2010-7110. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change by NYSE Arca, Inc. Regarding the Listing of the ProShares Ultra MSCI Mexico Investable Market Fund  

  • Start Preamble March 24, 2010.

    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) [1] of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”) [2] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,[3] notice is hereby given that, on March 18, 2010, NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange” or “NYSE Arca”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been prepared by the self-regulatory organization. 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, through its wholly-owned subsidiary NYSE Arca Equities, Inc. (“NYSE Arca Equities”), proposes to list and trade shares (“Shares”) of the following fund of the ProShares Trust (“Trust”): ProShares Ultra MSCI Mexico Investable Market. The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange, the Commission's Public Reference Room, and http://www.nyse.com.

    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 self-regulatory organization 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 those 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 parts 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 Exchange proposes to list and trade the Shares of the following fund under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3), the Exchange's listing standards for Investment Company Units (“ICUs”): [4] ProShares Ultra MSCI Mexico Investable Market (the “Fund”).

    The Fund is an “index fund” that seeks to provide daily investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond to twice (200%) of the daily performance of the MSCI Mexico Investable Market Index (“Index”). The Fund does not seek to achieve its stated objective over a period of time greater than one day.

    According to the Trust's Registration Statement,[5] the Index measures the performance of the Mexican equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 99% of the publicly available total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index, taking into consideration unavailable strategic shareholdings and limitations to foreign ownership. As of February 26, 2010, the Index was concentrated in the telecommunications services industry group, which comprised 35.84% of the market capitalization of the Index, and included companies with capitalizations between $124.10 million and 44.68 billion. The average capitalization of the companies comprising the Index was approximately $5.84 billion.

    The Exchange is submitting this proposed rule change because the Index for the Fund does not meet all of the “generic” listing requirements of Commentary .01(a)(B) to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) applicable to listing of ICUs based on international or Start Printed Page 16218global indexes. The Index meets all such requirements except for those set forth in Commentary .01(a)(B)(3).[6] The Exchange represents that (1) except for the requirement under Commentary .01(a)(B)(3) to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) that the most heavily weighted component stock shall not exceed 25% of the weight of the Index, the Shares of the Fund currently satisfy all of the generic listing standards under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3); (2) the continued listing standards under NYSE Arca Equities Rules 5.2(j)(3) and 5.5(g)(2) applicable to ICUs shall apply to the Shares; and (3) the Trust is required to comply with Rule 10A-3 [7] under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”) for the initial and continued listing of the Shares. In addition, the Exchange represents that the Shares will comply with all other requirements applicable to ICUs including, but not limited to, requirements relating to the dissemination of key information such as the Index value and Intraday Indicative Value, rules governing the trading of equity securities, trading hours, trading halts, surveillance,[8] and Information Bulletin to ETP Holders, as set forth in Exchange rules for ICUs and in prior Commission orders approving the generic listing rules applicable to the listing and trading of ICUs.[9]

    Detailed descriptions of the Fund, the Index, procedures for creating and redeeming Shares, transaction fees and expenses, dividends, distributions, taxes, risks, and reports to be distributed to beneficial owners of the Shares can be found in the Trust's Registration Statement or on the Web site for the Fund (http://www.proshares.com), as applicable.

    2. Statutory Basis

    The proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) [10] of the Act, in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5),[11] 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, and to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanisms of a free and open market and a national market system. The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of an additional type of exchange-traded product that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace.

    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 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 solicited or received with respect to the proposed rule change.

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

    The Exchange has filed the proposed rule change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act [12] and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.[13] Because the 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 prior to 30 days from the date on which it was filed, 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) of the Act [14] and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.[15]

    A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) [16] normally does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii),[17] the Commission may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has requested that the Commission waive the 30-day operative delay so that the proposal may become operative immediately upon filing. The Exchange states that the proposed rule change does not significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest and does not impose any significant burden on competition. In addition, the Exchange believes that it has developed adequate trading rules, procedures, surveillance programs, and listing standards for the continued listing and trading of the Shares.

    The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Commission notes that the Index fails to meet only one of the requirements set forth in Commentary .01(a)(B)(3) to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) by only a small amount and that the Exchange has represented that the Shares of the Fund currently satisfy all of the other generic listing standards under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3) and all other requirements applicable to ICUs, as set forth in Exchange rules and prior Commission orders approving the generic listing rules applicable to the listing and trading of ICUs. Therefore, the Commission believes that the listing and trading of the Shares do not present any novel or significant issues or impose any significant burden on competition, and that waiving the 30-day operative delay will benefit the market and investors by providing market participants with additional investing choices. For these reasons, the Commission designates the proposed rule change as operative under upon filing.[18]

    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 Start Printed Page 16219necessary 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

    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-NYSEArca-2010-17. 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 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 Number SR-NYSEArca-2010-17 and should be submitted on or before April 21, 2010.

    Start Signature

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.19

    Florence E. Harmon,

    Deputy Secretary.

    End Signature End Preamble

    Footnotes

    4.  An Investment Company Unit is a security that represents an interest in a registered investment company that holds securities comprising, or otherwise based on or representing an interest in, an index or portfolio of securities (or holds securities in another registered investment company that holds securities comprising, or otherwise based on or representing an interest in, an index or portfolio of securities). See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3)(A).

    Back to Citation

    5.  See the Trust's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, dated February 26, 2010 (File Nos. 333-89822 and 811-21114) (“Registration Statement”).

    Back to Citation

    6.  Specifically, the Index fails to meet the requirement that the most heavily weighted component stock shall not exceed 25% of the weight of the Index. As of February 26, 2010, the most heavily weighted component stock (America Movil S.A.B. de C.V.) represented 27.50% of the Index weight.

    Back to Citation

    8.  The Exchange may obtain information for surveillance purposes via the Intermarket Surveillance Group (“ISG”) from other exchanges who are members of ISG. For a list of current members of ISG, see http://www.isgportal.org. However, the Exchange does not have in place a comprehensive surveillance agreement with the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores and such exchange is not an ISG member.

    Back to Citation

    9.  See, e.g. Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 55621 (April 12, 2007), 72 FR 19571 (April 18, 2007) (SR-NYSEArca-2006-86) (order approving generic listing standards for ICUs based on international or global indexes); 44551 (July 12, 2001), 66 FR 37716 (July 19, 2001) (SR-PCX-2001-14) (order approving generic listing standards for ICUs and Portfolio Depositary Receipts); 41983 (October 6, 1999), 64 FR 56008 (October 15, 1999) (SR-PCX-98-29) (order approving rules for listing and trading of ICUs).

    Back to Citation

    15.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) requires the Exchange to give the Commission written notice of the Exchange's intent to file the proposed rule change along with a brief description and text of 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.

    Back to Citation

    18.  For purposes only of waiving the 30-day operative delay, the Commission has considered the proposed rule's impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. See 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).

    Back to Citation

    [FR Doc. 2010-7110 Filed 3-30-10; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

Document Information

Published:
03/31/2010
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
2010-7110
Pages:
16217-16219 (3 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Release No. 34-61775, File No. SR-NYSEArca-2010-17
EOCitation:
of 2010-03-24
PDF File:
2010-7110.pdf