2015-16269. Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Relating to Listing and Trading of Shares of the Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF and the Cambria Value and Momentum ETF Under NYSE Arca ...  

  • Start Preamble June 26, 2015.

    Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) [1] of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) [2] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,[3] notice is hereby given that on June 19, 2015, NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca” or “Exchange”) 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 by the Exchange. 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 list and trade shares of the Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF and the Cambria Value and Momentum ETF under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600 (“Managed Fund Shares”). The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at www.nyse.com,, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at 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, 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 shares (”Shares”) of the following under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600, which governs the listing and trading of Managed Fund Shares: [4] Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF and the Cambria Value and Momentum ETF (each a “Fund” and, collectively, the “Funds”).[5] The Shares will be offered by the Cambria ETF Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust which is registered with the Commission as an open-end management investment company.[6] Cambria Investment Management, L.P. (“Cambria” or the “Adviser”) will serve as the investment adviser of the Funds. SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor” or “SEI”) will be the principal underwriter and distributor of the Funds' Shares. SEI Investments Global Funds Services (“SEI GFS”) will serve as the accountant and administrator of the Funds. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. will serve as Start Printed Page 38254the “Custodian” and “Transfer Agent” of the Funds' assets.

    Commentary .06 to Rule 8.600 provides that, if the investment adviser to the investment company issuing Managed Fund Shares is affiliated with a broker-dealer, such investment adviser shall erect a “fire wall” between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer with respect to access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to such investment company portfolio. In addition, Commentary .06 further requires that personnel who make decisions on the open-end fund's portfolio composition must be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic information regarding the open-end fund's portfolio.[7] The Adviser is not registered as a broker-dealer or affiliated with a broker-dealer. In the event (a) the Adviser or any sub-adviser becomes registered as a broker-dealer or newly affiliated with a broker-dealer, or (b) any new adviser or sub-adviser is a registered broker-dealer or becomes affiliated with a broker-dealer, it will implement a fire wall with respect to its relevant personnel or broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio, and will be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding such portfolio.

    Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF

    Principal Investment Policies

    According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek income and capital appreciation from investments in securities and instruments that provide exposure to sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds.

    Under normal market conditions [8] , at least 80% of the value of the Fund's net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in sovereign and quasi-sovereign high yield bonds (commonly known as “junk bonds”).[9] For the purposes of this policy, sovereign and quasi-sovereign high yield bonds include exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) [10] and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) [11] that invest in or have exposure to such bonds. The Fund will invest in emerging and developed countries, including countries located in the G-20 and other countries. Potential countries include, but are not limited to, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, members of the European Union, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    Sovereign bonds include debt securities issued by a national government, instrumentality or political sub-division. Quasi-sovereign bonds include debt securities issued by a supra-national government or a state-owned enterprise or agency. The sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds that the Fund will invest in may be denominated in local and foreign currencies. The Fund may invest in securities of any duration or maturity.

    The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in money market instruments or other high quality debt securities, cash or cash equivalents, or ETFs and ETNs that invest in, or provide exposure to, such instruments or securities.

    Cambria will utilize a quantitative model to select sovereign and quasi-sovereign bond exposures for the Fund. The model will review various characteristics of potential investments, with yield as the largest determinant. By considering together the various characteristics of potential investments, the model will identify potential allocations for the Fund, as well as opportune times to make such allocations. Screens will exclude foreign issuers whose securities are highly restricted or illegal for U.S. persons to own, including due to the imposition of sanctions by the U.S. Government.

    Cambria Value and Momentum ETF

    Principal Investments

    According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek income and capital appreciation from investments in the U.S. equity market. The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the value of the Fund's net assets in U.S. exchange-listed equity securities that are undervalued according to various valuation metrics, including cyclically adjusted valuation metrics. These valuation metrics are derived by dividing the current market value of a reference index or asset by an inflation-adjusted normalized factor (typically earnings, book value, dividends, cash flows or sales) over the past seven to ten years. The Adviser intends to employ systematic quantitative strategies in an effort to avoid overvalued and downtrending markets.

