into a
comprehensive surveillance sharing
agreement.66 In addition, the Exchange,
or FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange is
able to access, as needed, trade
information for certain fixed income
instruments reported to FINRA’s Trade
Reporting and Compliance Engine
(‘‘TRACE’’) and Municipal Securities
reported to MSRB. FINRA also can
access data obtained from the MSRB
relating to municipal bond trading
activity for surveillance purposes in
connection with trading in the Shares.
As it relates to exchange traded
investment companies, the Funds will
only invest in investment companies
that trade on markets that are a member
of the ISG or with which the Exchange
has in place a comprehensive
surveillance sharing agreement.
The Exchange prohibits 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) Rule 3.7, which
imposes suitability obligations on
Exchange 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-Opening 67 and After
66 For a list of the current members of ISG, see
www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all
components of the Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund
may trade on markets that are members of ISG or
with which the Exchange has in place a
comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
67 The Pre-Opening Session is from 8:00 a.m. to
9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
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Hours Trading Sessions 68 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.
In addition, the Information Circular
will advise members, prior to the
commencement of trading, of the
prospectus delivery requirements
applicable to the Funds. Members
purchasing Shares from the Funds for
resale to investors will deliver a
prospectus to such investors. The
Information Circular will also discuss
any exemptive, no-action, and
interpretive relief granted by the
Commission from any rules under the
Act.
In addition, the Information Circular
will reference that each 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
Funds and the applicable NAV
Calculation Time for the Shares. The
Information Circular will disclose that
information about the Shares of the
Funds will be publicly available on the
Funds’ website. In addition, the
Information Circular will reference that
the Trust is subject to various fees and
expenses described in each Fund’s
Registration Statement.
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the
proposal is consistent with Section 6(b)
of the Act 69 in general and Section
6(b)(5) of the Act 70 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, 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 Exchange believes that the
proposed rule change is designed to
prevent fraudulent and manipulative
acts and practices in that the Shares will
68 The After Hours Trading Session is from 4:00
p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
69 15 U.S.C. 78f.
70 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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be listed and traded on the Exchange
pursuant to the initial and continued
listing criteria in Rule 14.11(i). The
Exchange believes that its surveillance
procedures are adequate to properly
monitor the trading of the Shares on the
Exchange during all trading sessions
and to deter and detect violations of
Exchange rules and the applicable
federal securities laws. Rule 14.11(i)(7)
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 brokerdealer with respect to access to
information concerning the composition
and/or changes to such investment
company portfolio. The Adviser is not a
registered broker-dealer, but is affiliated
with multiple broker-dealers and has
implemented ‘‘fire walls’’ with respect
to such broker-dealers regarding access
to information concerning the
composition and/or changes to a Fund’s
portfolio. In addition, Adviser personnel
who make decisions regarding a Fund’s
portfolio are subject to procedures
designed to prevent the use and
dissemination of material nonpublic
information regarding the Fund’s
portfolio. The Exchange may obtain
information regarding trading in the
Shares and the underlying shares in
exchange traded equity securities via
the ISG, from other exchanges that are
members or affiliates of the ISG, or with
which the Exchange has entered into a
comprehensive surveillance sharing
agreement. In addition, the Exchange, or
FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, is
able to access, as needed, trade
information for certain fixed income
instruments reported to TRACE and
Municipal Securities reported to MSRB.
FINRA also can access data obtained
from the MSRB relating to municipal
bond trading activity for surveillance
purposes in connection with trading in
the Shares. Each Fund’s investments
will be well-diversified in that each
Fund will hold a minimum of 40
different Municipal Securities
diversified among issuers in at least 8
different states with no more than 30%
of the Fund’s assets comprised of
Municipal Securities that provide
exposure to any single state; each Fund
will hold a minimum of 75 different
Municipal Securities when at least four
creation units are outstanding for that
Fund; each Fund will hold a minimum
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
of 100 different Municipal Securities
diversified among issuers in at least 20
different states when at least eight
creation units are outstanding for that
Fund; no single Municipal Security held
by a Fund will exceed 4% of the weight
of that Fund’s portfolio and no single
issuer of Municipal Securities will
account for more than 10% of the
weight of a Fund’s portfolio; each Fund
will hold Municipal Securities of at
least 20 non-affiliated issuers; and each
Fund will hold Municipal Securities of
at least 30 non-affiliated issuers when at
least four creation units are outstanding.
According to the Registration
Statement, each Fund will invest, under
normal circumstances,71 at least 80% of
its net assets in Municipal Securities
such that the interest on each security
is exempt from U.S. federal income
taxes. Additionally, each Fund may
hold up to an aggregate amount of 15%
of its net assets in illiquid assets
(calculated at the time of investment), as
deemed illiquid by the Adviser 72 under
the 1940 Act.73 Each 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.
71 See
supra note 9.
supra note 29.
73 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).
72 See
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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
is publicly available regarding the
Funds and the Shares, thereby
promoting market transparency.
Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value
will be disseminated by one or more
major market data vendors at least every
15 seconds during Regular Trading
Hours. On each business day, before
commencement of trading in Shares
during Regular Trading Hours, each
Fund will disclose on its website the
Disclosed Portfolio that will form the
basis for the Fund’s calculation of NAV
at the end of the business day. Pricing
information will include additional
quantitative information updated on a
daily basis, including, for the Fund: (1)
The prior business day’s NAV and the
market closing price or mid-point of the
Bid/Ask Price,74 and a calculation of the
premium or discount of the market
closing price or Bid/Ask Price against
the NAV; and (2) data in chart format
displaying the frequency distribution of
discounts and premiums of the daily
market closing price or Bid/Ask Price
against the NAV, within appropriate
ranges, for each of the four previous
calendar quarters. Additionally,
information regarding market price and
trading 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 on the
facilities of the CTA. The website for
each Fund 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 a Fund will be
halted under the conditions specified in
Rule 11.18. Trading may also be halted
because of market conditions or for
reasons that, in the view of the
Exchange, make trading in the Shares
inadvisable. Finally, trading in the
Shares will be subject to Rule
14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth
circumstances under which Shares may
be halted. In addition, as noted above,
74 The Bid/Ask Price of a Fund will be
determined using 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 or its service
providers.
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18:44 Oct 15, 2018
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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.
Intraday, executable price quotations
on assets held by the Funds are
available from major broker-dealer firms
and for exchange-traded assets,
including investment companies, such
intraday information is available
directly from the applicable listing
exchange. All such intraday price
information is available through
subscription services, such as
Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and
International Data Corporation, which
can be accessed by authorized
participants and other investors.
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,
the Exchange has in place surveillance
procedures relating to trading in the
Shares and may obtain information via
ISG, from other exchanges that are
members of ISG, or with which the
Exchange has entered into a
comprehensive surveillance sharing
agreement. In addition, the Exchange, or
FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, is
able to access, as needed, trade
information for certain fixed income
instruments reported to TRACE and
Municipal Securities reported to MSRB.
