2018-15380. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549-2736

Extension:

Regulation AC; SEC File No. 270-517, OMB Control No. 3235-0575

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (“PRA”) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) a request for approval of extension of the previously approved collection of information provided for in Regulation Analyst Certification (“Regulation AC”) (17 CFR 242.500-505), under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.).

Regulation AC requires that research reports published, circulated, or provided by a broker or dealer or covered person contain a statement attesting that the views expressed in each research report accurately reflect the analyst's personal views and whether or not the research analyst received or will receive any compensation in connection with the views or recommendations expressed in the research report. Regulation AC also requires broker-dealers to, on a quarterly basis, make, keep, and maintain records of research analyst statements regarding whether the views expressed in public appearances accurately reflected the analyst's personal views, and whether any part of the analyst's compensation is related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in the public appearance. Regulation AC also requires that research prepared by foreign persons be presented to U.S. persons pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 15a-6 and that broker-dealers notify associated persons if they would be covered by the regulation. Regulation AC excludes the news media from its coverage.

The collections of information under Regulation AC are necessary to provide investors with information with which to determine the value of the research available to them. It is important for an investor to know whether an analyst may be biased with respect to securities or issuers that are the subject of a research report. Further, in evaluating a research report, it is reasonable for an investor to want to know about an analyst's compensation. Without the information collection, the purposes of Regulation AC could not be met. This regulation does not involve the collection of confidential information.

The Commission estimates that Regulation AC imposes an aggregate annual time burden of approximately 25,844 hours on 5,186 respondents, or approximately 5 hours per respondent. The Commission estimates that the total annual internal cost of compliance for the 25,844 hours is approximately $12,452,349, or approximately $2,401 per respondent, annually.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information under the PRA unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The public may view background documentation for this information collection at the following website: www.reginfo.gov. Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an email to: [e-mail]; and (ii) Pamela Dyson, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Candace Kenner, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549, or by sending an email to: [e-mail]. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

Dated: July 13, 2018.

Eduardo A. Aleman,

Assistant Secretary.