    In attempting to avoid overvalued and downtrending markets, the Fund may use U.S. exchange-traded stock index futures or options thereon, or take short positions in ETFs to attempt to hedge the long equity portfolio during times when Cambria believes that the U.S. equity market is overvalued from a valuation standpoint, or Cambria's models identify unfavorable trends and momentum in the U.S. equity market. The Fund may hedge up to 100% of the Start Printed Page 38255value of the Fund's long portfolio using these strategies. During certain periods, including to collateralize the Fund's investments in futures contracts, the Fund may invest up to 20% of the value of its net assets in U.S. dollar and non-U.S. dollar denominated money market instruments or other high quality debt securities, or ETFs that invest in these instruments.

    The Fund may invest in securities of companies in any industry, and will limit the maximum allocation to any particular sector. Although the Fund generally expects to invest in companies with larger market capitalizations, the Fund may also invest in small- and mid-capitalization companies. Filters will be implemented to screen for companies that pass sector concentration and liquidity requirements. Screens also will exclude foreign issuers whose securities are highly restricted or illegal for U.S. persons to own, including due to the imposition of sanctions by the U.S. Government.

    Cambria will utilize a quantitative model that combines value and momentum factors to identify which securities the Fund may purchase and sell and opportune times for purchases and sales. The Fund will look to allocate to the top performing value stocks based on value factors as well as absolute and relative momentum. Valuation will typically be measured on a longer time horizon (five to ten years) than momentum (typically less than one year).

    The Fund may invest in U.S. exchange-listed preferred stocks. Preferred stocks include convertible and non-convertible preferred and preference stocks that are senior to common stock.

    The Fund may invest in U.S. exchange-listed real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

    The Fund may engage in short sales of securities.

    Other Investments

    While each Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities and other assets described above, each Fund may invest its remaining assets in the securities and financial instruments described below.

    A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in cash or cash items pending other investments or to maintain liquid assets required in connection with some of a Fund's investments. These cash items and other high quality debt securities may include money market instruments, securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies, bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, bank certificates of deposit and shares of investment companies that invest primarily in such instruments.

    A Fund may invest in corporate debt securities. A Fund may invest in commercial paper, master notes and other short-term corporate instruments that are denominated in U.S. dollars. Commercial paper consists of short-term promissory notes issued by corporations. Master notes are demand notes that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest pursuant to arrangements with issuers who meet the quality criteria of a Fund. Master notes are generally illiquid and therefore subject to a Fund's percentage limitations for investments in illiquid securities.

    A Fund may invest in the following types of debt securities in addition to those described under “Principal Investments” above for each Fund: Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities, and political subdivisions; securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions; securities issued or guaranteed by supra-national agencies; corporate debt securities; time deposits; notes; inflation-indexed securities; and repurchase agreements.

    Such debt securities may be investment grade securities or high yield securities. Investment grade securities include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, as well as securities rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least two Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (“NRSROs”) rating that security, such as Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (“Standard & Poor's”), Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody's”) or Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”), or rated in one of the four highest rating categories by one NRSRO if it is the only NRSRO rating that security or, if unrated, deemed to be of comparable quality by Cambria and traded publicly on the world market. The Fund, at the discretion of Cambria, may retain a debt security that has been downgraded below the initial investment criteria.

    A Fund may invest in securities rated lower than Baa by Moody's, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch.

    The debt and other fixed income securities in which a Fund may invest include fixed and floating rate securities of any maturity. Fixed rate securities pay a specified rate of interest or dividends. Floating rate securities pay a rate that is adjusted periodically by reference to a specified index or market rate. A Fund may invest in indexed bonds, which are a type of fixed income security whose principal value and/or interest rate is adjusted periodically according to a specified instrument, index, or other statistic (e.g., another security, inflation index, currency, or commodity).

    A Fund may invest in zero coupon securities.

    A Fund gain exposure to foreign securities by purchasing U.S. exchange-listed and traded American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), and exchange-traded European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”, together with ADRs and EDRs, “Depositary Receipts”).[12]

    The Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF may enter into forward foreign currency contracts.