FINRA also can access data obtained
from the MSRB relating to municipal
bond trading activity for surveillance
purposes in connection with trading in
the Shares. As noted above, investors
will also have ready access to
information regarding each Fund’s
holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value,
the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation
and last sale information for the Shares.
For the above reasons, the Exchange
believes that 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 purpose of the Act. The Exchange
notes that the proposed rule change will
facilitate the listing and trading of
additional actively-managed exchangetraded products that will enhance
competition among market participants,
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
52263
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
The Exchange has neither solicited
nor received written comments on the
proposed rule change.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the
Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
The Exchange has filed the proposed
rule change pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act 75 and Rule
19b–4(f)(6) thereunder.76 Because the
proposed rule change does not: (i)
Significantly affect the protection of
investors or the public interest; (ii)
impose any significant burden on
competition; and (iii) become operative
prior to 30 days from the date on which
it was filed, or such shorter time as the
Commission may designate, if
consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest, the
proposed rule change has become
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)
of the Act and Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii)
thereunder.77
A proposed rule change filed under
Rule 19b–4(f)(6) 78 normally does not
become operative prior to 30 days after
the date of the filing. However, pursuant
to Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii),79 the
Commission may designate a shorter
time if such action is consistent with the
protection of investors and the public
interest. The Exchange has asked the
Commission to waive the 30-day
operative delay so that the proposal may
become operative immediately upon
filing. The Commission believes that
waiver of the 30-day operative delay is
consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest. As the
Exchange states, the Funds raise no new
or novel issues and are consistent with
funds whose shares the Commission has
previously approved for listing and
trading. Accordingly, the Commission
hereby waives the 30-day operative
75 15
U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
77 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii). As required under
Rule 19b–4(f)(6)(iii), the Exchange provided the
Commission with written notice of its intent to file
the proposed rule change, along with a brief
description and text of the proposed rule change,
at least five business days prior to the date of filing
of the proposed rule change, or such shorter time
as designated by the Commission.
78 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6).
79 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(6)(iii).
76 17
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2018 / Notices
delay and designates the proposed rule
change operative upon filing.80
At any time within 60 days of the
filing of such proposed rule change, the
Commission summarily may
temporarily suspend such rule change if
it appears to the Commission that such
action is necessary or appropriate in the
public interest, for the protection of
investors, or otherwise in furtherance of
the purposes of the Act. If the
Commission takes such action, the
Commission shall institute proceedings
under Section 19(b)(2)(B) 81 of the Act to
determine whether the proposed rule
change should be approved or
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:
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
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–
CboeBZX–2018–072 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–CboeBZX–2018–072. This
file number should be included on the
subject line if email is used. To help the
Commission process and review your
comments more efficiently, please use
only one method. The Commission will
post all comments on the Commission’s
internet website (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 website viewing and
printing in the Commission’s Public
80 For purposes only of waiving the 30-day
operative delay, the Commission has also
considered the proposed rule’s impact on
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See
15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
81 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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18:44 Oct 15, 2018
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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 this
filing will also be available for
inspection and copying at the principal
office of the Exchange. All comments
received will be posted without change.
Persons submitting comments are
cautioned that we do not redact or edit
personal identifying information from
comment submissions. You should
submit only information that you wish
to make available publicly. All
submissions should refer to File
Number SR–CboeBZX–2018–072 and
should be submitted on or before
November 6, 2018.
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.82
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–22427 Filed 10–15–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–84398; File No. SR–MIAX–
2018–19]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Miami
International Securities Exchange LLC;
Notice of Withdrawal of a Proposed
Rule Change To Amend the Fee
Schedule Regarding Connectivity Fees
for Members and Non-Members
October 10, 2018.
On July 31, 2018, Miami International
Securities Exchange LLC (‘‘MIAX’’ or
the ‘‘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
thereunder,2 a proposed rule change to
amend the MIAX Fee Schedule to
increase certain connectivity fees. The
proposed rule change was immediately
effective upon filing with the
Commission pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act.3 The proposed
rule change was published for comment
in the Federal Register on August 13,
2018.4 The Commission received one
82 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
4 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 83786
(August 7, 2018), 83 FR 40106.
5 See Letter from Tyler Gellasch, Executive
Director, The Healthy Markets Association, to Brent
J. Fields, Secretary, Commission, dated September
4, 2018.
6 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 84175,
83 FR 47955 (September 21, 2018).
1 15
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comment letter on the proposal.5 On
September 17, 2018, pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(C) of the Act, the Commission:
(1) Temporarily suspended the
proposed rule change; and (2) instituted
proceedings to determine whether to
approve or disapprove the proposal.6
On October 5, 2018, the Exchange
withdrew the proposed rule change
(SR–MIAX–2018–19).
For the Commission, by the Division of
Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
authority.7
Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–22431 Filed 10–15–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–84393; File No. SR–
CboeEDGX–2018–043]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe
EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing
of a Proposed Rule Change To Amend
the Exchange’s Rulebook To Allow the
Post Only Order Instruction on
Complex Orders That Route to Its
Electronic Book for Trading Options
October 10, 2018.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on October
1, 2018, Cboe EDGX Exchange, Inc. (the
‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘EDGX’’) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
change as described in Items I, II, and
III below, which Items have been
prepared by the Exchange. The
Commission is publishing this notice to
solicit comments on the proposed rule
change from interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange is proposing to amend
the Exchange’s rulebook to allow the
Post Only Order instruction on complex
orders that route to its electronic book
for trading options (‘‘EDGX Options’’).
The text of the proposed rule change
is available at the Exchange’s website at
www.markets.cboe.com, at the principal
office of the Exchange, and at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room.
7 17
CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
1 15
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52255-52264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22427]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-84394; File No. SR-CboeBZX-2018-072]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To List
and Trade Shares of the JPMorgan Municipal ETF and JPMorgan Ultra-Short
Municipal ETF of the J.P. Morgan Exchange-Traded Fund Trust Under Rule
14.11(i), Managed Fund Shares
October 10, 2018.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the ``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given
that on September 26, 2018, Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the ``Exchange''
or ``BZX'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and
II below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Exchange
has designated this proposal as a ``non-controversial'' proposed rule
change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder,\4\ which renders it effective upon filing with
the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange filed a proposal to list and trade shares of the
JPMorgan Municipal ETF and JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal ETF (each a
``Fund'' or, collectively, the ``Funds'') of the J.P. Morgan Exchange-
Traded Fund Trust (the ``Trust'' or the ``Issuer'') under Rule 14.11(i)
(``Managed Fund Shares''). The shares of the Funds are referred to
herein as the ``Shares.''
The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's
website at www.markets.cboe.com, at the principal office of the
Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in
Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in
Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such
statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and the
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
1. Purpose
The Exchange proposes to list and trade the Shares under Rule
14.11(i), which governs the listing and trading of Managed Fund Shares
on the Exchange.\5\ The Funds will be actively managed funds. The
Shares will be offered by the Trust, which was established as a
Delaware statutory trust. The Trust is registered with the Commission
as an open-end investment company and has filed a registration
statement on behalf of the Fund on Form N-1A (``Registration
Statement'') with the Commission.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The Commission approved Rule 14.11(i) in Securities Exchange
Act Release No. 65225 (August 30, 2011), 76 FR 55148 (September 6,
2011) (SR-BATS-2011-018).
