2019-15774. Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Regarding Investments of the Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF Currently Listed and Traded on the Exchange Under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E  

  • Start Preamble July 19, 2019.

    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 July 9, 2019, 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 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 proposes certain changes regarding investments of the Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF, shares of which are currently listed and traded on the Exchange under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E (“Managed Fund Shares”). The proposed change is available on the Exchange's website 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 certain changes regarding investments of the Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (“Fund”), shares (“Shares”) of which are currently listed and traded on the Exchange under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E, which governs the listing and trading of Managed Fund Shares [4] on the Exchange. Shares of the Fund commenced listing and trading on the Exchange on September 12, 2018 under the generic listing standards under Commentary .01 to NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E.

    The Fund is a series of Janus Detroit Street Trust (“Trust”).[5] Janus Capital Management LLC is the Fund's investment adviser (“Adviser”). State Street Bank and Trust Company is the custodian and transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”) for the Fund. ALPS Start Printed Page 35911Distributors, Inc. is the distributor (“Distributor”) for the Fund's Shares.

    Commentary .06 to Rule 8.600-E 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 and maintain 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.[6] 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. The Adviser is not registered as a broker-dealer but is affiliated with a broker-dealer and has implemented and will maintain a fire wall with respect to such broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio. In the event (a) the Adviser becomes registered as a broker-dealer or newly affiliated with one or more broker-dealers, or (b) any new adviser or sub-adviser is a registered broker-dealer or becomes affiliated with a broker-dealer, it will implement and maintain a fire wall with respect to its relevant personnel or its 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.

    Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

    Principal Investments

    According to the Registration Statement, the Fund's investment objective is to seek a high level of total return consisting of income and capital appreciation.

    Under normal market conditions,[7] the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in a portfolio of mortgage-related fixed income instruments of varying maturities. The mortgage-related fixed income instruments in which the Fund may invest are the following: Residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”); commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”); collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”); stripped mortgage-backed securities; mortgage pass-through securities; and other securities representing an interest in or secured by or related to mortgages, including asset-backed securities (“ABS”).[8]

    Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in mortgage-related securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA” or “Ginnie Mae”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA” or “Fannie Mae”) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC” or “Freddie Mac”).

    The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).[9]

    The Fund will typically enter into “to be announced” or “TBA” commitments when purchasing mortgage-backed securities.

    Other Investments

    While the Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of its assets in agency mortgage-backed securities, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in the securities and financial instruments described below.

    The Fund may hold cash and cash equivalents.[10]

    In addition to the securities described above under Principal Investments, the Fund may hold the following fixed income securities (“Fixed Income Securities”):

    • U.S. government securities;
    • industrial development bonds
    • inflation-indexed bonds, including municipal inflation-indexed bonds and corporate inflation-indexed bonds; or in derivatives that are linked to these securities;
    • municipal lease obligations;
    • pass-through securities;
    • variable and floating rate obligations (including “inverse floaters);
    • subordinated or junior debt;
    • corporate bonds, debentures, notes, and other similar corporate debt instruments;
    • non-agency, or privately-issued, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, and other mortgage-related securities.[11]

    The Fund may enter into mortgage dollar rolls and may invest in to-be-announced transactions (“TBA”).

    The Fund may enter into short sales of any securities in which the Fund may invest.

    The Fund may hold the following listed derivative instruments: Futures, options (including options on futures), and swaps on commodities, currencies, U.S. and non-U.S. equity securities, fixed income securities as defined in Commentary .01(b) to Rule 8.600-E, interest rates, U.S. Treasuries, or a basket or index of any of the foregoing. Such listed derivatives will comply with the criteria in Commentary .01(d) of NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E.

    The Fund may hold the following over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivative instruments: Forwards, options, and OTC total return swaps on commodities, currencies, U.S. and non-U.S. equity securities, fixed income securities as defined in Commentary .01(b) to Rule 8.600-E, interest rates, or a basket or index of any of the foregoing. The Fund also may hold OTC credit default swaps.