    Investment Restrictions

    To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, each of the Funds may invest up to 100% of its total assets, without limitation, in high-quality debt securities and money market instruments. The Funds may be invested in these instruments for extended periods, depending on Cambria's assessment of market conditions. Cambria deems high-quality debt securities and money market instruments to include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, U.S. Government and agency securities, repurchase agreements and bonds that are BBB or higher, and registered investment companies that invest in such instruments.

    The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment Start Printed Page 38256companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the Commission or interpretation thereof.

    According to the Registration Statement, each Fund will seek to qualify for treatment as a Regulated Investment Company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code.[13]

    A Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), consistent with Commission guidance. Each Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of a Fund's net assets are held in illiquid assets. Illiquid assets include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with Commission staff guidance.[14]

    Each Fund's investments will be consistent with its investment objective and will not be used to enhance leverage.

    Creation and Redemption of Shares

    According to the Registration Statement, the Funds will sell and redeem Shares in aggregations of 50,000 Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”) on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the net asset value (“NAV”) next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any business day. The size of a Creation Unit is subject to change.

    The purchase or redemption of Creation Units from a Fund must be effected by or through an “Authorized Participant” (i.e., either a broker-dealer or other participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or a participant in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) with access to the DTC system, and who has executed an agreement (“Participant Agreement”) with the Distributor that governs transactions in a Fund's Creation Units.

    The consideration for a Creation Unit of a Fund will be the “Fund Deposit”. The Fund Deposit will consist of the “In-Kind Creation Basket” and “Cash Component”, or an all cash payment (“Cash Value”), as determined by Cambria to be in the best interest of a Fund. The Cash Component will typically include a “Balancing Amount” reflecting the difference, if any, between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the securities in the “In-Kind Creation Basket”. The Fund Deposit for the Cambria Value and Momentum ETF generally will consist of the In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component and the Fund Deposit for the Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF generally will consist of the Cash Value.

    If the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket, the purchaser will pay the Balancing Amount to a Fund. By contrast, if the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket, a Fund will pay the Balancing Amount to the purchaser.

    The Transfer Agent, in a portfolio composition file sent via the NSCC, generally will make available on each business day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), a list of the names and the required number of shares of each security in the In-Kind Creation Basket to be included in the current Fund Deposit for each Fund (based on information about a Fund's portfolio at the end of the previous business day) (subject to amendment or correction). If applicable, the Transfer Agent, through the NSCC, also will make available on each business day, the estimated Cash Component or Cash Value, effective through and including the previous business day, per Creation Unit.

    The announced Fund Deposit will be applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, for purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available. From day to day, the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket may change as, among other things, corporate actions and investment decisions by Cambria are implemented for a Fund's portfolio. Each Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming (i.e., custom) Fund Deposit.

    The Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (“cash in lieu”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any security in the In-Kind Creation Basket. The Fund may permit or require cash in lieu when, for example, the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC. Similarly, a Fund may permit or require cash in lieu when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities law or policies from transacting in one or more securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket.[15]

    To compensate the Trust for costs incurred in connection with creation and redemption transactions, investors will be required to pay to the Trust a “Transaction Fee” as described in the Registration Statement.

    According to the Registration Statement, Fund Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a business day. The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of the “In-Kind Redemption Basket” and a “Cash Redemption Amount”, or the Cash Value, in all instances equal to the value of a Creation Unit. The redemption proceeds for the Cambria Value and Momentum ETF generally will consist of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount and the redemption proceeds for the Cambria Sovereign High Yield Bond ETF generally generally [sic] will consist of the Cash Value.

    The Cash Redemption Amount will typically include a Balancing Amount, reflecting the difference, if any, between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket. If the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, a Fund will pay the Balancing Amount to the redeeming investor. By contrast, if the NAV per Start Printed Page 38257Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, the redeeming investor will pay the Balancing Amount to a Fund.

    The composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket will normally be the same as the composition of the In-Kind Redemption Basket. Otherwise, the In-Kind Redemption Basket will be made available by the Adviser or Transfer Agent. The Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming (i.e., custom) “Fund Redemption”.

