[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 97 (Thursday, May 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29019-29021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12328]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
(Release No. 34-64487; File No. SR-NSCC-2011-02)
Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Securities Clearing
Corporation; Notice of Filing and Order Granting Accelerated Approval
of Proposed Rule Change Relating to Updating the Range of Haircuts To
Be Applied to Eligible Clearing Fund Securities
May 13, 2011.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on May 10, 2011, the National
Securities Clearing Corporation (``NSCC'') 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
primarily by NSCC. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons and to
approve the proposed rule change on an accelerated basis.
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change
The purpose of this filing is to modify certain haircuts currently
applied to Eligible Clearing Fund Securities.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, NSCC 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. NSCC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B,
and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
Under NSCC's Rules and Procedures (``Rules''), Members are required
to make deposits to the Clearing Fund with the amount of each Member's
required deposit being fixed by NSCC in accordance with one or more
formulas (``Required Deposit'').\2\ A Member may satisfy its Required
Deposit with a cash deposit, and NSCC may permit a portion of the
Member's deposit (with the exception of the deposit of a Mutual Fund/
Insurance Services Member) to be evidenced by an open account
indebtedness secured by Eligible Clearing Fund Securities. Eligible
Clearing Fund Securities consist of certain Treasury, agency, and
mortgage-backed securities.\3\ Eligible Clearing Fund Securities
pledged as Clearing Fund collateral are subject to haircuts.
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\2\ Rule 4 (Clearing Fund) and Procedure XV (Clearing Fund
Formula and Other Matters).
\3\ See Rule 1 (Definitions and Descriptions) for applicable
definitions including Eligible Clearing Fund Securities, which are
Eligible Clearing Fund Treasury Securities, Eligible Clearing Fund
Agency Securities, and Eligible Clearing Fund Mortgage-Backed
Securities.
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The Rules permit NSCC to fund settlement by pledging Clearing Fund
deposits as collateral for loans, and NSCC maintains a committed
borrowing facility for this purpose. Haircuts imposed on collateral
pledged by NSCC under the borrowing facility are being increased by the
lending syndicate, and
[[Page 29020]]
therefore, NSCC must make corresponding increases in its Clearing Fund
collateral haircuts in order to maintain alignment with the haircuts
under the borrowing facility.
Accordingly, NSCC proposes to modify Procedure XV of the Rules to
update certain haircuts applied to the types of Eligible Clearing Fund
Securities to maintain conformity with the requirements of its
lenders.\4\ Specifically, NSCC proposes to increase the haircut applied
to: (i) Agency notes and bonds from the current range of 2 to 7 percent
based on term to a proposed range of 7 to 10 percent based on term,
(ii) zero coupon obligations of agencies from the current range of 5 to
12 percent based on term to a proposed 7 to 18 percent based on term,
and (iii) mortgage-backed pass-through securities issued by Ginnie Mae
from 6 percent to 7 percent. A complete listing of the haircut schedule
and the proposed changes is attached to NSCC's rule filing as Exhibit 5
and may be viewed online at http://www.dtcc.com/legal/rule_filings/nscc/2011.php.
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\4\ In a companion rule filing, NSCC's affiliate, the Fixed
Income Clearing Corporation (``FICC''), has also sought to modify
the range of haircuts applied to Eligible Clearing Fund Securities
by FICC's Government Securities Division and to Eligible
Participants Fund Securities by FICC's Mortgage-Backed Securities
Division. Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64488 (May 13, 2011)
(SR-FICC-2011-03).
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Subject to approval by the Commission, the proposed haircut changes
on Clearing Fund collateral will become effective on May 16, 2011.
NSCC states that the proposed rule change is consistent with the
requirements of the Act \5\ and the rules and regulations thereunder
applicable to NSCC because it facilitates the prompt and accurate
clearance and settlement of securities transactions by adjusting NSCC's
haircuts on Clearing Fund collateral so that NSCC maintains adequate
collateral levels to support a borrowing, should it become necessary,
to complete settlement.
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\5\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1.
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
NSCC does not believe that the proposed rule change will have any
impact or impose any burden on competition.
C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others
Written comments relating to the proposed rule change have not been
solicited or received by NSCC. NSCC will notify the Commission of any
written comments it receives.
III. 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 (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml) or
Send an e-mail to [email protected]. Please include
File No. SR-NSCC-2011-02 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Station Place, 100 F
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File No. SR-NSCC-2011-02. This file
number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently,
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on
the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all
written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are
filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to
the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other
than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and
printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10
a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filings also will be available for
inspection and copying at NSCC's principal office and on NSCC's Web
site at http://www.dtcc.com/legal/rule_filings/nscc/2011.php. All
comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does
not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All
submission should refer to File No. SR-NSCC-2011-02 and should be
submitted on or before June 9, 2011.
IV. Commission's Findings and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of
the Proposed Rule Change
Section 19(b) of the Act \6\ directs the Commission to approve a
proposed rule change of a self-regulatory organization if it finds that
such proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of the
Act and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to such
organization. The Commission finds that the proposed rule change is
consistent with the requirements of the Act, in particular the
requirements of Section 17A of the Act,\7\ and the rules and
regulations thereunder applicable to NSCC. Specifically, the Commission
finds that the proposed rule change is consistent with Section
17A(b)(3)(F) of the Act,\8\ which requires, among other things, that
the rules of a registered clearing agency be designed to assure the
safeguarding of securities and funds which are in the custody or
control of the clearing agency or for which it is responsible. The
Commission finds that NSCC's rule change is consistent with this
requirement because increasing the haircuts that are applied to the
securities that NSCC's members deposit as Clearing Fund collateral
should help ensure that NSCC maintains adequate collateral levels to
facilitate settlement in the event of a member default, which should
therefore help minimize risk to NSCC and its members. Accordingly, the
proposed rule change should improve NSCC's ability to assure the
safeguarding of securities and funds in its custody or control or for
which it is responsible.
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\6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b).
\7\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1. In approving this proposed rule change, the
Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on efficiency,
competition, and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b)(3)(F).
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NSCC has requested that the Commission approve the proposed rule
change on an accelerated basis so that it would become effective on May
16, 2011. By granting accelerated approval to the proposed change, NSCC
will be able to adjust its haircuts for securities pledged as Clearing
Fund collateral by May 16, 2011, so that NSCC's haircuts remain in
alignment with the haircuts under the borrowing facility. As a result,
NSCC should be better able to maintain adequate collateral levels to
protect itself and its members in the event of a member default.
Accordingly, the Commission finds good cause to approve the proposed
rule change prior to the 30th day after the date of publication of
notice of the proposed rule change in the Federal Register.
[[Page 29021]]
V. Conclusion
It is therefore ordered pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act \9\
that the proposed rule change (SR-NSCC-2011-02) be, and it hereby is,
approved on an accelerated basis.
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\9\ Id.
For the Commission by the Division of Trading and Markets
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
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\10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-12328 Filed 5-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P