Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”),
The PCX proposes to adopt new rules and to amend existing rules on the priority of bids and offers on the Options Floor and the manner in which orders must be allocated in connection with options transactions on the Exchange.
Below is the text of the proposed rule change. Deleted language is in brackets. Proposed new language is italicized.
Rule 6.37(a)–(c)—No change.
(d) —No Change.
(e) Prohibited Practices and Procedures.
(1) —No Change.
Rule 6.75
No change.
(a)–(b)—No change.
Com. .01–.04—No change.
Rule 6.76(a)–(b)—No change.
(c) Two or more members entitled to priority. If the bids or offers of two or more members are both entitled to priority in accordance with paragraph (a) or paragraph (b), it shall be afforded to them, insofar as practicable, on an equal basis.
Com. .01—No change.
Rule 6.82(a)–(c)—No change.
(d) Rights of Lead Market Makers
(1)—No change.
(2) Guaranteed Participation. Except as provided in subsections (A) and (B), below, LMMs shall be allocated 50% participation
(A)–(C)—No change.
(e)–(h)(1)—No change.
(2) LMM Performance of Market Maker Function
(a) LMMs must perform all obligations provided
(3)—No change.
Commentary:
.01–.03—No 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 aspects of such statements.
The Exchange is proposing to adopt new rules, and to amend existing rules, to include practices and procedures whereby option orders are allocated on the Options Trading Floor. This rule filing is being submitted to the Commission pursuant to subparagraph IV.B.j. of the Commission's Order of September 11, 2000.
The Exchange is proposing to adopt new PCX Rule 6.37(e)(2), which would provide that any practice or procedure whereby Market Makers trading any particular option issue determine by agreement the allocation of orders that may be executed in that issue is prohibited.
The Exchange is proposing to adopt new PCX Rule 6.75(c), entitled “Simultaneous Bids and Offers,” which states that, except as otherwise provided, if the bids (or offers) of two or more members are made simultaneously, or if it is impossible to determine clearly the order of time in which they were made, such bids (or offers) will be deemed to be on parity and priority will be afforded to them, insofar as practicable, on an equal basis.
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(1) states that a Floor Broker is responsible for determining the sequence in which bids or offers are vocalized on the Trading Floor in response to the Floor Broker's bid, offer or call for a market. It further states that any disputes regarding a Floor Broker's determination of time priority sequence will be resolved by the Order Book Official, provided that such determinations of the Order Book Official are subject to further review by two Floor Officials, pursuant to PCX Rule 6.77.
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(2) provides that when a Floor Broker's bid or offer has been accepted by more than one member, that Floor Broker must designate the members who were first, second, third, and so forth. It further states that, except as otherwise provided, the member with first priority is entitled to buy or sell as many contracts as the Floor Broker may have available to trade. If there are any contracts remaining, the member with second priority will be entitled to buy or sell as many contracts as there are remaining in the Floor Broker's order, and so on, until the Floor Broker's order has been filled entirely.
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(3) (“Market Makers and Order Book Officials”) provides that a Market Maker is responsible for determining the sequence in which bids and offers are vocalized on the Trading Floor in response to that Market Maker's bid, offer or call for a market. Likewise, an Order Book Official is responsible for determining the sequence in which bids and offers are vocalized on the Trading Floor in response to the Order Book Official's bid, offer or call for a market. The proposed rule further provides that the order allocation procedures for Market Makers and Order Book Officials, including the determination of time priority sequence, are the same as those for Floor Brokers as set forth in this proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f).
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(4)(A) provides that if the LMM establishes first priority during the vocalization process, the LMM will be entitled to buy or sell as many contracts as the Floor Broker may have available to trade. However, if the LMM does not establish first priority during the vocalization process, but does establish second, third, or some other time priority sequence, the LMM will be entitled to buy or sell the number of contracts equal to the LMM's guaranteed participation level (pursuant to PCX Rule 6.82(d)(2)) plus any contracts the Floor Broker has remaining after the bids or offers of other members with higher time priority have been satisfied.
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(4)(B) provides that if one or more orders in the limit order book have priority over an LMM's bid or offer, then the LMM's guaranteed participation level will apply only to the number of contracts remaining
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(4)(C) provides that LMMs may waive some or all of their guaranteed participation on particular trades, but only to the extent that doing so is permissible under PCX Rule 6.86 (“Firm Quotes”). In such circumstances, if the LMM has waived the right to trade a certain number of option contacts, those option contracts will then become available for execution by the member (or members) who are next in priority sequence. For example, assume that there are 100 contracts available to sell, the LMM has guaranteed participation on 25 contracts, and the time priority sequence is as follows: the LMM is first, Market Maker #1 is second, and Market Maker #2 is third. If the LMM buys 20 contracts, the remaining 80 contracts will then be available for execution by Market Maker #1. If Market Maker #1 buys 40 of those contracts, then the remaining 40 contracts will be available for execution by Market Maker #2.
