2011-29673. Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating To Routing Fees to C2  

  • Start Preamble November 10, 2011.

    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”),[1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,[2] notice is hereby given that on November 1, 2011, NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC (“Phlx” 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 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

    The Exchange proposes to amend its Customer and Professional Routing Fees governing pricing for Exchange members using the Phlx XL II system,[3] for routing standardized equity and index option Customer and Professional orders to the C2 Options Exchange, Inc. (“C2”) for execution.

    The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at http://nasdaqtrader.com/​micro.aspx?​id=​PHLXfilings,, at the principal office of the Exchange, on the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov/​,, 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 the Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    1. Purpose

    The purpose of the proposed rule change is to recoup costs that the Exchange incurs for routing and executing Customer and Professional orders in equity and index options to C2.

    The Exchange's Fee Schedule includes Routing Fees for routing and executing Customer and Professional orders to away markets. The Exchange currently assesses a Customer Routing Fee of $0.31 per contract and a Professional Routing Fee of $0.46 per contract for option orders that are routed to C2.

    C2 recently amended its Fees Schedule to increase its public customer taker fee from $.25 to $.44 and to increase its professional taker fee from $.33 to $.45 per contract.[4] The Exchange is proposing to amend both its Customer and Professional Routing Fees to C2 to account for this increase. The Exchange proposes to amend its Fee Schedule to assess a Customer Routing Fee of $0.50 per contract for option orders that are routed to C2. The Exchange also proposes to amend its Fee Schedule to assess a Professional Routing Fee of $0.51 per contract for option orders that are routed to C2.

    In May 2009, the Exchange adopted Rule 1080(m)(iii)(A) to establish Nasdaq Options Services LLC (“NOS”), a member of the Exchange, as the Exchange's exclusive order router.[5] NOS is utilized by the Phlx XL II system solely to route orders in options listed and open for trading on the Phlx XL II system to destination markets. Each time NOS routes to away markets NOS is charged a $0.06 clearing fee and, in the case of certain exchanges, a transaction fee is also charged in certain symbols, which fees are passed through to the Exchange. The Exchange is proposing this amendment in order to recoup clearing and transaction charges incurred by the Exchange when Customer [6] and Professional [7] orders are routed to C2.

    As with all fees, the Exchange may adjust these Routing Fees in response to competitive conditions by filing a new proposed rule change.

    2. Statutory Basis

    The Exchange believes that its proposal to amend its Fee Shedule is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act [8] in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(4) of the Act [9] in particular, in that it is an equitable allocation of reasonable fees and other charges among Exchange members.

    The Exchange believes that these fees are reasonable because they seek to recoup costs that are incurred by the Exchange when routing Customer and Start Printed Page 71396Professional orders to C2 on behalf of its members. Each destination market's transaction charge varies and there is a standard clearing charge for each transaction incurred by the Exchange. The Exchange believes that the proposed Routing Fees will enable the Exchange to recover the public customer and professional transaction fees assessed by C2, plus clearing fees for the execution of Customer and Professional orders. The Exchange also believes that the proposed Routing Fees are equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because they would be uniformly applied to all Customers and Professionals.

    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 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

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act.[10] 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

    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 No. SR-Phlx-2011-146. 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 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-Phlx-2011-146 and should be submitted on or before December 8, 2011.

    Start Signature

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.[11]

    Elizabeth M. Murphy,

    Secretary.

    End Signature End Preamble

    Footnotes

    3.  For a complete description of Phlx XL II, see Securities Exchange Act Release No. 59995 (May 28, 2009), 74 FR 26750 (June 3, 2009) (SR-Phlx-2009-32). The instant proposed fees will apply only to option orders entered into, and routed by, the Phlx XL II system.

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    4.  See SR-C2-2011-032.

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    5.  See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 59995 (May 28, 2009), 74 FR 26750 (June 3, 2009) (SR-Phlx-2009-32).

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    6.  The Exchange is proposing to recoup the $.44 per contract public customer transaction fee for orders routed to C2 along with the $0.06 clearing fee which is incurred by the Exchange, as explained above. See C2 Fees Schedule.

    Back to Citation

    7.  The Exchange is proposing to recoup the $.45 per contract professional transaction fee for orders routed to C2 along with the $0.06 clearing fee which is incurred by the Exchange, as explained above. See C2 Fees Schedule.

    Back to Citation

    [FR Doc. 2011-29673 Filed 11-16-11; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

Document Information

Comments Received:
0 Comments
Published:
11/17/2011
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
2011-29673
Pages:
71395-71396 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Release No. 34-65727, File No. SR-Phlx-2011-146
EOCitation:
of 2011-11-10
PDF File:
2011-29673.pdf