E8-4747. Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change to Provide a Credit to Members for Execution of Orders Sent Directly to a Floor Broker that Adds Liquidity to ...

March 5, 2008.

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 February 28, 2008, the New York Stock Exchange LLC (“NYSE” or “Exchange”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been substantially prepared by the Exchange. The Exchange filed the proposed rule change pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act ^[3] and Rule 19b-4(f)(2) thereunder,^[4] which renders it 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

The Exchange proposes to amend its equity transaction fees, for implementation on March 1, 2008. Member Organizations will receive a $.0004 per share credit for execution of orders sent directly to the floor broker for representation on the NYSE when adding liquidity to the NYSE Display Book® system (including Percentage Orders). The text of the proposed rule change is available at http://www.nyse.com, the Exchange, and 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, NYSE 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. NYSE 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 Exchange proposes to amend its equity transaction fees, for implementation on March 1, 2008. Member organizations will receive a $.0004 per share credit for execution of orders sent directly to the floor broker for representation on the NYSE when adding liquidity to the NYSE Display Book system ^[5] (including Percentage Orders).^[6] Technological limitations ^[7] make it impossible for floor brokers to post orders on other markets while at the point of sale on the Exchange. Therefore, unlike other Exchange users, they are unable to benefit from the incentives certain other markets provide to customers who provide liquidity. The time that would elapse if a floor broker sent the order to his booth or upstairs trading desk for execution on another market means that, if the floor broker utilized this alternative, the trade would likely not get executed at the desired price. The Exchange believes this disparity places floor brokers at a competitive disadvantage to other Exchange customers and believes that the proposed credit will mitigate the effects of that disadvantage while also attracting additional liquidity to the Exchange.

The Exchange believes the credit is justified because of the importance of the floor brokers to the continuation of the floor as an integral part of the Exchange's market model. The Exchange's market model integrates the auction market with automated trading. Essential to this model is the interaction between the specialists, floor brokers, and orders in the Display Book system, which creates opportunities for price improvement, provides information about changing market conditions, and serves as a catalyst to trading. The Exchange believes that this incentive will allow floor brokers to remain competitive.

The Exchange's 2008 Price List is also being modified to reflect the fact that it is no longer necessary to note that Percentage Orders adding liquidity to the NYSE are free of charge, as Percentage Orders can only be accepted by Exchange systems if sent through a floor broker's hand-held device, and thus all Percentage Orders that were formerly free will now receive the $.0004 per share credit.

2. Statutory Basis

The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the provisions of section 6 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 designed to provide for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees, and other charges among its members and other persons using its facilities. The Exchange believes that the proposed credit represents an equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees, and other charges because floor brokers are integral to the Exchange's market model and the proposed credit lessens the impact on floor brokers of the competitive disadvantage arising out of the difficulty they experience in availing themselves or their customers of liquidity credits on other markets.

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 that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purpose of the Exchange Act.

C. Self-Regulatory 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 proposed rule change is filed pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act ^[10] and subparagraph (f)(2) of Rule 19b-4 thereunder ^[11] because it establishes or changes a due, fee, or other charge applicable only to a member imposed by a self-regulatory organization. Accordingly, the proposal is effective upon Commission receipt of the filing. 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 Number SR-NYSE-2008-15 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSE-2008-15. 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 theprovisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying 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 NYSE. 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-NYSE-2008-15 and should be submitted on or before April 1, 2008.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.^[12]

Florence E. Harmon,

Deputy 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)(2).

5.  The Display Book system is an order management and execution facility. The Display Book system receives and displays orders to the specialists, contains the Book, and provides a mechanism to execute and report transactions and publish the results to the Consolidated Tape. The Display Book system is connected to a number of other Exchange systems for the purposes of comparison, surveillance, and reporting information to customers and other market data and national market systems.

6.  An order adds liquidity to the market if it is posted on the book for execution against incoming orders on the contra side. Generally, Exchange customers are able to send their orders to other markets to avail themselves of incentives those markets provide to customers who provide liquidity. Floor brokers add liquidity to the market by posting orders either as e-Quotes or as DOT or Percentage Orders. Non-electronic trades on the Exchange floor do not add liquidity to the book and are either charged a fee of $.0004 per share (if they are non-electronic agency transactions of less than 10,000 shares between brokers in the crowd) or are free (if they are non-electronic trades of 10,000 shares or more).

7.  The Exchange's order management system on the floor, the Broker Booth Support System® (BBSS), is not configured to route orders away from the floor to another market.

8.  15 U.S.C. 78f

9.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).

10.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).

11.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).

12.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).