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(4)(D) provides that LMMs may direct some or all of their guaranteed participation to competing public orders in the trading crowd pursuant to PCX Rule 6.82(d).
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(4)(E) provides that bid and offering prices that are disseminated by an automatic quotation system are presumed to be the bid and offering prices of the LMM for purposes of PCX Rule 6.86 (“Firm
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(5)(A) states that if the bids or offers of more than one member are made simultaneously, such bids or offers will be deemed to be on parity and priority will be afforded to them, insofar as practicable, on an equal basis, pursuant to PCX Rule 6.75(c). Accordingly, efforts will be made to assure that each member on parity receives an equal number of contracts, to the extent mathematically possible. One or more members on parity may waive their rights to some of their share (or shares) of contracts, but only to the extent that doing so is permissible under PCX Rule 6.86 (“Firm Quotes”). In such circumstances, the remaining number of contracts will be allocated, to the extent practicable, on an equal basis. However, an LMM who has received guaranteed participation on a transaction may not participate in the waived portion of the order unless there are contracts remaining to be allocated after all other members have been satisfied.
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(5)(B) provides that if the bids and offers of more than one member, including the LMM, are on parity, then the LMM's guaranteed participation will first be applied to the entire order and the remainder of the order will be allocated, to the extent practicable, on an equal basis among the members other than the LMM who are on parity. The LMM may participate in such remainder of the order only if there are contracts remaining after all members other than the LMM have first been satisfied.
Proposed PCX Rule 6.75(f)(5)(C) states that if the LMM waives priority or guaranteed participation when the LMM and one or more other members are on parity, then the portion of the order that the LMM has waived will be made available to the other members who are on parity. For example, assume that there are 100 contracts available to trade, the LMM has guaranteed participation on 25 contracts, and two other members are on parity with the LMM. If the LMM waives guaranteed participation (but claims priority), the order will be divided into three shares (consisting of 34 contracts, 33 contracts and 33 contracts). If the LMM waives all rights to participate in the trade, the order will be divided among the two other members who are on parity, in equal shares, each comprising 50 contracts.
Proposed Rule 6.75(f)(6) states that if the members of the trading crowd provide a collective response to a member's request for a market in order to fill a large order, pursuant to Rule 6.37(f)(2), then if the size of the trading crowd's market, in the aggregate, is less than or equal to the size of the order to be filled, the members of the trading crowd will each receive a share of the order that is equal to the size of their respective bids or offers. However, if the size of the trading crowd's market exceeds the size of the order to be filled, that order will be allocated on a size pro rata basis, with the members of the trading crowd each receiving, to the extent practicable, the percentage of the order that is the ratio of the size of their respective bids or offers to the total size of all bids or offers. Specifically, in such circumstances, the size of the order to be allocated is multiplied by the size of an individual market participant's quote divided by the aggregate size of all market participants' quotes. For example, assume there are 200 contracts to be allocated, Market Maker #1 is bidding for 100, Market Maker #2 is bidding for 200 and Market Maker #3 is bidding for 500. Under the “size pro rata” allocation formula, Market Maker #1 will be allocated 25 contracts (200x100 800); ÷ Market Maker #2 will be allocated 50 contracts (200x200 800); ÷ and Market Maker #3 will be allocated 125 contracts (200x500 ÷ 800).
PCX Rule 6.82(d)(2) also currently provides, in part, that LMMs at their own discretion may direct their guaranteed participation to competing public orders in the crowd. The Exchange is modifying this provision to provide that LMMs may direct “some or all” of their guaranteed participation to competing public orders (
PCX Rule 6.82(d)(2) currently provides, in part, that LMMs “shall be allocated 50% participation in transactions occurring at their disseminated bids and/or offers in their allocated issue(s).” The Exchange is proposing to amend this rule so that it provides that LMMs “shall be allocated 50% participation (or such lesser percentage as the Options Allocation Committee may establish in allocating an issue to an LMM) in transactions occurring at their disseminated bids and/or offers in their allocated issues.”
Finally, PCX Rule 6.82(e)(2)(a) currently provides, in part, that LMMs “shall have a right to participate pro rata with the trading crowd in trades that take place at the LMM's principal bid or offer.” The Exchange is proposing to modify this provision to state that LMMs “have a right to participate with the trading crowd in trades that take place at the LMM's principal bid or offer, pursuant to the priority rules set forth in PCX Rule 6.75.”
The Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with section 6(b)
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.
The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on the proposed rule change.
Within 35 days of the date of publication of this notice in the
(A) by order approve such proposed rule change, or
(B) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved.
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. Persons making written submissions
For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.