78 FR 230 pgs. 71690-71693 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating to NOM Market Maker Penny Pilot Options Rebate To Add Liquidity
Type: NOTICEVolume: 78Number: 230Pages: 71690 - 71693
Pages: 71690, 71691, 71692, 71693Docket number: [Release No. 34-70926; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2013-141]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2013-28571 Filed 11-27-13; 8:45 am]
Agency: Securities and Exchange Commission
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-70926; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2013-141]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating to NOM Market Maker Penny Pilot Options Rebate To Add Liquidity
November 22, 2013.
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 November 13, 2013, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ" or "Exchange") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC" or "Commission") the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III, below, which Items have been prepared by NASDAQ. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
Footnotes:
1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
2 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change
[top] NASDAQ proposes to modify Chapter XV, entitled "Options Pricing," at
Footnotes:
3 The term "NOM Market Maker" is a Participant that has registered as a Market Maker on NOM pursuant to Chapter VII, Section 2, and must also remain in good standing pursuant to Chapter VII, Section 4. In order to receive NOM Market Maker pricing in all securities, the Participant must be registered as a NOM Market Maker in at least one security.
4 The Penny Pilot was established in March 2008 and in October 2009 was expanded and extended through December 31, 2013. See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 57579 (March 28, 2008), 73 FR 18587 (April 4, 2008) (SR-NASDAQ-2008-026) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness establishing Penny Pilot); 60874 (October 23, 2009), 74 FR 56682 (November 2, 2009) (SR-NASDAQ-2009-091) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness expanding and extending Penny Pilot); 60965 (November 9, 2009), 74 FR 59292 (November 17, 2009) (SR-NASDAQ-2009-097) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness adding seventy-five classes to Penny Pilot); 61455 (February 1, 2010), 75 FR 6239 (February 8, 2010) (SR-NASDAQ-2010-013) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness adding seventy-five classes to Penny Pilot); 62029 (May 4, 2010), 75 FR 25895 (May 10, 2010) (SR-NASDAQ-2010-053) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness adding seventy-five classes to Penny Pilot); 65969 (December 15, 2011), 76 FR 79268 (December 21, 2011) (SR-NASDAQ-2011-169) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness extension and replacement of Penny Pilot); 67325 (June 29, 2012), 77 FR 40127 (July 6, 2012) (SR-NASDAQ-2012-075) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness and extension and replacement of Penny Pilot through December 31, 2012); 68519 (December 21, 2012), 78 FR 136 (January 2, 2013) (SR-NASDAQ-2012-143) (notice of filing and immediate effectiveness and extension and replacement of Penny Pilot through June 30, 2013); and 69787 (June 18, 2013), 78 FR 37858 (June 24, 2013) (SR-NASDAQ-2013-082). See also NOM Rules, Chapter VI, Section 5.
The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at http://www.nasdaq.cchwallstreet.com , at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
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 Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for 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.
A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
1. Purpose
NASDAQ proposes to modify Chapter XV, entitled "Options Pricing," at Section 2(1) governing the rebates and fees assessed for option orders entered into NOM. The Exchange proposes to amend the NOM Market Maker Penny Pilot Options Rebates to Add Liquidity. The Exchange believes the amendments will attract greater liquidity to the Exchange.
Today, the Exchange offers a four-tiered Rebate to Add Liquidity in Penny Pilot Options to NOM Market Makers as follows:
| Monthly volume | Rebate to add liquidity | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of up to 39,999 contracts per day in a month | $0.25 |
| Tier 2 | Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 40,000 to 69,999 contracts per day in a month | $0.30 |
| Tier 3 | Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 70,000 to 99,999 contracts per day in a month | $0.32 |
| Tier 4 | Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 100,000 or more contracts per day in a month | $0.32 or $0.38 in the following symbols BAC, GLD, IWM, QQQ and VXX or $0.40 in SPY |
The Exchange proposes to lower the volume requirements on all NOM Market Maker Rebate to Add Liquidity Penny Pilot Option tiers. Tier 1 currently pays a $0.25 per contract rebate to Participants that add NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of up to 39,999 contracts per day in a month. With respect to Tier 1, the Exchange will continue to pay a $0.25 per contract rebate to a Participant provided the Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of up to 29,999 contracts per day in a month. Tier 2 currently pays a $0.30 per contract rebate to Participants that add NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 40,000 to 69,999 contracts per day in a month. With respect to Tier 2, the Exchange will continue to pay a $0.30 per contract rebate to a Participant provided the Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 30,000 to 59,999 contracts per day in a month. Tier 3 currently pays a $0.32 per contract rebate to Participants that add NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 70,000 to 99,999 contracts per day in a month. With respect to Tier 3, the Exchange will continue to pay a $0.32 per contract rebate to a Participant provided the Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 60,000 to 79,999 contracts per day in a month. Tier 4 currently pays a $0.32 or $0.38 per contract rebate in BAC, GLD, IWN, QQQ and VXX and a $0.40 per contract in SPY to Participants that add NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 100,000 or more contracts per day in a month. With respect to Tier 4, the Exchange will continue to pay a a $0.32 or $0.38 per contract rebate in BAC, GLD, IWN, QQQ and VXX and a $0.40 per contract in SPY to a Participant provided the Participant adds NOM Market Maker liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of 80,000 or more contracts per day in a month.