    In lieu of an In-Kind Redemption Basket and Cash Redemption Amount, Creation Units may be redeemed consisting solely of cash in an amount equal to the NAV of a Creation Unit, which amount is referred to as the Cash Value. If applicable, information about the Cash Value will be made available by the Adviser or Transfer Agent.

    The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed: (i) For any period during which the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares or determination of a Fund's NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the Commission.

    A Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (“cash in lieu”) to be added to the Cash Redemption Amount to replace any security in the In-Kind Redemption Basket. A Fund may permit or require cash in lieu when, for example, the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC. Similarly, a Fund may permit or require cash in lieu when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities law or policies from transacting in one or more securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket.

    If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem Shares in cash, and the redeeming beneficial owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a Transaction Fee, including a variable charge, if applicable, as described in the Registration Statement).[16]

    The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the In-Kind Redemption Basket, or cash in lieu of some securities added to the Cash Component, but in no event will the total value of the securities delivered and the cash transmitted differ from the NAV. Redemptions of Fund Shares for the In-Kind Redemption Basket will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and a Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket under such laws.

    When cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. In the case of a cash redemption, the investor will receive the cash equivalent of the In-Kind Redemption Basket minus any Transaction Fees.

    Additional information regarding creation and redemption procedures is included in the Registration Statement.

    Net Asset Value

    The NAV of Shares will be calculated each business day by SEI GFS as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on each day that the NYSE is open. The Fund will calculate its NAV per Share by taking the value of its total assets, subtracting any liabilities, and dividing that amount by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, will be accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV.

    When calculating the NAV of a Fund's Shares, expenses will be accrued and applied daily and U.S. exchange-traded equity securities will be valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available. Exchange-traded equity securities will be valued at the closing price on the relevant exchange, or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets will be valued differently. For instance, fixed-income investments maturing in 60 days or less may be valued using the amortized cost method or, like those maturing in excess of 60 days, at the readily available market price, if available. Investments in securities of investment companies (other than ETFs) will be valued at NAV.

    Forward foreign currency contracts generally will be valued based on the marked-to-market value of the contract provided by pricing services. Pricing services, approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Funds' Board of Trustees (“Board”), provide market quotations based on both market prices and indicative bids.

    Sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds, U.S. government securities, corporate debt securities, commercial paper, commercial interests, bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements, fixed and floating rate securities, indexed bonds, master notes, zero coupon securities will be valued based on price quotations obtained from a third-party pricing service or from a broker-dealer who makes markets in such securities.

    U.S. exchange-traded stock index futures contracts and U.S. exchange-traded options thereon will be valued at the settlement or closing price determined by the applicable U.S. futures exchange.

    If a market quotation is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, a Fund will determine the price of the security held by a Fund based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to policies and procedures approved by the Board. In addition, a Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange, if any, when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which a Fund's NAV is calculated. Such significant events may include, but are not limited to: governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations.

    Availability of Information

    The Funds' Web site (www.cambriafunds.com), which will Start Printed Page 38258be publicly available prior to the public offering of Shares, will include a form of the prospectus for the Funds that may be downloaded. The Funds' Web site will include additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Funds (1) the prior business day's NAV and the market closing price or mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV (the “Bid/Ask Price”),[17] and a calculation of the premium and discount of the closing price or Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily closing price or Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters. On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares in the Core Trading Session on the Exchange, each Fund will disclose on its Web site the Disclosed Portfolio as defined in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600(c)(2) that will form the basis for a Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day.[18]

    On a daily basis, the Funds will disclose on the Funds' Web site the following information regarding each portfolio holding, as applicable to the type of holding: Ticker symbol, CUSIP number or other identifier, if any; a description of the holding (including the type of holding, such as the type of swap); the identity of the security, commodity, index or other asset or instrument underlying the holding, if any; for options, the option strike price; quantity held (as measured by, for example, par value, notional value or number of shares, contracts or units); maturity date, if any; coupon rate, if any; effective date, if any; market value of the holding; and the percentage weighting of the holding in a Fund's portfolio.

    The Web site information will be publicly available at no charge.

    In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities required to be delivered in exchange for a Fund's Shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, will be publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the NYSE via NSCC. The basket represents one Creation Unit of a Fund.