\6\ See Registration Statement on Form N-1A for the Trust, dated
July 31, 2018 (File Nos. 333-191837 and 811-22903). The descriptions
of the Fund and the Shares contained herein are based, in part, on
information in the Registration Statement. The Commission has issued
an order granting certain exemptive relief to the Trust under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1) (``1940 Act'') (the
``Exemptive Order''). See Investment Company Act Release No. 31990
(February 9, 2016) (File No. 811-22903).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii)(a) requires that component fixed income
securities that, in the aggregate, account for at least 75% of the
weight of the portfolio shall have a minimum principal amount
outstanding of $100 million or more. The Exchange submits this proposal
because the portfolios of the Funds will not meet this requirement. The
Fund will, however, meet all of the other requirements of Rule
14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii), (iii), (iv) and (v), specifically including Rule
14.11(i)(4)(C)(iv), which provides that non-agency, non-GSE, and
privately-issued mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities
components of a portfolio shall not account, in the aggregate, for more
than 20% of the weight of the fixed income portion of the portfolio,
and 14.11(i)(4)(C)(iv)(a), which provides that in the aggregate, at
least 90% of the weight of listed derivatives holdings shall consist of
futures, options, and swaps for which the Exchange may obtain
information via the Intermarket Surveillance Group (``ISG'') from other
members or affiliates of the ISG or for which the principal market is a
market with which the Exchange has a comprehensive surveillance sharing
agreement, calculated using the aggregate gross notional value of such
holdings.
Description of the Shares and the Funds
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. is the investment adviser
(the ``Adviser'') to the Fund. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is the
administrator, custodian, and transfer agent (``Administrator,''
``Custodian,'' and ``Transfer Agent,'' respectively) for the Trust.
JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. serves as the distributor
(``Distributor'') for the Trust.
Rule 14.11(i)(7) 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.\7\ In addition, Rule 14.11(i)(7) further
requires that personnel who make decisions on the investment company's
portfolio composition must be subject to
[[Page 52256]]
procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material
nonpublic information regarding the applicable investment company
portfolio. Rule 14.11(i)(7) is similar to Rule 14.11(b)(5)(A)(i),
however, Rule 14.11(i)(7) in connection with the establishment of a
``fire wall'' between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer
reflects 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 registered broker-dealer, but is affiliated with multiple broker-
dealers and has implemented ``fire walls'' with respect to such broker-
dealers regarding access to information concerning the composition and/
or changes to a Fund's portfolio. In addition, Adviser personnel who
make decisions regarding a Fund's portfolio are subject to procedures
designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic
information regarding the Fund's portfolio. In the event that (a) the
Adviser becomes registered as a broker-dealer or newly affiliated with
another 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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
JPMorgan Municipal ETF
According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek to
provide monthly dividends, which are excluded from gross income, and to
protect the value of a shareholder's investment by investing primarily
in municipal obligations. For purposes of the Fund's investment
objective, ``gross income'' means gross income for federal income tax
purposes. To achieve its objective, the Fund will invest, under normal
circumstances,\8\ at least 80% of its net assets in Municipal
Securities, as defined below, the interest from which is exempt from
federal income tax. The Fund is not a money market fund and does not
seek to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share. The Fund
will be classified as a ``diversified'' investment company under the
1940 Act.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ The term ``under normal circumstances'' includes, but is not
limited to, the absence of adverse market, economic, political, or
other conditions, including extreme volatility or trading halts in
the financial markets; 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.
\9\ The diversification standard is set forth in Section 5(b)(1)
of the 1940 Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment
company (a ``RIC'') under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended. The Fund will invest its assets, and otherwise
conduct its operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the
qualifying income, diversification and distribution requirements
necessary to establish and maintain RIC qualification under Subchapter
M.
Principal Holdings--Municipal Securities
To achieve its objective, the Fund will invest, under normal
circumstances, in fixed and variable rate Municipal Securities, as
defined below. As part of its investments in Municipal Securities, the
Fund invests primarily in investment grade securities or the unrated
equivalent. Investment-grade securities are rated a minimum of BBB- or
higher by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and/or Fitch, or Baa3 or
higher by Moody's, or if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of
equivalent quality.\10\ Up to 10% of the Fund's total assets may be
invested in securities rated below investment grade (junk bonds). Junk
bonds are rated in the fifth or lower rated categories (for example,
BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and Ba1 or lower by
Moody's). Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests in a portfolio
of Municipal Securities with an average weighted maturity of three to
ten years. Average weighted maturity is the average of all the current
maturities (that is, the term of the securities) of the individual
bonds in a Fund calculated so as to count most heavily those securities
with the highest dollar value.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ According to the Adviser, the Adviser may determine that
unrated securities are of ``equivalent quality'' based on such
credit quality factors that it deems appropriate, which may include
among other things, performing an analysis similar, to the extent
possible, to that performed by a nationally recognized statistical
ratings organization when rating similar securities and issuers. In
making such a determination, the Adviser may consider internal
analyses and risk ratings, third party research and analysis, and
other sources of information, as deemed appropriate by the Adviser.
The Adviser notes that the Fund may hold up to 10% of its net assets
in fixed-rate Municipal Securities that are not investment-grade.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Municipal securities (``Municipal Securities'') are debt securities
issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the
United States, including the District of Columbia, and their respective
authorities, political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and
other groups with the authority to act for the municipalities, the
interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and will include
only the following instruments: General obligation bonds,\11\ revenue
bonds,\12\ municipal notes,\13\ municipal tax exempt commercial
paper,\14\ tender option bonds,\15\ private activity and industrial
development bonds, variable rate demand obligations (``VRDOs''),\16\
variable rate demand preferred securities, municipal mortgage-backed
securities and other asset-backed securities, municipal lease
obligations,\17\ stripped securities,\18\ structured securities,\19\
deferred payment securities, when issued
[[Page 52257]]
securities,\20\ and zero coupon securities.\21\ The Fund may invest
more than 25% of its total assets in municipal obligations, the
interest upon which is paid from revenues of projects within a single
sector, such as housing or healthcare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ General obligation bonds are obligations involving the
credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from
such issuer's general revenues and not from any particular source.
\12\ Revenue bonds are bonds that are secured by a pledge of
revenues derived from the operations of a revenue producing
institution (i.e., a hospital or a university), a system (i.e., a
water system or an airport), a project, or from a special tax levy.
Industrial development bonds are generally considered revenue bonds,
and they are typically payable from the revenues of a corporation.
\13\ Municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations
that may provide interim financing in anticipation of tax
collection, receipt of grants, bond sales, or revenue receipts.
These include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes and
revenue anticipation notes.
\14\ Municipal tax exempt commercial paper is generally
unsecured debt that is issued to meet short-term financing needs.