    The Fund may enter into OTC options on swap agreements (“swaptions”).

    The Fund may invest in securities of non-exchange-traded investment company securities, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.Start Printed Page 35912

    The Fund may invest in private placements, restricted securities and Rule 144A securities.

    The Fund will not invest in securities or other financial instruments that have not been described in this proposed rule change.

    Other Restrictions

    The Fund's investments, including derivatives, will be consistent with the Fund's investment objective and will not be used to enhance leverage (although certain derivatives and other investments may result in leverage). That is, while the Fund will be permitted to borrow as permitted under the 1940 Act, the Fund's investments will not be used to seek performance that is the multiple or inverse multiple (e.g., 2Xs and 3Xs) of the Fund's primary broad-based securities benchmark index (as defined in Form N-1A).[12]

    The Fund's Use of Derivatives

    Investments in derivative instruments will be made in accordance with the Fund's investment objective and policies.

    To limit the potential risk associated with such transactions, the Fund will enter into offsetting transactions or segregate or “earmark” assets determined to be liquid by the Adviser in accordance with procedures established by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the “Board”). In addition, the Fund has included appropriate risk disclosure in its offering documents, including leveraging risk. Leveraging risk is the risk that certain transactions of the Fund, including the Fund's use of derivatives, may give rise to leverage, causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged.

    Creation and Redemption of Shares

    According to the Registration Statement, the Trust will issue and redeem Shares only in Creation Units of at least 25,000 Shares on a continuous basis at their NAV per Share next determined after receipt of an order on any business day. The size of a Creation Unit is subject to change. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the Fund generally consists of cash. If creations are not conducted in cash, the consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) (“Deposit Securities”) and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which will be applicable to creation requests received in proper form. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund.

    The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities, and serves to compensate for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount.

    Janus Capital makes available through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) on each business day prior to the opening of business on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number or par value of each Deposit Security and the amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information as of the end of the previous business day for the Fund). Such Fund Deposit is applicable to purchases of Creation Units of Shares of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available.

    The Fund reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or the Clearing Process (as discussed below). The Fund also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which (i) the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws or (ii) the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under applicable securities or other local laws, or in certain other situations.

    Procedures for Creating Creation Units

    To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be: (i) A “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”) or (ii) a DTC Participant, and must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Authorized Participant Agreement”). A Participating Party or DTC Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement is referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” Creation Units may be purchased only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor.

    Purchase Orders

    To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor or its agent an irrevocable order to purchase Shares of the Fund, in proper form, by the “Cutoff Time” (as defined below).

    An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable order to purchase Shares of the Fund generally before 3:00 p.m. (“Cutoff Time”), Eastern time (“E.T.”) on any business day in order to receive that day's NAV. Purchase orders and redemption requests, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV next determined after such acceptance.

    Redemption of Creation Units

    Shares of the Fund may be redeemed by Authorized Participants only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Transfer Agent or its agent and only on a business day.

    Janus Capital will make available through the NSCC, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. E.T.) on each business day, the designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) that will be applicable to redemption requests received in proper form on that day (“Fund Securities”), and an amount of cash (the “Cash Amount,” as described below). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units.

    The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities, plus the Cash Amount, which is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after the receipt of a redemption request in proper form, and the value of Fund Securities, less a redemption transaction fee.

    The Trust may, in its sole discretion, substitute a “cash in lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security. The Trust also reserves the right to permit or Start Printed Page 35913require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the substituted security listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. The Fund generally redeems Creation Units in Fund Securities, plus any Cash Amount due.

    Cash Redemption Method

    Although the Trust will not ordinarily permit partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund, when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.[13]

    Placement of Redemption Orders

    Redemption requests for Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted to the Transfer Agent by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable request to redeem Shares of the Fund generally before 3:00 p.m., E.T. on any business day, in order to receive that day's NAV.

