E6-698. Self-Regulatory Organizations; American Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating to Odd-Lots in Nasdaq Securities

January 13, 2006.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”),^[1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,^[2] notice is hereby given that on January 4, 2006, the American Stock Exchange LLC (“Amex” or “Exchange”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been prepared by Amex. The Exchange filed the proposal as a “non-controversial” rule change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act ^[3] and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder,^[4] which renders the proposed rule change effective upon filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

Amex proposes to extend for an additional six-month period through June 30, 2006, the Exchange's pilot program for odd-lot execution procedures for Nasdaq securities traded on the Exchange pursuant to unlisted trading privileges. There is no proposed rule text. Amex is making no changes to the pilot program as it currently operates, other than extending it through June 30, 2006.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

In its filing with the Commission, Amex 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. Amex 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 Commission approved, and the Exchange implemented, a pilot program for odd-lot order ^[5] executions in Nasdaq securities transacted on the Exchange pursuant to unlisted trading privileges. Paragraph (j) of Amex Rule 118 (“Trading in Nasdaq National Market Securities”) describes the Exchange's odd-lot execution procedures for Nasdaq securities, and Commentary .05 of Amex Rule 205 (“Manner of Executing Odd-Lot Orders”) references Amex Rule 118(j) odd-lot procedures. The pilot program was originally approved on August 2, 2002 for a six-month period, was most recently extended on June 30, 2005, and is due to expire on December 30, 2005.^[6]

Under the Exchange's current pilot program, after the opening of trading in Nasdaq securities, odd-lot market orders and executable odd-lot limit orders are executed at the qualified national best bid or offer ^[7] at the time the order is received at the trading post or through Amex Order File. Odd-lot market orders and executable odd-lot limit orders entered before the opening of trading in Nasdaq securities are executed at the price of the first round-lot or part of round-lot transaction on the Exchange. Non-executable limit orders, stop orders, stop limit orders, orders filled after the close and non-regular way trades are executed in accordance with Amex Rule 205 A(2), A(3), A(4), C(1), and C(2), respectively. Orders to buy or sell “at the close” are filled at the price of the closing round-lot sale on the Exchange. In a locked market condition, odd-lot market orders and executable odd-lot limit orders are executed at the locked market price. In a crossed market condition, odd-lot market orders are executed at the mean of the bid and offer prices when the displayed national best bid is higher than the displayed national best offer by $.05 or less. When the displayed national best bid is higher than the displayed national best offer by more than $.05, odd-lot market orders are executed when the crossed market condition no longer exists. In addition, in a crossed market condition, executable odd-lot limit orders are executed at the crossed market bid price (in the case of an order to sell) or at the crossed market offer price (in the case of an order to buy). For example, if the bid and offer are 20.10 and 20.00, respectively, an executable odd-lot sell limit order priced at 20.10 or less will be executed at 20.10 and an executable odd-lot buy limit order priced at 20.00 or higher will be executed at 20.00.

The Exchange believes that the existing odd-lot execution procedures have operated efficiently. Furthermore, the Exchange has received no complaints from members or the public regarding odd-lot executions. Therefore, the Exchange seeks an extension to the pilot program for an additional six-month period through June 30, 2006, providing the Exchange time to assess further enhancements to the odd-lot execution procedures.

2. Statutory Basis

The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act ^[8] in general and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) ^[9] in particular in that it 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 facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, to protect investors and the public interest and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.

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.

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

Because the foregoing proposed rule change: (1) Does not significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (2) does not impose any significant burden on competition; and (3) by its terms does not become operative for 30 days after the date of this filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate if consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest, the proposed rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) ^[10] of the Act and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.^[11]

Amex requests that the Commission waive the 30-day operative delay, as specified in Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),^[12] and designate the proposed rule change to become operative immediately. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest because such waiver would allow the pilot program to continue operating through June 30, 2006 without interruption.^[13]

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.

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 [e-mail]. Please include File No. SR-Amex-2006-002 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Station Place, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-9303.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-Amex-2006-002. 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. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of Amex.

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-Amex-2006-002 and should be submitted on or before February 13, 2006.

For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.¹⁴

Nancy M. Morris,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b-4.

3.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).

4.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).

5.  An odd-lot order is an order for less than 100 shares.

6.  The pilot program originally approved on August 2, 2002 was subsequently extended on July 14, 2003; December 24, 2003; June 14, 2004; December 27, 2004; and July 6, 2005. See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 46304 (August 2, 2002), 67 FR 51903 (August 9, 2002) (SR-Amex-2002-56); 48174 (July 14, 2003), 68 FR 43409 (July 22, 2003) (SR-Amex-2003-56); 48995 (December 24, 2003), 68 FR 75670 (December 31, 2003) (SR-Amex-2003-102); 49855 (June 14, 2004), 69 FR 35399 (June 24, 2004) (SR-Amex-2004-30); 50934 (December 27, 2004), 70 FR 412 (January 4, 2005) (SR-Amex-2004-108); 51975 (July 6, 2005); and 70 FR 40409 (July 13, 2005) (SR-Amex-2005-065).

7.  In Amex Rule 118(j), the qualified national best bid and offer are defined as the highest bid and lowest offer, respectively, disseminated (A) by the Exchange or (B) by another market center participating in the Joint Self-Regulatory Organization Plan Governing the Collection, Consolidation and Dissemination of Quotation and Transaction Information for Nasdaq Listed Securities Traded on Exchanges on an Unlisted Trading Privileges Basis (“Plan”); provided, however, that the bid and offer in another such market center will be considered in determining the qualified national best bid or offer in a stock only if (i) the quotation conforms to the requirements of Amex Rule 127 (“Minimum Price Variations”), (ii) the quotation does not result in a locked or crossed market, (iii) the market center is not experiencing operational or system problems with respect to the dissemination of quotation information, and (iv) the bid or offer is “firm,” that is, members of the market center disseminating the bid or offer are not relieved of their obligations with respect to such bid or offer under paragraph (b)(2) of Rule 602 pursuant to the “unusual market” exception of paragraph (a)(3)(i) of Rule 602 under the Act. 17 CFR 242.602.

8.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b).

9.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

10.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).

11.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) under the Act requires the self-regulatory organization to provide the Commission written notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change at least five business days (or such shorter time as designated by the Commission) before doing so. Amex has requested that the Commission waive the five-day pre-filing notice requirement. The Commission granted Amex's request.

12.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6)(iii).

13.  For purposes only of waiving the operative delay for this proposal, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).

14.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).