    Investors can also obtain the Trust's Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), a Fund's Shareholder Reports, and the Trust's Form N-CSR and Form N-SAR, filed twice a year. The Trust's SAI and Shareholder Reports are available free upon request from the Trust, and those documents and the Form N-CSR and Form N-SAR may be viewed on-screen or downloaded from the Commission's Web site at www.sec.gov. Information regarding market price and trading volume of the Shares will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. Quotation and last sale information for the Shares will be available via the Exchange proprietary quote and trade services and via the Consolidated Tape Association (“CTA”) high-speed line.

    Quotation and last sale information for the equity portfolio holdings of a Fund that are U.S. exchange listed, including common stocks, preferred stocks, ETFs, ETNs, Depositary Receipts, and REITs will be available via the CTA high speed line. Quotation and last sale information for such U.S. exchange-listed securities, as well as futures and options on futures will be available from the exchange on which they are listed. Information relating to non-exchange listed securities of investment companies will be available from major market data vendors.

    Quotation information for sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds, U.S. government securities, corporate debt securities, commercial paper, commercial interests, bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements, fixed and floating rate securities, indexed bonds, master notes, zero coupon securities, and forward foreign currency contracts may be obtained from brokers and dealers who make markets in such securities or through nationally recognized pricing services through subscription agreements.

    In addition, the Intraday Indicative Value (“IIV”),[19] which is the Portfolio Indicative Value as defined in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600(c)(3), will be widely disseminated at least every 15 seconds during the Exchange's Core Trading Session by one or more major market data vendors.[20] The dissemination of the IIV, together with the Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors to determine the value of the underlying portfolio of a Fund and provide a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day.

    Additional information regarding the Trust and the Shares, including investment strategies, risks, creation and redemption procedures, fees, portfolio holdings disclosure policies, distributions and taxes is included in the Registration Statement. All terms relating to a Fund that are referred to, but not defined, in this proposed rule change are defined in the Registration Statement.

    Trading Halts

    With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider all relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or suspend trading in the Shares of the Funds.[21] Trading in Shares of the Funds will be halted if the circuit breaker parameters in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.12 have been reached. Trading also may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable. These may include: (1) The extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or the financial instruments comprising the Disclosed Portfolio of the Funds; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present. Trading in the Shares will be subject to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of a Fund may be halted.

    Trading Rules

    The Exchange deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus rendering trading in the Shares subject to the Exchange's existing rules governing the trading of equity securities. Shares will trade on the NYSE Arca Marketplace from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time in accordance with NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.34 (Opening, Core, and Late Trading Sessions). The Exchange has Start Printed Page 38259appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.6, Commentary .03, the minimum price variation (“MPV”) for quoting and entry of orders in equity securities traded on the NYSE Arca Marketplace is $0.01, with the exception of securities that are priced less than $1.00 for which the MPV for order entry is $0.0001.

    The Shares will conform to the initial and continued listing criteria under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600. The Exchange represents that, for initial and/or continued listing, a Fund will be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 [22] under the Act, as provided by NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.3. A minimum of 100,000 Shares for a Fund will be outstanding at the commencement of trading on the Exchange. The Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio will be made available to all market participants at the same time.

    Surveillance

    The Exchange represents that trading in the Shares will be subject to the existing trading surveillances, administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) on behalf of the Exchange, which are designed to detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws.[23] The Exchange represents that these procedures are adequate to properly monitor Exchange trading of the Shares in all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and federal securities laws applicable to trading on the Exchange.

    The surveillances referred to above generally focus on detecting securities trading outside their normal patterns, which could be indicative of manipulative or other violative activity. When such situations are detected, surveillance analysis follows and investigations are opened, where appropriate, to review the behavior of all relevant parties for all relevant trading violations.

    FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares, common stocks, preferred stocks, Depositary Receipts, REITs, ETFs, ETNs, futures and options on futures with other markets and other entities that are members of the ISG, and FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, may obtain trading information regarding trading in the Shares, common stocks, preferred stocks, Depositary Receipts, REITs, ETFs, ETNs, futures and options on futures from such markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares, common stocks, preferred stocks, Depositary Receipts, REITs, ETFs, ETNs, futures and options on futures from markets and other entities that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.[24] FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income securities held by a Fund reported to FINRA's Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (“TRACE”).