    Disclosed Portfolio

    The Fund's disclosure of derivative positions in the applicable Disclosed Portfolio includes information that market participants can use to value these positions intraday. On a daily basis, the Fund will disclose the information regarding the Disclosed Portfolio required under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E (c)(2) to the extent applicable. The Fund's website information will be publicly available at no charge.

    Impact on Arbitrage Mechanism

    The Adviser believes there will be minimal impact to the arbitrage mechanism as a result of the use of derivatives. Market makers and participants should be able to value derivatives as long as the positions are disclosed with relevant information. The Adviser believes that the price at which Shares trade will continue to be disciplined by arbitrage opportunities created by the ability to purchase or redeem Shares at their NAV, which should ensure that Shares will not trade at a material discount or premium in relation to their NAV.

    The Adviser does not believe there will be any significant impacts to the settlement or operational aspects of the Fund's arbitrage mechanism due to the use of derivatives. Because derivatives generally are not eligible for in-kind transfer, they will typically be substituted with a “cash in lieu” amount when the Fund processes purchases or redemptions of creation units in-kind.

    Application of Generic Listing Requirements

    The Exchange is submitting this proposed rule change because the portfolio for the Fund will not meet all of the “generic” listing requirements of Commentary .01 to NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E applicable to the listing of Managed Fund Shares. The Fund's portfolio would meet all such requirements except for those set forth in Commentary .01(a) [14] and Commentary .01(b)(4) [15] to NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E.

    The Fund will not comply with the requirements in Commentary .01(b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E that component securities that in the aggregate account for at least 90% of the fixed income weight of the portfolio meet one of the criteria specified in Commentary .01(b)(4), because certain Private ABS/MBS by their nature cannot satisfy the criteria in Commentary .01(b)(4).[16] Instead, the Exchange proposes that the Fund's investments in Fixed Income Securities other than Private ABS/MBS will be required to comply with the requirements of Commentary .01(b)(4). The Exchange believes that excluding Private ABS/MBS from the 90% calculation in Commentary .01(b)(4) is consistent with the Act because the Fund's portfolio will minimize the risk to the overall Fund associated with any particular holding of the Fund as a result of the diversification provided by the investments and the Adviser's selection process, which closely monitors investments to ensure maintenance of credit and liquidity standards. Further, the Exchange believes that this alternative limitation is appropriate because Commentary .01(b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E is not designed for structured finance vehicles such as Private ABS/MBS.

    The Exchange notes that the Commission has previously approved Start Printed Page 35914the listing of Managed Fund Shares with similar investment objectives and strategies without imposing requirements that a certain percentage of such funds' securities meet one of the criteria comparable to those set forth in Commentary .01(b)(4).[17]

    The Fund may invest in non-exchange-traded investment company securities, which are equity securities. Because such securities have a net asset value based on the value of securities and financial assets the investment company holds, the Exchange believes it is both unnecessary and inappropriate to apply to such investment company securities the criteria in Commentary .01(a)(1).[18]

    The Exchange notes that the Commission has previously approved the listing of Managed Fund Shares with similar investment objectives and strategies where such funds were permitted to invest in the shares of other registered investment companies that are not ETFs or money market funds.[19]

    The Adviser represents that the proposed exceptions from the requirements of Commentary .01 to Rule 8.600-E described above are consistent with the Fund's investment objective, and will further assist the Adviser to achieve such investment objective. Deviations from the generic requirements are necessary for the Fund to achieve its investment objective in a manner that is cost-effective and that maximizes investors' returns. Further, the proposed alternative requirements are narrowly tailored to allow the Fund to achieve its investment objective in manner that is consistent with the principles of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act. As a result, it is in the public interest to approve listing and trading of Shares of the Fund on the Exchange pursuant to the requirements set forth herein.

    The Exchange notes that, other than Commentary .01(a) and (b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E, as described above, the Fund's portfolio will meet all other requirements of Rule 8.600-E.

