E8-8268. Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Modify the Charges for Pre-Trade Risk Management Workstation Add-Ons  

  • Start Preamble Start Printed Page 21002 April 11, 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 April 7, 2008, The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II and III below, which Items have been prepared substantially by Nasdaq. Nasdaq has designated this proposal as one establishing or changing a member due, fee, or other charge imposed by Nasdaq under Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act [3] and Rule 19b-4(f)(2) thereunder,[4] which renders the proposal 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

    Nasdaq is proposing to adjust the recently-established member charge for the use of PRM Workstation Add-ons. The text of the proposed rule change is available at http://www.complinet.com/​nasdaq,, the principal offices of 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, Nasdaq 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. Nasdaq 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

    Earlier this year, Nasdaq established the pricing for its new pre-trade risk management (“PRM”) functionality.[5] Included in the new charges was the fee that PRM Module subscribers that are users of the NASDAQ Workstation or WeblinkACT 2.0 would pay for PRM Workstation Add-ons. At the time, it was envisioned that each subscriber would be able to receive at no charge one PRM Workstation per PRM Module and would pay $100 per month for each additional PRM Workstation per PRM Module.

    Nasdaq has since determined that this approach is needlessly cumbersome, costly to administer and potentially confusing to the users. Therefore, Nasdaq has decided to make any needed number of PRM Workstation Add-ons available to users at no charge during the months of April through June 2008, and then, starting in July 2008, to begin charging $100 per month for each PRM Workstation Add-on that users request (thus eliminating the one-free-Add-on-per-module feature). Nasdaq believes that the proposed change is minor, and therefore, the PRM Workstation Add-on charges remain reasonable and equitably allocated among members that may choose to use this functionality.

    2. Statutory Basis

    Nasdaq believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the provisions of Section 6 of the Act,[6] in general, and with Section 6(b)(4) of the Act,[7] in particular, in that it provides for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, fees and other charges among members and issuers and other persons using any facility or system which Nasdaq operates or controls. The pre-trade management risk functionality provides members with an optional tool at a reasonable cost. Members are not required to use the NASDAQ PRM or PRM Workstation Add-ons. The optional nature of these services and the intensely competitive environment in which they are being offered ensure that the proposed charges will remain market-competitive.

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

    Nasdaq does not believe that the proposed rule change will result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act, as amended.

    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 has been designated as a fee change pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act [8] and Rule 19b-4(f)(2) [9] thereunder, because it establishes or changes a due, fee, or other charge imposed on members by Nasdaq. Accordingly, the proposal is effective upon filing with the Commission. 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

    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-NASDAQ-2008-030. 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 Start Printed Page 21003only 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, 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 publicly available. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NASDAQ-2008-030 and should be submitted on or before May 8, 2008.

    Start Signature

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.[10]

    Nancy M. Morris,

    Secretary.

    End Signature End Preamble

    Footnotes

    [FR Doc. E8-8268 Filed 4-16-08; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 8010-01-P

Document Information

Published:
04/17/2008
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
E8-8268
Pages:
21002-21003 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Release No. 34-57658, File No. SR-NASDAQ-2008-030
EOCitation:
of 2008-04-11
PDF File:
e8-8268.pdf