94-8279. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Participants Trust Company; Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change Relating to the Percentage Margin Applied by PTC With Respect to GNMA Project, Construction, and Mobile Home Securities  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 1994)]
    [Unknown Section]
    [Page 0]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-8279]
    
    
    [[Page Unknown]]
    
    [Federal Register: April 7, 1994]
    
    
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    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
    [Release No. 34-33840; File No. SR-PTC-93-04]
    
     
    
    Self-Regulatory Organizations; Participants Trust Company; Order 
    Approving a Proposed Rule Change Relating to the Percentage Margin 
    Applied by PTC With Respect to GNMA Project, Construction, and Mobile 
    Home Securities
    
    March 31, 1994.
        On November 8, 1993, the Participants Trust Company (``PTC'') filed 
    with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') a proposed 
    rule change (File No. SR-PTC-93-04) pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the 
    Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'').\1\ Notice of the proposal 
    appeared in the Federal Register on January 31, 1994.\2\ No comments 
    were received. For the reasons discussed below, the Commission is 
    approving the proposed rule change.
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        \1\15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
        \2\Securities Exchange Act Release No. 33513 (January 24, 1994), 
    59 FR 4302.
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    I. Description
    
        PTC seeks permanent approval of its proposed rule change 
    establishing the percentages to be deducted from the market value of 
    certain securities to determine how those securities should be valued 
    for purposes of participants' Net Free Equity.\3\ The current proposal 
    is substantially the same as the one the Commission temporarily 
    approved on October 7, 1991.\4\
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        \3\Net Free Equity is calculated as the sum of:
        (1) The cash balance in the account;
        (2) The market value of securities in the account, less the 
    appropriate haircut for such securities (``Applicable Percentage''); 
    and
        (3) The value of all Supplemental Processing Collateral; minus
        (4) Reserve on Gain on transfers made that day. Supplemental 
    Processing Collateral includes the following:
        (1) The value of optional deposits to the participants fund 
    allocated to that account (optional deposits to the participants 
    fund are deposits that exceed the minimum deposit required pursuant 
    to PTC's rules and procedures); and
        (2) 20% of the mandatory deposits to the participants fund for 
    the Master Account (mandatory deposits to the participants fund are 
    minimum deposits required to be deposited into such fund pursuant to 
    PTC's rules and procedures). Reserve on Gain means:
        (1) The contract value credited to the cash balance of a 
    delivering participant or limited purpose participant over the 
    market value of securities credited to the transfer account 
    associated with the account of the receiving participant; or
        (2) The market value of securities credited to the transfer 
    account associated with the account of a receiving participant over 
    the contract value credited to the cash balance of the delivering 
    participant or limited purpose participant. PTC Rules, Article I, 
    Rule 1.
        \4\Securities Exchange Act Release No. 29793 (October 7, 1991), 
    56 FR 51732.
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        Under PTC's rules, the Applicable Percentage\5\ of the market value 
    of securities is used in computing a participant's Net Free Equity. 
    PTC's rules require participants to maintain Net Free Equity of zero or 
    greater in each of their agency, pledgee transfer, or proprietary 
    accounts in order for transactions to be processed. PTC has the right 
    to borrow against or liquidate those assets that comprise the Net Free 
    Equity computations in those accounts in the event that the participant 
    responsible for one or more of those accounts fails to pay the account 
    debit balance at the end of the day. By including only a portion of the 
    market value of securities in Net Free Equity, i.e., the Applicable 
    Percentage, PTC attempts to limit the risk caused by fluctuations in 
    the market value of securities in those accounts.
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        \5\``Applicable Percentage'' means that percentage of the market 
    value of securities that is included in the computation of Net Free 
    Equity. The Applicable Percentage is determined by deducting certain 
    percentages (i.e., margin) from the market value of securities. See 
    also supra note 3.
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        Under the proposal, PTC is seeking permanent approval of the 
    following margin levels:
    
    GNMA Project Loan Securities--10%
    GNMA Project Note Securities--10%
    GNMA Construction Loan Securities--12%
    GNMA Mobile Home Securities--20%
    
        PTC deducts 5% from the market value of GNMA Single-Family 
    securities to arrive at their Applicable Percentage. That percentage is 
    based upon historical price volatility figures. Historical volatility 
    of the Project, Construction, and Mobile Home GNMA securities is 
    similar to that of Single-Family GNMA securities, but PTC believes that 
    the market for those securities is less liquid. This is reflected in 
    the higher margin levels for those securities.
    
    II. Discussion
    
        The Commission believes that PTC's proposed rule change is 
    consistent with section 17A of the Act, and, specifically, with 
    sections 17A(b)(3) (A) and (F).\6\ Those sections require a clearing 
    agency to be organized, and its rules be designed, to promote the 
    prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities transactions 
    and to assure the safeguarding of securities and funds which are in its 
    custody or control or for which it is responsible.
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        \6\15 U.S.C. 78q-1(b)(3) (A) & (F).
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        The Commission approved the margin levels for Project, 
    Construction, and Mobile Home GNMA securities on a temporary basis on 
    October 7, 1991.\7\ In that filing, PTC submitted historical data which 
    suggested that the price movements of GNMA Project, Construction, and 
    Mobile Home securities tracked those of GNMA Single-Family 
    securities.\8\ The Commission approved PTC's margin levels on a 
    temporary basis to allow further evaluation by PTC of price movement 
    correlations between GNMA Single-Family securities on the one hand, and 
    GNMA Project, Construction, and Mobile Home securities on the other, as 
    well as to gauge the volatility of such securities. In seeking 
    permanent approval of its margin levels, PTC submitted in support of 
    its proposal data consistent with the price movement data in the 
    original filing.\9\
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        \7\Securities Exchange Act Release No. 29793, supgra note 4.
        \8\The price movement comparisons were based on prices of GNMA 
    Construction Loan, Project Loan, and Single-Family securities, over 
    the period from March 1990 to February 1991. Letter from Alison 
    Hoffman, Assistant Counsel, PTC, to Scott Wallner, Staff Attorney, 
    Division of Market Regulation, Commission, dated August 1, 1991.
        \9\PTC compared daily price movements of GNMA Single-Family 10% 
    securities against each of Project Note, Project Loan, Construction 
    Loan, and Mobile Home 10% securities. File No. SR-PTC-93-04, 
    appendix A.
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        The Commission is satisfied that PTC's proposal is consistent with 
    the Act, but suggests that PTC review periodically the price movement 
    correlations and volatility described above. The Commission believes 
    that the enhanced margin levels for these securities will promote the 
    prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities transactions 
    and assure the safeguarding of securities and funds in PTC's custody or 
    control by limiting the risk arising from fluctuations in the market 
    value of Project, Construction, and Mobile Home securities when used to 
    collateralize intraday processing of securities transactions.
    
    III. Conclusion
    
        For the reasons stated above, the Commission finds that PTC's 
    proposal is consistent with section 17A of the Act.
        It is therefore ordered, Pursuant to section 19(b)(2) of the 
    Act,\10\ that PTC's proposed rule change (File No. SR-PTC-93-04) be, 
    and hereby is, approved.
    
        \10\15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
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        For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, 
    pursuant to delegated authority.\11\
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        \11\17 CFR 200.30-3(a) (12).
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    Margaret H. McFarland,
    Deputy Secretary.
    [FR Doc. 94-8279 Filed 4-6-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 8010-01-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
04/07/1994
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Uncategorized Document
Document Number:
94-8279
Pages:
0-0 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Federal Register: April 7, 1994, Release No. 34-33840, File No. SR-PTC-93-04