    Availability of Information

    The Fund's website (www.janus henderson.com), which is publicly available, includes a form of the prospectus for the Fund that may be downloaded. The Fund's website includes additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Fund, (1) daily trading volume, the prior business day's reported closing price, NAV and mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV (the “Bid/Ask Price”),[20] and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily 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, the Adviser discloses on the Fund's website the Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund as defined in NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E(c)(2) that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day.[21]

    Investors can also obtain the Trust's Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), the Fund's Shareholder Reports, and its 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 website at www.sec.gov.

    Quotation and last sale information for the Shares and ETFs will be available via the CTA high speed line. Price information for U.S. and foreign exchange-traded futures and options on futures will be available from the exchange on which they are listed. Quotation and last sale information for exchange-listed options cleared via the Options Clearing Corporation will be available via the Options Price Reporting Authority. Information regarding market price and trading volume for the Shares is continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. Information regarding the previous day's closing price and trading volume information for the Shares are published daily in the financial section of newspapers.

    Quotation information for RMBS, CMBS, CMOs, ABS, OTC options, cash equivalents, swaps, swaptions, and Fixed Income Securities may be obtained from brokers and dealers who make markets in such securities or through nationally recognized pricing services through subscription agreements. Price information for OTC derivative instruments, OTC credit default swaps, 144A securities, private placement securities and restricted securities is available from major market data vendors.

    In addition, the Portfolio Indicative Value (“PIV”), as defined in NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E(c)(3), is widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds during the Core Trading Session.[22] The dissemination of the PIV, together with the Disclosed Portfolio, allows investors to determine the approximate value of the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and provides a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day.

    Start Printed Page 35915

    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 Fund.[23] Trading in Shares of the Fund will be halted if the circuit breaker parameters in NYSE Arca Rule 7.12-E 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 of the Fund inadvisable.

    Trading in the Shares will be subject to NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the 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. E.T. in accordance with NYSE Arca Rule 7.34-E (Early, Core, and Late Trading Sessions). The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in NYSE Arca Rule 7.6-E, 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.

    Except as described herein, the Shares of the Fund will conform to the continued listing criteria under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E. The Exchange represents that, for continued listing, the Fund will be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 [24] under the Act, as provided by NYSE Arca Rule 5.3-E. The Exchange has obtained a representation from the issuer of the Shares of the Fund 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 is subject to the existing trading surveillances administered by the Exchange, as well as cross-market 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.[25] 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 applicable federal securities laws.

    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.

    The Exchange or FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, or both, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares, ETFs, certain futures, and certain exchange-traded options with other markets and other entities that are members of the Intermarket Surveillance Group (“ISG”), and the Exchange or FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, or both, may obtain trading information regarding trading such securities and financial instruments from such markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in such securities and financial instruments from markets and other entities that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.[26] FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income securities held by the Fund reported to FINRA's Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (“TRACE”).

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

    All statements and representations made in this filing regarding (a) the description of the portfolio holdings or reference asset, (b) limitations on portfolio holdings or reference assets, or (c) the applicability of Exchange listing rules specified in this rule filing shall constitute continued listing requirements for listing the Shares on the Exchange.

    The issuer has represented to the Exchange that it will advise the Exchange of any failure by the Fund to comply with the continued listing requirements, and, pursuant to its obligations under Section 19(g)(1) of the Act, the Exchange will monitor for compliance with the continued listing requirements. If the Fund is not in compliance with the applicable listing requirements, the Exchange will commence delisting procedures under NYSE Arca Rule 5.5-E(m).

    Information Bulletin

    The Exchange will inform its Equity Trading Permit (“ETP”) Holders in an Information Bulletin (“Bulletin”) of the special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares of the Fund. Specifically, the Bulletin will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases and redemptions of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not individually redeemable); (2) NYSE Arca 9.2-E(a), which imposes a duty of due diligence on its ETP 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 Early and Late Trading Sessions when an updated PIV will not be calculated or publicly disseminated; (4) how information regarding the PIV and the Disclosed Portfolio is disseminated; (5) the requirement that ETP 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 the 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 of the Fund will be calculated after 4:00 p.m. E.T. each trading day.

