70 FR 149 pg. 44959 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed Income Clearing Corporation; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To Institute a Netting Process for Fail Deliver and Fail Receive Obligations for Netting Members in Its Government Securities Division
Type: NOTICEVolume: 70Number: 149Page: 44959
Docket number: [Release No. 34-52157; File No. SR-FICC-2005-11]
FR document: [FR Doc. E5-4152 Filed 8-3-05; 8:45 am]
Agency: Securities and Exchange Commission
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-52157; File No. SR-FICC-2005-11]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed Income Clearing Corporation; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To Institute a Netting Process for Fail Deliver and Fail Receive Obligations for Netting Members in Its Government Securities Division
July 28, 2005.
I. Introduction
On May 19, 2005, the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation ("FICC") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") proposed rule change SR-FICC-2005-11 pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act").1Notice of the proposal was published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2005.2No comment letters were received. For the reasons discussed below, the Commission is approving the proposed rule change.
Footnotes:
1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 Securities Exchange Act Release No. 51865 (June 17, 2005), 70 FR 36679.
II. Description
The rules of FICC's Government Securities Division ("GSD") provide that FICC may, in its sole discretion, net a netting member's fail deliver and fail receive obligations with the member's current settlement obligations. FICC is amending the GSD's rules to institute this fail netting process on a daily basis.
Since the implementation of the GSD's netting system (by FICC's predecessor, the Government Securities Clearing Corporation), outstanding fails have been processed separately from new trading activity. Demand by members for the netting of fails was initially low due to the fact that many members could not properly account for netted fails in their proprietary systems. In addition, demand for netting of fails remained low until the summer of 2003 when the market experienced significant fails in the Treasury 10-year note due May 2013.
In recent years, FICC has been integrally involved in assisting the industry in addressing significant fail situations. On several occasions, FICC intervened by supporting special netting of members' fails with members' current settlement activity. While this procedure helped alleviate the number of open fails and associated settlement issues and risks, it was only an intermediate step in resolving the need for the more regular fail processing proposed herein. Moreover, the industry's continued experience with fails has caused a heightened demand on the part of members for the GSD to institute such a routine process.
Pursuant to the proposed rule change, the GSD will implement a methodology whereby outstanding member fail obligations will routinely be netted with current settlement activity. This process will provide reduced risk exposure to members because it will facilitate settlement by allowing members to close open fails on their books on a daily basis, as well as reduce the number of outstanding clearance obligations at FICC.
FICC does not anticipate an undue burden on members as a result of this proposal. The GSD has issued an Important Notice3to all members seeking feedback on the proposed change, and to date, the substance of any feedback received has been positive.
Footnotes:
3 Important Notice GOV028.05 (March 10, 2005).
III. Discussion
Section 17A(b)(3)(F) of the Act requires that the rules of a clearing agency be designed to assure the safeguarding of securities and funds which are in the custody or control of the clearing agency or for which it is responsible.4The Commission finds that FICC's proposed rule change is consistent with this requirement because it will enable FICC to reduce the risks posed by large numbers of open fail positions.
Footnotes:
4 15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b)(3)(F).
IV. Conclusion
On the basis of the foregoing, the Commission finds that the proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of the Act and in particular Section 17A of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,5that the proposed rule change (File No. SR-FICC-2005-11) be and hereby is approved.
Footnotes:
5 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.6
Footnotes:
6 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-4152 Filed 8-3-05; 8:45 am]
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