\15\ Tender option bonds are synthetic floating-rate or
variable-rate securities issued when long-term bonds are purchased
in the primary or secondary market and then deposited into a trust.
Custodial receipts are then issued to investors, such as the Fund,
evidencing ownership interests in the trust.
\16\ VRDOs are tax-exempt obligations that contain a floating or
variable interest rate adjustment formula and a right of demand on
the part of the holder thereof to receive payment of the unpaid
principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short notice period
not to exceed seven days.
\17\ Municipal lease obligations include certificates of
participation issued by government authorities or entities to
finance the acquisition or construction of equipment, land, and/or
facilities.
\18\ Stripped securities are created when an issuer separates
the interest and principal components of an instrument and sells
them as separate securities. In general, one security is entitled to
receive the interest payments on the underlying assets and the other
to receive the principal payments.
\19\ Structured securities are privately negotiated debt
obligations where the principal and/or interest is determined by
reference to the performance of an underlying investment, index, or
reference obligation, and may be issued by governmental agencies.
While structured securities are part of the principal holdings of
the Fund, the Issuer represents that such securities, when combined
with those instruments held as part of the other portfolio holdings
described below, will not exceed 20% of the Fund's net assets.
\20\ The Fund may purchase or sell securities that it is
entitled to receive on a when issued or delayed delivery basis as
well as through a forward commitment.
\21\ Zero coupon securities are securities that are sold at a
discount to par value and do not pay interest during the life of the
security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the
security will accrue and compound over the period until maturity at
a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the
time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder of a zero coupon
security is entitled to receive the par value of the security.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Requirements for Fund Holdings
The Fund will hold a minimum of 40 different Municipal Securities
diversified among issuers in at least 8 different states with no more
than 30% of the Fund's assets comprised of Municipal Securities that
provide exposure to any single state (collectively, ``Minimum
Requirement 1''). The Fund will hold a minimum of 75 different
Municipal Securities when at least four creation units are outstanding
(``Trigger Number 1A''). The Fund will hold a minimum of 100 different
Municipal Securities diversified among issuers in at least 20 different
states when at least eight creation units are outstanding (``Trigger
Number 1B''). No single Municipal Security held by the Fund will exceed
4% of the weight of the Fund's portfolio and no single issuer of
Municipal Securities will account for more than 10% of the weight of
the Fund's portfolio (collectively, ``Minimum Requirement 2''). The
Fund will hold Municipal Securities of at least 20 non-affiliated
issuers (``Minimum Requirement 3''). The Fund will hold Municipal
Securities of at least 30 non-affiliated issuers when at least four
creation units are outstanding (``Trigger Number 2'').\22\ To the
extent that the Fund at one point has sufficient creation units
outstanding necessary to trigger a diversity requirement laid out above
(each of Trigger Numbers 1A, 1B and 2, a ``Trigger Number''), but
subsequently has fewer creation units outstanding than the applicable
Trigger Number, the Fund may no longer comply with the applicable
diversity requirement.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ For purposes of this filing, each state and each separate
political subdivision, agency, authority, or instrumentality of such
state, each multi-state agency or authority, and each guarantor, if
any, will be treated as separate issuers of Municipal Securities.
\23\ While the Fund may no longer comply with the diversity
requirements applicable to the previously applicable Trigger Number,
the Fund will continue to comply with any diversity requirement for
which the number of creation units outstanding continues to exceed
the Trigger Number (i.e., Trigger Number 1A), as well as each of
Minimum Requirements 1, 2 and 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the absence of normal circumstances, the Fund may temporarily
depart from its normal investment process, provided that such departure
is, in the opinion of the Adviser, consistent with the Fund's
investment objective and in the best interest of the Fund. For example,
the Fund may hold a higher than normal proportion of its assets in cash
in response to adverse market, economic or political conditions.
Other Portfolio Holdings
The Fund may also, to a limited extent (under normal circumstances,
less than 20% of the Fund's net assets), engage in transactions in
United States bond futures contracts, exchange traded treasury and debt
futures options, interest rate swaps and zero coupon swaps, interest
rate futures, interest rate options, and swaps on Municipal Securities
indexes.\24\ The Fund may also invest to a limited extent (under normal
circumstances, less than 20% of the Fund's net assets) in auction rate
securities, commercial paper (other than the municipal tax exempt
commercial paper described above), corporate debt securities (bonds and
other debt securities of domestic and foreign issuers), exchange traded
and non-exchange traded investment companies (including investment
companies advised by the Adviser or its affiliates),\25\ inflation
linked debt securities, inverse floating rate instruments, loan
assignments and participations, short term funding agreements, Treasury
receipts, United States government obligations, when-issued securities,
delayed delivery securities, forward commitments, and deferred payment
securities. The Fund's investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be used to achieve leveraged returns
(i.e. two times or three times the Fund's benchmark, as described in
the Registration Statement).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\24\ The derivatives will be centrally cleared and they will be
collateralized. Derivatives are not a principal investment strategy
of the Fund.
\25\ The Fund currently anticipates investing in only registered
open-end investment companies, including mutual funds and the open-
end investment company funds described in Rule 14.11. The Fund may
invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent
permitted by law.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund may also enter into repurchase and reverse repurchase
agreements (collectively, ``Repurchase Agreements''). Repurchase
Agreements involve the sale of securities with an agreement to
repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest
payment and have the characteristics of borrowing as part of the Fund's
principal holdings.\26\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\26\ The Fund's exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will
be covered by liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than
such commitments. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form
of leverage because the proceeds derived from reverse repurchase
agreements may be invested in additional securities. As further
stated below, the Fund's investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be used to achieve leveraged
returns.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund may also invest in cash and Cash Equivalents,\27\ which
includes shares of exchange traded and non-exchange traded investment
companies (including investment companies advised by the Adviser or its
affiliates) that invest principally in money market instruments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\27\ As defined in Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(C)(iii)(b), Cash
Equivalents are short-term instruments with maturities of less than
three months, which includes only the following: (i) U.S. Government
securities, including bills, notes, and bonds differing as to
maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. Government agencies or
instrumentalities; (ii) certificates of deposit issued against funds
deposited in a bank or savings and loan association; (iii) bankers
acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance
commercial transactions; (iv) repurchase agreements and reverse
repurchase agreements; (v) bank time deposits, which are monies kept
on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated
period of time at a fixed rate of interest; (vi) commercial paper,
which are short-term unsecured promissory notes; and (vii) money
market funds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investment Restrictions
The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net
assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), as
deemed illiquid by the Adviser \28\ under the 1940 Act.\29\ The
[[Page 52258]]
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\28\ In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider
factors including: 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; the nature of the
security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time
needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers,
and the mechanics of transfer); any legal or contractual
restrictions on the ability to transfer the security or asset;
significant developments involving the issuer or counterparty
specifically (e.g., default, bankruptcy, etc.) or the securities
markets generally; and settlement practices, registration
procedures, limitations on currency conversion or repatriation, and
transfer limitations (for foreign securities or other assets).