The Exchange believes that these amendments to the NOM Market Maker Rebate to Add Liquidity tiers will continue to incentivize NOM Market Makers to post liquidity on the Exchange.
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2. Statutory Basis
NASDAQ believes that its proposal to amend its Pricing Schedule is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act5in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(4) and (b)(5) of the Act6in particular, in that it provides for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees and other charges among members and issuers and other persons using any facility or system which NASDAQ operates or controls, and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.
Footnotes:
5 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
6 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4), (5).
The Exchange's proposal to lower the volume requirements on the NOM Market Maker Penny Pilot Options Rebates to Add Liquidity tiers is reasonable because it should incentivize NOM Market Makers to post liquidity on NOM. Also, the lower volume tiers should allow a greater number of Participants to qualify for NOM Market Maker rebates. The Exchange is lowering the volume on each of the rebate tiers so that Participants who currently qualify for certain NOM Market Maker rebate tiers may be able to qualify for higher rebates. In addition, Participants who did not qualify for a NOM Market Maker rebate may now be able to qualify for the Tier 1 rebate. The Exchange believes that offering NOM Market Makers the opportunity to earn higher rebates, by qualifying for higher rebate tiers, is reasonable because by incentivizing NOM Market Makers to post liquidity on NOM will also benefit participants through increased order interaction.
The Exchange's proposal to lower the volume requirements on the NOM Market Maker Penny Pilot Options Rebates to Add Liquidity tiers is equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because this amendment will be applied to all Participants in a uniform matter. In addition, Participants should continue to qualify for the rebates that they currently receive and may earn increased rebates by qualifying for a higher volume tier. For example, a Participant that currently qualifies for a Tier 2 rebate by transacting 60,000 contracts per day in a month may now qualify for a Tier 3 rebate and earn the $0.32 per contract rebate provided the Participant continues to transact that volume. NOM Market Makers are valuable market participants that provide liquidity in the marketplace and incur costs unlike other market participants. The Exchange believes that NOM Market Makers should be offered the opportunity to earn higher rebates as compared to Non-NOM Market Makers, Firms and Broker Dealers because NOM Market Makers add value through continuous quoting7and the commitment of capital. The Exchange believes that encouraging NOM Market Makers to be more aggressive when posting liquidity benefits all market participants through increased liquidity. The Exchange also believes that lowering the volume on the various NOM Market Maker rebate tiers is equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because it does not misalign the current rebate structure because NOM Market Makers will continue to earn higher rebates as compared to Firms, Non-NOM Market Makers and Broker-Dealers and will earn the same or lower rebates as compared to Customers and Professionals.8
Footnotes:
7 Pursuant to Chapter VII (Market Participants), Section 5 (Obligations of Market Makers), in registering as a market maker, an Options Participant commits himself to various obligations. Transactions of a Market Maker in its market making capacity must constitute a course of dealings reasonably calculated to contribute to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market, and Market Makers should not make bids or offers or enter into transactions that are inconsistent with such course of dealings. Further, all Market Makers are designated as specialists on NOM for all purposes under the Act or rules thereunder. See Chapter VII, Section 5.
8 The Tier 1 NOM Market Maker Rebate to Add Liquidity in Penny Pilot Options is the same rebate as the Tier 1 Customer and Professional rebate in Penny Pilot Options. The Exchange pays the highest Tier 1 Rebates to Add Liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of $0.25 per contract to Customers, Professionals and NOM Market Makers for transacting one qualifying contract as compared to other market participants. Firms, Non-NOM Market Makers and Broker-Dealers receive a $0.10 per contract Penny Pilot Option Rebate to Add Liquidity. In addition, Participant that adds Firm, Non-NOM Market Maker or Broker-Dealer liquidity in Penny Pilot Options and/or Non-Penny Pilot Options of 15,000 contracts per day or more in a given month will receive a Rebate to Add Liquidity in Penny Pilot Options of $0.20 per contract.