    2. Statutory Basis

    The basis under the Act for this proposed rule change is the requirement under Section 6(b)(5) [27] 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 Start Printed Page 35916be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the initial and continued listing criteria in NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E. The Adviser is not registered as a broker-dealer but is affiliated with a broker-dealer and has implemented and will maintain a fire wall with respect to such broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio. The Exchange represents that trading in the Shares will be subject to the existing trading surveillances administered by the Exchange, as well as cross-market surveillances administered by FINRA on behalf of the Exchange, which are designed to detect violations of Exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws. 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 applicable federal securities laws. The Exchange or FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, or both, will communicate as needed regarding trading in the Shares, ETFs, certain futures, and certain exchange-traded options with other markets and other entities that are members of the ISG, and the Exchange or FINRA, on behalf of the Exchange, or both, may obtain trading information regarding trading such securities and financial instruments from such markets and other entities. In addition, the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in such securities and financial instruments 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 access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income securities held by the Fund reported to FINRA's TRACE.

    Except as described herein, the Shares of the Fund will conform to the continued listing criteria under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E. The Exchange represents that, for continued listing, the Fund will be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 under the Act, as provided by NYSE Arca Rule 5.3-E. The Exchange has obtained a representation from the issuer of the Shares of the Fund that the NAV per Share is calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio are made available to all market participants at the same time. In addition, a large amount of information is publicly available regarding the Fund and the Shares, thereby promoting market transparency. The Fund's portfolio holdings are disclosed on its website daily after the close of trading on the Exchange and prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange the following day. On a daily basis, the Fund discloses the information regarding the Disclosed Portfolio required under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E (c)(2) to the extent applicable. The Fund's website information is publicly available at no charge.

    Investors can also obtain the Trust's SAI, the Fund's Shareholder Reports, and its 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 website at www.sec.gov.

    The website for the Fund includes a form of the prospectus for the Fund and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable quantitative information. Trading in Shares of the Fund will be halted if the circuit breaker parameters in NYSE Arca Rule 7.12-E 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 Rule 8.600-E(d)(2)(D), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the Fund may be halted. In addition, as noted above, investors have ready access to information regarding the Fund's holdings, the PIV, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares. The Fund's investments, including derivatives, will be consistent with the Fund's investment objective and will not be used to enhance leverage (although certain derivatives and other investments may result in leverage). That is, while the Fund will be permitted to borrow as permitted under the 1940 Act, the Fund's investments will not be used to seek performance that is the multiple or inverse multiple (e.g., 2Xs and 3Xs) of the Fund's primary broad-based securities benchmark index (as defined in Form N-1A).

    With respect to the Fund's investment in Private ABS/MBS, the proposed non-compliance with the requirements in Commentary .01(b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E that component securities that in the aggregate account for at least 90% of the fixed income weight of the portfolio meet one of the criteria specified in Commentary .01(b)(4) is appropriate because certain Private ABS/MBS by their nature cannot satisfy the criteria in Commentary .01(b)(4). Instead, the Exchange proposes that the Fund's investments in Fixed Income Securities other than Private ABS/MBS will be required to comply with the requirements of Commentary .01(b)(4), and Private ABS/MBS will be limited to 20% of the weight of the Fund's portfolio. The Exchange believes that excluding Private ABS/MBS from the 90% calculation in Commentary .01(b)(4) is consistent with the Act because the Fund's portfolio will minimize the risk to the overall Fund associated with any particular holding of the Fund as a result of the diversification provided by the investments and the Adviser's selection process, which closely monitors investments to ensure maintenance of credit and liquidity standards. Further, the Exchange believes that this alternative limitation is appropriate because Commentary .01(b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E is not designed for structured finance vehicles such as Private ABS/MBS.