\29\ 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal ETF
According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek as high
a level of current income exempt from federal income tax as is
consistent with relative stability of principal. To achieve its
objective, the Fund will invest, under normal circumstances,\30\ at
least 80% of its net assets in Municipal Securities, as defined below,
the interest from which is exempt from federal income tax. The Fund is
not a money market fund and does not seek to maintain a stable net
asset value of $1.00 per share. The Fund will be classified as a
``diversified'' investment company under the 1940 Act.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\30\ The term ``under normal circumstances'' includes, but is
not limited to, the absence of adverse market, economic, political,
or other conditions, including extreme volatility or trading halts
in the financial markets; 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.
\31\ The diversification standard is set forth in Section
5(b)(1) of the 1940 Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment
company (a ``RIC'') under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended. The Fund will invest its assets, and otherwise
conduct its operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the
qualifying income, diversification and distribution requirements
necessary to establish and maintain RIC qualification under Subchapter
M.
Principal Holdings--Municipal Securities
To achieve its objective, the Fund will invest, under normal
circumstances, in fixed and variable rate Municipal Securities, as
defined below. As part of its investments in Municipal Securities, the
Fund invests primarily in investment grade securities or the unrated
equivalent. Investment-grade securities are rated a minimum of BBB- or
higher by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and/or Fitch, or Baa3 or
higher by Moody's, or if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of
equivalent quality.\32\ Up to 10% of the Fund's total assets may be
invested in securities rated below investment grade (junk bonds). Junk
bonds are rated in the fifth or lower rated categories (for example,
BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and Ba1 or lower by
Moody's). Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests in a portfolio
of municipal bonds with an average weighted maturity of two years or
less. Average weighted maturity is the average of all the current
maturities (that is, the term of the securities) of the individual
bonds in a Fund calculated so as to count most heavily those securities
with the highest dollar value.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\32\ According to the Adviser, the Adviser may determine that
unrated securities are of ``equivalent quality'' based on such
credit quality factors that it deems appropriate, which may include
among other things, performing an analysis similar, to the extent
possible, to that performed by a nationally recognized statistical
ratings organization when rating similar securities and issuers. In
making such a determination, the Adviser may consider internal
analyses and risk ratings, third party research and analysis, and
other sources of information, as deemed appropriate by the Adviser.
The Adviser notes that the Fund may hold up to 10% of its net assets
in fixed-rate Municipal Securities that are not investment-grade.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Municipal securities (``Municipal Securities'') are debt securities
issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the
United States, including the District of Columbia, and their respective
authorities, political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and
other groups with the authority to act for the municipalities, the
interest on which is exempt from federal income tax and will include
only the following instruments: General obligation bonds,\33\ revenue
bonds,\34\ municipal notes,\35\ municipal tax exempt commercial
paper,\36\ tender option bonds,\37\ private activity and industrial
development bonds, variable rate demand obligations (``VRDOs''),\38\
variable rate demand preferred securities, municipal mortgage-backed
securities and other asset-backed securities, municipal lease
obligations,\39\ stripped securities,\40\ structured securities,\41\
deferred payment securities, when issued securities,\42\ and zero
coupon securities.\43\ The Fund may invest more than 25% of its total
assets in municipal obligations, the interest upon which is paid from
revenues of projects within a single sector, such as housing or
healthcare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\33\ General obligation bonds are obligations involving the
credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from
such issuer's general revenues and not from any particular source.
\34\ Revenue bonds are bonds that are secured by a pledge of
revenues derived from the operations of a revenue producing
institution (i.e., a hospital or a university), a system (i.e., a
water system or an airport), a project, or from a special tax levy.
Industrial development bonds are generally considered revenue bonds,
and they are typically payable from the revenues of a corporation.
\35\ Municipal notes are shorter-term municipal debt obligations
that may provide interim financing in anticipation of tax
collection, receipt of grants, bond sales, or revenue receipts.
These include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes and
revenue anticipation notes.
\36\ Municipal tax exempt commercial paper is generally
unsecured debt that is issued to meet short-term financing needs.
\37\ Tender option bonds are synthetic floating-rate or
variable-rate securities issued when long-term bonds are purchased
in the primary or secondary market and then deposited into a trust.
Custodial receipts are then issued to investors, such as the Fund,
evidencing ownership interests in the trust.
\38\ VRDOs are tax-exempt obligations that contain a floating or
variable interest rate adjustment formula and a right of demand on
the part of the holder thereof to receive payment of the unpaid
principal balance plus accrued interest upon a short notice period
not to exceed seven days.
\39\ Municipal lease obligations include certificates of
participation issued by government authorities or entities to
finance the acquisition or construction of equipment, land, and/or
facilities.
\40\ Stripped securities are created when an issuer separates
the interest and principal components of an instrument and sells
them as separate securities. In general, one security is entitled to
receive the interest payments on the underlying assets and the other
to receive the principal payments.
\41\ Structured securities are privately negotiated debt
obligations where the principal and/or interest is determined by
reference to the performance of an underlying investment, index, or
reference obligation, and may be issued by governmental agencies.
While structured securities are part of the principal holdings of
the Fund, the Issuer represents that such securities, when combined
with those instruments held as part of the other portfolio holdings
described below, will not exceed 20% of the Fund's net assets.
\42\ The Fund may purchase or sell securities that it is
entitled to receive on a when issued or delayed delivery basis as
well as through a forward commitment.
\43\ Zero coupon securities are securities that are sold at a
discount to par value and do not pay interest during the life of the
security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the
security will accrue and compound over the period until maturity at
a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the
time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder of a zero coupon
security is entitled to receive the par value of the security.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Requirements for Fund Holdings
The Fund will hold a minimum of 40 different Municipal Securities
[[Page 52259]]
diversified among issuers in at least 8 different states with no more
than 30% of the Fund's assets comprised of Municipal Securities that
provide exposure to any single state (collectively, ``Minimum
Requirement 1''). The Fund will hold a minimum of 75 different
Municipal Securities when at least four creation units are outstanding
(``Trigger Number 1A''). The Fund will hold a minimum of 100 different
Municipal Securities diversified among issuers in at least 20 different
states when at least eight creation units are outstanding (``Trigger
Number 1B''). No single Municipal Security held by the Fund will exceed
4% of the weight of the Fund's portfolio and no single issuer of
Municipal Securities will account for more than 10% of the weight of
the Fund's portfolio (collectively, ``Minimum Requirement 2''). The
Fund will hold Municipal Securities of at least 20 non-affiliated
issuers (``Minimum Requirement 3''). The Fund will hold Municipal
Securities of at least 30 non-affiliated issuers when at least four
creation units are outstanding (``Trigger Number 2'').\44\ To the
extent that the Fund at one point has sufficient creation units
outstanding necessary to trigger a diversity requirement laid out above
(each of Trigger Numbers 1A, 1B and 2, a ``Trigger Number''), but
subsequently has fewer creation units outstanding than the applicable
Trigger Number, the Fund may no longer comply with the applicable
diversity requirement.\45\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\44\ For purposes of this filing, each state and each separate
political subdivision, agency, authority, or instrumentality of such
state, each multi-state agency or authority, and each guarantor, if
any, will be treated as separate issuers of Municipal Securities.