    Not more than 10% of the net assets of a Fund in the aggregate invested in exchange-traded equity securities shall consist of equity securities whose principal market is not a member of the ISG or party to a CSSA with the Exchange.

    In addition, the Exchange also has a general policy prohibiting the distribution of material, non-public information by its employees.

    Information Bulletin

    Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its Equity Trading Permit Holders in an Information Bulletin (“Bulletin”) of the special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Bulletin will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases and redemptions of Shares in Creation Unit aggregations (and that Shares are not individually redeemable); (2) NYSE Arca Equities Rule 9.2(a), which imposes a duty of due diligence on its Equity Trading Permit Holders to learn the essential facts relating to every customer prior to trading the Shares; (3) the risks involved in trading the Shares during the Opening and Late Trading Sessions when an updated Portfolio Indicative Value will not be calculated or publicly disseminated; (4) how information regarding the Portfolio Indicative Value and the Disclosed Portfolio is disseminated; (5) the requirement that Equity Trading Permit Holders deliver a prospectus to investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or concurrently with the confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading information.

    In addition, the Bulletin will reference that each Fund is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Registration Statement. The Bulletin will discuss any exemptive, no-action, and interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the Act. The Bulletin will also disclose that the NAV for the Shares will be calculated after 4:00 p.m. Eastern time each trading day.

    2. Statutory Basis

    The basis under the Act for this proposed rule change is the requirement under section 6(b)(5) [25] that an exchange have rules that are designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to, and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.

    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices in that the Shares will be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the initial and continued listing criteria in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600. The Exchange has in place surveillance procedures that are adequate to properly monitor trading in the Shares in all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws. The Adviser is not registered as a broker-dealer or affiliated with a broker-dealer. A Fund's investments will be consistent with its investment objective and will not be used to enhance leverage. FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares, common stocks, preferred stocks, Depositary Receipts, REITs, ETFs, ETNs, futures and options on futures with other markets and other entities that are members of the ISG, and FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, may obtain trading information regarding trading in the Shares, ETFs, ETNs, futures and options on futures from such markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares, common stocks, preferred stocks, Depositary Receipts, REITs, ETFs, ETNs, futures and options on futures from markets and other entities that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, is able to Start Printed Page 38260access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income securities held by a Fund reported to FINRA's TRACE. All futures contracts and options on futures contracts in which a Fund will invest will be traded on a U.S. board of trade. Not more than 10% of the net assets of a Fund in the aggregate invested in exchange-traded equity securities shall consist of equity securities whose principal market is not a member of the ISG or party to a CSSA with the Exchange.

    The proposed rule change is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade and to protect investors and the public interest in that the Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio will be made available to all market participants at the same time. In addition, a large amount of information is publicly available regarding a Fund and the Shares, thereby promoting market transparency. A Fund's portfolio holdings will be disclosed on its Web site daily after the close of trading on the Exchange and prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange the following day. Moreover, the IIV applicable to each Fund will be widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds during the Exchange's Core Trading Session. On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares in the Core Trading Session on the Exchange, a Fund will disclose on its Web site the Disclosed Portfolio that will form the basis for a Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day. Information regarding market price and trading volume of the Shares will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. The Web site for the Funds will include a form of the prospectus for the Funds and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable quantitative information. Moreover, prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its Equity Trading Permit Holders in an Information Bulletin of the special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. Trading in Shares of a Fund will be halted if the circuit breaker parameters in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.12 have been reached or because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable, and trading in the Shares will be subject to NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of a Fund may be halted. The proposed rule change is designed to perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest in that it will facilitate the listing and trading of additional types of actively-managed exchange-traded products that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace. As noted above, the Exchange has in place surveillance procedures relating to trading in the Shares and may obtain information via ISG from other exchanges that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, as noted above, investors will have ready access to information regarding a Fund's holdings, the IIV, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares.

