[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 121 (Monday, June 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37862-37863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14959]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-69788; File No. SR-BATS-2013-030]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Extend
the Penny Pilot Program
June 18, 2013.
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 June 11, 2013, BATS Exchange, Inc. (the ``Exchange'' or
``BATS'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
``SEC'' or ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in
Items I and II 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.
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
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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 for the BATS Options Market (``BATS
Options'') to extend through December 31, 2013, the Penny Pilot Program
(``Penny Pilot'') in options classes in certain issues (``Pilot
Program'') previously approved by the Commission.\3\
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\3\ The rules of BATS Options, including rules applicable to
BATS Options' participation in the Penny Pilot, were approved on
January 26, 2010. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61419
(January 26, 2010), 75 FR 5157 (February 1, 2010) (SR-BATS-2009-
031). BATS Options commenced operations on February 26, 2010. The
Penny Pilot was extended for BATS Options through June 30, 2013. See
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 68516 (December 21, 2012), 77 FR
77176 (December 31, 2012) (SR-BATS-2012-048).
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The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's
Web site at http://www.batstrading.com, at the principal office of the
Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization
included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the
proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the
proposed rule change. The text of 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 aspects 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 purpose of this filing is to extend the Penny Pilot, which was
previously approved by the Commission, through December 31, 2013, and
to provide a revised date for adding replacement issues to the Pilot
Program. The Exchange proposes that any Pilot Program issues that have
been delisted may be replaced on the second trading day following July
1, 2013. The replacement issues will be selected based on trading
activity for the six month period beginning December 1, 2012, and
ending May 31, 2013.
The Exchange represents that the Exchange has the necessary system
capacity to continue to support operation of the Penny Pilot. The
Exchange believes the benefits to public customers and other market
participants who will be able to express their true prices to buy and
sell options have been demonstrated to outweigh the increase in quote
traffic.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that its proposal is consistent with the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder that
are applicable to a national securities exchange, and, in particular,
with the requirements of Section 6(b) of the Act.\4\ In particular, the
proposal is consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\5\ because it
would promote just and equitable principles of trade, remove
impediments to, and perfect the mechanism of, a free and open market
and a national market system. The Exchange believes that the Pilot
Program promotes just and equitable principles of trade by enabling
public customers and other market participants to express their true
prices to buy and sell options. Accordingly, the Exchange believes that
the proposal is consistent with the Act because it will allow the
Exchange to extend the Pilot Program prior to its expiration on June
30, 2013. The Exchange notes that this proposal does not propose any
new policies or provisions that are unique or unproven, but instead
relates to the continuation of an existing program that operates on a
pilot basis.
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\4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
\5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will
impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate
in furtherance of the purposes of the Act. In this regard, the Exchange
notes that the rule change is being proposed in order to continue the
Pilot Program, which is a competitive response to analogous programs
offered by other options exchanges. The Exchange believes this proposed
rule change is necessary to permit fair competition among the options
exchanges.
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 \6\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\7\
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
[[Page 37863]]
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 \8\ and Rule 19b-
4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.
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\6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).
\7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
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A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) normally does
not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the filing.\9\
However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\10\ 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 waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the
protection of investors and the public interest because doing so will
allow the Pilot Program to continue without interruption in a manner
that is consistent with the Commission's prior approval of the
extension and expansion of the Pilot Program and will allow the
Exchange and the Commission additional time to analyze the impact of
the Pilot Program.\11\ Accordingly, the Commission designates the
proposed rule change as operative upon filing with the Commission.\12\
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\9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii)
requires the Exchange to give the Commission written notice of the
Exchange's intent to file the proposed rule change along with a
brief description and the 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. The
Exchange has satisfied this pre-filing requirement.
\10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
\11\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61061 (November 24,
2009), 74 FR 62857 (December 1, 2009) (SR-NYSEArca-2009-44). See
also supra note 3.
\12\ For purposes only of waiving the operative delay for this
proposal, the Commission has 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 the 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.
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 (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
Send an email to [email protected]. Please
include File Number SR-BATS-2013-030 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy,
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File Number SR-BATS-2013-030. This file
number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help
the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently,
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on
the Commission's Internet Web site (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
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available
for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All
comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does
not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All
submissions should refer to File Number SR-BATS-2013-030 and should be
submitted on or before July 15, 2013.
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\13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-14959 Filed 6-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P