    The Exchange notes that the Commission has previously approved the listing of Managed Fund Shares with similar investment objectives and strategies without imposing requirements that a certain percentage of such funds' securities meet one of the criteria set forth in Commentary .01(b)(4).[28]

    The Fund may invest in shares of non-exchange-traded open-end management investment company securities, which are equity securities. Therefore, the Fund will not comply with the requirements of Commentary .01(a)(1) to NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E (U.S. Component Stocks) with respect to its equity securities holdings. It is appropriate and in the public interest to approve listing and trading of Shares of the Fund notwithstanding that the Fund's holdings in such securities would not meet the requirements of Commentary .01(a)(1)(A) through (E) to Rule 8.600-E. The Fund's investment in shares of non-exchange-traded open-end management investment company securities will be utilized in order to obtain income on short-term cash balances while awaiting attractive investment opportunities, to provide liquidity in preparation for anticipated redemptions or for defensive purposes, which will allow the Fund to obtain the benefits of a more diversified portfolio available in the shares of non-exchange-traded open-end management investment company securities than might otherwise be available. Moreover, such investments, which may include mutual funds that invest, for example, principally in fixed income securities, Start Printed Page 35917would be utilized to help the Fund meet its investment objective and to equitize cash in the short term. The Fund will invest in such securities only to the extent that those investments would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. Because such securities must satisfy applicable 1940 Act diversification requirements, and have a net asset value based on the value of securities and financial assets the investment company holds, it is both unnecessary and inappropriate to apply to such investment company securities the criteria in Commentary .01(a)(1).

    The Exchange notes that it would be difficult or impossible to apply to mutual fund shares certain of the generic quantitative criteria (e.g., market capitalization, trading volume, or portfolio criteria) in Commentary .01 (A) through (D) applicable to U.S. Component Stocks. For example, the requirements for U.S. Component Stocks in Commentary .01(a)(1)(B) that there be minimum monthly trading volume of 250,000 shares, or minimum notional volume traded per month of $25,000,000, averaged over the last six months are tailored to exchange-traded securities (i.e., U.S. Component Stocks) and not to mutual fund shares, which do not trade in the secondary market and for which no such volume information is reported. In addition, Commentary .01(a)(1)(A) relating to minimum market value of portfolio component stocks, Commentary .01(a)(1)(C) relating to weighting of portfolio component stocks, and Commentary .01(a)(1)(D) relating to minimum number of portfolio components are not appropriately applied to open-end management investment company securities; open-end investment companies hold multiple individual securities as disclosed publicly in accordance with the 1940 Act, and application of Commentary .01(a)(1)(A) through (D) would not serve the purposes served with respect to U.S. Component Stocks, namely, to establish minimum liquidity and diversification criteria for U.S. Component Stocks held by series of Managed Fund Shares.

    The Exchange accordingly believes that it is appropriate and in the public interest to approve listing and trading of Shares of the Fund on the Exchange notwithstanding that the Fund would not meet the requirements of Commentary .01(a)(1)(A) through (D) and (b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E. The Exchange notes that, other than Commentary .01(a)(1) and (b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E, the Fund's portfolio will meet all other requirements of Rule 8.600-E.

    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 an additional type of actively-managed exchange-traded product that principally holds fixed income securities and derivatives and 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 of the Fund 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 have ready access to information regarding the Fund's holdings, the PIV, the Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares of the Fund.

    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 an additional type of actively-managed exchange-traded product that principally holds fixed income securities and derivatives 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-2019-51. 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 website (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 website 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 the filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change. Persons submitting comments are cautioned that we do not redact or edit personal identifying information from comment submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEArca-2019-51 and Start Printed Page 35918should be submitted on or before August 15, 2019.

    Start Signature

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.29

    Jill M. Peterson,

    Assistant 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 Rule 5.2-E(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 Trust is registered under the 1940 Act. On February 28, 2019, the Trust filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a) (“Securities Act”) and the 1940 Act relating to the Fund (File Nos. 333-207814 and 811-23112) (the “Registration Statement”). The description of the operation of the Trust and the Fund 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. 31540 (March 30, 2015) (“Exemptive Order”).