    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 Act. The Exchange notes that the proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of additional types of actively-managed exchange-traded products that will principally hold fixed income or equity securities and that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace.

    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

    Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:

    (A) By order approve or disapprove the proposed rule change, or

    (B) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved.

    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 Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.

    All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEArca-2015-50. This file number should be included on the subject line if email 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 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal offices of the Exchange and on its Internet Web site at www.nyse.com. 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-2015-50, and should be submitted on or before July 23, 2015.

    Start Signature
    Start Printed Page 38261

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.[26]

    Robert W. Errett,

    Deputy Secretary.

    End Signature End Preamble

    Footnotes

    4.  A Managed Fund Share is a security that represents an interest in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1) (“1940 Act”) organized as an open-end investment company or similar entity that invests in a portfolio of securities selected by its investment adviser consistent with its investment objectives and policies. In contrast, an open-end investment company that issues Investment Company Units, listed and traded on the Exchange under NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3), seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific foreign or domestic stock index, fixed income securities index or combination thereof.

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    5.  The Commission has previously approved listing and trading on the Exchange of a number of actively managed funds under Rule 8.600. See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 71999 (April 23, 2014), 79 FR 24040 (April 29, 2014) (SR-NYSEArca-2014-19) (order approving Exchange listing and trading of shares of four actively-managed asset allocation funds of iShares U.S. ETF Trust); 57801 (May 8, 2008), 73 FR 27878 (May 14, 2008) (SR-NYSEArca-2008-31) (order approving Exchange listing and trading of shares of twelve actively-managed funds of the WisdomTree Trust); 73004 (September 5, 2014), 79 FR 54333 (September 11, 2014) (SR-NYSEArca-2014-76) (order approving Exchange listing and trading of Shares of the Cambria Global Momentum ETF).

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    6.  The Trust will be registered under the 1940 Act. On August 27, 2014, the Trust filed an amendment to the Trust's registration statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) (15 U.S.C. 77a), and under the 1940 Act relating to the Funds (File Nos. 333-180879 and 811-22704) (the “Registration Statement”). The description of the operation of the Trust and the Funds herein is based, in part, on the Registration Statement. In addition, the Commission has issued an order granting certain exemptive relief to the Trust under the 1940 Act. See Investment Company Act Release No. 30340 (January 4, 2013) (“Exemptive Order”). Investments made by the Funds will comply with the conditions set forth in the Exemptive Order.

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    7.  An investment adviser to an open-end fund is required to be registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). As a result, the Adviser and its related personnel are subject to the provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act relating to codes of ethics. This Rule requires investment advisers to adopt a code of ethics that reflects the fiduciary nature of the relationship to clients as well as compliance with other applicable securities laws. Accordingly, procedures designed to prevent the communication and misuse of non-public information by an investment adviser must be consistent with Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act. In addition, Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for an investment adviser to provide investment advice to clients unless such investment adviser has (i) adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation, by the investment adviser and its supervised persons, of the Advisers Act and the Commission rules adopted thereunder; (ii) implemented, at a minimum, an annual review regarding the adequacy of the policies and procedures established pursuant to subparagraph (i) above and the effectiveness of their implementation; and (iii) designated an individual (who is a supervised person) responsible for administering the policies and procedures adopted under subparagraph (i) above.

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    8.  The term “under normal market conditions” includes, but is not limited to, the absence of extreme volatility or trading halts in the equity markets or the financial markets generally; operational issues causing dissemination of inaccurate market information; or force majeure type events such as systems failure, natural or man-made disaster, act of God, armed conflict, act of terrorism, riot or labor disruption or any similar intervening circumstance.

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    9.  Sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds include securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments (including political subdivisions) or their authorities, agencies, or instrumentalities or by supra-national agencies. Supra-national agencies are agencies whose member nations make capital contributions to support the agencies' activities. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the Asian Development Bank, the European Coal and Steel Community, and the Inter-American Development Bank. In addition to investing directly in foreign government securities, the Fund may purchase instruments evidencing undivided ownership interests in interest payments and/or principal payments of foreign government securities.

