[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2011)] [Notices] [Pages 79246-79247] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2011-32671] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-65978; File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2011-98] Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Amending Commentary .02 to NYSE Amex Options Rule 960NY in Order To Extend the Penny Pilot in Options Classes in Certain Issues Through June 30, 2012 December 15, 2011. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that on December 2, 2011, NYSE Amex LLC (the ``Exchange'' or ``NYSE Amex'') 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 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange proposes to amend Commentary .02 to NYSE Amex Options Rule 960NY in order to extend the Penny Pilot in options classes in certain issues (``Pilot Program''), previously approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission''), through June 30, 2012. The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange, the Commission's Public Reference Room, and www.nyse.com. 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 hereby proposes to amend Commentary .02 to NYSE Amex Options Rule 960NY to extend the time period of the Pilot Program,\3\ which is currently scheduled to expire on December 31, 2011, through June 30, 2012. The Exchange also proposes that the date to replace issues in the Pilot Program that have been delisted be revised to the second trading day following January 1, 2012 \4\ and that the replacement issues will be selected based on trading activity for the six month period beginning June 1, 2011 and ending November 30, 2011.\5\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63393 (November 30, 2010), 75 FR 75715 (December 6, 2010) (SR-NYSEAmex-2010-107). \4\ The Exchange is proposing to extend the Pilot Program only for an additional six months. Therefore, a date for adding replacement issues to the Pilot Program during the second half of the calendar year, i.e., after June 30, 2012, is not applicable, as reflected in the proposed change to Commentary .02. \5\ The Exchange will announce the replacement issues to the Exchange's membership through a Trader Update. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This filing does not propose any substantive changes to the Pilot Program: all classes currently participating will remain the same and all minimum increments will remain unchanged. 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. The Exchange agrees to reports that will analyze the impact of the Pilot Program on market quality and options systems capacity. These reports will include, but are not limited to: (1) Data and written analysis on the number of quotations generated for options selected for the Pilot Program; (2) an assessment of the quotation spreads for the options selected for the Pilot Program; (3) an assessment of the impact of the Pilot Program on the capacity of the Exchange's automated systems; (4) any capacity problems or other problems that arose related to the operation of the Pilot Program and how the Exchange addressed them; and (5) an assessment of trade through complaints that were sent by the Exchange during the operation of the Pilot Program and how they were addressed. The Exchange also proposes a technical change to NYSE Amex Options Rule 960NY(a)(3)(A) to reflect that QQQQ is now referred to as ``PowerShares QQQ Trust\SM\, Series 1'' and is traded under the symbol ``QQQ.'' \6\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \6\ NASDAQ, Nasdaq-100 Index, Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock and QQQ are trade/service marks of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. and have been licensed for use by Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Statutory Basis The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) \7\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act''), in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5),\8\ in particular, in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, and to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanisms 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b). \8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others Written comments were neither solicited nor received. [[Page 79247]] III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action Because the foregoing 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 for 30 days from the date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate, it has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \9\ and Rule 19b- 4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\10\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A). \10\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6) requires a self-regulatory organization to give the Commission written notice of its intent to file 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 Commission notes that the Exchange has satisfied this requirement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 CommentsUse the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or Send an email to [email protected]. Please include File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2011-98 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 No. SR-NYSEAmex-2011-98. 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 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2011-98 and should be submitted on or before January 11, 2012. For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.\11\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \11\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kevin M. O'Neill, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2011-32671 Filed 12-20-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011-01-P