\45\ While the Fund may no longer comply with the diversity
requirements applicable to the previously applicable Trigger Number,
the Fund will continue to comply with any diversity requirement for
which the number of creation units outstanding continues to exceed
the Trigger Number (i.e., Trigger Number 1A), as well as each of
Minimum Requirements 1, 2 and 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the absence of normal circumstances, the Fund may temporarily
depart from its normal investment process, provided that such departure
is, in the opinion of the Adviser, consistent with the Fund's
investment objective and in the best interest of the Fund. For example,
the Fund may hold a higher than normal proportion of its assets in cash
in response to adverse market, economic or political conditions.
Other Portfolio Holdings
The Fund may also, to a limited extent (under normal circumstances,
less than 20% of the Fund's net assets), engage in transactions in
United States bond futures contracts, exchange traded treasury and debt
futures options, interest rate swaps and zero coupon swaps, interest
rate futures, interest rate options, and swaps on Municipal Securities
indexes.\46\ The Fund may also invest to a limited extent (under normal
circumstances, less than 20% of the Fund's net assets) in auction rate
securities, commercial paper (other than the municipal tax exempt
commercial paper described above), corporate debt securities (bonds and
other debt securities of domestic and foreign issuers), exchange traded
and non-exchange traded investment companies (including investment
companies advised by the Adviser or its affiliates),\47\ inflation
linked debt securities, inverse floating rate instruments, loan
assignments and participations, short term funding agreements, Treasury
receipts, United States Government Obligations, when-issued securities,
delayed delivery securities, forward commitments, and deferred payment
securities. The Fund's investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be used to achieve leveraged returns
(i.e., two times or three times the Fund's benchmark, as described in
the Registration Statement).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\46\ Derivatives might be included in the Fund's investments to
serve the investment objectives of the Fund. Such derivatives
include only the following: Interest rate futures, interest rate
options, interest rate swaps, and swaps on Municipal Securities
indexes. The derivatives will be centrally cleared and they will be
collateralized. Derivatives are not a principal investment strategy
of the Fund.
\47\ The Fund currently anticipates investing in only registered
open-end investment companies, including mutual funds and the open-
end investment company funds described in Rule 14.11. The Fund may
invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent
permitted by law.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund may also enter into repurchase and reverse repurchase
agreements (collectively, ``Repurchase Agreements''). Repurchase
Agreements involve the sale of securities with an agreement to
repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest
payment and have the characteristics of borrowing as part of the Fund's
principal holdings.\48\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\48\ The Fund's exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will
be covered by liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than
such commitments. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form
of leverage because the proceeds derived from reverse repurchase
agreements may be invested in additional securities. As further
stated below, the Fund's investments will be consistent with its
investment objective and will not be used to achieve leveraged
returns.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund may also invest in cash and Cash Equivalents,\49\ which
includes shares of exchange traded and non-exchange traded investment
companies (including investment companies advised by the Adviser or its
affiliates) that invest principally in money market instruments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\49\ As defined in Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(C)(iii)(b), Cash
Equivalents are short-term instruments with maturities of less than
three months, which includes only the following: (i) U.S. Government
securities, including bills, notes, and bonds differing as to
maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. Government agencies or
instrumentalities; (ii) certificates of deposit issued against funds
deposited in a bank or savings and loan association; (iii) bankers
acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance
commercial transactions; (iv) repurchase agreements and reverse
repurchase agreements; (v) bank time deposits, which are monies kept
on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated
period of time at a fixed rate of interest; (vi) commercial paper,
which are short-term unsecured promissory notes; and (vii) money
market funds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investment Restrictions
The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net
assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), as
deemed illiquid by the Adviser \50\ under the 1940 Act.\51\ 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,
[[Page 52260]]
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.
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\50\ In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider
factors including: 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; the nature of the
security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time
needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers,
and the mechanics of transfer); any legal or contractual
restrictions on the ability to transfer the security or asset;
significant developments involving the issuer or counterparty
specifically (e.g., default, bankruptcy, etc.) or the securities
markets generally; and settlement practices, registration
procedures, limitations on currency conversion or repatriation, and
transfer limitations (for foreign securities or other assets).
\51\ 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).
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The Fund may also invest up to 100% of its net assets in Municipal
Securities that pay interest which may be subject to the Alternative
Minimum Tax for individuals.
Discussion
Based on the characteristics of the Funds and the representations
made in each of the Requirements for Fund Holdings sections above, the
Exchange believes it is appropriate to allow the listing and trading of
the Shares. The Funds satisfy all of the generic listing requirements
for Managed Fund Shares that hold fixed income securities, except for
the minimum principal amount outstanding requirement in
14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii)(a). The Exchange notes that the representations in
the Requirements for Fund Holdings for the Funds are identical to the
representations made regarding the iShares iBonds Dec 2024 AMT Free
Muni Bond ETF, iShares iBonds Dec 2025 AMT Free Muni Bond ETF, and
iShares iBonds Dec 2026 AMT Free Muni Bond ETF (collectively, the
``Comparable Funds''), which were previously approved for listing and
trading by the Commission.\52\ In the Approval Order, the Commission
highlighted the representations that holdings of the Comparable Funds
would meet Minimum Requirement 1 at all times and, as the applicable
trigger numbers were hit, Minimum Requirement 2 and Minimum Requirement
3. The Exchange believes that because these representations regarding
diversification and the lack of concentration among constituent
securities provides a strong degree of protection against manipulation
that is consistent with other proposals that have been approved for
listing and trading by the Commission.
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\52\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 80399 (April 7,
2017), 82 FR 17913 (April 13, 2017) (SR-BatsBZX-2017-10) (the
``Approval Order'').
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In addition, the Exchange represents that: (1) Except for Rule
14.11(i)(4)(C)(ii)(a), the Funds will satisfy all of the generic
listing standards under Rule 14.11(i)(4); (2) the continued listing
standards under Rule 14.11(i), as applicable to Managed Fund Shares
that hold fixed income securities, will apply to the shares of the
Funds; and (3) the issuer of the Funds is required to comply with Rule
10A-3 \53\ under the Act for the initial and continued listing of the
Shares. In addition, the Exchange represents that the Funds will meet
and be subject to all other requirements of the Generic Listing Rules
and other applicable continued listing requirements for Managed Fund
Shares under Exchange Rule 14.11(i), including those requirements
regarding the Disclosed Portfolio (as defined in the Exchange rules)
and the requirement that the Disclosed Portfolio and the net asset
value (``NAV'') will be made available to all market participants at
the same time,\54\ intraday indicative value,\55\ suspension of trading
or removal,\56\ trading halts,\57\ disclosure,\58\ and firewalls.\59\
Further, at least 100,000 Shares will be outstanding upon the
commencement of trading of each Fund.\60\
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\53\ 17 CFR 240.10A-3.
