2010-24056. Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Stock Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To Amend NSX Rule 11.8 To Enhance Quotation Requirements for Market Makers

September 20, 2010.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) ^[1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,^[2] notice is hereby given that on September 17, 2010, National Stock Exchange, Inc. (“NSX” or the “Exchange”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II 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

National Stock Exchange, Inc. (“NSX®” or the “Exchange”) is proposing to amend NSX Rule 11.8 to enhance quotation requirements for market makers.

The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at http://www.nsx.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 Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. 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 Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose

Market Maker Quote Obligations:

The Exchange proposes to adopt rules to enhance minimum quotation requirements for market makers. Under the proposal, the Exchange will require market makers for each stock in which they are registered to continuously maintain a two-sided quotation within a designated percentage of the National Best Bid and National Best Offer as appropriate. These enhanced market maker quotation requirements are intended to eliminate trade executions against market maker placeholder quotations traditionally priced far away from the inside market, commonly known as “stub quotes.” They are also intended to augment and work in relation to the single stock pause standards already in place on a pilot basis for stocks in the S&P 500, Russell 1000 and select exchange traded products.^[3]

Under the proposal, the Exchange will require registered market makers to enter and maintain quotes priced at no more than a certain percentage away from the national inside bid and offer. Permissible quotes are determined by the individual character of the security, the time of day in which the quote is entered, and other factors which are summarized below:

For issues subject to an individual stock trading trigger pause, a permissible quote is determined by first looking at the applicable stock trading pause trigger percentage of the security and then reducing that number by 2%. Since currently the stock pause trigger percentage across all exchanges is 10%, a market maker's quote in a such a security may not be more than 8% away from the national best bid or best offer, as appropriate. Once a compliant quote is entered, it may rest without adjustment until such time as it moves to within 1/2 of 1% of the applicable trigger pause percentage (i.e., currently 9.5%) whereupon the market maker must immediately move its quote back to at least the permissible default level of 8% away from the national best bid or best offer. During times in which a trigger pause percentage is not applicable (e.g., before 9:45 a.m. and after 3:35 p.m.), a market maker must maintain a quote no further than 20% away from the inside (i.e., it may rest without adjustment until it reaches 21.5%). In the absence of national best bid or best offer, the above calculations will remain the same, but will use the national last sale instead of the absent bid or offer.

For securities not subject to any individual stock pause trigger, the proposal will a [sic] assume a hypothetical 32% trigger pause, apply a 2% reduction, and require market makers in those issues to maintain quotes no more than 30% away from the national best bid and national best offer. Like securities subject to stock trading pauses, once a compliant quote is entered, it may rest without adjustment until such time as it moves to within 1/2 of 1% of its applicable trigger pause percentage (31.5%) whereupon the market maker must immediately move its quote back to at least the permissible default level of 30%. These requirements shall apply to Regulation NMS securities during normal market hours.

Nothing in the above precludes a market maker from voluntarily quoting at price levels that are closer to the national best bid and best offer than required under the proposal.

2. Statutory Basis

The statutory basis for the proposed rule change is Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,^[4] which requires the rules of an exchange to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest. The proposed rule change also is designed to support the principles of Section 11A(a)(1) ^[5] of the Act in that it seeks to assure fair competition among brokers and dealers and among exchange markets. The Exchange believes that the proposed rule meets these requirements in that it promotes transparency and uniformity across markets concerning minimum market maker quotation requirements.

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 purposes of the Exchange Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others

The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on 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 within such longer period 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

• Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml); or
• Send an e-mail to [e-mail]. Please include File Number SR-NSX-2010-12 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Station Place, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NSX-2010-12. This file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use 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 inspection and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make publicly available. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NSX-2010-12 and should be submitted on or before October 18, 2010.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.^[6]

Florence E. Harmon,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b-4.

3.  See Exchange Act Release Nos. 62252 (June 10, 2010), 75 FR 34186 (June 16, 2010), and 62884 (September 10, 2010).

4.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

5.  15 U.S.C. 78k-1(a)(1).

6.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).