[top] The Exchange believes that continuing to offer NOM Market Makers the opportunity to receive higher rebates as compared to Firms, Non-NOM Market Makers and Broker-Dealers is equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because all NOM Market Makers may qualify for the NOM Market Maker rebate tiers and every NOM Market Maker is entitled to a rebate solely by adding one contract of NOM Market Maker liquidity on NOM. Also, as mentioned, the NOM Market Maker would receive the same rebate in Tier 1 as compared Customers and Professionals and a higher rebate in all other tiers as compared to a Firm, Non-NOM Market Maker or Broker-Dealer because of the obligations9borne by NOM Market Makers as compared to other market participants. Encouraging NOM Market Makers to add greater liquidity benefits all Participants in the quality of order interaction. The Exchange believes that Customers are entitled to higher rebates because Customer order flow brings unique benefits to the market through increased liquidity which benefits all market participants. The Exchange believes that offering Professionals the opportunity to earn the same rebates as Customers, as is the case today, and higher rebates as compared to Firms, Broker-Dealers and Non-NOM Market Makers, and in some cases NOM Market Makers, is equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because the Exchange does not believe that the amount of the rebate offered by the Exchange has a material impact on a Participant's ability to execute orders in Penny Pilot Options. By offering Professionals, as well as Customers, higher rebates, the Exchange hopes to simply remain competitive with other venues so that it remains a choice for market participants when posting orders and the result may be additional Professional order flow for the Exchange, in addition to increased Customer order flow. A Participant may not be able to gauge the exact rebate tier it would qualify for until the end of the month because Professional volume would be commingled with Customer volume in calculating tier volume.10A Professional could only otherwise presume the Tier 1 rebate would be achieved in a month when determining price.11Further, the Exchange initially established Professional pricing in order to ". . . bring additional revenue to the Exchange."12The Exchange noted in the Professional Filing that it believes ". . . that the increased revenue from the proposal would assist the Exchange to recoup fixed costs."13The Exchange
Footnotes:
9 See note 7.
10 Customer and Professional volume is aggregated for purposes of determining which rebate tier a Participant qualifies for with respect to the Professional Rebate to Add Liquidity in Penny Pilot Options.
11 A Professional would be unable to determine the exact rebate that would be paid on a transaction by transaction basis with certainty until the end of a given month when all Customer and Professional volume is aggregated for purposes of determining which tier the Participant qualified for in a given month.
12 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64494 (May 13, 2011), 76 FR 29014 (May 19, 2011) (SR-NASDAQ-2011-066) ("Professional Filing"). In this filing, the Exchange addressed the perceived favorable pricing of Professionals who were assessed fees and paid rebates like a Customer prior to the filing. The Exchange noted in that filing that a Professional, unlike a retail Customer, has access to sophisticated trading systems that contain functionality not available to retail Customers.
13 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64494 (May 13, 2011), 76 FR 29014 (May 19, 2011) (SR-NASDAQ-2011-066).
14 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 64494 (May 13, 2011), 76 FR 29014 (May 19, 2011) (SR-NASDAQ-2011-066). The Exchange noted in this filing that it believes the role of the retail customer in the marketplace is distinct from that of the professional and the Exchange's fee proposal at that time accounted for this distinction by pricing each market participant according to their roles and obligations.
15 The Fee for Removing Liquidity in Penny Pilot Options is $0.48 per contract for all market participants, except Customers who are assessed $0.45 per contract.
B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
NASDAQ does not believe that the proposed rule changes will result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act, as amended. The Exchange believes that incentivizing NOM Market Makers to post liquidity on NOM benefits market participants through increased order interaction. Also, NOM Market Makers have obligations16to the market which are not borne by other market participants and therefore the Exchange believes that NOM Market Makers are entitled to such higher rebates. Lowering the volume requirements on the various NOM Market Maker rebate tiers in Penny Pilot Options should further encourage NOM Market Makers to post liquidity on NOM.
Footnotes:
16 See note 7.
The proposed amendments does [sic] not misalign the current rebate structure because NOM Market Makers will continue to earn higher rebates as compared to Firms, Non-NOM Market Makers and Broker-Dealers and will earn the same or lower rebates as compared to Customers and Professionals. The Exchange believes the differing outcomes, rebates and fees created by the Exchange's proposed pricing incentives contributes to the overall health of the market place for the benefit of all Participants that willing [sic] choose to transact options on NOM. For the reasons specified herein, the Exchange does not believe this proposal creates an undue burden on competition.
The Exchange operates in a highly competitive market comprised of twelve U.S. options exchanges in which many sophisticated and knowledgeable market participants can readily and do send order flow to competing exchanges if they deem fee levels or rebate incentives at a particular exchange to be excessive or inadequate. These market forces support the Exchange belief that the proposed rebate structure and tiers proposed herein are competitive with rebates and tiers in place on other exchanges. The Exchange believes that this competitive marketplace continues to impact the rebates present on the Exchange today and substantially influences the proposals set forth above.
C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others
No written comments were either solicited or received.
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 Act.17At 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.
Footnotes:
17 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
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
• Use the Commission's Internet comment form ( http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml ); or
• Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov . Please include File Number SR-NASDAQ-2013-141 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
• Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.
• Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2013-141. 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 the 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-NASDAQ-2013-141 and should be submitted on or before December 20, 2013.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.18
Footnotes:
18 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
Kevin M. O'Neill,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-28571 Filed 11-27-13; 8:45 am]
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