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DOCUMENT ID: [Release No. 34-54968; File No. SR-NASDAQ-2006-058]
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change to Permit Orders to Peg to the Midpoint of the Best Bid and Best Offer
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: December 19, 2006.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 19(b)(1) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b4 thereunder,\2\ The
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq'') is filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed rule change as
described in Items I and II below, which Items have been substantially
prepared by Nasdaq. The Exchange filed the proposed rule change
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b4(f)(6)
thereunder,\4\ which renders the proposal effective upon filing with
the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b4.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\4\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(6).
I. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the Substance of the Proposed Rule Change
Nasdaq is proposing to enable orders to peg to the midpoint between
the best bid and best offer (``Midpoint Peg''). The text of the
proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site (http://www.nasdaq.complinet.com ), at the Exchange's Office of the Secretary,
and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
II. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, Nasdaq 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. Nasdaq has prepared summaries, set forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements. A. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
Nasdaq proposes to modify the rule language pertaining to pegged orders (``Pegged Orders'') to enable orders to peg to the midpoint of the best bid and best offer. Nasdaq currently offers pegged functionality, adjusting the price of the order based upon changes in the best bid and offer in the national market system (``National Market System'').
A market participant entering a Pegged Order currently can specify that its price will equal the inside quote on
[[Page 77840]]
the same side of the market (``Primary Peg'') or the opposite side of
the market (``Market Peg''). The Primary Peg and Market Peg Orders may
establish their pricing relative to the appropriate bids or offers by
the selection of one or more offset amounts that will adjust the price
of the order by the offset amount selected. Additionally, a new
timestamp is created for the order each time it is automatically adjusted.
The proposed rule change is in accordance with Rule 612 of
Regulation NMS,\5\ which governs subpenny quoting of National Market
System stocks \6\ (the ``SubPenny Rule''). The proposed rule change
would not result in the display, rank, or acceptance of a bid or offer,
an order, quotation, or indication of interest in any NMS stock that is
priced in an increment smaller than $0.01 per share, unless the price
of the bid or offer, order, indication of interest is priced less than $1.00 per share.\7\
\5\ 17 CFR 242.600 et seq. See also Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 51808 (June 9, 2005), 70 FR 37496 (June 29, 2005) (``Regulation NMS Adopting Release'').
\6\ An NMS stock is any nonoption security for which
transaction reports are collected, processed, and made available
pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan. See 17 CFR 242.600(b)(46) and (47).
\7\ If the bid or offer, order, or indication of interest is
priced less than $1.00 per share, the minimum allowable increment is $0.0001 per share. See 17 CFR 242.612(b).
The following examples illustrate how the proposed rule change would operate (note that the price of the order updates in response to changes in the best bid and best offer, excluding the order's own impact on the best bid or best offer):
The best bid is $20.00 and the best offer is $20.06.
The Midpoint Peg Order to buy will be priced at $20.03.
The best offer updates to $20.08.
The price of the Midpoint Peg Order will update to $20.04. Example 2
The best bid is $20.00 and the best offer is $20.03.
The price of the Midpoint Peg Order to buy will be $20.01. The true
midpoint would be $20.015, but to avoid pricing the order in a sub
penny increment the bid is rounded down. However, if the order instead was a sell order the offer would be rounded up.
The best offer updates to $20.08.
The price of the Midpoint Peg Order will be $20.04. 2. Statutory Basis
Nasdaq believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with
the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\8\ in general, and with Section
6(b)(5) of the Act,\9\ in particular, in that the proposal is designed
to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote
just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and
coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling,
processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions
in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a
free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.
\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
\9\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
B. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
Nasdaq does not believe that the proposed rule change will result
in any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
C. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received from Members, Participants, or Others
Written comments were neither solicited nor 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) of the Act \10\ and Rule 19b4(f)(6) thereunder \11\ in
that it: (i) Does not significantly affect the protection of investors
or the public interest; (ii) does not impose any significant burden on
competition; and (iii) by its terms, does not become operative for 30 days after the date of the filing.\12\
\10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\11\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(6).
\12\ As required by Rule 19b4(f)(6)(iii), on November 28, 2006,
Nasdaq provided the Commission written notice of its intent to file
the proposed rule change, along with a brief description and text of the proposed rule change.
A proposed rule changed filed under Rule 19b4(f)(6) normally may
not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of filing.\13\
However, Rule 19b4(f)(6)(iii) \14\ permits the Commission to designate
a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest. Nasdaq has requested that the
Commission waive the 30day operative delay, which would make the rule
change operative immediately. The Commission believes that waiving the
30day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors
and the public interest because the proposed rule change provides a
potentially useful enhancement for investors to utilize in executing their trades.\15\
\13\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(6)(iii).
\14\ Id.
\15\ For purposes only of waiving the 30day operative delay,
the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
At any time within 60 days of the filing of a rule change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act, the Commission may summarily abrogate the 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:
Electronic Comments
All submissions should refer to File Number SRNASDAQ2006058.
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
[[Page 77841]]
available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public
Reference Room. Copies of such filing also will be available for
inspection and copying at the principal office of Nasdaq. 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 SRNASDAQ2006058 and should be submitted on or before January 17, 2007.
For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.\16\
\16\ 17 CFR 200.303(a)(12).
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E622081 Filed 122606; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 801101P
SUMMARY: NASDAQ Stock Market LLC,
DOCUMENT BODY 2: December 19, 2006.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 19(b)(1) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b4 thereunder,\2\ The
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq'') is filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed rule change as
described in Items I and II below, which Items have been substantially
prepared by Nasdaq. The Exchange filed the proposed rule change
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b4(f)(6)
thereunder,\4\ which renders the proposal effective upon filing with
the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons. \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b4.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\4\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(6).
I. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of the Substance of the Proposed Rule Change
Nasdaq is proposing to enable orders to peg to the midpoint between
the best bid and best offer (``Midpoint Peg''). The text of the
proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site (http://www.nasdaq.complinet.com ), at the Exchange's Office of the Secretary,
and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
II. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, Nasdaq 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. Nasdaq has prepared summaries, set forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements. A. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
Nasdaq proposes to modify the rule language pertaining to pegged orders (``Pegged Orders'') to enable orders to peg to the midpoint of the best bid and best offer. Nasdaq currently offers pegged functionality, adjusting the price of the order based upon changes in the best bid and offer in the national market system (``National Market System'').
A market participant entering a Pegged Order currently can specify that its price will equal the inside quote on
[[Page 77840]]
the same side of the market (``Primary Peg'') or the opposite side of
the market (``Market Peg''). The Primary Peg and Market Peg Orders may
establish their pricing relative to the appropriate bids or offers by
the selection of one or more offset amounts that will adjust the price
of the order by the offset amount selected. Additionally, a new
timestamp is created for the order each time it is automatically adjusted.
The proposed rule change is in accordance with Rule 612 of
Regulation NMS,\5\ which governs subpenny quoting of National Market
System stocks \6\ (the ``SubPenny Rule''). The proposed rule change
would not result in the display, rank, or acceptance of a bid or offer,
an order, quotation, or indication of interest in any NMS stock that is
priced in an increment smaller than $0.01 per share, unless the price
of the bid or offer, order, indication of interest is priced less than $1.00 per share.\7\
\5\ 17 CFR 242.600 et seq. See also Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 51808 (June 9, 2005), 70 FR 37496 (June 29, 2005) (``Regulation NMS Adopting Release'').
\6\ An NMS stock is any nonoption security for which
transaction reports are collected, processed, and made available
pursuant to an effective transaction reporting plan. See 17 CFR 242.600(b)(46) and (47).
\7\ If the bid or offer, order, or indication of interest is
priced less than $1.00 per share, the minimum allowable increment is $0.0001 per share. See 17 CFR 242.612(b).
The following examples illustrate how the proposed rule change would operate (note that the price of the order updates in response to changes in the best bid and best offer, excluding the order's own impact on the best bid or best offer):
The best bid is $20.00 and the best offer is $20.06.
The Midpoint Peg Order to buy will be priced at $20.03.
The best offer updates to $20.08.
The price of the Midpoint Peg Order will update to $20.04. Example 2
The best bid is $20.00 and the best offer is $20.03.
The price of the Midpoint Peg Order to buy will be $20.01. The true
midpoint would be $20.015, but to avoid pricing the order in a sub
penny increment the bid is rounded down. However, if the order instead was a sell order the offer would be rounded up.
The best offer updates to $20.08.
The price of the Midpoint Peg Order will be $20.04. 2. Statutory Basis
Nasdaq believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with
the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,\8\ in general, and with Section
6(b)(5) of the Act,\9\ in particular, in that the proposal is designed
to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote
just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and
coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling,
processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions
in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a
free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.
\8\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
\9\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
B. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
Nasdaq does not believe that the proposed rule change will result
in any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
C. SelfRegulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received from Members, Participants, or Others
Written comments were neither solicited nor 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) of the Act \10\ and Rule 19b4(f)(6) thereunder \11\ in
that it: (i) Does not significantly affect the protection of investors
or the public interest; (ii) does not impose any significant burden on
competition; and (iii) by its terms, does not become operative for 30 days after the date of the filing.\12\
\10\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
\11\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(6).
\12\ As required by Rule 19b4(f)(6)(iii), on November 28, 2006,
Nasdaq provided the Commission written notice of its intent to file
the proposed rule change, along with a brief description and text of the proposed rule change.
A proposed rule changed filed under Rule 19b4(f)(6) normally may
not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of filing.\13\
However, Rule 19b4(f)(6)(iii) \14\ permits the Commission to designate
a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of
investors and the public interest. Nasdaq has requested that the
Commission waive the 30day operative delay, which would make the rule
change operative immediately. The Commission believes that waiving the
30day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors
and the public interest because the proposed rule change provides a
potentially useful enhancement for investors to utilize in executing their trades.\15\
\13\ 17 CFR 240.19b4(f)(6)(iii).
\14\ Id.
\15\ For purposes only of waiving the 30day operative delay,
the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on
efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
At any time within 60 days of the filing of a rule change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act, the Commission may summarily abrogate the 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:
Electronic Comments
All submissions should refer to File Number SRNASDAQ2006058.
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
[[Page 77841]]
available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public
Reference Room. Copies of such filing also will be available for
inspection and copying at the principal office of Nasdaq. 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 SRNASDAQ2006058 and should be submitted on or before January 17, 2007.
For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.\16\
\16\ 17 CFR 200.303(a)(12).
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E622081 Filed 122606; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 801101P
14 CFR Part 39 40 CFR Part 52 14 CFR Part 71 33 CFR Part 165 50 CFR Part 679 47 CFR Part 73 26 CFR Part 1 40 CFR Part 180 33 CFR Part 117 50 CFR Part 17 44 CFR Part 67 50 CFR Part 648 14 CFR Part 97 33 CFR Part 100 40 CFR Part 63 50 CFR Part 622 44 CFR Part 65 50 CFR Part 660 26 CFR Part 301 39 CFR Part 111 40 CFR Part 300 6 CFR Part 5 40 CFR Part 271 47 CFR Part 64 40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 50 CFR Part 665 44 CFR Part 64 10 CFR Part 50 49 CFR Part 571 47 CFR Part 76