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    6.  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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    7.  The term “normal market conditions” is defined in NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E(c)(5).

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    8.  The Fund will typically invest in asset-backed securities backed by pools of home equity loans and other mortgage-related debt. Asset-backed securities are collateralized by pools of obligations or assets. Asset-backed securities may take the form of commercial paper, notes, or pass-through certificates and may be structured as floaters, inverse floaters, interest-only and principal-only obligations.

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    9.  For purposes of this filing, “ETFs” are Investment Company Units (as described in NYSE Arca Rule 5.2-E(j)(3)); Portfolio Depositary Receipts (as described in NYSE Arca Rule 8.100-E); and Managed Fund Shares (as described in NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E). All ETFs will be listed and traded in the U.S. on a national securities exchange.

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    10.  For purposes of this filing, cash equivalents include the securities included in Commentary .01(c) to NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E.

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    11.  Non-agency, or privately-issued, residential and commercial MBS, and other mortgage-related securities and other asset-backed securities are referred to herein as “Private ABS/MBS”.

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    12.  The Fund's broad-based securities benchmark index will be identified in a future amendment to the Registration Statement following the Fund's first full calendar year of performance.

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    13.  The Adviser represents that, to the extent the Trust effects the creation or redemption of Shares in cash on any given day, such transactions will be effected in the same manner for all Authorized Participants placing trades with the Fund on that day.

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    14.  Commentary .01(a) to Rule 8.600-E specifies the equity securities accommodated by the generic criteria in Commentary .01(a), namely, U.S. Component Stocks (as described in Rule 5.2-E(j)(3)) and Non-U.S. Component Stocks (as described in Rule 5.2-E(j)(3)). Commentary .01(a)(1) to Rule 8.600-E (U.S. Component Stocks) provides that the component stocks of the equity portion of a portfolio that are U.S. Component Stocks shall meet the following criteria initially and on a continuing basis:

    (A) Component stocks (excluding Derivative Securities Products and Index-Linked Securities) that in the aggregate account for at least 90% of the equity weight of the portfolio (excluding such Derivative Securities Products and Index-Linked Securities) each shall have a minimum market value of at least $75 million;

    (B) Component stocks (excluding Derivative Securities Products and Index-Linked Securities) that in the aggregate account for at least 70% of the equity weight of the portfolio (excluding such Derivative Securities Products and Index-Linked Securities) each shall have a minimum monthly trading volume of 250,000 shares, or minimum notional volume traded per month of $25,000,000, averaged over the last six months;

    (C) The most heavily weighted component stock (excluding Derivative Securities Products and Index-Linked Securities) shall not exceed 30% of the equity weight of the portfolio, and, to the extent applicable, the five most heavily weighted component stocks (excluding Derivative Securities Products and Index-Linked Securities) shall not exceed 65% of the equity weight of the portfolio;

    (D) Where the equity portion of the portfolio does not include Non-U.S. Component Stocks, the equity portion of the portfolio shall include a minimum of 13 component stocks; provided, however, that there shall be no minimum number of component stocks if (i) one or more series of Derivative Securities Products or Index-Linked Securities constitute, at least in part, components underlying a series of Managed Fund Shares, or (ii) one or more series of Derivative Securities Products or Index-Linked Securities account for 100% of the equity weight of the portfolio of a series of Managed Fund Shares; and

    (E) Except as provided herein, equity securities in the portfolio shall be U.S. Component Stocks listed on a national securities exchange and shall be NMS Stocks as defined in Rule 600 of Regulation NMS under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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    15.  Commentary .01(b)(4) provides that component securities that in the aggregate account for at least 90% of the fixed income weight of the portfolio must be either: (a) From issuers that are required to file reports pursuant to Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Act; (b) from issuers that have a worldwide market value of its outstanding common equity held by non-affiliates of $700 million or more; (c) from issuers that have outstanding securities that are notes, bonds debentures, or evidence of indebtedness having a total remaining principal amount of at least $1 billion; (d) exempted securities as defined in Section 3(a)(12) of the Act; or (e) from issuers that are a government of a foreign country or a political subdivision of a foreign country.