\54\ See Exchange Rules 14.11(i)(4)(A)(ii) and
14.11(i)(4)(B)(ii).
\55\ See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(i).
\56\ See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iii).
\57\ See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv).
\58\ See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(6).
\59\ See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(7).
\60\ See Exchange Rule 14.11(i)(4)(A)(i).
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The Shares
Each Fund will issue and redeem Shares on a continuous basis at the
NAV per Share only in large blocks of a specified number of Shares or
multiples thereof (``Creation Units'') in transactions with authorized
participants who have entered into agreements with the Distributor.
Each Fund currently anticipates that a Creation Unit will consist of
50,000 Shares, though this number may change from time to time,
including prior to listing of the Funds. The exact number of Shares
that will constitute a Creation Unit will be disclosed in the
respective Registration Statement of each Fund. Once created, Shares of
each Fund trade on the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation
Unit.
Additional information regarding the Shares and each Fund,
including investment strategies, risks, creation and redemption
procedures, fees and expenses, portfolio holdings disclosure policies,
distributions, taxes and reports to be distributed to beneficial owners
of the Shares can be found in the Registration Statement or on the
website for the Funds (www.JPMorgan.com), as applicable.
Availability of Information
The Funds' website, which will be publicly available prior to the
public offering of Shares, will include a form of the prospectus for
each Fund that may be downloaded. The website will include additional
quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for each
Fund: (1) Daily trading volume, the prior business day's reported
closing price, NAV and mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of
calculation of such NAV (the ``Bid/Ask Price''),\61\ 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 during Regular Trading Hours \62\ on the Exchange, each Fund
will disclose on its website the identities and quantities of the
portfolio of securities and other assets (the ``Disclosed Portfolio'')
held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of
NAV at the end of the business day.\63\ The Disclosed Portfolio will
include, as applicable, the names, quantity, percentage weighting and
market value of securities and other assets held by the Fund and the
characteristics of such assets. The website and information will be
publicly available at no charge.
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\61\ The Bid/Ask Price of the Fund will be determined using 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 or its service providers.
\62\ As defined in Rule 1.5(w), the term ``Regular Trading
Hours'' means the time between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
\63\ Under accounting procedures to be followed by each Fund,
trades made on the prior business day (``T'') will be booked and
reflected in NAV on the current business day (``T+1''). Accordingly,
each 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 each Fund, an estimated value, defined in Rule
14.11(i)(3)(C) as the ``Intraday Indicative Value,'' that reflects an
estimated intraday value of the Fund's portfolio, will be disseminated.
Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value 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 at
least every 15 seconds during the Exchange's Regular Trading Hours.\64\
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\64\ Currently, it is the Exchange's understanding that several
major market data vendors display and/or make widely available
Intraday Indicative Values published via the Consolidated Tape
Association (``CTA'') or other data feeds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The dissemination of the Intraday Indicative Value, together with
the
[[Page 52261]]
Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors to determine the value of the
underlying portfolio of each Fund on a daily basis and provide a close
estimate of that value throughout the trading day.
Intraday, executable price quotations on assets held by each Fund
are available from major broker-dealer firms and for exchange-traded
assets, including shares of exchange traded investment companies, such
intraday information is available directly from the applicable listing
exchange. All such intraday price information is available through
subscription services, such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and
International Data Corporation, which can be accessed by authorized
participants and other investors. Pricing information for Repurchase
Agreements and securities not listed on an exchange or national
securities market will be available from major broker-dealer firms and/
or subscription services, such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and
International Data Corporation. Trade price and other information
relating to Municipal Securities is available through the Municipal
Securities Rulemaking Board's (the ``MSRB'') Electronic Municipal
Market Access (``EMMA'') system. Quotation and last sale information
for U.S. exchange-listed options contracts cleared by The Options
Clearing Corporation will be available via the Options Price Reporting
Authority.
Information regarding market price and volume of the Shares will be
continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on
brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. The previous
day's closing price and trading volume information for the Shares will
be published daily in the financial section of newspapers and publicly
available sources. Quotation and last sale information for the Shares
will be available on the facilities of the CTA. Price information
relating to all other securities held by the Funds will be available
from major market data vendors. Quotations and last sale information
for the underlying exchange traded investment companies will be
available through CTA.
Investors can also obtain the Trust's Statement of Additional
Information (``SAI''), the Fund's Shareholder Reports, and its Form N-
CSR and Form N-SAR, filed twice a year. The Trust's SAI and Shareholder
Reports are available free upon request from the Trust, and those
documents and the Form N-CSR and Form N-SAR may be viewed on-screen or
downloaded from the Commission's website at www.sec.gov.
Initial and Continued Listing
The Shares will be subject to Rule 14.11(i), which sets forth the
initial and continued listing criteria applicable to Managed Fund
Shares. The Exchange represents that, for initial and/or continued
listing, each Fund must be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 under the
Act.\65\ A minimum of 100,000 Shares of each Fund 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\65\ 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 each Fund. The Exchange will halt trading in
the Shares under the conditions specified in Rule 11.18. 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 financial instruments composing 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
14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which trading
in the Shares of a Fund may be halted.
Trading Rules
The Exchange deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus
rendering trading in the Shares subject to the Exchange's existing
rules governing the trading of equity securities. The Exchange will
allow trading in the Shares from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time. The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in
the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in Rule 11.11(a),
the minimum price variation for quoting and entry of orders in Managed
Fund Shares traded on the Exchange is $0.01, with the exception of
securities that are priced less than $1.00, for which the minimum price
variation for order entry is $0.0001.
Surveillance
The Exchange believes that its surveillance procedures are adequate
to properly monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during
all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange
rules and the applicable federal securities laws. Trading of the Shares
through the Exchange will be subject to the Exchange's surveillance
procedures for derivative products, including Managed Fund Shares. The
Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the
underlying shares in exchange traded equity securities via the
Intermarket Surveillance Group (``ISG''), from other exchanges that are
members or affiliates of the ISG, or with which the Exchange has
entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.\66\ In
addition, the Exchange, or FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange is able to
access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income
instruments reported to FINRA's Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine
(``TRACE'') and Municipal Securities reported to MSRB. FINRA also can
access data obtained from the MSRB relating to municipal bond trading
activity for surveillance purposes in connection with trading in the
Shares.
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\66\ For a list of the current members of ISG, see
www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all components of the
Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund may trade on markets that are
members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a
comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
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As it relates to exchange traded investment companies, the Funds
will only invest in investment companies that trade on markets that are
a member of the ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a
comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
The Exchange prohibits 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) Rule 3.7, which imposes suitability
obligations on Exchange 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-Opening \67\ and After
[[Page 52262]]
Hours Trading Sessions \68\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\67\ The Pre-Opening Session is from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Eastern Time.
\68\ The After Hours Trading Session is from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. Eastern Time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, the Information Circular will advise members, prior to
the commencement of trading, of the prospectus delivery requirements
applicable to the Funds. Members purchasing Shares from the Funds for
resale to investors will deliver a prospectus to such investors. The
Information Circular will also discuss any exemptive, no-action, and
interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the
Act.
