[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75606-75608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29616]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-73822; File No. SR-BOX-2014-29]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; BOX Options Exchange, LLC; Notice
of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To
Extend, Through June 30, 2015, the Pilot Program That Permits Certain
Classes To Be Quoted in Penny Increments (``Penny Pilot Program'')
December 11, 2014.
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 10, 2014, BOX Options Exchange LLC (the ``Exchange'') 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 self-regulatory organization. The Commission
is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule 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 proposes to amend Rule 7260 to extend, through June
30, 2015, the pilot program that permits certain classes to be quoted
in penny increments (``Penny Pilot Program''). The text of the proposed
rule change is available from the principal office of the Exchange, at
the Commission's Public Reference Room and also on the Exchange's
Internet Web site at http://boxexchange.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 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 self-regulatory organization
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
1. Purpose
The Exchange proposes to extend the effective time period of the
Penny Pilot Program that is currently scheduled to expire on December
31, 2014, for an additional six months, through June 30, 2015.\3\ The
Penny Pilot Program permits certain classes to be quoted in penny
increments. The minimum price variation for all classes included in the
Penny Pilot Program, except for the QQQs, SPY and IWM, will continue to
be $0.01 for all quotations in options series that are quoted at less
than $3 per contract and $0.05 for all quotations in options series
that are quoted at $3 per contract or greater. The QQQs, SPY and IWM,
will continue to be quoted in $0.01 increments for all options series.
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\3\ The Penny Pilot Program has been in effect on the Exchange
since its inception in May 2012. See Securities Exchange Act Release
Nos. 66871 (April 27, 2012), 77 FR 26323 (May 3, 2012) (File No.10-
206, In the Matter of the Application of BOX Options Exchange LLC
for Registration as a National Securities Exchange Findings,
Opinion, and Order of the Commission), 67328 (June 29, 2012), 77 FR
40123 (July 6, 2012) (SR-BOX-2012-007), 68425 (December 13, 2012),
77 FR 75234 (December 19, 2013) (SR-BOX-2012-021), 69789 (June 18,
2013), 78 FR 37854 (June 24, 2013) (SR-BOX-2013-31), 71056 (December
12, 2013), 78 FR 76691 (December 18, 2013) (SR-BOX-2013-56), and
72348 (June 9, 2014), 79 FR 33976 (June 13, 2014) (SR-BOX-2014-17).
The extension of the effective date and the revision of the dates to
replace issues that have been delisted are the only changes to the
Penny Pilot Program being proposed at this time.
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The Exchange may replace any Pilot Program classes that have been
delisted on the second trading day following January 1, 2015. The
replacement classes will be selected based on trading activity for the
six month period beginning June 1, 2014, and ending November 30, 2014.
The Exchange will employ the same parameters to prospective replacement
classes as approved and applicable under the Pilot Program, including
excluding high-priced underlying securities. The Exchange will
distribute a Regulatory Circular notifying Participants which
replacement classes shall be included in the Penny Pilot Program.
BOX is specifically authorized to act jointly with the other
options exchanges participating in the Pilot Program in identifying any
replacement class.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposal is consistent with the
requirements of Section 6(b) of the Act,\4\ in general, and Section
6(b)(5) of the
[[Page 75607]]
Act,\5\ 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 mechanism of a free and open
market and a national market system, and, in general protect investors
and the public interest.
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\4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
\5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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In particular, the proposed rule change, which extends the Penny
Pilot for an additional six months through June 30, 2015 and changes
the date for replacing Penny Pilot issues that were delisted to the
second trading day following January 1, 2015, will enable public
customers and other market participants to express their true prices to
buy and sell options for the benefit of all market participants. This
is consistent with 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 not necessary or appropriate in
furtherance of the purposes of the Act. To the contrary, this proposal
is pro-competitive because it allows Penny Pilot issues to continue
trading on the Exchange. Moreover, the Exchange believes that the
proposed rule change will allow for further analysis of the Pilot and a
determination of how the Pilot should be structured in the future; and
will serve to promote regulatory clarity and consistency, thereby
reducing burdens on the marketplace and facilitating investor
protection. The Pilot is an industry wide initiative supported by all
other option exchanges. The Exchange believes that extending the Pilot
will allow for continued competition between market participants on the
Exchange trading similar products as their counterparts on other
exchanges, while at the same time allowing the Exchange to continue to
compete for order flow with other exchanges in option issues trading as
part of the Pilot.
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 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
paragraph (A) of section 19(b)(3) of the Exchange 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 for 30 days after the date of the filing, 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
\8\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder.\9\
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\6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\9\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
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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 filing.\10\
However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),\11\ 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 would allow
replacement of Penny Pilot classes that have been delisted.
Accordingly, the Commission designates the proposed rule change as
operative upon filing with the Commission.\12\
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\10\ 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.
\11\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).
\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. If the Commission
takes such action, the Commission shall institute proceedings to
determine whether the proposed rule 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:
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-BOX-2014-29 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-BOX-2014-29. 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 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 Number SR-BOX-
[[Page 75608]]
2014-29 and should be submitted on or before January 8, 2015.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
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\13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-29616 Filed 12-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P