03-17921. Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Securities Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change Relating to Availability of Trade Data to Members for Listed and OTC Processing

July 8, 2003.

Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,^[1] notice is hereby given that on June 16, 2003, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) filed a proposed rule change with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) and on June 24, 2003, amended the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared primarily by NSCC. 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 proposed rule change will make technical modifications to NSCC's trade comparison rules and procedures to clarify (1) the format, availability, and content of trade data available to its participants and (2) that NSCC will no longer provide trade comparison processing for New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and American Stock Exchange (“Amex”) equity trades.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

In its filing with the Commission, NSCC 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. NSCC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.^[2]

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change.

The purpose of the proposed rule change is to make technical changes to NSCC's rules and procedures to conform them to actual practice. NSCC issues transaction information known as “output” to its members in various formats and at different intervals throughout the day. The changes make it clear that the frequency and availability of such information is dependent on the format of the output.

Historically, NSCC's reporting of equity trading activity on behalf of various participants and marketplaces was limited to reporting at the end of the trading processing day, with report output produced to participants and marketplaces in both a print image (“PI”) and machine readable output (“MRO”) form.

With PI output, data appears as a formatted report with predefined columns of information. PI-formatted information is “reader friendly,” includes both activity and total fields, and is usually produced at end-of-day, reflecting the total activity reported by the participant for that processing day. MRO consists of a continuous strand of data and the receiver uses an NSCC-defined record layout that identifies each specific field of data to populate the information into its own internal reports. MRO contains additional fields of useful data that do appear on PI output. Participants that use MRO may receive multiple transmissions of data throughout the processing day and each transmission of data generally reflects activity only. Participants accumulate their intraday output files from NSCC throughout the day, and the sum of the accumulated files represents their total activity reported to NSCC for that processing day.

NSCC is also clarifying its rules to indicate that NSCC performs comparison processing only for over-the-counter and non-NYSE/Amex trades. NSCC's rules previously provided that when the NYSE and the Amex provided comparison processing, NSCC would no longer perform these functions for securities traded on these exchanges. Since the NYSE and Amex now provide this function, references to comparison processing for NYSE and Amex equities are being deleted.

NSCC believes that this proposed rule change is consistent with the provisions of section 17A of the Act ^[3] and the rules and regulations thereunder because NSCC's rules will more accurately reflect the availability of trade reporting and trade comparison output. Therefore, the proposed rule change should enhance the prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities transactions.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

NSCC does not believe that the proposed rule change will have an impact on or impose a burden on competition.

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

No written comments relating to the proposed rule change have been solicited or received. NSCC will notify the Commission of any written comments received by NSCC.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action

The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A)(iii) of the Act ^[4] and Securities Exchange Act Rule 19b-4(f)(4)^[5] because it effects a change in an existing NSCC service that does not adversely affect the safeguarding of securities or funds in NSCC's control or for which NSCC is responsible and does not significantly affect NSCC's or its participants' respective rights or obligations. At any time within sixty days of the filing of such rule change, the Commission may summarily abrogate such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

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. Persons making written submissions should file six copies thereof with the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 5th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549-0069. Comments may also be submitted electronically at the following e-mail address: [e-mail]. All comment letters should refer to File No. SR-NSCC-2003-12. This file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To help us process and review comments more efficiently, comments should be sent in hardcopy or by e-mail but not by both methods. Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the rule filing that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the rule filing between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Copies of such filing will also be available for inspection and copying at NSCC's principal office. All submissions should refer to File No. SR-NSCC-2003-12 and should be submitted by August 6, 2003.

For the Commission by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.^[6]

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  The Commission has modified the text of the summaries prepared by NSCC.

3.  15 U.S.C. 78q-1.

4.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(iii).

5.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(1).

6.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).