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    10.  For purposes of this filing, the term “ETFs” includes Investment Company Units (as described in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(3)); Portfolio Depositary Receipts (as described in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.100); and Managed Fund Shares (as described in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 8.600). All ETFs will be listed and traded in the U.S. on a national securities exchange. While the Funds may invest in inverse ETFs, the Funds will not invest in leveraged (e.g., 2X, -2X, 3X or -3X) ETFs.

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    11.  For purposes of this filing, the term “ETNs” includes Index-Linked Securities (as described in NYSE Arca Equities Rule 5.2(j)(6)). All ETNs will be listed and traded in the U.S. on a national securities exchange. The Funds will not invest in leveraged (e.g., 2X, -2X, 3X or -3X) ETNs.

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    12.  Depositary Receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust issuer, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. issuer. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. GDRs, in bearer form, are issued and designed for use outside the United States and EDRs, in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in European securities markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. EDRs are European receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. GDRs are receipts typically issued by non-United States banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities. Not more than 10% of the net assets of a Fund in the aggregate invested in exchange-traded equity securities shall consist of equity securities whose principal market is not a member of the Intermarket Surveillance Group (“ISG”) or party to a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement (“CSSA”) with the Exchange. See note 23, infra.

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    14.  The Commission has stated that long-standing Commission guidelines have required open-end funds to hold no more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid securities and other illiquid assets. See Investment Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008), 73 FR 14618 (March 18, 2008), footnote 34. See also, Investment Company Act Release No. 5847 (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31, 1970) (Statement Regarding “Restricted Securities”); Investment Company Act Release No. 18612 (March 12, 1992), 57 FR 9828 (March 20, 1992) (Revisions of Guidelines to Form N-1A). A fund's portfolio security is illiquid if it cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value ascribed to it by the fund. See Investment Company Act Release No. 14983 (March 12, 1986), 51 FR 9773 (March 21, 1986) (adopting amendments to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act); Investment Company Act Release No. 17452 (April 23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30, 1990) (adopting Rule 144A under the 1933 Act).

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    15.  The Adviser represents that, to the extent the Trust effects the creation of Shares in cash, such transactions will be effected in the same manner for all Authorized Participants.

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    16.  The Adviser represents that, to the extent the Trust effects the redemption of Shares in cash, such transactions will be effected in the same manner for all Authorized Participants.

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    17.  The Bid/Ask Price of the Funds will be determined using the midpoint of the highest bid and the lowest offer on the Exchange as of the time of calculation of a Fund's NAV. The records relating to Bid/Ask Prices will be retained by the Funds and their service providers.

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    18.  Under accounting procedures followed by the Funds, trades made on the prior business day (“T”) will be booked and reflected in NAV on the current business day (“T+1”). Accordingly, the Funds will be able to disclose at the beginning of the business day the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at the end of the business day.

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    19.  The IIV is an approximate per Share value of a Fund's portfolio holdings, which is disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the trading day by one or more market data vendors. The IIV will be based on the current market value of a Fund's “Disclosed Portfolio” as defined in Rule 8.600(c)(2). The IIV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by a Fund at a particular point in time. The IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV of a Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV. The quotations for certain investments may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the U.S., except such quotations may be updated to reflect currency fluctuations.

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    20.  Currently, it is the Exchange's understanding that several major market data vendors display and/or make widely available IIVs taken from CTA or other data feeds.

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    21.  See NYSE Arca Equities Rule 7.12.

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    23.  FINRA surveils trading on the Exchange pursuant to a regulatory services agreement. The Exchange is responsible for FINRA's performance under this regulatory services agreement.

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    24.  For a list of the current members of ISG, see www.isgportal.org. The Exchange notes that not all components of the Disclosed Portfolio for a Fund may trade on markets that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.

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    [FR Doc. 2015-16269 Filed 7-1-15; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

Document Information

Published:
07/02/2015
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
2015-16269
Pages:
38253-38261 (9 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Release No. 34-75311, File No. SR-NYSEArca-2015-50
EOCitation:
of 2015-06-26
PDF File:
2015-16269.pdf