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    16.  Private ABS/MBS are generally issued by special purpose vehicles in amounts smaller than the minimum dollar threshold set forth in Commentary .01(b)(4), so the criteria in Commentary .01(b)(4) to Rule 8.600-E regarding an issuer's market capitalization and the remaining principal amount of an issuer's securities are typically unavailable with respect to Private ABS/MBS, even though such Private ABS/MBS may own significant assets.

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    17.  See, e.g., Exchange Act Release Nos. 67894 (September 20, 2012), 77 FR 59227 (September 26, 2012) (SR-BATS-2012-033) (order approving the listing and trading of shares of the iShares Short Maturity Bond Fund); 70342 (September 6, 2013), 78 FR 56256 (September 12, 2013) (SR-NYSEArca-2013-71) (order approving the listing and trading of shares of the SPDR SSgA Ultra Short Term Bond ETF, SPDR SSgA Conservative Ultra Short Term Bond ETF and SPDR SSgA Aggressive Ultra Short Term Bond ETF). See also, Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 84047 (September 6, 2018), 83 FR 46200 (September 12, 2018) (SR-NASDAQ-2017-128) (Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 3 and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of a Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 3, to List and Trade Shares of the Western Asset Total Return ETF); 85022 (January 31, 2019), 25 FR 2265 (February 6, 2019) (SR-NASDAQ-2018-080) (Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 3 and Order Granting Accelerated Approval of a Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment Nos. 1, 2 and 3, To List and Trade Shares of the BrandywineGLOBAL-Global Total Return ETF).

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    18.  The Commission has previously approved proposed rule changes under Section 19(b) of the Act for series of Managed Fund Shares that may invest in non-exchange traded investment company securities. See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release No. 85244 (March 4, 2019), 84 FR 8553 (March 8, 2019) (SR-NYSEArca-2018-82) (Order Granting Approval of a Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment Nos. 1 and 2, Regarding Certain Changes Relating to Investments of the PGIM Active High Yield Bond ETF).

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    19.  See, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 79053 (October 5, 2016), 81 FR 70468 (October 12, 2016) (SR-BatsBZX-2016-35) (permitting the JPMorgan Global Bond Opportunities ETF to invest in “investment company securities that are not ETFs”); 74297 (February 18, 2015), 80 FR 9788 (February 24, 2015) (SR-BATS-2014-056) (permitting the U.S. Fixed Income Balanced Risk ETF to invest in “exchange traded and non-exchange traded investment companies (including investment companies advised by the Adviser or its affiliates) that invest in such Fixed Income Securities”); 83319 (May 24, 2018), 83 FR 25097 (May 31, 2018) (SR-NYSEArca-2018-15), (Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 1 Thereto, to Continue Listing and Trading Shares of the PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF under NYSE Arca Rule 8.600-E).

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    20.  The Bid/Ask Price of the Fund's Shares will be determined using the mid-point of the highest bid and the lowest offer on the Exchange as of the time of calculation of the Fund's NAV. The records relating to Bid/Ask Prices are retained by the Fund and/or its service providers.

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    21.  Under accounting procedures to be followed by the Fund, trades made on the prior business day (“T”) are booked and reflected in NAV on the current business day (“T+1”). Accordingly, the Fund is 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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    22.  Currently, it is the Exchange's understanding that several major market data vendors display and/or make widely available PIVs taken from the CTA or other data feeds.

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    23.  See NYSE Arca Rule 7.12-E.

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    25.  FINRA conducts cross-market surveillances on behalf of 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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    26.  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 the 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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    28.  See note 17, supra.

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    [FR Doc. 2019-15774 Filed 7-24-19; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 8011-01-P

Document Information

Published:
07/25/2019
Department:
Securities and Exchange Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
2019-15774
Pages:
35910-35918 (9 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Release No. 34-86417, File No. SR-NYSEArca-2019-51
PDF File:
2019-15774.Pdf