2011-26528. Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating to Inbound Routing from an Affiliated Exchange

October 7, 2011.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) ^[1] , and Rule 19b-4 ^[2] thereunder, notice is hereby given that on September 30, 2011, NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (“Exchange” or “BX”) 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 the Exchange. 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

BX is filing with the Commission a proposed rule change to permit it to accept inbound orders routed by Nasdaq Execution Services LLC (“NES”) from the NASDAQ OMX PSX facility (“PSX”) of NASDAQ OMX PHLX (“PHLX”) (with the attendant obligations and conditions), as described further below, on a one year pilot basis.

The text of the proposed rule change is available at http://nasdaqomxbx.cchwallstreet.com/​, at BX's principal office, 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 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. 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

In conjunction with a proposal by PHLX to provide outbound routing services to all markets using its affiliated routing broker, NES,^[3] the Exchange proposes that NES be permitted to route orders from PSX to the Exchange on a one year pilot basis.

NES is a broker-dealer and member of NASDAQ, PHLX and the Exchange. NES provides all routing functions for The NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) as well as, pursuant to recent proposed rule changes, BX and PHLX.^[4] The Exchange, NASDAQ, PHLX and NES are affiliates. Accordingly, the affiliate relationship between BX and NES, its member, raises the issue of an exchange's affiliation with a member of such exchange. Specifically, in connection with prior filings, the Commission has expressed concern that the affiliation of an exchange with one of its members raises the potential for unfair competitive advantage and potential conflicts of interest between an exchange's self-regulatory obligations and its commercial interests.^[5]

Recognizing that the Commission has previously expressed concern regarding the potential for conflicts of interest in instances where a member firm is affiliated with an exchange of which it is a member, the Exchange previously proposed, and the Commission approved, limitations and conditions on NES's affiliation with the Exchange.^[6] Also recognizing that the Commission has expressed concern regarding the potential for conflicts of interest in instances where a member firm is affiliated with an exchange to which it is routing orders, the Exchange previously proposed, and the Commission approved,^[7] NES's affiliation with the Exchange to permit the Exchange to accept inbound orders that NES routes in its capacity as a facility of Nasdaq, subject to the certain limitations and conditions. The Exchange now proposes to permit BX to accept inbound orders that NES routes in its capacity as a facility of PHLX, subject to these same limitations and conditions:

First, the Exchange and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) will maintain a Regulatory Contract, as well as an agreement pursuant to Rule 17d-2 under the Act (“17d-2 Agreement”).^[8] Pursuant to the Regulatory Contract and the 17d-2 Agreement, FINRA will be allocated regulatory responsibilities to review NES's compliance with certain Exchange rules.^[9] Pursuant to the Regulatory Contract, however, BX retains ultimate responsibility for enforcing its rules with respect to NES.

Second, FINRA will monitor NES for compliance with the Exchange's trading rules, and will collect and maintain certain related information.^[10]

Third, FINRA will provide a report to the Exchange's chief regulatory officer (“CRO”), on a quarterly basis, that: (i) Quantifies all alerts (of which FINRA is aware) that identify NES as a participant that has potentially violated Commission or Exchange rules, and (ii) lists all investigations that identify NES as a participant that has potentially violated Commission or Exchange rules.

Fourth, the Exchange has in place BX Rule 2140(c), which requires NASDAQ OMX, as the holding company owning both the Exchange and NES, to establish and maintain procedures and internal controls reasonably designed to ensure that NES does not develop or implement changes to its system, based on non-public information obtained regarding planned changes to the Exchange's systems as a result of its affiliation with the Exchange, until such information is available generally to similarly situated Exchange members, in connection with the provision of inbound order routing to the Exchange.

Fifth, the Exchange proposes that the routing of orders from NES to the Exchange, in NES's capacity as a facility of PHLX, be authorized for a pilot period of one year.

The Exchange believes that the above-listed conditions protect the independence of the Exchange's regulatory responsibility with respect to NES, and that these mitigate the aforementioned concerns about potential conflicts of interest and unfair competitive advantage.

2. Statutory Basis

The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,^[11] in general, and with Sections 6(b)(5) of the Act,^[12] 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, because the proposed rule change will allow the Exchange to receive inbound routes of orders from NES, acting in its capacity as a facility of PHLX, in a manner consistent with prior approvals and established protections. The Exchange believes that the proposed conditions establish mechanisms that protect the independence of the Exchange's regulatory responsibility with respect to NES, as well as ensure that NES cannot use any information it may have because of its affiliation with the Exchange to its advantage.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

BX does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition 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 either solicited or received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action

Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not: (i) Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (ii) impose any significant burden on competition; and (iii) become operative for 30 days after the date of the filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate, it has become effective pursuant to 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act ^[13] and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) ^[14] thereunder.

At 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.

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 Number SR-BX-2011-066 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.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-BX-2011-066. 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 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 a.m. and 3 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-BX-2011-066 and should be submitted on or before November 4, 2011.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.¹⁵

Elizabeth M. Murphy,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b-4.

3.  See SR-Phlx-2011-108.

4.  See SR-BX-2011-048 and SR-Phlx-2011-108.

5.  See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 59153 (December 23, 2008), 73 FR 80485 (SR-NASDAQ-2008-098); and 62736 (August 17, 2010), 75 FR 51861 (August 23, 2010) (SR-NASDAQ-2010-100).

6.  See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 58324, 73 FR 4936 (August 12, 2008) (SR-BSE-2008-02; SR-BSE-2008-23; SR-BSE-2008-25; SR-BSECC-2008-01; (“BSE Approval Order”).

7.  See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 59154 (December 23, 2008), 73 FR 80468 (December 31, 2008) (SR-BSE-2008-048); and 64090 (March 17, 2011), 76 FR 16462 (SR-BX-2011-007).

8.  17 CFR 240.17d-2.

9.  NES is also subject to independent oversight by FINRA, its designated examiniing authority, for compliance with financial responsibility requirements.

10.  Pursuant ot the Regulatory Contract, both FINRA and the Exchange will collect and maintain all alerts, complaints, investigations and enforcement actions in which NES (in its capacity as a facility of PHLX routing orders to the Exchange) is identified as a participant that has potentially violated applciable Commission or Exchange rules. The Exchange and FINRA will retain these records in an easily accessible manner in order to facilitate any potential review conducted by the Commission's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations.

11.  15 U.S.C. 78f.

12.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

13.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).

14.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6) requires a self-regulatory organization to give the Commission written notice of its intent to file the proposed rule change at least five business days prior to the date of filing of the proposed rule change, or such shorter time as designated by the Commission. The Exchange has satisfied this requirement.

15.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).