73 FR 47 pgs. 12786-12788 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 1 Thereto, Amending Its Schedule of Fees and Charges Applicable to the Option Strategy Executions Pilot Program
Type: NOTICEVolume: 73Number: 47Pages: 12786 - 12788
Docket number: [Release No. 34-57421; File No. SR-NYSEArca-2008-24]
FR document: [FR Doc. E8-4556 Filed 3-7-08; 8:45 am]
Agency: Securities and Exchange Commission
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-57421; File No. SR-NYSEArca-2008-24]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 1 Thereto, Amending Its Schedule of Fees and Charges Applicable to the Option Strategy Executions Pilot Program
March 3, 2008.
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act"),1and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,2notice is hereby given that on February 26, 2008, 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 the Exchange. On February 29, 2008, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposal.3NYSE Arca has designated this proposal as one establishing or changing a due, fee, or other charge imposed by the Exchange under Section 19(b)(3)(A),4and Rule 19b-4(f)(2) thereunder,5which renders the proposal effective upon filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 1, from interested persons.
Footnotes:
1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
3 Amendment No. 1 made clarifying changes to the original filing.
4 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
5 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change
NYSE Arca proposes to amend its Schedule of Fees and Charges in order to extend the pilot program that applies to Option Strategy Executions ("Pilot Program") until March 1, 2009. The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange, the Commission's Public Reference Room, and http://www.nysearca.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, NYSE Arca included statements concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposal. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. NYSE Arca 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 purpose of the proposed rule change is to extend the Pilot Program that applies to Option Strategy Executions until March 1, 2009.6The transactions included as part of the Pilot Program include reversals and conversions,7dividend spreads,8box spreads,9short stock interest spreads,10and merger spreads.11Because the referenced Options Strategy Transactions are generally executed by professionals whose profit margins are generally narrow, the Pilot Program caps the transaction fees associated with such executions at $750 per strategy execution that are executed on the same trading day in the same option class. In addition, there is also a monthly cap of $25,000 per initiating firm for all strategy executions. The Exchange believes that by keeping fees low, the Exchange is able to attract liquidity by accommodating these transactions. Extending the Pilot Program until March 1, 2009 will allow the Exchange to keep these fees low and thus continue to attract liquidity.
Footnotes:
6 The current rule text is substantially similar to the original filing approved in 2007. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 55414 (March 7, 2007), 72 FR 11418 (March 13, 2007) (SR-NYSEArca-2007-25).
7 Reversals and conversions are transactions that employ calls, puts and the underlying stock to lock in a nearly risk free profit. Reversals are established by combining a short stock position with a short put and a long call position that shares the same strike and expiration. Conversions employ long positions in the underlying stock that accompany long puts and short calls sharing the same strike and expiration.
8 Dividend spreads are trades involving deep in the money options that exploit pricing differences arising around the time a stock goes ex-dividend.
9 A Box spread is a strategy that synthesizes long and short stock positions to create a profit. Specifically, a long call and short put at one strike is combined with a short call and long put at a different strike to create synthetic long and synthetic short stock positions, respectively.
10 A short stock interest spread is a spread that uses two deep in the money put options of the same class followed by the exercise of the resulting long position in order to establish a short stock interest arbitrage position.
11 A merger spread is a transaction executed pursuant to a strategy involving the simultaneous purchase and sale of options of the same class and expiration date, but with different strike prices followed by the exercise of the resulting long option position.
OTP Holders and OTP Firms who wish to benefit from the fee cap will be required to submit to the Exchange forms with supporting documentation ( e.g. , clearing firm transaction data) to qualify for the cap.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act,12in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(4),13in particular, in that it is intended to provide for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees, and other charges among its members and other persons using its facilities. The Exchange believes that, as proposed, the cap on transaction fees for Strategy Executions applies equally to each member (ETP holder) of the Exchange. The Exchange further believes that by keeping fees low with the proposed cap, the Exchange is able to attract liquidity by accommodating these transactions.
Footnotes:
12 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
13 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
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
No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the proposed rule change.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action
The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act14and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b-4 thereunder,15because it establishes or changes a due, fee or other charge imposed by the Exchange. 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.16
Footnotes:
14 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
15 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
16 For purposes of calculating the 60-day period within which the Commission may summarily abrogate the proposed rule change under Section 19(b)(3)(C) of the Act, the Commission considers the period to commence on February 29, 2008, the date on which NYSE Arca filed Amendment No. 1. See 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(C).
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 e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include File Number SR-NYSEArca-2008-24 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
• Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEArca-2008-24. 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, 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-NYSEArca-2008-24 and should be submitted on or before March 31, 2008.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.17
Footnotes:
17 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-4556 Filed 3-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P