In addition, the Information Circular will reference that each 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 Funds and the applicable NAV Calculation
Time for the Shares. The Information Circular will disclose that
information about the Shares of the Funds will be publicly available on
the Funds' website. In addition, the Information Circular will
reference that the Trust is subject to various fees and expenses
described in each Fund's Registration Statement.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposal is consistent with Section
6(b) of the Act \69\ in general and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act \70\ 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, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\69\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
\70\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is designed to
prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices in that the
Shares will be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the
initial and continued listing criteria in Rule 14.11(i). The Exchange
believes that its surveillance procedures are adequate to properly
monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during all trading
sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and the
applicable federal securities laws. Rule 14.11(i)(7) 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. The
Adviser is not a registered broker-dealer, but is affiliated with
multiple broker-dealers and has implemented ``fire walls'' with respect
to such broker-dealers regarding access to information concerning the
composition and/or changes to a Fund's portfolio. In addition, Adviser
personnel who make decisions regarding a Fund's portfolio are subject
to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material
nonpublic information regarding the Fund's portfolio. The Exchange may
obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the underlying
shares in exchange traded equity securities via the ISG, from other
exchanges that are members or affiliates of the ISG, or with which the
Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing
agreement. In addition, the Exchange, or FINRA, on behalf of the
Exchange, is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain
fixed income instruments reported to TRACE and Municipal Securities
reported to MSRB. FINRA also can access data obtained from the MSRB
relating to municipal bond trading activity for surveillance purposes
in connection with trading in the Shares. Each Fund's investments will
be well-diversified in that each Fund will hold a minimum of 40
different Municipal Securities diversified among issuers in at least 8
different states with no more than 30% of the Fund's assets comprised
of Municipal Securities that provide exposure to any single state; each
Fund will hold a minimum of 75 different Municipal Securities when at
least four creation units are outstanding for that Fund; each Fund will
hold a minimum of 100 different Municipal Securities diversified among
issuers in at least 20 different states when at least eight creation
units are outstanding for that Fund; no single Municipal Security held
by a Fund will exceed 4% of the weight of that Fund's portfolio and no
single issuer of Municipal Securities will account for more than 10% of
the weight of a Fund's portfolio; each Fund will hold Municipal
Securities of at least 20 non-affiliated issuers; and each Fund will
hold Municipal Securities of at least 30 non-affiliated issuers when at
least four creation units are outstanding.
According to the Registration Statement, each Fund will invest,
under normal circumstances,\71\ at least 80% of its net assets in
Municipal Securities such that the interest on each security is exempt
from U.S. federal income taxes. Additionally, each Fund may hold up to
an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets
(calculated at the time of investment), as deemed illiquid by the
Adviser \72\ under the 1940 Act.\73\ Each 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.
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\71\ See supra note 9.
\72\ See supra note 29.
\73\ 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).
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[[Page 52263]]
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 is publicly available regarding the Funds and the Shares,
thereby promoting market transparency. Moreover, the Intraday
Indicative Value will be disseminated by one or more major market data
vendors at least every 15 seconds during Regular Trading Hours. On each
business day, before commencement of trading in Shares during Regular
Trading Hours, each Fund will disclose on its website the Disclosed
Portfolio that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at
the end of the business day. Pricing information will include
additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis,
including, for the Fund: (1) The prior business day's NAV and the
market closing price or mid-point of the Bid/Ask Price,\74\ and a
calculation of the premium or discount of the market closing price or
Bid/Ask Price against the NAV; and (2) data in chart format displaying
the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily
market closing price or Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within
appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters.
Additionally, information regarding market price and trading 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 on
the facilities of the CTA. The website for each Fund 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 a
Fund will be halted under the conditions specified in Rule 11.18.
Trading may also be halted because of market conditions or for reasons
that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares
inadvisable. Finally, trading in the Shares will be subject to Rule
14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares
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.
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\74\ The Bid/Ask Price of a Fund will be determined using 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 or its service providers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intraday, executable price quotations on assets held by the Funds
are available from major broker-dealer firms and for exchange-traded
assets, including investment companies, such intraday information is
available directly from the applicable listing exchange. All such
intraday price information is available through subscription services,
such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and International Data Corporation,
which can be accessed by authorized participants and other investors.
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, the Exchange has in
place surveillance procedures relating to trading in the Shares and may
obtain information via ISG, from other exchanges that are members of
ISG, or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive
surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, the Exchange, or FINRA, on
behalf of the Exchange, is able to access, as needed, trade information
for certain fixed income instruments reported to TRACE and Municipal
Securities reported to MSRB. FINRA also can access data obtained from
the MSRB relating to municipal bond trading activity for surveillance
purposes in connection with trading in the Shares. As noted above,
investors will also have ready access to information regarding each
Fund's holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed
Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares.
For the above reasons, the Exchange believes that 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 purpose of the Act. The Exchange notes that the
proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of
additional actively-managed exchange-traded products 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
The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on
the proposed rule change.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action
The Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act \75\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\76\
Because the proposed rule change does not: (i) Significantly affect the
protection of investors or the public interest; (ii) impose any
significant burden on competition; and (iii) become operative prior to
30 days from the date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as
the Commission may designate, if consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest, the proposed rule change has become
effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\77\
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\75\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
\76\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\77\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii). As required under Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii), the Exchange provided the Commission with written
notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change, along with a
brief description and text of the proposed rule change, at least
five business days prior to the date of filing of the proposed rule
change, or such shorter time as designated by the Commission.
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A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) \78\ normally
does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the
filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\79\ the Commission
may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the
protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has asked
the Commission to waive the 30-day operative delay so that the proposal
may become operative immediately upon filing. The Commission believes
that waiver of the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the
protection of investors and the public interest. As the Exchange
states, the Funds raise no new or novel issues and are consistent with
funds whose shares the Commission has previously approved for listing
and trading. Accordingly, the Commission hereby waives the 30-day
operative
[[Page 52264]]
delay and designates the proposed rule change operative upon
filing.\80\
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\78\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\79\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
\80\ For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay,
the Commission has also considered the proposed rule's impact on
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C.
78c(f).
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At any time within 60 days of the filing of such proposed rule
change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend such rule
change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or
appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or
otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. If the Commission
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings under
Section 19(b)(2)(B) \81\ of the Act to determine whether the proposed
rule change should be approved or disapproved.
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\81\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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IV. Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of
the following methods:
Electronic Comments
Use the Commission's internet comment form (https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
Send an email to [email protected]. Please include
File Number SR-CboeBZX-2018-072 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-CboeBZX-2018-072. This
file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently,
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on
the Commission's internet website (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 website 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 this filing will also be available for inspection
and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments
received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are
cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying
information from comment submissions. You should submit only
information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions
should refer to File Number SR-CboeBZX-2018-072 and should be submitted
on or before November 6, 2018.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\82\
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\82\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Eduardo A. Aleman,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-22427 Filed 10-15-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P