This site displays a prototype of a “Web 2.0” version of the daily Federal Register. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official electronic version on GPO’s govinfo.gov.
The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. This prototype edition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications and services, go to About the Federal Register on NARA's archives.gov.
The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for legal research should verify their results against an official edition of the Federal Register. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts.
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 May 3, 2007, NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca” or “Exchange”) 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 substantially prepared by NYSE Arca. The Exchange has filed the proposal as a “non-controversial” rule change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act [3] and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) 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.
NYSE Arca proposes to amend its rules to extend the $1 strike pilot program (“Pilot Program”) for an additional year. The text of the proposed rule change is available at NYSE Arca, the Commission's Public Reference Room, and www.nysearca.com.
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 aspects of such statements.
The Exchange proposes to extend its Pilot Program for one year. The current Pilot Program expires on June 5, 2007. NYSE Arca notes that OTP Firms have expressed a continued interest in listing additional strike prices on low-priced stocks so that they can provide their customers with greater flexibility in their investment choices. For this reason, the Exchange proposes to extend the Pilot Program. The Exchange notes that the Pilot Program will remain unchanged in all material respects, including: The procedures for adding $1 strike intervals; the procedures for phasing out $2.50 strike price intervals; the prohibition against listing long-term options (“LEAPS”) in equity option classes at $1 strike intervals; the procedures for adding expiration months; and the procedures for deleting $1 strike intervals. In support of the Exchange's proposal to extend the Pilot Program until June 5, 2008, the Exchange is submitting a report to the Commission (“Pilot Program Report”), attached as Exhibit 3 to the proposal, offering detailed data from, and analysis of, the Pilot Program.
The Exchange believes that the continuing the Pilot Program will stimulate customer interest in options overlying lower-priced stocks by creating greater trading opportunities and flexibility. The Exchange further believes that continuing the Pilot Program will provide customers with the ability to more closely tailor investment strategies to the precise movement of the underlying security. For these reasons, the Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act,[5] in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,[6] in particular, in that it is designed to facilitate transactions in securities, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, and to protect investors and the public interest.
The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in the furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
Written comments on the proposed rule change were neither solicited nor received.
Because the foregoing rule change does not: (1) Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (2) impose any significant burden on competition; and (3) become operative for 30 days from the date of this filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate, it has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act [7] and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.[8]
At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission may summarily abrogate 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.
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:
All submissions should refer to File No. SR-NYSEArca-2007-42. 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 inspection and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room. Copies of such filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of NYSE Arca. 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-NYSEArca-2007-42 and should be submitted on or before June 5, 2007.
For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.[9]
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
8. 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). Rule 19b-4(f)(6) also requires the self-regulatory organization to give the Commission 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. NYSE Arca has satisfied the five-day pre-filing requirement. As set forth in the Commission's initial approval of the Pilot Program and in its order extending the operation of the Pilot Program through June 5, 2005, if NYSE Arca proposes to: (1) extend the Pilot Program; (2) expand the number of options eligible for inclusion in the Pilot Program; or (3) seek permanent approval of the Pilot Program, it must submit a Pilot Program report to the Commission along with the filing of its proposal to extend, expand, or seek permanent approval of the Pilot Program. NYSE Arca must file any proposal to expand or seek permanent approval of the Pilot Program and the Pilot Program report with the Commission at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the Pilot Program. The Pilot Program report must cover the entire time the Pilot Program was in effect and must include: (1) data and written analysis on the open interest and trading volume for options (at all strike price intervals) selected for the Pilot Program; (2) delisted options series (for all strike price intervals) for all options selected for the Pilot Program; (3) an assessment of the appropriateness of $1 strike price intervals for the options NYSE Arca selected for the Pilot Program; (4) an assessment of the impact of the Pilot Program on the capacity of NYSE Arca's, the Options Price Reporting Authority's, and vendors' automated systems; (5) any capacity problems or other problems that arose during the operation of the Pilot Program and how NYSE Arca addressed them; (6) any complaints that NYSE Arca received during the operation of the Pilot Program and how NYSE Arca addressed them; and (7) any additional information that would help to assess the operation of the Pilot Program. See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 48945 (June 17, 2003), 68 FR 37594 (June 24, 2003) (SR-PCX-2003-28) and 50152 (August 5, 2004), 69 FR 49931 (August 12, 2004) (SR-PCX-2004-61).
Back to Citation[FR Doc. E7-9261 Filed 5-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-P